Brandon cyclist conquers Tour 21, raising nearly $60K for Leukemia research

When Brandon cyclist, Grant Hamilton, learned he would be cycling the same couse as the infamous Tour de France just under a year ago he set a strict regime of training in motion to prepare for the most grueling ride he'd ever experience. Hamilton was one of 25 amateur cyclists to be selected for the 2025 Tour 21, the only charity ride officially affiliated with the Tour de France.  The goal was to raise £1,000,000 ($1,753,949 Cdn) for Leukemia research. 

Tour 21 took place June 20-July 28th, one week before the actual Tour de France, challenging its riders to 21 different routes throughout France that totaled 3,320 km over a 3-week period.

"A phenomenal experience!" says Hamilton. "I can't say enough good things about the organization putting it on. It was just a brilliant experience. So, so exhausting, both physically of course and mentally. It was a three-week endurance test, absolutely!  But at the end of every day, at the end of every week, and at the end of the event, I just felt so privileged to have been able to do that.  So exhilarated for having accomplished it and really kind of humbled by the magnitude of the challenge, not just the cycling, but also raising the money for leukemia research."

"I feel really special to have been a part of that and immediately nostalgic to reminisce about it. Absolutely!" he adds.

Over the past ten months Hamilton had been training faithfully to put on the miles, build strength and endurance, and raise his own personal goal of $55,000 for the research incentive.  He surpassed that goal, raising well over the $55K.

"I'm at about 110% of where I was hoping to be. And so that's nearing $60,000, which is just a phenomenal amount of support from Westman," shares Hamilton. "And I can't say enough, Thank you's to the people, the organizations, the local businesses who stepped forward to make sure that I was out there turning the pedals."

"I knew that I had that support from my community here at home and couldn't have done it without that support. All that money, every single dollar goes to leukemia research. So, you can feel good knowing that if you donated even a single dollar, it's going to help a really good cause and to make sure that people with leukemia diagnosis face a brighter future, thanks to all the work that we did."     

Coming from the Prairies, Hamilton says the first thing that caught his attention was the magnitude of the mountains that they had to climb.  He adds there were some pretty tough days.

"We lucked out, or I lucked out specifically, in that this year's Tour de France route started out pretty flat. So, I felt at home in the first week or 10 days. Even that French flat, very different than Prairie Manitoba flat. It was much hillier than I was expecting, and I thought for a few days, 'Boy! If this is what they call flat, I'm in some real trouble! But I was actually in really good hands and the support crew we had and the professional cyclists who were our ride captains really made sure that everybody made it through every stage."

"That was important to all of us to tackle it as a team," he adds. "But I'm lucky I had the eye-opening experiences early on relatively easy stages so that when we did hit the mountains, I was able to do it. The challenge I wasn't expecting was the exhaustion that compounds after 21 days of doing it."

Cycling 8-10 hours and some 200 km each day would definitely take its toll, especially when doing this for 21 days.  That's a long day on the bike, says Hamilton.  Added to that they had to travel to a different start off point each day, which required a bus ride that often took 1-2 hours.  One good thing is the participants were encouraged to eat as much as they could, which often meant two breakfasts, a couple of plates of food at lunch and then a big buffet dinner.  A shower and to bed, to get in hopefully a good sleep, which could be maybe 6 hours of sleep.

"After 21 days, it really starts to take a toll on your recovery and on your ability to recover," he says. "So, quite tiring day after day after day. I don't know if I couldn't have done it without the knowledge that it was for such a good cause, and in fact, riding with three leukemia survivors.  The support that I got from friends and family at home, all of that helps keep people going and helped keep me going. But that's the challenge!"

"The spectacular views, the wonderful hospitality, the scenery, and really just the thrill of being able to do a challenge like this made it all worthwhile!"

While travelling on a bike one is immersed in their surroundings.  But to cycle through some of the oldest communities in Europe was an amazing experience for this Manitoban.  He says the heavy scent of cycling past a field of lavender added to the smells that he didn't expect.

"It feels different when you're there on a bike," says Hamilton. "In some ways, just grinding them out one step at a time on the pedals, but in other ways, it's so exhilarating to have the fresh air on your face, to be able to smell the fields that you're biking past, you experience in a slower and really a more intimate way the towns and villages that you're going through."

"And it's certainly slower going up the mountain than it is on the flats," he adds. "But even in in the flat areas, you get a sense of the place that you're in. You're not listening to the radio. You don't have the air conditioning on you're very physically present in that in that space and even on the tough days that that sensation that really physical sensation of biking, I think helps keep you going and helps keep you motivated. It's just a special way to experience the country."

Hamilton was the only Canadian rider in this year’s charity ride, and only the second Canadian to ever participate in the Tour 21 fundraiser.

"I felt really special. They printed national flags next to everybody's name," he explains. "So, there's a long list of the names of all the cyclists printed on our bus, printed on the ID tags on our bikes and stickers that we put on our helmets, and you know to see my name, Grant Hamilton, with the Canadian flag there ... I'm not a national caliber athlete. I never thought I would have that kind of experience. Didn't even dream it! And it made me feel quite patriotic and quite special to be the only Canadian there among the Union Jacks and the Irish flags and the other flags from around the world. And I'm waving the Maple Leaf. I felt pretty privileged to have that red and white beside my name."

Crossing the finish line was bittersweet, and yes, quite emotional, says Hamilton.

"The final day we all knew it was going to be emotional, and we all knew it was going to come so quickly in the end. It feels like it's far away when you start, but you know the moment when you get there it feels like it happened in the blink of an eye, and it was still it was still over 100 kilometers of biking that day."

The Tour de France takes a different route every year, but it almost always finishes in Paris.

"So, if you think about the iconic Tour de France route, you're thinking of the Champs de Vise, you're thinking of the Eiffel Tower, you're thinking of the Arc de Triomphe. And so you're biking in from the outskirts of Paris and turning the corner and past Versailles and then you turn the corner and Boom, there's the Eiffel Tower in the distance!"

"You think, wow, I'm biking here! That feels great. And the next thought is, it's over and you start feeling, wow, all of this time, all of this effort, this whole year is leading to this moment, and I'd better savor it. I'd better really pay attention to the moment!"

"For me the moment that I don't think I'll ever forget, the one that lives from that final day is biking around the Arc de Triomphe, that huge ... traffic circle all around this massive monument and the privilege that we had to cycle around the Arc de Triomphe and seeing that sort of loom in your peripheral vision as you do the full circuit.  Phenomenal experience. Just one of the great memories of my life."

The 25 cyclists got bragging rights on completing a portion of the course that the professional riders didn't get a chance at when it was their turn to take on the Tour de France route.

"They had to adjust the course for the pros due to an outbreak of a disease in some of the cattle that they had," explains Hamilton. "But that happened after we had gone through. So, they cut off one of the big climbs and I'd already done it! So that's just one check mark in my box that Vingegaard and Pogačar can't say that they did, but I did it!"

(Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard are the two top athletes in the cycling profession)

"If there's one lesson that I could pass on from this to anybody, it's this," offers Hamilton. "I never imagined that I'd be riding in the Tour de France, and let's be real, I didn't ride in the Tour de France, but the route itself is a challenge, and I never thought that was something I'd be capable of."

"But a little bit of effort repeated consistently over a period of time really does add up.  And there might be something that you don't even think is on the table for you. But I guarantee you have the support in your community with your friends and family and your network."

"And right here in Westman there are people that will come out of the woodwork and cheer you on so passionately and thoroughly. And that's the experience I had. I firmly believe that that experience would be for anybody who's putting themselves out there, whatever it is. It doesn't have to be an athletic achievement. It could be art that you're trying to create. It could be running for office. It could be a new business that you want to start."

"People want to see their friends, family and connections succeed and they will help you out.  That's the power of the local community! That's the lesson that I've really taken from this," adds Hamilton.

Please listen to more with Grant Hamilton below!

To follow Grant Hamilton and see more of his incredible photos and posts from the Tour 21 challenge, visit his Facebook page HERE!