A dozen cyclists are set to take on a bike ride from the birthplace of the Olympic Games in Greece to the London 2012 stadium in a bid to raise £50,000 for the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance service.

The riders are flying out from Gatwick airport tomorrow (Thursday) before setting off on their 1,500-mile journey from Mount Olympus on Saturday (June 30).

They will then pedal their way through Italy, Switzerland and France before arriving in Stratford on July 15 – just days before the Olympics get underway.

The cyclists are raising funds for the Kent, Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance service.

So far, they have raised £35,000 for the charity.

Canon Edward Condry, Canon Treasurer of Canterbury Cathedral is among the riders taking part in the challenge.

“The temperature in Greece is going to be in the 30s or even the lower 40s but we’re going to start at about 6am each day to get as much done as possible before it gets too hot,” he said.

“At the start of week two at Lucerne in Switzerland, we will be joined by another 15 cyclists who will be cycling back from there with us.

“The day before we will face a 7,000ft climb at Gotthard Pass over the Alps which has 37 hairpin bends, then we swoop down into Lucerne.

“It’s going to be a wonderful ride.”

The group of cyclists, aged from 21 to 62, has previously completed charity bike rides to Istanbul and Santiago, as well as from Land’s End to John O’Groats, Canterbury to Rome and London to Paris.

To sponsor the challenge, click here. To make a donation, text AIR OLYMPICS to 70300.

For daily updates on the cyclists’ progress, visit www.o2o2012.org. Continue reading at Elmbridge Today