More than 100 cyclists braved scorching sunshine to pedal 62 miles from Manchester to Blackpool in the Mercedes-Benz Vans challenge to raise more than £20,000 for charity.
Temperatures approached 30ºC on Sunday (8 July), as colleagues representing the manufacturer and its dealer network, customers, suppliers and friends too part in the second annual charity ride.
In 2017 the Mercedes-Benz contingent raised £13,500 for Parkinson's UK. This year they rode in support of Cancer Research as well as Parkinson's UK, and the total raised has now reached nearly £22,500.
Mercedes-Benz Vans is supporting both charities through its Give Back Programme in 2018.
Front of mind for many as they racked up the miles was Martyn Donnelly, a former van sales manager who worked for two Mercedes-Benz Dealers in the North-East. A keen cyclist, Martyn passed away last October, aged just 55, after losing his two-year battle with stomach cancer.
The Mercedes-Benz Vans cyclists were delighted to be joined on the ride by The Don Clan, an 11-strong team comprising relatives and friends of Martyn, headed by his son James, for whom this was just the latest in a string of fund-raising events staged in his name.
Martyn's widow Lynn, and other family members, were also there to wave the cyclists off, and greet them as they crossed the finish line on Blackpool's South Promenade.
