Oconomowoc cyclist riding Tour de France route for leukemia fundraiser
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - An Oconomowoc man, trying to prove the power of pedals, is headed to one of the world’s most-famous bicycle routes next month.
On the back roads of Waukesha County, Dan Wagner knows cycling can be life-changing. He got on a bike a decade ago and never looked back.
"It’s the biggest kind of escape or freedom there is," he said.
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Wagner lost 120 pounds and now cycles 20 hours per week. This summer, he is giving back.
"From the charity side of things, you can take something as simple as a bicycle, right, and really put it towards changing someone else’s life," said Wagner.
Dan Wagner
Wagner applied and was chosen to bike the same route as the Tour de France a week before the professional race starts. He leaves in June for a grueling 2,200-mile bicycle ride through four mountain ranges over 21 days.
"You do get two rest days in there – you get some time off," he said.
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The Oconomowoc native will be part of an 18-member team, whose goal is to collectively raise $1 million for Tour de France’s charity partner: Cure Leukaemia, a U.K.-based organization. It will be Wagner's second time doing it.
Zack Blackburn with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society said many of the top fundraisers here and abroad are raised by cyclists.
"They’ve got jobs, they’ve for families, they’ve got lives," Blackburn said. "Then they take on the unbelievable challenge of, in this case, completing a Tour de France-version of a bike ride."
Dan Wagner
Change and teamwork keep Wagner going.
"You come to realize that, no matter how far you push yourself, there’s always somebody having a bad day in the group," said Wagner. "You’re pulling them along with you. And when you have your bad day, they are there to pull you along."
Donations to Wagner's ride can be made online through JustGiving. This July, there is also a Wisconsin Scenic Shore Bike Tour to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.