A nonstop pedal ride to London

Castleford cyclist Rob Hubbard will be using all his pedal power on a 250-mile non-stop bike ride from Leeds to London to raise money for charity.

The senior commercial manager, who works at Murphy in Leeds, will take on the overnight ride on May 12.

He will be aiming to raise £5,000 for Murphy’s charities of the year – Great Ormond Street Hospital and Macmillan Cancer Support.

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Mr Hubbard will set off from the Murphy office before crossing seven counties to end up at the engineering and construction company’s headquarters in Kentish Town in north London.

He said: “I’m a keen cyclist and ride around 100 miles a week. Late last year, I started thinking about what I could do to support our charities, and came up with the idea of this significant ride.

“I’ll be cycling non-stop apart from a few refuelling and comfort stops, accompanied by my friend, Richard Whitworth, who is experienced in riding long distances.”

Mr Hubbard is working to a plan set by his coach Paul Wakefield for the cycle, which is the first of its kind he has attempted.

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He added: “My initial target is £5,000 but I’m hoping I’ll be able to smash that. Despite being used to early morning training rides during the winter, cycling in the dark can be hard work – especially avoiding potholes.

“I just hope there’s a cold beer waiting for me at the end.”

Murphy will be match funding whatever Mr Hubbard raises. Visit uk.virginmoney giving.com/Leeds2London120517 to donate or follow @walkerfox on Twitter to follow the cycle’s progress.