A pilot from Horley is to cycle 900 miles from Box Hill to Barcelona in Spain in memory of his father, who he lost to cancer.

James Bonham, 32, will be cycling the distance in just seven days with a team of friends.

Together, they are aiming to raise £30,000 through what they are calling their “cycling epic” for Macmillan Cancer Support.

James' father, John, died of incurable cancer aged just 57 in 2007. James said he is committed to raising as much money as he can for Macmillan Cancer Support who supported his family toward the end of his father’s life.

He said: “Macmillan Cancer Support were fantastic during a very difficult time for me and my family.

“They offered care, support and advice when we needed them most, and I am deeply grateful for the work that they do.”

He said: “I wanted to show my appreciation and give something back and this is my way of raising money and awareness for such a worthy cause.”

He admitted his fundraising effort would be a great test for him.

He said: “Cycling 1,400km from Barcelona to Boxhill in just seven days will require a tremendous human effort and stamina.”

The team will ride an average of 125 miles a day for each of the seven days.

This compares to the Tour de France average of 85 miles per day, he said.

“Cycling Lands End to John o' Groats typically takes ten to 14 days,” he continued.

“We travel 40 miles further in almost half the time.

“During the ride, the team will generate enough wattage to power a vacuum cleaner, large electric radiator or circular saw.

“Each rider will perform 264,000 pedal strokes during their 50 hours in the saddle, and riding at 16mph for nine hours a day, each rider will burn a total of 50,000 calories.”

The team will be taking to their saddles for their 900-mile epic next year, but have lined up a series of tough events before then, to prepare them for it.

These include the 100-mile Wiggle Ups and Downs from Dorking on April 28, the 115-mile King of the Downs from Gatwick on June 2, and the 108-mile La Marmotte GranFondo on July 6.

This event is an alpine one and features two of the most feared mountain passes in the Tour de France, the Col du Glandon and Col du Galibier. On top of all this, the team will also ride in the Prudential London to Surrey 100 on August 4.

James said: “We have raised ten per cent of our target so far and we hope that people will support us in our quest to raise as much money as we can for Macmillan Cancer Support. “I hope that the contribution that my friends and I make will help them continue to help cancer sufferers and their families overcome the emotional, physical and financial challenges that they will face.”

In Surrey each year more than 5,400 people are diagnosed with cancer.

Across the county, there is a team of around 140 Macmillan healthcare professionals that provide care and support to people affected by cancer.

These professionals range from Clinical Nurse Specialists to dieticians, occupational therapists and family support workers.

Anyone who would like to find out more about James’ Barcelona to Boxhill event can visit the website at: www.SevenDayEpic.com People who would like to sponsor James and his team can do so online at: www.justgiving.com/sevendayepic