Sir Chris Hoy's delight at 'Scotland’s greatest sports person' joining him for Tour de 4 cancer cycle ride
3,000 riders taking part in Glasgow event on Sunday which is expected to raise £2 million
Sir Chris Hoy said he was “delighted” that Sir Andy Murray will be among sports stars joining him on Sunday for the Tour de 4 mass cycle ride to raise money for and awareness of prostate cancer.
The six-time Olympic champion cyclist, who revealed his stage four diagnosis with the cancer last year and that it was terminal, said he hoped the event would raise £2 million.
Some 3,000 riders will take part in the event from the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow around the Campsie hills to the north of the city.
Sir Chris will lead the longest, 56-mile route, while others will follow a 37-mile route or 0.5m ride beside the velodrome.
He announced on Saturday a partnership with the Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in London to provide men with advanced prostate cancer on hormone therapy with a free, one-year membership at the PureGym chain, and a structured exercise programme.
Speaking in Glasgow, Sir Chris said: “I’m really touched that Andy and all the special guests [have got involved] and delighted that Andy has supported me.
“He got in touch very early on when he heard my news, and left a lovely voice note.
“It’s wonderful to have who I believe is Scotland’s greatest sports person there.
“I know Andy has got a crazy schedule. Even though he’s now retired, he’s actually busier than he was when he was playing tennis.
“He’s in such demand but he’s managed to find the time to come and join us for the ride tomorrow.”
READ MORE: Cyclist and wife Sarra Hoy hold 'important first' meeting with John Swinney at Bute House
Sir Chris said others joining him included cyclists Sir Mark Cavendish, Dame Sarah Storey and Jason Kenny, rower Sir Steve Redgrave and sailor Sir Ben Ainslie.
He said: “We have an amazing list of people coming along and it really blew me away.
“You get quite emotional when you get the message back saying ‘Yeah, of course I’ll be there’, because I know how busy these people are.”
Sir Chris said he hoped Sunday’s event would change perceptions of prostate cancer and it would become an annual event.
He said: “It’s going to be an emotional day. It’s going to be a celebration.”
He said prostate cancer was “very treatable” if caught early but he had “naively assumed there would be symptoms”. Both his father and grandfather suffered from the disease.
Sir Chris said: “It was a shocking moment to have no warnings and no symptoms and then out of the blue being diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer.
“It completely turned my world upside down. In those first few weeks, you are desperately trying to find some positivity and that was when I had this vision for the Tour de 4.”
He said his wife Sarra had come up with the name, as both a fundraiser and a way of changing perceptions.
“It’s a chance to bring together people who are living with cancer, celebrate life and remember people we have lost.”
Sir Chris said now he had a more positive outlook than when he was diagnosed two years ago. He said last year doctors had told him he had between two and four years to live.
He said: “The moment you woke up , it was the first thing in your head and the last thing you thought about before you went to sleep.
“But that’s not the case any more. I don’t think about cancer through the whole day.”
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