As the sun sets on this year’s Tour de France, leading end-of-life care charity Marie Curie has been announced as the official charity partner for the Tour de France Grand Départ 2014 in the UK.
The Tour de France, the biggest annual sporting event in the world, has been brought to the UK by the tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire.
The first two stages of the Grand Départ will run through Yorkshire with stage one travelling from Leeds to Harrogate and stage two from York to Sheffield. The final stage will run from Cambridge to London, where it will finish in one of London’s most iconic locations, The Mall.
This is the first time a charity has been selected to be the official partner of the Grand Départ of the Tour de France, and all the funds raised will help Marie Curie Nurses provide more free care to people with terminal illnesses in their own homes and in the charity’s nine hospices.
2014’s race begins on July 5th and 6th in Yorkshire, before heading south on July 7th where it will then move on to France.
Dr Jane Collins, Chief Executive of Marie Curie, said:
This is a great honour for Marie Curie. The Tour de France is the most famous cycling race in the world and for us to be associated with such a prestigious and well respected event is fantastic.
We look forward to working in partnership with the Tour de France organisers, as well as the many organisations who will help bring this global sporting event to the UK and help raise vital funds which will go towards helping us provide free care to people with terminal illnesses in their own homes and in our nine hospices across the UK.
Tour de France director, Christian Prudhomme, said:
It is an honour for Le Tour to partner with Marie Curie Cancer Care as the official charity of the 2014 Tour de France Grand Départ. We hope that by working together we are able to help them raise vital additional funds to continue the amazing work of their nurses and hospices.
Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said:
Marie Curie is a charity close to my heart as they were there for me when my wife Helen passed away with cancer. I am proud to be a Patron and delighted they will be the official charity of the Grand Départ for the Tour de France.
If anyone would like to get involved in raising money for Marie Curie as part of the 2014 Tour de France in the UK, they should visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/tourdefrance
