'I'm not ruling out doing more cycling challenges'

The ex-England footballer, who has raised millions for charity, says his love for cycling has grown.

A man wearing cycling gear stands and smiles while standing next to his white bicycle, which he is holding up. Behind him is a brick wall and two posts.
Geoff Thomas completed his seventh Tour 21 in July [BBC]

A former England footballer who has helped to raise more than £15m for leukaemia research has not ruled out taking part in another charity cycling challenge after completing his seventh this year.

Geoff Thomas, from Worcestershire, was part of the Tour 21 team which took on the same route as the Tour de France during June and July.

The ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crewe Alexandra player was given three months to live in 2003 after he was diagnosed with leukaemia, but was successfully treated with a stem cell transplant.

He helped to set up and first took part in Tour 21, held in aid of Solihull-based charity Cure Leukaemia, in 2005 when he was six months in remission.

After completing this year's event, Thomas said at the time it would be his last Tour 21, but he has now told BBC Hereford and Worcester he was not ruling out doing another.

He said 2026 would mark 21 years since the first Tour 21, which he described as being "a bit special".

"I'm not 100% yet but I'll see how my body is feeling," he added. "I've not really put the bike away like I normally do - only on a social side have I kept on the bike.

"My love of cycling has actually grown."

'Nothing but pain'

Thomas spoke of the 2025 ride and recalled one steep 18-mile climb in the Alps which took him to his limit, particularly when it suddenly started to rain and then snow.

"I was about two turns away from the top and I was crying my eyes out," Thomas said. "There was nothing there but this pain."

But he said it felt like he had "people on his shoulder" to support him, including some he knew who had lost their lives to leukaemia.

"They'd lost their battle but they were with me in that moment as I got to the top," he added.

He said after starting the descent, wearing coats provided by the support team, the sun came out "all of a sudden".

He said: "I just thought 'wow, if I can do that, I can do anything'."

Thomas, 61, was appointed an MBE for his work to raise money for cancer charities in 2021.

The Tour 21 challenge, which is 2,200 miles (3,540km) in total, is held every year with the aim of raising £1m for Cure Leukaemia.

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Category: General Sports