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THE TOUR DE MANC STORY

Tour de Manc® was conceived in 2014 by Danny Franks, who came up with the idea of a charitable “tough” sportive through all 10 Greater Manchester boroughs.

Danny rode an 80 mile Tour de Manc route, solo, to fundraise for Forever Manchester raising over £1000 !

In 2016 Danny joined forces with old school friend Tony Rubins and created the #all4charity non-profit Tour de Manc Ltd. Tony had arranged and participated in a number of cycling events to fundraise for the Haematology & Transplant Support Charity (HaTS) and The Christie Appeal.

Together, Danny and Tony developed the idea of Tour de Manc®. Our idea was simple – to run epic cycling events which could also be used to raise significant funds for registered charities, as well as supporting cycling inclusivity for all.

We are committed to widening participation in the Tour de Manc to create a sportive that is enjoyed by cyclists of differing abilities, ages and ethnicities. We welcome cyclists of all identities; including transgender, non-binary, queer, women and men.

Tour de Manc® … Using cycling as a FORCE FOR GOOD in Greater Manchester.

 

Diversity statement

We are committed to widening participation in the Tour de Manc to create a sportive that is enjoyed by cyclists of differing abilities, ages and ethnicities. We welcome cyclists of all identities; including transgender, non-binary, queer, women and men.

Tour de Manc® 2020

Covid-19 meant like most other events we postponed our sportive not once, but twice and then went virtual with riders choosing their own route for their ride in September. This meant that our charity beneficiaries didn’t lose out.

We also welcomed Sarah Galligan to the organising team as our diversity lead. We are committed to running events which celebrate cycling as a force good for all the Greater Manchester community. More women, more riders from minority ethnic backgrounds, more riders from the LGBT+ community, more fun.

Tour de Manc® 2019

Each year we have doubled in size and 2019 was no exception. We held our rock ard sportive with two distances, the 100mile “Full Manc” and 100km “Half Manc” on the first Sunday of May. The event was the best attended yet – by some margin.

For the second year in a row, we worked with Maggie’s Manchester and a fantastic organising team to put on the Manc Velo-Fest … a mix of velodrome racing, music, food and drinks – another spectacular success raising over £60,000 for Maggie’s Manchester.

Our final event of the year was the Family ride “Mini-Manc”, aimed at riders of all ages and all abilities. The Mini-Manc had distances ranging from 1km through to 48km and so there was truly a distance for everyone.

Feedback has been spectacularly positive and we have raised a huge amount of money for some top Manc charities (read more on our charity page). We couldn’t do this without our selfless volunteers, generous sponsors and our riders – all of whom deserve a “well done our kid”.

Through 2019 Tony, Danny and Alastair worked on making the events bob-on. Having taken a sabattical for work reasons, Mark Leigh has re-joined the team to help organise the 2020 events. Mark will be one of the few to have ridden all 5 editions of the Full Manc.

We expect to be registered as a charitable trust in 2019 (our application is currently being reviewed by the charities commission).

Tour de Manc® 2018

2018 has been a big year for Tour de Manc®.

We ran a kids’ event on a closed road circuit “Micro-Manc” in March. We held our main sportive with two distances, the 100mile “Full Manc” and 100km “Half Manc” and in parallel a closed road #inclusive ride in May. Also in May. we put on a new Family ride “Mini-Manc”, aimed at riders of all ages and all abilities. The Mini-Manc had distances ranging from 1km through to 48km and so there was truly a distance for everyone. In June, we worked with Maggie’s Manchester and a fantastic organising team to put on the MancVelo-Fest…. a mix of velodrome racing, music, food and drinks – a spectacular success raising £30,000 for Maggie’s Manchester.

Feedback has been spectacularly positive and we have raised a huge amount of money for some great charities (read more on our charity page). We couldn’t do this without our volunteers, sponsors and riders.

Through 2018 Tony and Danny were delighted to welcome other co-organisers.

  • Mark Leigh – is a regular cyclist who is one of the few to have ridden all 3 editions of the Full Manc. He brings organisational skills to the team as well as huge sportive knowledge
  • Alastair Jones – Who has set up and run charities and is a commuting cyclist. We welcome his expertise in the charity sector as we move towards charitable trust status.

Tour de Manc® 2017

In 2017, Tour de Manc® ran two cycling events. An inclusive closed circuit ride, and a sportive with two distances, the 100mile “Full Manc” and 100km “Half Manc”.

The #inclusive closed circuit ride, was aimed at disabled and para-riders, health referral riders and special needs riders. Over 100 riders took part in the event, held at the Tameside Criterium Circuit on 3rd June 2017. The event was organised with the help and support of Tameside MBC, Active Tameside and Wheels for All. Riders of all impaired abilities took part and challenge themselves to collectively ride the Tour de Manc sportive distance. Official Tour de Manc Finishers medals were awarded and the feedback was unanimously positive.

The following day on Sunday 4th June 2017 saw the second running of the Tour de Manc® sportive. This edition was called the Chas Collins Memorial edition, in memory of a life-long cyclist and a good friend of the Tour de Manc®. Chas had hoped to make the 2016 ride, but lost his battle with Leukaemia and sadly passed away shortly before the inaugural ride, so Tony and Danny thought it fit to name the 2017 sportive in his memory. You can read more about Chas in this blog

Hundreds of riders challenged themselves on an improved and tougher course. There were two options, a 100km-4500ft climbing route and 100mile-7900ft climbing route. Both distances tackled a closed road King/Queen of the mountain section and prizes were awarded to Daniel Connor averaging 15.1km/hr over the segment and Laura Belfield averaging 11km / hr over the segment. Prizes were donated by The Fell Bicycle and Triathlon Store. Spot prizes, donated by Chris Keller-Jackson, were awarded to Melanie Smith and Sam Jones. [see our supporters and sponsors section for the latest information on our partners who make Tour de Manc possible]

The 100-mile route travelled through all 10 Greater Manchester boroughs – hence the name “Tour de Manc”.

There were 4 free feed stations with free food and drinks with great support from Warburtons. Free nutrition was provided by top quality Secret-Training and most importantly tea and cakes were provided at the finish. We also provided riders with free sportive photos, a medal for all finishers, post ride massage and a freebie bag.

The event was hugely successful with incredible feedback. The Tour de Manc jerseys sold out once again and when asked Would you recommend Tour de Manc to others? 93% Yes, 6% Maybe, 1% No. We have listened to improvement requests and we acted on them for 2018.

Tour de Manc® 2016

For 2016, Tour de Manc® ran a single sportive with two distances 100 mile “Full Manc” and 100km “Half Manc”. The sportive raised several thousands of pounds for two named, registered charities:

  • Haematology & Transplant Support (HaTS) – supporting blood cancer patients at The Christie Hospital
  • Forever Manchester – funding community projects across Greater Manchester

The Tour de Manc® jerseys sold out, the sportive was oversubscribed by 100% and had an 87.5% approval rating. 83% of the riders said they will ride again in 2017.

Each year we are looking to make this #all4charity Manc brand epic. We hope you are ready for the next Tour de Manc events and we hope you will challenge yourself, no matter what your ability!

Tour de Manc Ltd is a not for profit company registered at the address below.

Blaze Hill Cottage,
Wilmslow Rd,
Prestbury,
Cheshire,
SK10 4LG

Our company registration number is 10114177 and VAT registration number is 310 4929 28.

A Sound Bunch

The Tour de Manc would not be here today if Danny & Tony had not come together to create this “Tough Mother” of a bike ride. Both have been involved with charities and cycling for many years and the Tour de Manc has the right blend of charity and cycling mixed up to create one epic day of hills and valleys in the superb surroundings of Greater Manchester.

Danny Franks

Brainchild/Founder

Danny was late to the sport of cycling only taking it up when his son Joe decided he wanted a bike for his birthday. Danny kept Joe company on his initial rides, but his son soon outpaced him and left Danny struggling to keep up. During many of Danny’s days out training, to keep up with his son, he cycled up to see the Tour de Yorkshite pass through Littleborough. It was at this time Danny thought, “Why doesn’t Madchester have a Tour de Manc? And so the seeds for the Tour de Manc had been planted.

Tony Rubins

Head of Chaos/ Inspirationalist

Tony’s long time experience of cycling helped form what Tour de Manc is today. With masses of riding experience and a great management mind, he moulded the Tour de Manc to be the epic bike ride it is today. Tony took those initial seeds of inspiration from Danny, and directed the Tour to be a reflection on his Manc background and upbringing. He hopes you’ll see the madness in the Tour de Manc and enjoy it for what it is.

Plus Volunteer with us

Volunteers

All You Lot

We could not do the Tour de Manc without all the help and support from all the volunteers helping out on the day.

WHAT WE STAND FOR

Charity and helping out our fellow man(c) (and woman)

Tour De Manc Values

Cycling As A Force For Good

Tour de Manc will help motivate Mancunians to get on their bikes, get moving, and make a difference - either to their chosen charity or to their own wellbeing.

Tour de Manc is run by volunteers and has no employees. Only essential costs such as printing, insurance and some marketing is paid for.

True Northern Grit

The grit of the true northerner; forged over generations from granite mountains battered by wind and rain... or simply shovelled from a bright yellow plastic container.

Be Bold, Do Things Different

“For Manchester is the place where people do things… ‘Don’t talk about what you are going to do, do it.’ That is the Manchester habit. And in the past through the manifestation of this quality the word Manchester became a synonym for energy and freedom and the right to do and to think without shackles.” Judge Parry - Manchester County Court 1894-1911.

Manc & Proud

There isn’t a typical Mancunian. In a city so diverse as ours, that would be impossible. Us Mancs are made up of a heady blend of characteristics that create a strong spirit. One that infuses every inch of the city and defines us as who we are. And it’s not Joseph Holt’s gin.

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