Oxfordshire Woman, Formerly Recreational Cyclist, Prepares for Women’s Tour de France

An Oxfordshire resident, who describes herself as having been “very much a recreational cyclist” until recently, is getting ready to participate in the women’s Tour de France. Angela Mills-Bannon of Wallingford plans to cycle the 724-mile (1,165km) Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Her objective is to generate funds for individuals affected by cancer. Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, she explained that her motivation for fundraising began in 2022, following the diagnosis of her friend’s son with a rare form of leukaemia. She stated, “We did all we could to support the family… but it just didn’t really feel like it was enough,” This specific event, named The Route, has been organized by the cancer charity Cure Leukaemia. Ms. Mills-Bannon is scheduled to undertake the demanding nine stages of the race between July and August 2025, completing each stage one day ahead of the professional cyclists. Her initial cycling challenge for the charity took place in 2022. Accompanied by eight other women cyclists, she rode from London to Paris, collectively raising £23,000. Regarding the upcoming endeavor, she expressed apprehension about cycling for nine consecutive days, noting that this duration is unprecedented for her. “I always get worried whether my body is up for it,” she commented. Ms. Mills-Bannon manages her training regimen while also coaching the Blewbury Amazons Under 12s, an all-girls football club where her daughter is a player. She disclosed that she had not informed her football team about the challenge, but upon telling her father, she discovered a family history of cycling. Her father remarked, “You do realise your great uncle was an international cyclist.” She further mentioned that this relative also gained recognition as an editor for a cycling newspaper during the 1930s. After her father presented her with some vintage articles, Ms. Mills-Bannon expressed inspiration from reading about the “female heroines of cycling” who frequently appeared in publications during the inter-war period. “They did amazing things like cycle from Lands End to John o’ Groats and I just can’t imagine that,” she commented. For updates, BBC Oxfordshire can be followed on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.