Cyclists conquer Mexican ride

GP Peter Jones and Geoff Hughes from Sport England believe their contribution to the charity has topped £10,000.

The 400-mile ride took them into the thin atmosphere of Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains. As they pedalled through the interior villages for nine days they endured almost continuous rain, high humidity, mosquito and other insect attacks and were chased by dogs.

They had to camp overnight in the rough, and survived the adventure on a staple but nourishing diet prepared by support party cooks.

Dr Jones said one of the highlights of the adventure was arriving in Puerto Escondido Bay, at the finishing post.

"We just dropped our bikes and as one ran across the sand to splash in the warm Pacific," he said.

Another unforgettable event for Dr Jones took place before the trip when his beard was shaved off at a farewell Mexican barbecue in Sedgefield. Sponsorship from raised another £400.

Mr Hughes said the ride was the most gruelling but exhilarating experience of his life.

"The whole trip was a lot harder than I had expected and to complete it gave me a great feeling of achievement," he said.

He particularly remembered the third day of the ride when they had to cycle to the top of the mountain range.

"That was the hardest challenge and it took Peter and myself from 7am to after 7pm at night. It was dark when we started and dark when we finished. We camped that night just off the top because it was too cold at the top.

"It was a very successful trip and well organised. It was a severe challenge under primitive conditions, in the saddle all day and then pretty rough nights camping by the roadside."

The 400 miles were completed in eight days' cycling with one day off in the middle for rest and a shower and a sit-down meal. Mostly they had to eat the stew and rice provided at the end of the day standing up. Rice, pasta, and eggs were the daily food.