"It's just climbs and descents all of the way. It's a real leg-breaker" says Tour de France race director Jean-Francois Pescheux of the longest mountain stage of this year's Tour de France Stage 9. The arduous 208km route crosses the Massif Central from Issoire to St Flour - a distance roughly equivalent of London and Birmingham.

Undaunted Zoë Brooks (above left) is determined to take on the mighty Etape du Tour Stage 9 challenge in aid of the Full Circle Fund's award-winning therapy programmes for seriously ill children and adults at St George's Hospital, London.

Zoë, an employee of Sky is already immersed in the highs and lows of Team Sky's Tour de France 2011 challenge. She says: "For Team Sky it goes from the elation of winning a stage, to the disappointment of Wiggins breaking his collar bone and then Team Sky rider, Flecha literally being driven off the road by a TV car."

She continues: "For me taking on this challenge is a daunting prospect," she says, "but I'm going to give it everything I've got. It's a cause that’s close to my heart."

Zoë along with 8,500 super-fit cyclists will be taking on the 208km Etape du Tour this Sunday 17th July. To support her please go to: http://www.justgiving.com/zoebrooks1