THERE were no gold medals, and no TV cameras to capture his glory, but for cyclist David Colley it didn't matter.

The retired Preston man has just cycled 500 miles - all the way from Blackpool to Paris - in a bid to raise £2,000 for the National Kidney Research Fund.

David, from Lea, rode from Blackpool Tower to the Eiffel Tower along with 26 other cycle buffs. They completed their pedal powered mission in just seven days.

The former BNFL plant manager, pictured here with his trusty steed, said: "We rode from Blackpool to Newhaven and then took the Seacat to Dieppe, making our way to Paris from there.

"We did around 500 miles in total, which meant we were riding for seven hours a day. My wife organised my sponsorship and I raised £2,000 for the good cause." But, as if that was not enough, David continued his cycle trip on the return leg of his journey.

While the other riders relaxed on the channel tunnel, David decided to stick to the saddle and cycled a further 240 miles back to Preston, stopping off to see his daughter who lives near Reading.

He said: "They all had jobs to get back to but, because I am retired, there was no rush on my part so I decided to ride all the way back too!"

Fighting fit David got involved in the ride after chatting with friends at the amateur drama group, Broughton Club Players, where he is a member.

He said: "I was appearing in a play and I met Peter Wood, the local area manager for the National Kidney Research Fund.

"When he realised I used to cycle from Lea to Broughton he asked me to take part in the long distance ride and I was more than happy to help out."