Hero’s welcome as Eric reaches Harrogate at end of marathon solo charity bike ride from Italy via the Alps

Amateur Harrogate cyclist, Eric Waters, who set off three weeks ago on May 25th from Italy to ride more than a thousand miles for charity has been welcomed back home this Sunday, June 14th.

Eric, 59, a member of St Mark’s Church Harrogate, rode into the church grounds on Leeds Road at approximately 6.20pm after a day in the saddle on the last leg of his journey - leaving the ferry port at Hull at 9am on Sunday morning. He was accompanied part of the way, from Tockwith,  by members of his local cycling club, ‘Wheel Easy’.

Eric's epic ride has taken him from Lake Maggiore in Italy at 600 feet to the top of the snow covered St Gotthard pass at 6900 feet, then onto another gruelling climb across the Overalp Pass to the source of the River Rhine which he then followed for it's entire length.  On the third day of his ride, Eric unexpectedly became the first cyclist to reach the top of the St. Gotthard pass this year and was greeted by  local journalists and photographers - it had been closed until an hour previously by snow.

Eric embarked on his epic cycle ride to raise £7500 in sponsorship for Neema Crafts, a project in Tanzania begun by local couple Andy and Suzy Hart. His route has taken him from Italy through Switzerland, Leichtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands to Rotterdam.

On Saturday evening. June 13th he took the ferry to Hull before cycling the final leg to Harrogate and St Mark’s church. Throughout the journey, Eric’s wife, Di Waters, has been driving a support car, and the couple have met up each evening.

The daily diary of Eric’s marathon cycle ride can be seen at www.riponleeds.anglican.org/ericwaters.html.

To sponsor Eric go to to www.justgiving.com/ericwaters