A SLOUGH man will cover over 640 miles to raise money for Parkinson’s UK in the London to Geneva cycling challenge.

Stuart Smith, 53, of Hencroft Street South, Slough, is gearing up to tackle the ride on Wednesday, September 2 in support of his sister Susan who was diagnosed with Parkinsons four years ago.

The journey begins in London and will take a total of nine days to cover an average of 80 miles a day to raise £1,000 for Parkinsons UK.

It is an event run by Discover Adventure and Mr Smith will be joined in London by 150 other people who will be cycling to complete the challenge to raise money for their individual charities.

Stuart said: “It’s excellent because everybody has got a story. Everybody has got various reasons for doing it; I’m really looking forward to it now.”

After having completed a 300-mile ride two years ago for the same charity, Mr Smith said: “This is a charity close to my heart, I’ve already cycled London to Paris, which was quite hilly, so this time I thought I’d give myself a bigger challenge and include cycling up a mountain as well.”

He has been riding his bike as much as possible and taking part in weekly spinning classes to prepare himself for the challenge that awaits him.

A four-day cycle ride will take him through the Kent countryside before crossing the Channel and continuing to the Eiffel Tower.

The final part of the challenge involves a 13-mile trek through the Col de la Faucille, a high mountain pass located in the French Jura, before finally finishing at Lake Geneva, nine days after he set off.

But Stuart isn’t finished yet and he said: “I can imagine when I get back there will be something else in the pipeline; I’ll think of something and it will have to be bigger.

“The whole trip that Discover adventure do is to start in London and finish in Nice so it is broken up into various chunks. I have half got a mind to do the London to Paris, Geneva to Nice challenge which is about 1,000 [miles], I just want to complete it and do the lot.” Visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/stuartsmith1905.