Dan Wilesmith, a keen cyclist and member of Somer Valley Cycling Club, will be riding from Paris to Pisa to raise money for the mental health charity, Mind.

The trip, starting on 5th August, will include taking on the Alps, as well as the team riding around 100 miles a day until they reach Pisa on 15th August.

Dan said: “We’ll be riding for eight of those days,

averaging just under 100 miles per day. Around day five is when we hit the Alps and this is going to be testing. One of our rides involves a forty-mile unbroken climb, at points hitting 20% gradient. And this is going to be in the peak of Southern France/Italy’s summer – it’s going to be sweltering!

“Each day we expect to be between 7–10 hours riding, we expect lots of saddle sores, blisters, probably some tears and a good helping of sunburn!”

The expedition, on which Dan will be joined by a team of others from across the country, has been entirely self-funded, with all proceeds going to Mind, the country’s leading mental health charity, which has bases in Bath, Keynsham and Trowbridge and provides essential advice and support.

Dan adds: “Mental Health problems are something that I’ve experienced first hand with people close to me and not enough support networks are set up to help people cope.

“It’s sad that so many people suffer in silence and I’ve been shocked when I’ve found out that people I’ve known most of my life have quietly been suffering with very real mental health problems.

“Last year, some friends of mine rode from the Blackpool Tower to the Eiffel Tower for Cancer Research – I was unable to be involved due to other commitments. This year, we want to continue where last year’s journey ended, so we are riding from the Eiffel Tower to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

“We discussed a choice of charities and a lot of the group recognised that most of us have close friends or family that suffer with a mental health problem, yet we rarely see events raising money or awareness for this cause.

“We started researching charities that help with mental health and when we found Mind, it just felt right; you can see where the money goes, straight to local services.

“We all agreed Mind as our charity of choice. Anything that can be done to remove the stigma attached to mental health problems, such as bipolar, schizophrenia and general anxiety, should be done; these can be debilitating conditions, but people are often afraid to ask for help.”

Dan, who works in Bath, has been commuting by bike every day, as well as riding over the weekends with the Somer Valley Cycling Club and has been trying to keep his training rides as hilly as possible to prepare for the challenge. He said: “So far, we’ve trained around the Peak District, Snowdonia and the Lake District; we try to keep them as hilly as possible! I’m doing about 200 miles per week.”

Dan will set off on 5th August, to sponsor him and the team, visit: www.justgiving.com/ParisPisa or text MIND83, plus your amount to 70070.

To find out more about Mind and the work they do in the local area, visit: www.mind.org.uk or call: 0300 1233393.