'Saddlesore 1000' charity motorbike cycle due to end at John O' Groats on Friday morning
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A FUNDRAISING motorcyclist hopes to reach John O' Groats in the early hours of Friday morning (June 16) after setting off from Land's End at 3am today.
Damian Ransome, from Derby, is aiming to ride just over 1000 miles across three extremities of Great Britain in 24 hours to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
The Travis Perkins worker will first head to the extreme west of Wales before making for John O'Groats. He has to call in at various checkpoints on the route with the last one before the finish line being Wick.
If successful, Mr Ransome will have completed a SaddleSore 1000 - a challenge that sees motorcyclists ride 1000 miles in less than 24 hours.
Riding the length of the country is know as the "End-to-End SaddleSore Challenge" and it is thought to have been successfully completed by around 1,202 people in the UK.
If Mr Ransome completes the challenge in time, it will be verified by the Iron Butt Association, which is dedicated to long-distance, endurance motorcycle riding.
Mr Ransome said: "I started out with the idea of riding from Land's End to John O'Groats for fun, but soon realised it was an opportunity to help a worthwhile charity.
"However, lots of people complete a LEJoG, so I am extending the route to over 1000 miles to make it even more of a challenge - and if that is not enough to persuade people to support me, I am aiming to complete the ride in under 24 hours."
Mr Ransome's brother-in-law, Mike Bowden, who is from Thurso, is to meet him at the finishing line. Mike's sister, Pam, a cancer survivor, is married to Mr Ransome.
The challenge has raised over £2800 in donations so far with sponsorship from a couple of companies in Derby including BMW which has donated two new tyres for Mr Ransome's bike and has also given it a safety check ahead of the journey.
Anyone wishing to support Mr Ransome can contact him via his Facebook page "Damian's Saddlesore Adventures" or donate with Just Giving at www.justgiving.com/page/damian-adventures
You can track Mr Ransome's progress at: https://locatoweb.com/user/saddlesore
