Mark Cavendish joined wounded soldiers and thousands of fundraisers in London yesterday, for the finish of the Help for Heroes Hero Ride that celebrated more than £1m being raised to help servicemen and women injured in wars. The recent Giro d’Italia points jersey winner was joined by fiancée Peta Todd, also a charity patron.
The Hero Ride was the final leg of a number of fundraising rides finishing in the capital. The route ran from Blackheath to Horse Guards Parade, near Buckingham Palace, and was led by more than 150 wounded veterans and service personnel from the UK, USA and Canada.
A 300-strong group had ridden from Paris; among the team was triple amputee Josh Boggi, who handcycled the 364-mile route. Another group had cycled from Edinburgh, and 250 more riders had cycled through the night from the charity’s Tedworth House Recovery Centre, in Wiltshire.
Cavendish said: “Every person involved in the Hero Ride deserves a huge congratulations and well done for such a great achievement for a brilliant cause. I’ve seen how Help for Heroes use donations to provide outstanding support for our troops and everyone’s effort here today will only add to this support.”
Other patrons, including singer James Blunt, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and London 2012 Olympics organiser Lord Seb Coe, also showed support for the ride.
Funds raised for Help for Heroes provide practical support to injured servicemen and their families.
