Le Loop - supporting the William Wates Memorial Trust
In July 2025, friends and Holiday Extras colleagues Ian Copley, Simon Hagger and Matt Paxton will be taking on the biggest bike ride in the world by cycling the 2025 Tour de France route, on a ride known as ‘Le Loop’. Riding the exact route taken on by the pros a week in advance of the main Tour.
Ian and Simon will be taking on the ‘Grand Depart’ covering 575 kilometres over 3 consecutive days between Lille and Dunkerque, and Matt will then carry on to cycle the full route covering 3,350 kilometres over 19 days, including 170,000 feet of elevation in the Pyrenees and Alps. To put that into context, that is six times the height of Mount Everest!!
We will be raising money for the William Wates Memorial Trust. William died during his gap year in Central America in 1996 ,and since then his family have been striving to do something in his name to make a difference. 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.
For all 3 of us this will be a very hard challenge, the training has already started and ramps up in earnest in January. It will be a multi month commitment 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! 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 all donations will go to an excellent cause.
Note: For any significant donors we are also very happy to proudly wear logos on our matching cycling Jersey’s for the many photo opportunities and to maximise social media and any related PR!
With thanks
Ian, Simon, Matt
