Brothers to take on Tour de France route for dad

Andrew and Richard Edwards’ dad, Kevin, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in April last year.

He died just three months later aged 57.

And a year after his death, his two sons and 25 of their friends will ride the Yorkshire route of the Grand Depart in three days.

German sprinter Marcel Kittel and British rider Mark Cavendish were among the world’s cycling elite to ride the 240 mile route last summer.

The brothers will be raising money for Pancreatic Cancer UK and The Prince of Wales Hospice in Pontefract.

Andrew, 26, of High Street, South Elmsall, said: “He was a great dad and his illness was a shock to our family.

“One of the last things we did as a family was watch the Tour de France and we wanted to do something to help raise awareness of the disease.”

Kevin worked at Frickley Colliery for a decade before joining West Yorkshire Police, where he worked for more than 25 years.

He was based in Castleford then moved to South Kirkby, before finishing his career as a police trainer in Wakefield.

Kevin was a keen runner and completed marathons in Paris, Rome and Berlin.

His other passions were gardening and travelling with his wife Andrea.

Kevin’s sons will start the gruelling challenge on Friday, August 7.

Andrew said: “Most of us have never done anything like this before.

“Most have not ridden a bike in many years so it is going to be a fantastic challenge.”

The brothers have so far raised £1,600 for both charities. To sponsor them log onto http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/KevsTour.