Amateur to take on Tour de France Femmes challenge

A 54-year-old cycling coach is taking on all nine stages of the Tour de France Femmes before the official event to raise money for a leukaemia charity.

Michelle Sharland, from West Horsley in Surrey, will cycle 1,175km (730 miles) over nine days with a team of 23 female amateur cyclists.

Sharland is taking on the challenge, which starts on 31 July and will see participants climb 18,795m (61,663ft), for Cure Leukaemia.

She said: "This is more than just a cycling event, it's an opportunity to push myself beyond my limits while supporting an incredible cause. Knowing that every mile ridden can help bring hope to children and families affected by blood cancer is what keeps me going."

The challenge mirrors the official Tour de France Femmes route, which starts in Lausanne in Switzerland and ends in Nice in the south of France.

The total elevation gain is similar to climbing Mount Everest more than twice.

Sharland says training for the challenge has been "relentless", but she is using the heatwaves in the UK to her advantage as "it's allowing me to adapt to the temperatures I'll probably be riding in in France".

"So when it's a hot day you just go: 'I've got to go!'"

Cure Leukaemia says it works to make sure patients across the world have the best options and access to the medicine, treatment and care they need.

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