A 60-YEAR-OLD Ludlow man has completed the challenge of cycling over 3,000km from his hometown of Ludlow to his new home in Spain in support of his friend, who is battling myeloma.

Viv Tolley told the Advertiser he took on the challenge, cycling from Ludlow to Torrok Costa, for several reasons – raising money for the Myeloma UK charity, celebrating his 60th birthday, and for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

He said: “It’s been a surreal and emotional trip, which took 21 consecutive days. Thanks to everyone who has supported and donated along the way. It has been greatly appreciated.”

Mr Tolley’s friend, Merv Powis, suffers from myeloma, a type of blood cancer. Mr Powis is proud of his friend for completing the challenge and said: “It has certainly been an amazing and emotional journey for me. He has completed a mammoth challenge in 21 days and is an inspiration to others for sure.”

Mr Powis surprised Mr Tolley at the end of his trip, as he was unexpectedly able to travel during a gap in his chemotherapy treatment. Mr Tolley said that seeing his friend was a huge shock, but very special.

“Seeing him was a moment that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” he said.

Ludlow Advertiser: Mr Tolley and Mr Powis celebrated with their wives Hannah and CarolineMr Tolley and Mr Powis celebrated with their wives Hannah and Caroline (Image: Viv Tolley)

Mr Powis added: “It was a miracle that I could be with him at the finish to celebrate. We have been blessed.”

Mr Powis' son Olie said: "From all of the Powis family, we can't thank Viv enough for his efforts to raise awareness and funds."

Mr Tolley took the scenic route on his journey, seeing some spectacular views and meeting lots of different people along the way. He said: “I planned the route to ride offroad as much as possible, so I used forest trails, cycleways, old railway lines, and canal towpaths. This made the route less direct, and very rural.

“At times I could ride for hours without seeing other people, a unique experience and difficult to find food. Even a lot of the riding I did on roads was using quiet and at times deserted roads, passing closed-down garages, shops, hotels, and restaurants.

“Some of the offroad riding conditions, particularly in Spain, were very rough and harsh, jarring to my custom-built Salsa Cutthroat bike. But I did not have a single mechanical problem.

“For my nightly accommodation, I used a mixture of campsites and hostels. Campsites each night in France were readily available, there were not so many camping opportunities in Spain.

“I had varied weather conditions which included some very wet weather, some very strong headwinds, and some very hot temperatures at times.

“These were the low points of the trip as the weather really can impact an awful lot on the enjoyment of a trip. Trying to shelter under trees from the rain was no fun and then trying to stuff my shoes with newspaper to dry them out was miserable.”

Mr Tolley is an experienced cyclist, working for Epic Cycle, a Ludlow-based company. So far, he has raised almost £2,000 for Myeloma UK. You can donate to Mr Tolley and Mr Powis’ Just Giving page by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/page/merv-powis-1692307931203.

Myeloma is a common type of blood cancer occurring in the bone marrow, currently affecting over 24,000 people in the UK. But it is especially difficult to detect symptoms, which can include back pain, easily broken bones, fatigue and recurring infection, as these are often linked to general ageing or minor conditions.

More than half of patients face a wait of over five months to receive the right diagnosis and around a third are only caught when they are already experiencing severe symptoms.

While it is incurable, myeloma is treatable in most cases. Treatment is aimed at controlling the disease, relieving the complications and symptoms it causes, and extending and improving patients’ lives.