WIREDGOV

Alun Cairns: "Prostate Cymru is a really good cause so I was determined to get over the finishing line"

Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns took part in one of the more unusual challenges of his career last weekend - a gruelling 100 mile round-trip charity bike ride!

The Minister joined thousands of cyclists taking part in the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 for a brisk start at 6am on Sunday at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London and completed the ride in 6 hours and 20 minutes. The route the group followed - made famous by the road and time-trial events during the 2012 London Olympics - headed past Canary Wharf and through the City of London before turning west through Hammersmith and across the River Thames at Chiswick. The cyclists got as far as Dorking and Boxhill before turning north to finish on the Mall.

The Wales Office Minister, who was raising money for Prostate Cymru, pedalled past his office - Gwydyr House on Whitehall - as part of the route for the long-distance jaunt.

A self-confessed fitness enthusiast, Alun Cairns confessed to mild trepidation about the Sunday outing.

Alun Cairns said:

This is known as cycling’s equivalent to the London marathon - while I do marathons, I am more used to running them than doing them on two wheels!

I have done some long distance cycle rides before but this was the first big trip I’ve done on two wheels in a year. Prostate Cymru is a really good cause so I was determined to get over the finishing line.

It was a fantastic day and I was thrilled to be a part of it.

Around 25,000 people took part in Sunday’s 100 mile route. Joining the Wales Office Minister were well-known cyclists including Olympic 2012 cycling medallists Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott; former Welsh national rugby union captain Colin Charvis; former Olympic athletes Jonathan Edwards and Sally Gunnell and BBC news presenter Sophie Raworth.

Notes to editors.

• See Alun Cairns’ donation page

• Read about the work of Prostate Cymru