Tour de France prequel aims to raise a million for leukaemia charity

ON June 24, Rhett Groom sets out to cycle the entire Tour de France route, one week ahead of the professionals.

Rhett, who is 54 coming up to 55 and a keen amateur cyclist, told the Euro Weekly News that he felt privileged to be joining Geoff Thomas MBE, a leukaemia survivor and a former England and Crystal Palace footballer.

Rhett is one of the Tour 21 team of 19 cyclists, committed to covering more than 3,000 kilometres and finishing all 21 stages of the 2022 Tour de France, including ascents in three mountain ranges.

The team members are equally committed to raising €1 million (€1.17 million) for Britain’s Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP).

This programme, which saved Geoff Thomas’s life, pioneers clinical trials for blood cancer, linking patients from a catchment area of over 20 million to potentially life-saving options not currently available through standard care.

“I was inspired by last year’s Cure Leukaemia challenge and had to do it myself this year,” Rhett said, shortly before leaving for Copenhagen where this year’s Tour begins.

South African born Rhett came to the UK in 2003 and now lives in Okehampton in Devon. He has a holiday home in the Jalon Valley where he and his wife have been living for several months while he trains two or three times a week with Gandia-based cycling coach Paul Lowry .

To donate, follow the Rhett Groom is fundraising for Cure Leukaemia (justgiving.com) link. All funds raised will be invested directly into the national Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP).

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