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Live Blog
- Updated: 9:29, 11 Nov 2024
TV presenter Paddy McGuinness has paid tribute to Sir Chris Hoy after the Olympic champion pushed him to his "absolute limits" when they trained together ahead of his ultra-endurance cycling challenge for BBC Children in Need.
McGuinness, 51, is set to ride nearly 300 miles when he sets off from Wrexham in Wales today on a Raleigh Chopper before aiming to arrive at the finish line on Friday in Glasgow, Scotland.
"I know it’s going to be brutal. I know it’s going to be hell. [Chris has] really put me through my paces," he said.
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Last year, Paddy's Radio 2 colleague Vernon Kay took on the station's challenge for Children in Need and raised £6 million.
You can follow all the latest updates on Paddy's cycling challenge in our blog below...
Here's the route in full ...
'I cannot wait – to finish'
Paddy will take in eight counties, including Flintshire, Cheshire and Lancashire, and finish the ride in Scotland before racing back down the motorway to Salford to appear live on TV for Children In Need this Friday.
Paddy says: “The main thing for me is getting people to donate whatever they can to help Children In Need.
“I am mentally ready for it now. I just want to get started.
“I’m planning on just eating a load of pies afterwards.
“Honestly, I cannot wait until we’re at that finish line in Glasgow.
“I’ll probably inhale a pint of Guinness when I finish. And then we’re in the back of the car and straight down to Salford for Children In Need on Friday night.”
What has Paddy said about his trek?
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, he told us: “I’ve got a half-decent level of fitness but this will break me.
“Training has been difficult. The first day they sent me the bike I tried to pedal up a hill and I thought, ‘Am I going to be able to do this?’
“The reality really kicked in when I found out the bike only has three gears and only two of them work.
“I know it’s going to be cold and wet too.
“But I feel as though I have been training for that all my life because I was brought up in Bolton, which is, you know, it’s like being in the Arctic tundra up there.”
'Tough and difficult'
Former Top Gear presenter Paddy has been out training with Olympic cycling great Sir Chris Hoy for the past few weeks and says the practice has been gruelling.
He told The Sun: “I did a bike ride with Chris about three or four years ago now. I’ve still got the mental scars from it. It was so tough and difficult.
“He messaged me and said, ‘Don’t think I’m going to go easy on you
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