Steve G's Le Loop fundraising page

Le Loop - supporting the William Wates Memorial Trust

🚴‍♂️ In June I’m Riding the Entire Tour de France Route (Yes… the whole thing!)

Supporting the William Wates Memorial Trust

This June, I’m taking on something equal parts incredible and ridiculous:
riding the full Tour de France route (all 21 stages) one week ahead of the pros.

I did it two years ago. I should know better.
And yet… here we are. At 56, I’ve signed up again, because some challenges are worth the pain  and some causes are worth absolutely everything.

💛 Why I’m Really Doing This

I’m riding for the William Wates Memorial Trust, a charity that helps disadvantaged young people find direction, confidence, and opportunity through sport, arts, and education.

In a world where too many young people are boxed in by circumstance, this charity helps them break out  to discover who they could be, not who life tells them they are.

👉 Every penny you donate goes straight to the charity.
👉 I pay my own costs to take part, your support goes exactly where it’s needed.

🚴‍♂️ What Le Loop Actually Involves

Around 100 riders will gather at the Grand Départ.
Most of them wisely choose a few stages… or maybe a week.

And then… there are the others.
The “slightly unhinged” or “must have clicked the wrong button” group.

I am proudly one of those riders  doing all 21 stages.

That means every mile, every brutal climb (and there are a lot!), every iconic mountain the pros ride…
with none of the talent, none of the crowds, and definitely none of the team cars handing me snacks.

One stage hurts.
A week hurts a lot.
Twenty‑one stages? You could call it character‑building on a whole different level.

🌟 Why It Matters

I’m incredibly lucky , fit(ish), healthy(ish), and able to take on something this big. Not everyone gets those chances, especially many young people growing up today.

So I want to use this challenge to help create opportunities for them , the same kind of opportunities that shaped my own life.