Six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy has today announced Cure Leukaemia as an official charity partner for the highly anticipated Tour de 4 2026, a partnership that will accelerate the progress of the groundbreaking ATICUS Network, a world-first transplant trials initiative dedicated to revolutionising treatments for children with blood cancer.
Taking place in Glasgow on Sunday 6 September during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the event will directly support the opening of clinical transplant trials and provide children battling blood cancer with access to the most advanced therapies available, across the 11 children’s hospitals that form the ATICUS Network.
The Tour de 4, spearheaded by Sir Chris Hoy, has different distances and challenges to choose from: from a 56-mile route, to a 1km family ride, to a static cycle challenge – there’s something for everyone.
Sir Chris Hoy expressed his personal commitment to the cause:
“I am delighted that Cure Leukaemia is one of our official charity partners for 2026. Through Tour de 4 supporting Cure Leukaemia and their world first ATICUS Network, the funds raised will help children battling blood cancer.”
The ATICUS (Accelerating Trials in Children Undergoing Stem Cell Transplant) Network is at the heart of this partnership. It connects 11 leading children’s hospitals across the UK, designed to transform outcomes for young patients by testing new approaches to make transplants safer, reduce complications, and improve long-term survival. The ATICUS Network is a pioneering step towards closing the gap in childhood blood cancer research and ensuring that every child has the chance to benefit from the latest treatment options.
The impact of this funding will be felt acutely in the 11 children’s hospitals that form the ATICUS Network, including The Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, where collaborative research is essential for improving survival rates.
Dr Nick Heaney, Consultant Haematologist in Glasgow, commented:
“As a treatment team in Glasgow caring for children and young people from across Scotland, we are delighted that the ATICUS Network has chosen to support our work and extremely grateful to Sir Chris Hoy for his support. The fundraising will help us strengthen collaboration with leading centres across the UK, ensuring every child, wherever they live, has access to the highest standard of care and the most innovative, promising new therapies.”
For Cure Leukaemia, the partnership represents a major milestone in their mission to eradicate blood cancer by funding the effective delivery of clinical trials.
James McLaughlin, CEO of Cure Leukaemia, added:
“This is a proud and exciting moment for Cure Leukaemia and one that will enable us to accelerate the opening of our ATICUS Network.
I want to personally thank Sir Chris Hoy for choosing us as a partner of Tour de 4 as the funds raised will enable world first transplant trials to open with the aim of finding a cure one day for all children with this cruel and indiscriminate disease“.
Open to all, the Tour de 4 has different distances and challenges to choose from with the full ride and a family ride, to a static cycle challenge – there’s something for everyone.
Registration of interest is now available via the Cure Leukaemia website, with Tour de 4 entries to go on general sale on March.
Join our Tour de 4 Team!
Discover everything you need to know and register your interest to join Team Cure Leukaemia at Sir Chris Hoy’s Tour de 4 Event this September.
