Team GB legend Sir Chris Hoy racing at 24 Hours of Le Mans to show ‘life goes on’ after ‘terrifying’ cancer diagnosis
Published 13/06/2025 at 10:41 GMT+1
Sir Chris Hoy says he is hoping to "change the perception" around stage 4 cancer as he prepares for the Mustang Challenge Le Mans Invitational. The six-time Olympic champion announced last year his prostate cancer was terminal, but he wants to show that "life goes on" for people affected by the illness. The Scot is set to take part in the invitational, nine years after racing in Le Mans proper.
Hoy 'still pinches' himself when reflecting on 'incredible' Le Mans experience of 2016
Video credit: TNT Sports
Sir Chris Hoy has said he is hoping to "show that life goes on" for people with stage 4 cancer as he prepares for the Mustang Challenge Le Mans Invitational.
The six-time Olympic cycling champion announced in October that his prostate cancer was terminal and that doctors had told him he has between two and four years to live.
But this weekend, alongside presenter Chris Harris, he will race in the Dark Horse Stars class of the Mustang Challenge, which is on the bill for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The livery on Hoy's car features a logo of Tour de 4, a mass participation charity bike ride that the 49-year-old has organised for September, in which he is attempting to raise £1 million for UK cancer charities while changing perceptions of stage 4 cancer.
Discussing the charity cycling event, as well as his reasons for racing at Le Mans, Hoy said: "I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer almost two years ago now, and it shocked me, it rocked my world.
"It changed everything in one sentence, you’re told that’s not curable, but it’s treatable.
"So suddenly, you have this death sentence, and it's terrifying, but I’m here to show that life goes on for many people in that situation."
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Sir Chris Hoy
Image credit: Getty Images
He added: "So the bike ride is to try and get as many people together as possible, not just people suffering with cancer but anybody, to show we can keep on living, make the most of every day and live in the present, because that’s all any of us have."
Hoy's cancer was discovered in 2023 after a routine scan for shoulder pain, which he thought had resulted from lifting weights in the gym, revealed a tumour.
Following his announcement that the illness was terminal, the Scot posted on social media saying he was "feeling fit, strong and positive".
Hoy reflects on 2016 Le Mans
Hoy took part in Le Mans proper in 2016 in an Algarve Pro Racing-entered LMP2 car, finishing 17th overall out of 60 drivers and 12th in the LMP2 class.
Having first become aware of the endurance race when he was "five or six", he appreciates it was "pretty special" to be involved in one of motorsport's 'Triple Crown' events.
The Scot, who has the second most gold medals of any British Olympian and is an 11-time world champion, said Le Mans was "unlike anything else" he has experienced in sport.
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24 Hours of Le Mans: Sir Chris Hoy makes his debut
Video credit: TNT Sports
He told TNT Sports: "It’s always been the endurance event. If you get the chance as an amateur driver, this is the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake, this is the big one.
"I still pinch myself that I got to do it, when you watch on TV or come to watch it live, I still can’t quite believe I was out there, elbows out with the big boys.
"It’s different to anywhere else I’ve been to. Not many people ever get to race on this track or drive on this track.
"It was an incredible experience, unlike anything else I've ever done in any sport, let alone in motorsport."
You can watch all the action from the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the UK with TNT Sports and discovery+.
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