Cameras ready to roll for Keith’s Tour de France
A West Lothian architect cycling the entire route of the Tour de France a week ahead of the professionals for a cancer charity will feature in a five-part documentary series.
Keith Vance, a 46-year-old architect with Dick Peddie & McKay in West Calder, will be one of 25 amateur cyclists riding the same route as the Tour de France to raise funds for Cure Leukaemia.
So far, along with the other amateur cyclists, Keith has helped raise nearly £500,000 of their £1million goal for Tour 21 – the campaign supporting Cure Leukaemia and organising the event.
The documentary will be broadcast over five-parts on the NBC Sports YouTube channel during the event next month, and will record the trials and tribulations that the riders put themselves through – all to raise money to fund pioneering leukaemia trials.
The partnership marks the second year that event organiser Tour 21, the charity Cure Leukaemia, and NBC Sports have joined forces to cover the event.
The 2021 series, Riding For Survival, can be watched back on the American programming division’s YouTube channel.
James McLaughlin, chief executive of Cure Leukaemia, said:“It’s great to once again have the support of the NBC Sports team as we head towards the final phase of training and fundraising before the event gets underway next month.
“Capturing the highs, lows and emotions of the ride in this format is a brilliant way of telling the world just what the riders put themselves through in order to reach the finish line in Paris for a great cause.
“Each year the event continues to grow and reach more riders around the world which in turn plays an important role in helping us continue to increase the amount of money the team raises collectively.
“This money is invested in the national Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) which has been solely funded by Cure Leukaemia since January 2020.”
The event sets off on June 24 from Copenhagen before arriving 23 days and 3328km later in Paris.
The event aims to raise well over £1m with over £430,000 already raised by the team.
Joining Keith will be a range of other amateur cyclists of varying skill levels including an international rider from Arizona and a retired NHS nurse in her 60s.
To support Keith and Cure Leukaemia’s efforts to fund leukaemia trials, visit the JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving. com/fundraising/keith-vance4