‘Extraordinary’ charity cycling event with Sir Chris Hoy raises more than £2m

A “truly extraordinary” event saw Olympic medal winner Sir Chris Hoy lead some 5,000 cyclists in a charity ride that has raised more than £2 million for cancer charities.

The Tour De 4 charity bike ride took place at the Glasgow velodrome named after Sir Chris – who has spoken publicly about his battle with prostrate cancer – on Sunday.

Sir Chris was once Scotland’s most successful Olympic athlete, but the now retired sporting star was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in 2023.

The Tour De 4 event was staged with Sir Chris and others with cancer coming together with fellow riders, to raise cash for the fight against the disease.

GoFundMe said “thousands of donations poured in” with the cash raised going to five charities – Breast Cancer Now, Cancer Research UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, Maggie’s and Prostate Cancer UK.

John Coventry, senior vice president at GoFundMe, said: “What we’ve seen in Glasgow is truly extraordinary – thousands of people coming together, led by Sir Chris Hoy, to raise vital funds for cancer charities that make such a difference in people’s lives.

“At GoFundMe, we’re proud to stand behind the people whose kindness and support made the Tour De 4’s £2 million milestone possible.”

Ahead of the event Sir Chris  encouraged people who have recently been diagnosed with cancer to “hang on tight” and stay positive.

At a press conference on Saturday he revealed that in the  initial days following his diagnosis he did not think he would ever be happy again.

But he said with time the disease becomes “just a part of your life”, adding that you “don’t have to be defined by it”.

Speaking to other cancer sufferers he said: “To anybody who is going through a similar thing, just hang on tight.

“You’ll get through it, it’ll get easier. It seems like the worst thing in the world right now, but you can, you can do it.”