Tour to spread message on cancer

IPOH: After losing a friend to cancer and watching a family member's battle with it, Max Chong decided to cycle across five Southeast Asian countries to create awareness of the disease.

Chong, 39, also hopes to help raise funds for the National Cancer Council (Makna) through his efforts.

Yesterday, he started his 4,326km tour, which will take him from here to Hanoi and back.

Makna hopes to raise RM100 for every kilometre Chong cycles

"Some people think I'm crazy to quit my job for this cycling tour. But I am grateful that my wife and children are very supportive."

Chong, who will travel across Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, is accompanied by 50-year-old Chuah Yew Lay, who lost part of his right leg in an accident 20 years ago.

Chuah, however, will only cycle until Bangkok.

Makna manager Vemanna Appannah said funds raised would be used to treat poor cancer patients.

He said Chong had approached Makna last month about using his tour to raise funds.

mattouring: HATS OFF TO THESE GUYS !!

Source: MAKNA

What's Armstrong's Return About?

The seven-time winner isn’t coming back just to prove he’s racing clean, or solely to raise awareness about cancer. What else is at stake?

Don’t take it from me. The entire cycling world is a bit confused about why Lance Armstrong would risk his unblemished run of seven straight Tour de France wins by returning, at age 37, to try for an eighth.

“Why is he really doing this?” wondered Marc Sergeant, director of the Silence-Lotto team of Tour hopeful Cadel Evans.

“Personally the story so far doesn't do it for me,” said Columbia manager Bob Stapleton. “But maybe it is about something bigger. He is passionate about cancer.”

But perhaps Carlos Sastre, the man whose title Armstrong will try to regain as his own, put it best. “If he wants to return, it’s because he believes he has an opportunity,” said the 2008 winner to VeloNews.

An opportunity, yes, but for what? Read more..

Source : Bicycling Magazine - By Joe Lindsey

A Letter From Dario Pegoretti

The Italian frame maker reveals he has a form of cancer, and offers an apology to those waiting on products from Pegoretti

To my customers, dealers and friends:

I know some of you have been patiently waiting for frames that are in the works. In some cases it has been many months. For this I apologize.

Unfortunately, I have been sick off and on for the past six weeks or so and often couldn't find the energy to work. It became so bad that I sought medical attention. After extensive testing I have just learned that I have cancer, in the form of Lymphoma.

I will start treatment, including chemotherapy, next week. My doctors tell me that the response to these types of treatments is individual. Different people can react to the treatments in vastly different ways. They cannot predict how it will affect me. It is not known if I will be able to return to work the day after each session or if it will be two weeks or even longer before I have the strength.

I do, however, have the desire to fight this disease on my own terms, not from a recovery bed. I will continue work to complete the orders I have in hand, as well new orders as they come in. However, I cannot put a timetable on any orders at this juncture. Please continue to be patient and be assured that no short cuts will be taken to rush frames out the door that aren't up to my usual standards.

If you have questions or concerns about your order, pending or future, my well-being, or anything else please direct them to the Dario Pegoretti distributor in your country. While I enjoy receiving e-mails from customers around the world, I will not be answering them for the foreseeable future. Please accept my apology for this and understand that I will still read every e-mail I receive.

Ciao,

Dario

Source: Bicycling Magazine