Riding through the pain

From the archive, first published Friday 4th Jun 2004.

Cancer sufferer Jane Tomlinson greeted well-wishers in Oxford on June 3 as she neared the end of a 2,000-mile charity cycle ride.

Mrs Tomlinson, 40, has ridden from Rome through Florence, Monte Carlo, Lyon and Paris, using pedal power despite having terminal cancer. She arrived in Oxford at 2.30pm ahead of an overnight stay at the Longwall Travel Lodge, at Oxford Business Park, in Cowley.

She said: "I'm feeling very poorly today. I have been doing interviews all day and have only had 15 minutes to myself to lie down, but now we're only four days away from home."

Mrs Tomlinson, a paediatric radiographer, is cycling a tandem with her brother, Luke Goward, 39. The pair, who are from Leeds, are looking forward to getting home to Yorkshire.

She said: "I have been in a lot of pain and my sleep has been disturbed by the pain. What's kept me going is the thought of getting home - from Rome to home is what we call it."

They were due to set off June 4 at 9am en route for Solihull.

The ride has so far raised £135,000 for charities, including MacMillan Cancer Relief and Leeds Acute Paediatric Services.

Mrs Tomlinson has also run three marathons, a half Iron Man triathlon and a cycle ride from John O'Groats to Land's End. If you would like to make a donation visit Mrs Tonlinson's website at www.justgiving.com/Janes- appeal or call 0845 120 0829.

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