Guernsey cyclists raising funds for ‘Help For Heroes’ arrived outside the City Hall on Saturday after a gruelling 1,600 mile ride, to be welcomed by Mayor Olga Zammitt. Also there to greet them was CBF Commodore Adrian Bell, Commanding Officer of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Colin Risso, and three Buglers from the Regiment. Passers by gathered to catch a glimpse of the visitors, curious to find out what warranted an audience with the Mayor.

Taking her time to speak to everyone involved individually, Mrs Zammitt said: “This is a wonderful thing the cyclists have done. They have shown their determination and will to finish and have helped a worthy cause. Treatment and rehabilitation for wounded soldiers can be very expensive, and this is a great way to help out.”

Having covered a distance of over 1600 miles in a mere 13 days, the cyclists and their support team were glad to arrive in Gibraltar, raising more than £30,000 for the Help for Heroes charity which helps towards the expense of treatment and rehabilitation for wounded UK service personnel.

Two Royal Marines from Hasler Company who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Hare and Marine Gibbons voluntarily came to Gibraltar to greet the cyclists. Both soldiers were wounded in the war, and are now based at Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth. The cyclists said it was worth the heat, the soreness and a broken bicycle after having met the Royal Marines, knowing their fundraising would directly benefit other soldiers who are in the same position.

Although the team arrived in Gibraltar on Friday, their challenge was not completed until they ran to the top of the Rock as part of “Rock Run” on Saturday afternoon. Dolly Gray, one of the cyclists, said: “This was a euphoric and humbling experience. It’s a strange feeling to be standing here, I almost feel like I should be back on the saddle.”

The initial plan was to have three cyclists, but one fell ill due to a chest infection. He decided to join the support team who were responsible for finding places to stay and to make sure the cyclists were fine during their journey. Neal Teers and Nikki Swan are brother and sister who decided to take part in this charity cycle ride. Nikki offered her camper van while Neal chose to be one of the cyclists.

“We were okay for most of the journey on our way down, even during the harder parts like when we were cycling through the Pyrenees. Although I have to admit I was most overwhelmed when I spotted Gibraltar for the first time,” Neal said.