Sport Features

On August Bank Holiday Sunday more than 1,200 cyclists are expected to gather in Seahouses for the start of the 2007 Great North Bike Ride.

The cyclists will follow a route of approximately 54 miles down the north-east coast, passing Craster, Warkworth and Blyth along the way and finishing up at Tynemouth Priory.

"We fought for three years to save Chris's life but unfortunately we lost him just after his 18th birthday," says Chris's mother Lynn.

"After he died we couldn't just sit back and do nothing. I think there's a cure out there and we want to try and find it."

Snowball effect

So they decided to try and raise enough money to support a medical researcher to work exclusively on rhabdomyosarcoma.

However molecular medicine is expensive. It costs more than £200,000 to fund three years of research and after a few small fund-raising events it was clear something bigger was needed.

"The bike ride was actually his friends' idea," continues Lynn. "The six lads who carried Chris at his funeral cycled from Seahouses to Tynemouth with two of their dads quite soon after Chris died in 2000.

Good atmosphere

Last year the Great North Bike Ride raised just over £50,000 and Lynn hopes they will at least match that figure this year. Already about 1,200 cyclists have registered to take part and registrations will also be accepted on the day.

Visit the Chris Lucas Trust website for information on how to get involved.

If you think the prospect sounds daunting you shouldn't worry. The emphasis is on enjoying the ride rather than making it a race and many people stop off along the way for a picnic or pub lunch.

Spectators can expect riders to begin arriving at Tynemouth from noon onwards. The Priory provides a picturesque backdrop ride to the finish line but Lynn says there is a sentimental reason behind the choice of location.

"Chris got his driver's licence and whenever he went missing, because of his illness and he was upset, we always found him at the priory or the Spanish Battery."