A GROUP of 18 cyclists left Monmouth on Thursday morning (18th June) on their way from Lands End to John O'Groats.

As with many groups taking on the famous challenge, the trip is being undertaken in the aid of charity.

Unlike many who cycle through the region on the "LEJoG" trail, the party was more mature in years than average.

The youngest cyclist is in his late-fifties, while the oldest is advancing towards his mid-seventies – but all left in good spirits after staying the night in Monmouth.

The group is cycling under the name "Guys Go Ride for Gynae" and aims to raise almost £50,000 for gynaecological cancer research.

Dreamt up by Professor Michael Quinn, previously a director of the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG), he has enlisted his friends and colleagues to help raise money for the charity by cycling the best part of 1,000 miles through England, Wales and Scotland.

The fundraising mark has been beaten with almost £53,000 raised through the challenge, with the group having cycled up the Wye Valley via Tintern after crossing the Severn Crossing before arriving in Monmouth on Wednesday night (17th June).

For more information on the group, who aim to reach John O'Groats this weekend, visit http://www.goforgynae.org.au/guys-go-ride-for-gynae/">www.goforgynae.org.au/guys-go-ride-for-gynae/