2,329 km charity cycling tour ends in Costa del Sol

THE last leg of a very special charity cycling tour finishes on the Costa del Sol on Thursday June 1.

The Tour de Sands departed from Lincolnshire, UK almost one month ago and has continued all the way through France and most of Spain, set to finish at La Cala.

The final destination is Elviria. Riders will have taken turns to ride a cherished bike owned by Sandra Watson, who sadly died of cancer in March 2016.

She and husband Jerry, who has organised the tour and built a charity from scratch, had a second home in Elviria.

The Tour de Sands is about transporting her favourite bike to her Spanish retreat, raising money for charity and honouring both her life and heroic battle against the disease.

Diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2002 aged just 45, Sandra was fit and active.

A life on the sofa with swollen legs due to the removal of lymph nodes was a terrifying prospect. She soon discovered that exercise could help push fluid past the blockages, helping her live a far more active life.

She took up cycling and was soon completing 25-mile rides a day, helping control her condition far better than doctors ever thought possible.

In 2012 the cancer expanded and she had a lung removed. But even that didn’t stop her doing a 700m climb over 18km during a holiday in Spain.

The Tour de Sands pays tribute to her aweinspiring energy in fighting for a life where she was in control, not the disease.

The Tour finishes on June 1 and on June 3 there will be a special party held at the Avanto Beach Club to celebrate Sandra’s life and raise funds for charity.

The event begins at 2.30pm and tickets cost €50.

There will be canapes, wine, live music and even some wonderful polo shirts to commemorate the event for just €25.

All are invited. Contact Ian Giles, Chairman of the Classic Car Club of Andalucia, for more details by emailing ian@iangiles.com.