This July, a team of 15 riders will embark on the ‘Cycle Against Cancer’ challenge across Europe, raising funds and awareness for cancer patients through Al Jalila Foundation
A healthy man wants a thousand things, a sick man only wants one. It’s a timeless truth from Stoic philosophy, but for long-time Dubai resident Guido De Wilde, it is a lived reality. When you are moving at the breakneck speed of a high-flying corporate life, your mind is naturally consumed by a tapestry of ambitions and endless pursuits. But when a doctor looks you in the eye and delivers a life-altering diagnosis, that tapestry instantly evaporates, leaving behind a singular, razor-sharp focus on the simple desire: to be well again.
For Guido, that life-altering moment arrived in January 2020, at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, when he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. At the time, he was overseeing a vast hospitality portfolio across the Middle East, Turkey and Egypt, managing more than 170 hotels while navigating one of the most turbulent periods the industry had ever faced and coming to terms with his own diagnosis.
Yet, rather than succumbing to despair, he found an immediate anchor in the way his diagnosis was delivered. When I got the diagnosis, the first thing I realised was that the way the news is brought to the patient is extremely important, he shares. Even though my case was very serious, the radiologist who gave me the diagnosis also provided me with hope. There was a way out. I could be cured. That message is very important when you get such a diagnosis. He provided me with the message of hope and I took that forward.
Finding a sanctuary of healing in Dubai
Navigating advanced cancer treatment is a monumental challenge under any circumstances, but doing so during a global pandemic added an unprecedented layer of complexity.
For Guido, the experience became a testament to the strength of the healthcare system in his adopted home. While hospitals across parts of Europe were forced to pause or delay cancer treatments to manage the influx of Covid-19 patients, Dubai’s medical system never wavered. I’ve been extremely privileged in the sense that I got treated here in Dubai and that it went extremely well, he says. I’m very happy to share that there’s excellent medical care in Dubai.
Guido underwent major surgery followed by six intensive months of chemotherapy. Instead of letting the treatment diminish his spirit, he took an active, disciplined role in his own recovery. He began working out from home, mounting his bike onto a virtual training system. He introduced yoga into his routine three times a week, focused on sleep and nutrition and turned to a trusted personal trainer of 17 years to help maintain his physical strength.
By July 2021, recognising the need to truly prioritise his health, Guido made the conscious decision to step away from his intense corporate role. But retirement was never about ‘slowing down’. “I repurposed my life,” he explains. “Retirement doesn’t mean that you stop and exit. I don’t like that word, actually. It’s when you start a new chapter of your life.”
The birth of Cycle Against Cancer
In May 2022, Guido launched his first independent charity initiative, embarking on a gruelling seven-day solo bike ride from Brussels to Bergamo, Italy, raising an incredible $100,000 for Dubai’s Al Jalila Foundation. It was the official inception of Cycle Against Cancer, a movement born from a personal vow to support the region’s healthcare community.
Last year, he began masterminding a far more ambitious, collective endurance challenge for the summer of 2026.
Starting July 1, a dedicated team will embark on a 3,333-kilometre journey from Barcelona to Paris, conquering more than 54,000 vertical metres of elevation climbing over 25 days.
Logistically, the team has been capped at 15 riders, 13 of whom are based in Dubai. The roster brings together passionate cyclists, corporate leaders and fellow advocates united by a deeply personal connection to the cause. One of the riders is a fellow stage 4 cancer survivor.
“There is one other cancer survivor who was also diagnosed with stage 4. His was bone cancer,” Guido shares. “All the other people have family members whom they have either lost, or who are currently going through treatment. So there is a shared purpose, which is very important. Everybody understands why they’re doing it.”
Training for an endurance feat of this magnitude while juggling demanding careers and family commitments is a challenge in itself, particularly as the UAE’s summer heat intensifies. For the team, preparation often begins long before sunrise. “We’d routinely wake up at 2am or 3am to log miles at the Al Qudra cycling track before the desert heat becomes unbearable,” says Guido. “The shared mission keeps us going.”
A lifetime of giving back
While it may be tempting to view Guido’s philanthropy as a direct consequence of his battle with cancer, the instinct to give back has been a constant throughout his life. Raised in the Flemish countryside of Belgium, where cycling is less a pastime and more a way of life, he grew up in a household guided by values of compassion and service to others.
“I grew up in a family where the values were all about honesty, integrity, doing the right thing, keeping your promises and being kind to people,” he says. “We lived comfortably. We weren’t rich, but we were always taught to do the right thing and help others. Somehow, I’ve always carried that with me.”
Long before his diagnosis, Guido had already spent years combining his love of cycling with a commitment to giving back. Throughout his hospitality career, he organised and participated in charity rides supporting causes ranging from children’s welfare to education, often bringing together colleagues and industry peers in the process.
So, when Al Jalila Foundation was established in Dubai in 2013, supporting its work felt like a natural progression, beginning a partnership that has now spanned more than a decade.
Fuelling hope for the UAE community
Every dirham raised through the 2026 Cycle Against Cancer ride will go directly to Al Jalila Foundation’s cancer fund. In a country where more than 7,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed each year, the funds will help provide timely access to treatment and medical support for patients in need.
But for Guido, the ride has always been about more than fundraising. As the team prepares to depart from Barcelona, he hopes their journey will offer something more. “What I really hope is that the message we want to deliver reaches people,” he says. “We want to inspire people who are receiving a diagnosis, going through treatment or in the recovery stage. Hopefully, our example will be followed and people will find that element of strength by seeing us do this. There is life after a diagnosis.”
Looking beyond this year’s edition, Guido is optimistic about the future of Cycle Against Cancer. While several riders have already suggested making it an annual event, his focus remains firmly on the challenge ahead. “Is the desire there to continue and make it an annual event? Yes,” he says. “But first, let’s do this one right. Let’s make sure we bring across the message of what Al Jalila really does and the impact it has on people’s lives.”
