Unite ByCycling launches rides to raise prostate cancer awareness

The Prostate Cancer Charity has teamed up with the Tour of Britain on a new initiatiave Unite ByCycling a new series of cycling events aimed at raising awareness of prostate cancer and of the charity's work.

Unite ByCycling is an initiative set up to raise awareness and support for prostate cancer, which will feature a range of cycling events involving both professional cyclists and the general public. The activity is focussed around the UK’s premier professional cycling race, The Tour of Britain, and will extend to events that amateurs and cyclists of all abilities can enter, all with one goal in mind: to unite people through cycling and raise awareness of prostate cancer.

The first event in the calendar is The Tour Series; a six-week series of city and town centre circuit races featuring the top 10 professional cycling teams in the country. Running from Thursday 21 May to Thursday 25 June (more on that later today).

In the coming weeks, The Tour of Britain and The Prostate Cancer Charity will be announcing a series of participation events, in which the whole family can get involved, with something for cyclists of all ages and abilities. You can pre-register and be first to get event information at www.unitebycycling.org.uk.

The Tour of Britain, is the country's biggest free-to-attend sporting event, and this year it will run from Saturday 12 to Saturday 19 September culminating with a final stage in central London.

Unite ByCycling was launched yesterday in London and among those present were recently reitired pro, and Paris Roubaix winner Magnus Bäckstedt, Snowy Brooks ex-senior decathlon champion who has himself been affected by prostate cancer, and radio DJ Neil Fox who lost his father to the disease.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the UK. Every year in the UK, 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. One man dies every hour of prostate cancer in the UK.

If you have any queries about prostate cancer, call The Prostate Cancer Charity's confidential Helpline 0800 074 8383 which is staffed by specialist nurses and open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday and Wednesdays from 7 - 9pm or visit  www.prostate-cancer.org.uk