Brandon man competes in gruelling amateur version of Tour de France
Grant Hamilton took part in 2025's Tour 21 — a race affiliated with the renowned Tour de France, in which amateur cyclists take on all 21 of the tour's stages as part of a fundraiser for leukemia research.
As of Tuesday, that fundraising total had reached 805,147 British pounds — close to C$1.5 million — with Hamilton himself raising 32,299 pounds ($60,043).
'I was watching the Tour de France last summer, and the announcers featured the Tour 21, which is a group of amateur cyclists trying their best to tackle the same gruelling course the pros do,' he told Global Winnipeg.
'I thought to myself, 'Well, I'm a middle-aged schmuck'… I put in an online application, and a few rounds of interviews later, they offered me a spot on (the tour).'
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The race, Hamilton said, covers the same terrain the world-class pros take on for the Tour de France, but the amateurs of Tour 21 accomplish it over a longer period of time.
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'It's the same course as the professionals. We do it one week ahead of the race. We have motorcycles closing the road for us so it's as close as possible to a professional athlete experience — the only thing different is how long it takes us, really,' he said.
'I'm out there two to three times as long as the (pro) race is, just trying to gut out a finish — but we did it, and it's all for a great cause, trying to raise money for leukemia research.'
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Manitoba cyclist Grant Hamilton. Submitted / Grant Hamilton
Making his accomplishment that much more impressive, Hamilton, the only Canadian rider on Tour 21, was rebounding from an accident three years ago that upended his cycling goals.
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Hamilton was hit by an oncoming car while riding his bike, leading to the loss of a finger. The incident led to an increased focus on safety for cyclists in the Westman area, and his creation of Bike Brandon — a cycling advocacy group aiming to make the roads safer for those on two wheels.
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Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
