BBC Radio 1's Greg James finishes charity cycle ride in 'absolutely awful' conditions

Greg James finishes the final cycling leg of his 'Pedal to the Peaks' charity challenge, riding in the dark in the Scottish Highlands in terrible weather conditions - Photos by Ed Smith/Comic Relief Ltd

Greg James on the final cycle leg of his 2018 Pedal to the Peaks challenge

(Image credit: Ed Smith/Comic Relief Ltd)

Radio 1 presenter Greg James has finally finished the last cycling leg of his 'Pedal to the Peaks' challenge in aid of Sport Relief.

James set out to hike up Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis and cycle between each one to raise funds for the annual charity event and raise awareness for young people's mental health.

However, his first attempt two weeks ago was cut short after he tackled Scafell Pike and then the 'Beast of the East' snowstorm struck at full force.

>>> BBC Gregathlon Pedal to the Peaks page

Despite having crested two of the three peaks and cycled 360 miles in blizzard conditions, he had to stop as the road conditions were unsafe to continue.

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The challenge re-started on Wednesday this week as James sought to complete the 180-mile ride to Ben Nevis in a day and a half and tackle the final mountain climb on foot.

Bad weather struck again in the form of high winds, rain and more snow – which James described as "absolutely awful".

So far, James has raised in excess of £1million.

>>> Radio 1’s Greg James forced to postpone Sport Relief cycle/mountain climb due to weather

"Honestly, the most physically demanding thing I’ve ever done," he said on Twitter on Thursday.

"More difficult than the first 3 days with the Beast from the East. Bizarre. I am completely exhausted. 180 miles in a day and half. Done."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGkGEuq_hIU

James has been spurred on my messages of support and the occasional group of roadside supporters cheering him on his way.

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One message of support came from Coldplay front man Chris Martin, who recorded a video of himself singing – topless and in a wig – the phone number for people to donate money for James's challenge.

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James reached the peak of Ben Nevis at around 2pm on Friday, and completed the descent by early evening to finish his Pedal to the Peaks challenge.

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.