Marie Curie Cancer Care is calling on everyone looking for a challenge to sign up for the charity's London to Paris Cycle in July 2014.

Following being named as the official charity of the Tour de France in the UK in 2014, Marie Curie is inviting people to emulate Britain's cycling heroes, while raising funds for a vital cause. The three-day event takes place between 24th and 27th July 2014 and coincides with the final weekend of the Tour de France in Paris, guaranteeing a unique experience watching the riders race for the finish line along the Champs-Élysées.

Participants will cycle to the White Cliffs of Dover, before sailing to France for two more days of cycling through the French countryside to Paris. At the end of the 300km route, participants will cycle through the boulevards of the French capital, before crossing the Seine and finishing at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

All the funds raised from the London to Paris Cycle Challenge will help Marie Curie Nurses provide more free care to people with terminal illnesses in their own homes and in the charity's nine hospices.

Louise Stone, Regional Events Manager for London & the South East at Marie Curie Cancer Care said: "The London to Paris Cycle is the perfect opportunity for anyone interested in cycling, keeping fit or simply looking for a new challenge. Following in the footsteps of British cycling heroes, this is a unique chance to wear Marie Curie's own yellow jersey and to ride triumphantly through the streets of Paris at the end of the challenge. By signing up you will be making a significant difference, helping Marie Curie Nurses to provide more care to terminally ill patients at a crucial time."

For further information, please visit our website: https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/en-gb/events/overseas-charity-challenge/London-to-Paris-Cycle---9161/ or call 01604 442313.

For further information, please contact:

Louise Stone, Regional Events Manager at Marie Curie Cancer Care, on 01883 832621or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About the London to Paris Cycle Challenge 2014

Open to anyone over the age of 18, the trip has limited availability, so it is advisable to register early to avoid disappointment. Registration costs £150 and everyone is asked to raise a minimum sponsorship of £1,450. At the end of the challenge participants can explore Paris, before watching the spectacular finale of the Tour de France, before jumping on the Eurostar back to London with a glass or two of champagne.

Notes To Editor

Marie Curie Cancer Care is one of the UK's largest charities. Employing more than 2,700 nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals, it provided care to more than 35,000 terminally ill patients in the community and in its nine hospices last year and is the largest provider of hospice beds outside the NHS.

Funding

Around 70 per cent of the charity's income comes from the generous support of thousands of individuals, membership organisations and businesses, with the balance of our funds coming from the NHS.

Marie Curie Nurses

The charity is best known for its network of Marie Curie Nurses working in the community to provide end of life care, totally free for patients in their own homes.

Research

The charity provides core funding for three palliative care research facilities; the Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Unit at University College London, the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute Liverpool and the Marie Curie Palliative Care Centre at the Wales Cancer Trials Unit (Cardiff University). The charity also supports palliative and end of life care research through its project grant funding streams, the Marie Curie Cancer Care Research Programme (administered by Cancer Research UK) and the Dimbleby Marie Curie Cancer Care Research Fund. Both research programmes aims to tackle the funding and knowledge gap in palliative and end of life care research, which in turn will benefit patients, families and carers.

The right to die in place of choice

Research shows around 63 per cent of people would like to die at home if they had a terminal illness, with a sizeable minority opting for hospice care. However, more than 50 per cent of cancer deaths still occur in hospital, the place people say they would least like to be. Since 2004 Marie Curie Cancer Care has been campaigning for more patients to be able to make the choice to be cared for and die in their place of choice.