Ironman great Wellington to tackle the Trois Etapes
From Chrissie Wellington
I am writing to let you know about a new and unique challenge I am involved with, and which you may be interested in featuring.
It is called Trois Etapes Tour (three stages) organised by UK-based Cosaveli. Trois Etapes is the world’s finest pro-am cycling event. It consists of teams of eight riders, each with at least one professional cyclist competing over some of the most challenging cycling terrain in the world. As with pro cycle road races, each team has a support car with Director Sportif and race radios.
This year the teams will compete across three stunning stages in the Pyrénées from August 7-10. Each team rides in support of a charity.
Iron woman Chrissue Wellington celebrates her fourth Hawaii Ironman win
Channel 4 created a documentary about last year’s event, which can be found here – http://vimeo.com/73399570
For the first time ever, an all-women’s team will take on the Trois Etapes Tour, and I have been invited to be part of that team. It will be lead by US professional cyclist Evie Stevens, the two-time world TTT champion.
Our team will be raising funds and awareness for World Bicycle Relief. Together we will tackle some of the most grueling climbs in the Pyrénées with the aim of raising funds to mobilise women and girl students in rural Africa and promoting the advancement of women’s cycling around the world.
The Tour also includes other famous names such as:
Michael Barry (rtd: Team Sky, Discovery Channel, US Postal)
Nicole Cooke – (rtd: Olympic gold, five times world champion)
Ian Field (Hargroves Cycles, triple British cyclocross champion)
Kieran Frend (AN Post)
Linus Gerdemann (MTN Qhubeka)
Adrien Nyonshuti (MTN Qhubeka and Team Rwanda)
Emma Pooley (Loto Belisol, current British TT champion, Olympic silver medallist and former TT world champion)
Carlos Sastre (rtd: winner TdF ’08 and 15 top 10 Grand Tour finishes)
For me, participating in the Trois Etapes is a dream come true. Over the past year, I have also been working, with others, to try to push through change and reforms in women’s cycling, including the creation a women’s race at the Tour de France. The creation of the first all-women’s team at the Trois Etapes is a visible celebration of female participation, passion strength and success in cycling.
Like World Bicycle Relief, I believe bicycles can be a huge force for good: creating opportunities, building bridges, empowering people and communities, and truly catalysing positive change. Participating in the Trois Etapes is an incredibly important way of helping to drive forward this mission and vision.
Despite my achievements as a triathlete, this is a huge personal challenge and is going to take me far out of my comfort zone… which is where the magic truly happens! To have the chance to ride on a team with such amazing, talented women who I have the utmost respect and admiration for; to relish and share the highs and the lows of this challenging, epic three-day journey along some of the most iconic roads in the world, all while raising awareness and money for such a worthwhile cause – life really doesn’t get much better.
I hope this has whetted your appetite, as I really do think it would make a great feature, especially after a superb summer of sport that has captured and catalysed the public’s attention – including following the Grand Depart in Yorkshire.
Please let me know if you would like any more info.
