Tim Murphy
Vet Gears Up For His 'Tour De France'
8 years ago 
1229 views
A vet from Town & Country Veterinary Centre in Market Harborough is in training to take on the challenge of cycling the first nine stages of the route of the Tour de France. Tim Murphy will cover more than 1,100 miles on the gruelling route which will include extreme variations in weather and terrain. He is undertaking the feat to raise funds for a charity called The William Wates Memorial Trust, which awards grants to other charities aiming to encourage young people to keep away from crime and violence using sport, art and education.
Tim, an experienced cyclist, undertakes a physical challenge every year. In recent years, he has run the Marathon des Sables, a multi-stage challenge through the Sahara Desert, known as the toughest footrace on earth. He has also cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats, cycled coast to coast and back again in 48 hours and cycled from London to Paris in 24 hours.
Commenting, he said: "I started cycling five years ago after agreeing with a group of old college friends that we'd all cycle from Land’s End to John O'Groats. They all then found reasons not to do it – but I carried on. I’ll be cycling this year’s Tour de France challenge between 25 June and 3 July with a friend and fellow vet. Each stage has between 40 and 90 riders on it.
"To prepare, I am cycling as much as possible every week, racking up the miles and as many hills as I can. I’m out in all weathers and mostly, it seems, in the cold and wet! Each year, I say the challenge will be my last but then something bigger and more difficult shows up and I find myself entering it."
He continued: "I’m looking forward to cycling through France and am expecting the scenery to be fantastic. From experience, I also know that the camaraderie you feel with other participants is quite special. I must admit I’m dreading the extremes of weather. The first three stages are close to the Normandy coast so strong winds could make for very hard cycling. We will also experience extreme heat during some stages and freezing cold when we’re in the mountains."
He added: "The William Wates Memorial Trust is a cause close to my heart because I fully support any organisation which helps people fulfil their potential to live a full and happy life. I hope to raise lots of money for them and have set up a fundraising page at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=TimMurphy1&faId=683207&isTeam=false
Town & Country Veterinary Centre is based at 48 Northampton Road and can be contacted on 01858 465668.
For further information:
Rebecca George, George PR
Tel: 01449 737281/07974 161108
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