A TEAM of cyclists from Dyson took part in rides across the continent to help raised more than £10,000 for charity.

A total of 42 riders from the Malmesbury-based firm covered a combined 476 miles between them over five days, with four groups tackling different stages of the challenge.

The event, dubbed the Tour de Dyson, was raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity, which was selected by Dyson staff as the firm’s chosen fundraising beneficiary this year.

This year’s main challenge saw cyclists spend two days travelling from various locations to company’s headquarters in Malmesbury on September 11-12, with one group of 11 pedalling from Menai bridge via Aberystwyth and the Severn Bridge.

The peloton tackled 18,000ft of climbing during the course of their journey, which took them through the mountains of Snowdonia and the Elan Valley.

A second group took a 69-mile circular route from Dyson’s headquarters to Chepstow and back, while a third mountain-biked 75 miles around the Bath area.

The very first leg of the tour was completed by Dyson patent attorney Duncan Hobday, who rode 91 miles through the Alps, spurred on by thoughts of his father-in-law who has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Duncan, who works in Malmesbury, said: “My wife and I are expecting our first child soon, so Dan and I originally started planning a cycling adventure before I become a parent.

“My father-in-law, Mark, was then diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and it suddenly made sense to take the opportunity to raise money for dementia research, so we decided to do something really demanding.

“It’s been a difficult time for everyone, as it took a long time for Mark to be diagnosed and we couldn’t understand the change in his behaviour or why he had become so distant.

“He turned 60 this year and now that he’s been diagnosed, we’re looking back and seeing how much he’s struggled with his symptoms for some time. In many ways it was a relief when the diagnosis came, as now we can understand his condition and can learn how to support him.

“My family are all amazed that I managed to complete the challenge, as I don’t think they believed I’d really go through with it.

“The toughest part of the challenge was the first day when we cycled up Alpe d’Huez, having only managed to get two hours sleep the night before due to our early flight.

“There were moments when we questioned what we were doing, but we made it to the top without stopping, once we’d done that, we knew we could do the rest.

“The generosity of everyone who sponsored me really kept me going on that first day, and I’m delighted to have raised so much for Alzheimer’s Research UK.”

Boosted by a £5,000 donation from the James Dyson Foundation, the whole Tour de Dyson team smashed its fundraising target, raising more than £10,500.

Vicky Naylor, corporate partnerships officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’re always impressed by the efforts Dyson people will make to support our work, and we couldn’t be more grateful to them for taking on this challenge.

“The money they’ve raised is enough to fund vital resources and equipment for our scientists, bringing new treatments, preventions and improved diagnosis for dementia ever closer.

“Currently 850,000 people are affected by dementia in the UK, including nearly 7,000 in Wiltshire alone, and we urgently need better ways to fight the condition.

“We rely on the support of the public to be able to fund our vital research, and it’s thanks to the support of companies like Dyson that we can continue our work.”

To support the team’s fundraising efforts, visit justgiving.com/teams/tourdedyson2016

To find out more about Alzheimer’s Research UK’s work, visit alzheimersresearchuk.org or call 0300 111 5555.