FAMILY and friends of a teenager who died after a long battle with illness are to undertake a 170-mile charity bike ride on what would have been her 18th birthday.

Brave Chloe Oldfield defied doctors’ predictions to battle hepatacellular carcinoma, a rare form of liver cancer, for three years before she died aged 16 in February last year.

To commemorate what would have been the Barnoldswick teen’s 18th birthday, her family and friends will take on the Way of the Roses cycle ride, setting off from Morecambe, taking in Lancaster, Ingleton, Settle, Grassington, Ripon and York before coming to a halt in Bridlington.

The event, which will raise money for breast cancer charity, Barnoldswick and Earby Bosom Friends, has been organised by Chloe’s aunt Sharon Hurst.

Team Chloe will be made up of Sharon, Chloe’s mum Catherine, Lorna Hargreaves from Trawden, Anita Emmott from Colne and Kate Hartley from Barnoldswick.

Sharon said: “Chloe was incredibly brave and beautiful and was a true inspiration to everyone who knew her.

“When I inherited Chloe’s bike I really thought I should put it to some use and so the idea of the charity bike ride was born.”

Skipton Girls’ High School pupil Chloe was diagnosed with the disease in 2007 and underwent chemotherapy, a liver transplant and radiotherapy for a brain tumour.

Despite being told she had six months to live, she courageously fought on to get two top grade GCSEs.

She would have turned 18 on September 10, but the team of cyclists will undertake its challenge two days earlier.

Windles Funeral Services will take the cyclists and their bikes to and from the start and finish lines.

To support Team Chloe contact Sharon at shaztrooper@aol.com or Catherine at catholdfield@aol.com.