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SALFORD NOCTURNE

Over 5,000 cycling fans helped welcome back some of Britain's Olympic cycling heroes - and raise funds and awareness for the Geoff Thomas Foundation last week.

GTF was the official charity of the Salford Nocturne, held at Salford Quays on the last Saturday in August.

Olympic games medalists Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy, Paul Manning and Geraint Thomas were all on hand taking part in the festivities.

And Geoff even managed to take part in some of the events himself - not that he was quite up to the standards displayed by the Beijing Superstars!

Geoff took part in a roller race with triple gold medalist Hoy with exciting, if slightly predictable results.

You can watch that at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGKNg3Ioy_I

Then the former England football international teamed up with current and ex-cycling pros Brian Smith, Ian Wilkinson and Ian Bibby to take part in the evening's Corporate Challenge.

Despite drafting in the three ringers, the GTF failed to win 'gold' in that event - and there was only one person to blame!

Geoff joked: 'I wasn't quite up to the standards of the rest of the team so I think I let them down a little bit.

'But it was still a fantastic night and it was great to have Chris Hoy and the other Olympic champions support this event. I was a little nervous going up against Chris on the rollers and I nearly had him, even though I did have a slight head start and i'm not sure how much he was really trying!'

'Face Partnership and Salford Council have done a great job on this event and I am really grateful to them for supporting GTF once again.

'I also owe a big thank you to all the teams that took part in the Corporate challenge race. Mark Wickersham, from AVN, has supported us extensively in the last six months and i really appreciate him travelling up from Derby with his team to take part'.

The main event of the night - the Elite Criterium - brought a happy ending for GTF with Wilkinson making up the disappointment of losing the Corporate Challenge by winning the headline race.

There is further information on the event at www.salfordnocturne.com

Pictures courtesy of nwso.co.uk

GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS GTF

Former England and Crystal Palace footballer, Geoff Thomas, has won government backing for his campaign to raise £20 million to help leukaemia patients.

Geoff who's life was saved by a bone marrow transplant after he was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2003, met Health secretary Alan Johnson in Whitehall.

He outlined his plan to fund six world class treatment centres in Oxford, Cambridge, Bart's London, Nottingham, Manchester and Birmingham over the next five years. The centres aim to speed up the delivery of life-saving new drugs to blood cancer patients.

After the meeting Mr Johnson said: ''This is an important initiative which could enable leukaemia and blood cancer patients to get faster access to revolutionary new drug therapies. Geoff has shown enormous courage in fighting his own battle with leukaemia and he is now using his knowledge of the illness to help other sufferers. He's showing all the skill and leadership he displayed on the football pitch. I applaud his innovative approach and his determination to make a difference''.

Geoff who has already raised £1 million pounds for leukaemia sufferers said: ''It's a huge boost to our campaign to get the support of the Health Secretary. Our initiative will create hundreds of jobs in the biotech industry in the UK and most importantly give the chance of life to blood cancer patients''.

The Geoff Thomas Foundation is aiming to raise £20 million pounds over the next five years to fund early clinical trials of new blood cancer therapies through a combination of public money and private philanthropy. It is hoping to attract pioneering individuals and corporate finance to fund the foundation's work.