Team of keen golfers from Harrogate pick up their bikes and raise £41k for Yorkshire's Brain Tumour Charity
Six Harrogate friends inspired to tackle a charity cycle to Bordeaux in tribute to a friend's wife who passed through brain cancer have smashed their £40k target.
The group of retired golf enthusiasts have more than doubled their fundraising target for Yorkshire's Brain Tumour Charity after completing the 470-mile cycle from London to Bordeaux.
The six men, all in their 60s and from Harrogate, had a personal reason for undertaking the gruelling six-day challenge.
The team consisted of Simon Grafton , David Rowley, Tim North, Paddy Kidd, Phil Webb, David Rowley and Rob George whose wife passed just over five years ago.
"She had bowel cancer but it was a brain tumour that actually got her in the end," said Rob.
Each week across Yorkshire, 15 people are told they have a brain tumour. Brain tumours can affect anyone, at any time.
Yorkshire's Brain Tumour Charity sets out to improve the lives of people who have been impacted by a brain tumour diagnosis and fund world-class research in Yorkshire to find kinder brain tumour treatments.
"I've had family affected by various forms of cancer but before this cycling challenge, I only knew a little about brain tumours.
"There's been very little research into them, while a lot of other cancers are very well supported,” said Phil Webb.
"We felt we had to do something - we wanted to do something," said Simon Grafton, who came up with the idea for the epic ride.
The group of friends left London on August 24 and cycled to Portsmouth, before catching an overnight ferry to St Malo.
On the way to Bordeaux, they faced 11 punctures, a headwind on one day and torrential rain on another, cycling more than 90 miles on each of the final two days, cheered on by three of their wives following in a support vehicle with snacks and drinks.
Despite all the challenges, they six-man team their destination successfully on August 30 and their efforts raised £41,283 via GoFundMe.
The talk now is of, possibly, tackling another challenge for 2027 – once they've recovered.