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Since 2005, ex-England international footballer and cancer survivor Geoff Thomas has raised millions of pounds for Cure Leukaemia. A charity that lies very close to his own heart. This incredible feat has been achieved through completing the worlds toughest cycling endurance event - not once, but on five separate occasions. To commemorate our renewed partnership with 'The Tour 21', and Geoff's dedication to the cause, we have commissioned this spectacular Alumni Limited Edition of our fastest aero bike ever - the Ultra SL R.
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The bond between man and machine is intangible. To some, a bike may simply be a mode of transport. But to many, it’s a thing of aesthetic beauty, an extension of someone's personal style. The Ribble Ultra SL R Alumni Edition is much more than the sum of its parts. It represents a celebration of life, a symbol of one man's battle to beat the odds and repay the heroes to whom he owes his very survival.
Geoff has been lucky enough to realise a dream that to most of us remains just that - a dream. In a football career that spanned 20 years, he reached the heady heights of an FA Cup final and represented his country nine times. But, just one year into retirement, he received the life-altering news that we all dread - he had cancer.
Diagnosed with a form of blood cancer (chronic myeloid leukaemia), he was given just three months to live. His only hope lay in pioneering stem cell resaerch that was still in its infancy. But under the ministrations of Britains leading stem cell expert - Professor Charlie Craddock CBE and thanks to a transplant from sister Kate, Geoff's life was saved. In 2005, he received the incredible news that his cancer was in remission. Almost immediately upon finding out that he was cancer-free Geoff wanted to thank the team of doctors and nurses who had played such a key part in his lifesaving treatment. Plans were afoot to raise money for Cure Leukaemia. But it couldn't just be any old challenge. It has to be seomthing of such magnitude that it would incite people to support him with donations.
Stuck for ideas, it was a friends chance suggestion that sparked the beginnings of a frankly bonkers idea. A simple comment of "why not do the Tour de France" led to him completing the route of that years race, albeit with little concept of just what a toll this would take of his ravaged body. The rest, as they say, is history. Not only has Geoff gone on to complete the route several times, but he has also helped to raise millions for the Cure Leukaemia charity in the process.
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The Tour 21
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Such has been the impact of Geoff's exploits, the challenge whihc has now been coined the Tour 21 has now become a yearly occurrence. Even when he finally decides to hang up the cycling shoes, his legacy will live on in the event the team of riders who assemble to complete the world's most gruelling endurance event annually. Each participant follows the exact same route that the pro's will face, albeit one week later. Riders from all walks of life will cover 3500km in just 21 days! All with the aim of raising £1,000,000 for Cure Leukaemia, the official charity partner of the Tour de France.
In 2022, Ribble was extremely honoured to be named as an official event partner for the Tour 21. In this capacity we provided each ride captain with a Limited Edition Endurance SL R for the duration of that year's ride. This year Ribble wanted to go one further and presented Geoff with a special memento to celebrate his inspirational exploits and the millions he has helped raise for Cure Leukaemia in the process. Head of Product and ex-pro rider Jamie Burrow set to work designing an extra special bike. From his creative mind sprang the Alumni Edition, a bike which is far more than the sum of its parts. It's Ribble's special way of thanking Geoff for his continued dedication to the cause and that has ensured the continnued research into cures for Leukaemia and life-saving treatement.
This limited edition bike will only be available to riders who participate in the Tour 21. Each bike is signed by Geoff and individually numbered, with all proceeds from any sale being donated to Cure Leukaemia. The Alumni Edition will serve as the ultimate memento to a small band of everyday heroes who willingly suffer the high ands lows, and camaraderie experienced during the worlds toughest endurance event. All in the name of charity.
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The Tour 21 Alumni Edition Ultra SL R
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With the Alumni Edition, we've created a bike worthy of any Grand Tour rider. Centred around a frameset that was designed to be the fastest in the world, this exclusive Limited Edition of our race-winning Ultra SL R superbike is equipped with race-worthy, top-tier components for a high performant ride.
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Ultra SL R Frameset
Every element of our flagship aero frameset has been dissected, analysed, profiled and tested in the pursit of aerodynamic performance. When benchmarked against the aerodynamically optimised Endurance SL R, the Ultra proved to be 75.1 seconds faster over 40km at 22mph. Crucially these results are based on bike AND rider, and testing was conducted with both male and female riders plus a mannequin. While speed may be the overriding goal of the Ultra SL R, long-ride comfort isn't neglected. The Ultra SL R's dropped seat stay geometry introduces vertical compliance for enhanced vibration damping, resulting in a reduction of rider fatigue.
The exclusive Alumni Edition Ultra SL R gets a custom colour design that pays homage to Geoff's footballing past. The framesets' blue colourway is a tribute to Geoff's time at Crystal Palace football club, where he enjoyed his most successful spell in football. The pearlescent white paintwork is overlaid with 24-carat gold leaf lettering and adorned with Tour 21 and Cure Leukaemia logos.
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Dura-Ace Groupset
Shimano's top-spec groupset was developed in conjunction with pro riders. It represents the Japanese brands first foray into wireless electronic shifting, melding that familar Shimano shifting performance with the instant response and unmatched component customisation that electronic gear systems bring. Every component has been designed to deliver the best on-bike experience, whether that's sprinting to victory on the Champs-Élysées or conquering iconic TdF climbs like Mont Ventoux.
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ZIPP 454 NSW Wheels
Zipp markets the 454 NSW as the ultimate road racing wheelset. At 58mm deep, the 454's rim profile is aerodynamically efficient yet stable in mixed wind conditions, and noticeably wider to accommodate tubeless tyres. Zipp claims its patented variable depth Sawtooth rim design does something conventional wheels cannot, simultaneously reducing aerodynamic drag and side force at all YAW angles. This makes them a perfect match for the Ultra SL R, which delivers watt-saving aero gains at all the angles of YAW experienced by the everyday road cyclist.
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