A TEAM of local cyclists from Bradford on Avon have conquered a French mountain to raise just over £2,000 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Airbase Appeal.

Five members of the Woolley Wheelers, based at The George public house in Woolley, cycled up the 1,912-metre high Mont Ventoux in Provence on September 13.

They are Brian Lewis, Chris Stickland, Alex Venables, head chef at The George, and Jan and Paul Hepworth, who were riding a tandem. Norma Stickland, Manjit Kaur and Alison Ward Baptiste, manager of The George, provided support for the group during the challenge, which took place in perfect weather conditions.

Mr Lewis said: “We are very pleased with the amount we have raised. We’d like to say a big thank you to all the people who donated money and gave us sponsorship.

“We had not realised that the £2,056 we have raised covers the cost of just one mission but potentially it could help to save someone’s life.”

He added: “We were very lucky that on the day we did the climb we had perfect weather conditions and it took us”It took the team two hours and 15 minutes to get to the top.”

On the way, the group stopped at a memorial stone 1km from the summit of Mont Ventoux for former world cycling champion Tommy Simpson, who died from exhaustion while making the climb during the 1967 Tour de France.

Mr Lewis added: “This year, it is the 50th anniversary of his tragic death and we were also celebrating Alex Venables’ 50th birthday.”

Remarkably, when they climbed the mountain, it was Mr Venables’ first ride in five weeks following a broken shoulder incurred from a previous cycling fall.

It was also Jan’s first major ride after 10 weeks following a fall in which she cracked a kneecap, broke an ankle and suffered a fractured wrist.

The Woolley Wheelers were formed just over a year ago and have 30 members.

They meet every Sunday at 9am at The George for a group ride along local roads and lanes.

Last year, the Woolley Wheelers raised £1,600 for Wiltshire Air Ambulance and £900 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance is trying to raise £1.25 million for its appeal to build a new airbase near Semington. If you wish to contribute, please go to justgiving.com/brian_lewis12.

To join the Woolley Wheelers, call Mr Lewis on 07801 741744 or email Brianglewis@msn.com