Trek – LIVESTRONG cyclists Charlie Avis and Chase Pinkham will ride for LIVESTRONG at the ‘Mumbai Cyclothon – Tour De Mumbai’ to be held at Bandra Reclamation on Sunday, February 21, 2010. Avis and Pinkham will be joined by a team of cycling all-stars as they represent the cancer organization dedicated to empowering the 28 million people living with cancer today.
The Mumbai Cyclothon – Tour De Mumbai will serve as not only India’s largest cycling event to date, but the region’s first UCI Tour professional race featuring 13 professional teams from across the world, including .
The LIVESTRONG Mumbai AllStars will be made up of Charlie Avis, U23 Trek LIVESTRONG (USA), Chase Pinkham, Trek-LIVESTRONG (USA), Olympic gold medalist Scott McGory (Australia), and professional track riders Leif Lampatner (Germany) and Nosh Mistry (Australia).
Being Human – the Salman Khan Foundation, founded by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, will serve as the race’s principal partner, alongside co-beneficiary LIVESTRONG. LIVESTRONG, the American-based cancer non-profit organization, was founded and inspired by cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion, Lance Armstrong.
“I’m honored to take part in the Tour de Mumbai, as it will be a monumental event that brings pro-cycling to India for the first time in history,” said rider Avis, who rides for Lance Armstrong’s cycling development team. “More so, to be able to represent LIVESTRONG in such a race gives us the invaluable opportunity to reach out to people and get them involved in the global fight against cancer.”
Pinkham continued, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to promote a global cancer awareness all while racing my bike in a region of the world I’ve never been to. I cannot describe how fortunate and proud I am to be a part of this inaugural event.”
The Tour de Mumbai brings together Being Human and LIVESTRONG both dedicated to promoting health awareness and prevention. Approximately one third of all cancers are related to smoking, while another third are related to obesity, poor diets or lack of exercise — all factors that also contribute to heart disease.
As heart disease and cancer remain the leading killers worldwide, the Mumbai Cyclothon – Tour De Mumbai will serve as a significant fundraiser for the two organizations dedicated to spreading awareness and inspiring action.
“Having Lance Armstrong and LIVESTRONG’s message present at the Tour de Mumbai will be an ideal catalyst for the growth of cycling and improved cancer care in India,” explains Dr. Akil Khan, Chairman & MD ID Sports Pvt. Ltd. “Lance Armstrong’s contribution to the world of cycling and the cancer community is exemplary.”
As promoting healthy lifestyle choices proves essential in cancer and heart disease prevention, Tour de Mumbai will dedicate proceeds from the Legend’s Dinner to both Being Human and LIVESTRONG.
For race updates, visit http://mumbaicyclothon.com/. For cancer support services and information about joining the global fight against cancer, visit www.livestrong.org.