We are taking on an epic cycling challenge: Le Loop.
In July 2025, friends and Holiday Extras colleagues Ian Copley, Simon Hagger and Matt Paxton will be taking on the 2025 Tour de France route, riding the exact route taken on by the pros, a week in advance of the main Tour, otherwise known as 'Le Loop'.
Ian and Simon will be cycling the ‘Grand Depart’ covering 575 kilometres between Lille and Dunkerque, and Matt will be cycling the full three week Tour de France route, a total distance of 3,350 kilometres and 170,000 feet of elevation. To put that into context it is equivalent to cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats......and back again.......whilst at the same time going up Mount Everest six times!!
We will be raising money for the William Wates Memorial Trust. Since William's death during his gap year in Central America in 1996, his family have been striving to make a difference in his name. The William Wates Memorial Trust achieves this by identifying charities to which it can award grants, and invest in their vision to help the most disadvantaged, vulnerable young people keep away from a life of crime and violence, and fulfil their potential.
This will be a super tough challenge, involving months of training to fit in the hours and hours needed in the saddle to prepare for such long distances and elevations day after day. We will be funding all aspects of the trip ourselves, covering all travel, accommodation, food, drink, inner tubes, chamois cream, energy gels.… etc, etc! This means 100% of donations made will go directly to the William Wates Memorial Trust.
We would really appreciate your help and support in taking on this challenge, and contributing to an excellent cause.
With thanks
Matt, Simon & Ian
Thank you to our Sponsors
£4.62k
Albert Beheer Bv
£1.2k
Stuart Irwin
£500
Pack Foundation
£300
Cripps Llp
Bon courage pour le Tour! From all of us at Cripps
£200
Mark Smith
Hope you have some fun even though it will be very tough. will be thinking of you. Mark
£150
John Barbieri
Top challenge, great cause. Good livk mate.👍
£138
Laura Bates
Well done team 🚲
£108
Salome
Epic chaps. You got this 🚲💪. Very best of luck !
£106
Oli Ashford
£106
Theo Zijlstra
Good luck guys! Brake a leg!!
£106
Meadia Consulting Ltd
£106
Mandy
I love you xxx
£106
Sean Hagger
This is mad! Go get em Tigers
£106
David Norris
£106
Dickie Mackness
Go Matt, this is awesome. Looking forward to updates. You are an Ironman. You have done the training. You will smash this!!
£106
Rob Grigg
Amazing, all the best.
£106
Paul Huggins
Good luck!
£106
Rob Pimenta
allez les rouge ynwa enjoy buddy !!
£106
Andy Britcliffe
A trio like no other!! Love you guys and ride well!! Pax - god speed for the full distance!! I hear pogacar is monitoring!!
£100
Nolan Hough
Best of luck guys!
£100
David Copley
Good luck
£100
Irene Dove
Dear Matt and Si, wishing you so much luck in your epic cycle ride, hope you smash it! Love from Irene
£100
Alan Paxton
Best wishes to the team. Matthew we are so proud of everything you do. Stay safe and take care. We love you. Mum and dad xx
£100
Mark Bond
Good luck!
£100
Anonymous
£100
David Elms
Enjoy Le Loop!
£100
Claire & Samson
Matthew wishing you and the team all the best, we know how hard you've been training and we're very proud of you. Sorry we can't be there to cheer you on in person, but we'll be thinking of you. lots of love xx
£75
Dan Rowe
Clearly the madness has not diminished your motivation and this looks like it is going to happen! Very best of luck guys.
£59
John & Ulrike
Good Luck Matt, we feel sure you will go all the way to the finish line!!
£54
Kevin Smart
Idiots
£53
Tom Mcgarry
£53
Richard Hope
Good luck guys hope it’s not to hot and not to wet
£53
Damien Turner
There better be a beer at the end!
£53
Val Hayes
No better loopers I can think of to do this. Happy cycling.
£53
Cassie Goodwin
Good luck! 🚴🚴♂️🚴
£53
Ricky Dore
£53
Liam Thompson
Beasts. 💪🏼
£53
Seamus Mccauley
Every time I ski down a mountain it turns out this mad bugger has cycled up it. Good luck mate.
£53
Frank Ferraro
Wishing you strong legs, clear skies, and smooth roads – an epic ride for epic colleagues!
£53
Miche & Ant
What an amazing challenge! Good luck to you all :)
£53
Simon Novell
Good luck! You’ll smash this! Massive respect for even making it to the start line. Amazing effort. Stay safe. Simon, Lisa, Isaac & Evie. Xxxx
£51
Johannes Mehrer
Haut rein Jungs!
£50
Hugh Chappell
Best of luck!
£50
Stephen Copley
Enjoy!
£50
Luke Silcocks
Incredible guys, a great cause and challenge. Matt, hopefully, you can add to the excitement and give Pogacar and Vingegaard a good test in a few stages.
£50
Ayo Ogunrekun
Well done, champs. Go for gold!
£27
Jackie Keep
All that dedicated training will pay off. Keep at it and good luck for the event x
£27
David Mortimore
£27
Martyn Attwood
Good Luck Fella's - may the roads be downhill all the way !!
£27
Katherine Bond
Good luck and have fun!
£27
Angela Carr
Good luck Ian! Amazing challenge and great cause. Angela
£27
Neil Horne
was great to catch up good luck with your epic venture best wishes neil & julie
£27
Amy Uttley
Good luck xx
£27
Hugo Loudon
Go South East 17 💪
£27
Enas
£27
Elliott Crush & Stefanie Kennett
What an awesome way to spend the sabbatical Matt. Once in a lifetime opportunity!
£27
Daniel Senderowich
wish you all the best of luck amazing challenge. Will be thinking of you going up Col de la Loze
£25
Caroline Ridgwell
Dear Matt, sending lots of luck for your epic cycle, Callie and Mike x
£25
Kane
Amazing work you three. Good luck!
£25
Alistair Daly
£25
Ruairidh Roberts
£25
Neil Howes
You must be Loopy!! Good luck fellas
£22
Sarah White
Wow I'm so impressed and envious Matt! You couldn't have worked any harder. You've got this! Good luck!!
£22
Aussie Dave
Great effort gents! A fresh wisenbier awaits you at the finishing line.
£22
Sian Hodges
You guys are all amazing! Good luck xx
£22
Richard Hill
This is on another level, you are all incredible athletes and I look forward to hearing all about it!
£20
Esther Campbell
Good luck to Matt & team! Very excited by your achievement!
£20
Kim Skinner
Well done on all the training - enjoy the hills
£20
Tristan Macintyre-read
What a challenge! I've done the tour de France twice, however, that was in a car! Wishing all you the best for your epic adventure!
£11
Omar H. Ibrahim
I wish I could share more, but I just started a student job. Still, I promised Mum I would do this, and I am happy to keep that promise.
£11
Danny Pang
Good luck guys, I’m going to enjoy my breakfast cake!
£11
Barry Holloway
Looking good gents 👍🏻
£10
Caroline Edmed
Wishing you all the luck on your Le Loop ride guys
£6
Chloe A
£6
Lyndsey Stapley
£5
Roger Murphy
Good luck Pax!
