Cyclists finish Italian Job ride from Rome to London for Cancer Research UK

The cyclists finished in London and raised £70,000 for Cancer Research UK.

A group of amateur cyclists, whose lives have all been touched by cancer, have completed a fundraising ride from Italy to the UK.

The 27 riders from the south of England pedalled more than 1,500 miles (2,500 km) across six countries.

They received a blessing from the Pope before setting off from Rome, but the whole ride was put in jeopardy when 11 bikes were lost in transit.

Andrew Gibson from Winchester said the team spirit had been "fantastic".

They finished the 17-day Italian Job challenge by crossing the Channel, arriving in Portsmouth and cycling an emotional final leg to London.

Tim Elliot lost his father to bowel cancer in 1995 and his mother died from liver cancer just days before he was due to start the ride.

"I was 50-50 about doing the ride, but before she died, my mum, Evelyn said I should do it. I had her blessing and I thought of her when I needed motivation to push on up the really tough climbs.

"The ride was a welcome distraction and the camaraderie among the team really helped - it was really special," he added.

He broke his collar bone following a collision just one day before the end of the cycle but was able to get on a train and join his teammates at the end.

The cyclists began their Italian Job ride at The Vatican

The adventurous ride nearly had to be abandoned after some of the team's bikes were left on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport instead of being put on a flight to Milan.

British Airways blamed "operating constraints" for the mistake and apologised for the impact it had on the charity event.

Fortunately the missing bikes were reunited with their owners at Lake Como.

Another group of the cyclists had earlier received a personal blessing from Pope Francis in front of an audience of thousands at The Vatican.

They presented the head of the Catholic Church with a personalised Cancer Research cycling jersey and he gave them encouragement for their journey.

The Pope was presented with a personalised cycling vest

Bowel cancer survivor, Andrew Gibson, 74, was the oldest rider involved, said the challenge had been "incredibly hard"

The experienced cyclist had taken part in six previous cross-Europe charity rides but described this as the toughest of them all.

He said: "Many of us are sat at desks five days a week and the next we're climbing the Stelvio pass which is one of the hardest climbs in Europe."

The cyclists have so far raised more £70,000 for Cancer Research UK.