A MULTIPLE sclerosis sufferer will show remarkable guts next month when he takes to his bike for a punishing 680-mile ride from London to Geneva.

Richard Gleadhill, 43, of Barmby Moor, suffers from symptoms including chronic fatigue, stiffness in his legs, dizziness and poor balance.

But he is determined not to let the condition beat him – and to prove it he has set himself the gruelling challenge of cycling 80 miles a day for eight days.

On the final day he will emulate riders in the Tour de France when he climbs 1,323 metres to the top of Le Col de la Faucille, in the Jura Mountains.

Richard, who works as a financial analyst for Royal Mail, said: “It will cripple me and will push my symptoms to the limit, but I’m up for the challenge.”

He hopes to raise £4,000 for the MS Society, which runs the under-threat Woodlands Respite Care Centre, off Hull Road, in York.

It is not the first time Richard has tested his body to the limit. In 2008, pictured inset in training on his bike, he successfully completed a 327-mile ride from London to Paris, raising £6,500 for the MS Trust.

He said: “I’m expecting it to be a lot harder than last time, as it’s going to be double the distance and a lot hillier.”

Richard, who will be riding with his best friend, Pete Bates, has the support of GMTV presenter Lorraine Kelly, who he met at a Royal Mail awards ceremony two years ago.

He said: “I asked her if she would be able to support my fundraising and she said yes.

“We have kept in touch since and she has sent me prizes for raffles.

“When I told her I was doing this cycle ride she invited me down to the GMTV studios for a photo shoot with her. She’s a lovely, lovely woman and she’s been absolutely fantastic.”

Richard is also being supported by organisers of Dunnington Village Show on August 28, where all proceeds from the raffle and tombola will go to his fundraising kitty.

To sponsor Richard, log on to justgiving.com/cycle4woodlands