SIX soldiers will next week set off on a gruelling 700-mile charity cycle ride to honour their fallen comrades.

The soldiers are all members of the Queen’s Royal Lancers based at Cambrai Lines in Catterick Garrison.

The ride will set off next Monday, March 23, and cover 700 miles over five days before finishing at the Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset.

Organiser WO2 Leon Reeve, 36, said the driving force behind the ride had been a desire to visit 13 graveyards on the route of members of the regiment who had been killed in action or had died training for operations.

“We very much wanted to honour the sacrifices made by our fallen comrades and will pay our respects to each individual grave,” he said.

“We are just six blokes who are complete amateurs who have not really ridden a bike since we were kids. We are certainly no Bradley Wiggins or Mark Cavendish - we are just going to be putting our heads down and having a go.”

He added: “We have had a full programme of training often meeting three times a day. We have gone out and done various assessments on the road and also in the gym so hopefully we will be ready on the day.”

The rest of the team consists of WO2 Kevin Hough, 35; Sergeant Stewart Gardiner, 38; Sgt Brian Lansberry, 34; Corporal Liam Gowen, 26; and Cpl Mark Brewer, 28.

The fund-raising ride has a target of £10,000 and the cash will go to ABF –The Soldiers’ Charity.