Le Loop: Six Everests, One Ride, One Reason.
This summer, I am taking on one of Europe’s toughest endurance cycling challenges: The Tour De France (Grande Loop).
It is not a race. It is a sustained test of physical resilience, mental focus, and commitment — ridden over consecutive days, across legendary Alpine climbs, with minimal recovery and no shortcuts. I am doing it for a reason that goes well beyond the bike.
The William Wates Memorial Trust is a UK charity that supports disadvantaged young people aged 5–19 by funding grassroots organisations delivering practical, life-changing opportunities.
This resonates back to the young soldiers I trained in the Armed Forces. The Trust focuses on early intervention and youth development, providing flexible grants to charities working directly with young people facing social or economic disadvantage.
The Challenge at a glance
§ 21 consecutive stages
§ 3,500 km across Spain and France
§ 54,450 metres of total elevation gain
§ The equivalent of climbing Mount Everest almost six times from sea level
Endurance challenges like the Grande Loop strip everything back to fundamentals: discipline, perseverance, and the ability to keep going when stopping would be easier. Those same qualities are essential to tackling the causes this ride supports. Your donation directly enables work that changes outcomes — not in theory, but in reality.
§ £50 can fund vital frontline support improving someone’s quality of life.
§ £100 can contribute to early-intervention programmes to reduce long-term harm.
§ Every £1 donated typically delivers £3–£5 of social value to these young children.
Training for the Grande Loop requires months of structured preparation, early mornings, and sustained sacrifice. I am committing the same level of seriousness to fundraising.
Your early donations drive visibility and participation. This ride will be hard. That is the point.
Thank you for backing the miles, the climbs, and the cause
Thank you to my Sponsors
£159
Michael And Gabrielle Young
£106
James
With all good wishes James Ekins
£100
Tom Gardner
Exceptional work Jim-best of luck! I can recommend a good gootch cream if you need 😂
£100
Rupert King-evans
An incredible challenge., good luck. Rupert and Emmeline.
£100
Jason, Vicky, Theo, Jack And Olly Higgs
What a challenge! I’m aching just thinking about it. Best of luck and make sure you eat enough potatoes - we’re expecting photos
£100
Mr G Burnand
£100
Tonio Frendo
Small token to support an immense endeavour. Wish you all the best James.
£100
Junaid I
£79.50
Alex Creasy
good luck james, from Cressie and Alex
£53.32
Joanna Smith
That's a long way - good luck, a great cause.
£53.32
Sam Parker
I’m not sure Strava will cope with this data..! That is a proper challenge that you have given yourselves. Wishing you, Toby, Rory the best of luck, I shall follow with interest - some great inspiration for my own swim-bike-run project this summer. Best of luck!
£53.32
Phil & Jenny
Good luck Team!
£53.32
Anthony Wheatley
Wishing you the very best of luck on your challenge for a super cause. Ed
£53.32
Simon Ffennell
Great challenge. Good luck.
£53.32
Pete Denton
Best of luck James
£53.32
James Young
£53.32
Gemma Lewis
Good luck James1
£52.12
Edd Keelan
Ride like the wind James!
£52.12
James Parker
Shut up legs!
£52.12
Mark Hewson
Lunacy - sure you will have fun amongst the pain, super cause James.
£50
Barty
Smash it Jim. !!
£50
Marco
Keep pedaling, even up the steep stuff! Well done!
£50
Al, Sarah And Erin
I’m guessing this is just a training ride for some thing big????
£50
Gordon Elliot
Now THIS is what we call a challenge. What a guy. Can't wait to see the pics and the progress as you take this on for a worthy cause. Godspeed!
£27.05
Rupert Stevens
Enjoy every km!!!
£27.05
Kenneth Greene
Great cause and hope there is not too much pain getting there.
£27.05
Sara Janssen
Good luck, James.
£27.05
Andrew Buckley
Extraordinary effort, James. Good luck!
£27.05
Gl
Nice one Jimbo. Well in.
£27.05
Nicholas Brandram
Plenty of vaseline old man
£27.05
Stephen Costas
Good luck James! You will smash it!
£25
Chris & Naomi
Go James
£25
The O’keeeffe Family
Wishing the best of luck! The O’Keeffe family
£25
Charlotte O’keeffe
Good luck Godfather James! Love Charlotte
£25
Vivienne Kay
Best of luck!!!
£25
Chloe O'hea
What a challenge !! Massive luck.
£25
Ashton Furby
Wishing you the very best of luck James!
£25
Raymond T
James - A fantastic cause, wishing you the very best of luck in Europe’s toughest endurance cycling challenge.
£21.84
Lyn
£20
Jamie Allen
Cracking stuff James and for an amazing cause - good luck!
£11.33
Di Lena Vincenzo
you go James! Vincenzo
£10
Dwayne S
Best of luck James
£10
Vikas Gupta
Good Luck James
£10
Well done with your training James. Wishing you good luck at the event