Charity bike ride setback as cyclist is hospitalised

Jul 31 2008 By Tara Brady, Harrow Observer

A father battling pancreatic cancer hopes to finish a 950-mile charity bike ride despite undergoing an emergency operation this week.

Brave Les Niewiara, 48, of Cunningham Park, Harrow, had planned the race from his home to the Polish capital, Krakow, to raise money for charity, Pancreatic Cancer UK.

But on Wednesday last week, two days before the race, he was admitted to Hammersmith Hospital for an emergency blood transfusion.

Despite spending two nights in hospital, heroic Les is determined to finish the race and was expected to join the rest of his team in Hanover on Tuesday.

The married father-of-two said: "I felt fine and everything was going as planned. Then all of a sudden I noticed I was sweating and felt light-headed. I was admitted to hospital where I had three blood transfusions. To say I was distraught would be an understatement."

While Les was recovering Trace Allen, a pancreatic cancer survivor, David Smithson, Simon Gledhill and his niece Jordanna Pitchford started the race and reached Harwich in Essex within 10 hours.

They then disappeared on the overnight ferry to Holland to begin the continental stretch which will take them through Germany and into Poland.

Les said: "The decision not to go to Harwich was the right one, as I spent the day in a very lethargic state. I have kept in contact with the others, who are cycling well into the evening. They are getting stronger all the time and spreading the message about pancreatic cancer far and wide. There has been a slight setback, but I will be back on my bike and hope to join them by Wednesday to finish the race."

The team is expected to reach Krakow on August 7 and a tracking device will be connected to members of the team so people can log on to the official website and see where they are.

Less than three per cent of pancreatic cancer sufferers survive more than five years. Of the 7,000 people diagnosed in 2003, there will be less than 200 alive at the end of this year.

Les will also be organising other cycling events throughout the year, with the aim of clocking up a total number of miles that would be the equivalent of cycling around the world.

To find out more, go online and visit www.biketothefuture.org.uk. You can also sponsor the cyclists at www.justgiving.com/biketothefuture2008