One year after losing their sister Hannah Jones in a head-on collision with a drunk driver in France, three brothers are embarking on a gruelling 1,122km charity cycle from Cardiff to the French village where they grew up. Daniel, Patrick, and Francis "Frank" Jones will leave Cardiff Castle on August 4, cycling for seven days to Le Ségur, where Hannah is buried, to raise funds for the charity created in her memory.
The Tragic Accident
Hannah, 25, died on July 4, 2025, near Toulouse after a drunk driver hit her car head-on. She had just returned from a Barcelona concert with brother Daniel and was heading to the Atlantic coast for a surfing trip. Daniel recalled receiving the devastating call from their mother: "That was genuinely the hardest moment of my life. It was such a shock."
The Jones family, originally from Cardiff, moved to France 21 years ago. Despite living in France, they maintain strong ties to Wales, returning at least twice a year. Hannah had just completed her master's degree and was set to become a primary school teacher.
A Charity Born from Grief
Six weeks after Hannah's death, her mother Lizzie founded the charity Les Histoires d'Hannah to donate books to children through schools and homes across France. "The idea is to give as many children as possible the chance to have and enjoy their own books," Daniel said. The charity works with teachers and carers to select books that spark imagination, not school texts.
Daniel described Hannah as "very family-centred" and a lover of reading who often bought books for her nieces and nephews. The charity has raised over €2,000 so far.
The Epic Cycle Challenge
The brothers will cycle 1,122km with more than 10,000 metres of climbing, averaging 172km daily. Daniel compared it to "a week of the Tour de France." The route connects the two places that shaped their lives: Cardiff, where they visit relatives, and Le Ségur, where Hannah rests.
"Choosing Cardiff and Le Ségur as our start and finish points felt like the right way to connect both places while honouring Hannah's memory," Daniel said. "It will be nice to finish where Hannah is rather than away from her."
Donations go directly to the charity, funding books for children. Daniel believes Hannah would have teased them for being sentimental but would appreciate the gesture: "She would have said, 'Aw look how much you love me.' But we really really do."
