A MAN from Callow Hill in Redditch will cycle the first stage of the Tour de France, riding 199km to raise money and promote awareness for Prostate Cancer UK.
A week on Saturday, June 23, Matthew Perry-Park, aged 44, will begin his journey from Île de Noirmoutier – a small island off the Atlantic coast of France heading for Fontenay le Comte, on what will be Stage 1 of the Tour.
Matthew will be pedalling the route of the ‘Grand Depart Classic’ before the professional cyclists grace the tarmac for the Tour-de-France proper a few weeks later on Saturday, July 7.
Matthew said: “I lost my grandfather last year and he was like a father to me. He died from prostate cancer.
“I also know of friends that have been through it too and that’s the reason I wanted to raise money for this particular charity.
“I have not cycled this kind of distance in one go since I was a teenager.
“I used to ride to school from Matchborough East to Studley High School every day.
“I once cycled the circumference of the Isle of Wight with my parents.
“It was on my ‘Townsend 5 speed’ road bike during a summer holiday.
“Those days are long gone though, so this will be a real challenge for me.”
Matthew has been busy gathering sponsors from several businesses but is yet to ask individuals.
He said: “My corporate friends and sponsors that I have approached have been very generous.
“The money raised has already exceeded my expections and I will continue to raise money throughout the next few months.”
There will be 238 cyclists from all around the UK who will be doing the ride alongside Matthew in June.
You can follow his journey on his Twitter page @Snorkel1974.
Matthew also has a Just Giving page – log on and visit fundraising/2018gdp.
