Mike Swinford’s epic cycling adventure from Cheltenham to Malta is moving ever closer.

As reported on this website on Thursday 12th July, it’s a trip that will take 28 days and takes in 119,000 feet in climbs – the route takes him into the Alps – and covers 2,000 miles.

He’s aiming to raise £10,000 for male suicide charity CALM, so clearly has plenty on his mind.

But he’s still found time to organise a charity summer stalls day on Saturday 18th August at The Cheese Rollers pub in Shurdington in aid of CALM and is hoping as many people as possible will attend.

He has also organised a Motown and soul music evening at the same pub a week later which will also act as his going away party.

His trip begins on Saturday 1st September and when he spoke to The Local Answer last month the Cheltenham and County Cycling Club member was confident of reaching his target.

And some achievement it will be too.

He will leave the Pump Rooms at 8.30am on 1st September – he will be seen off by the Mayor of Cheltenham, Councillor Bernard Fisher, and Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk, who will ride out of town with him – before heading for Cirencester, Swindon and then Portsmouth.

From there he will catch the ferry over to Le Havre and head south across France until he hits the Alps.

Once there he will climb the iconic 21 bend climb Alpe d’Huez, the climb that often features in the Tour de France and will this year be the stage 12 finish.

He’ll also climb other mountains – Col du Galibier, Col du Télégraphe and then the Col du Mont Cenis – to finish his journey across the Alps before dropping down to Turin and heading towards Genoa.

He’ll then follow the west coast of Italy past Rome before catching a ferry across to Sicily where he says he plans to have a day off.

Mind you, it won’t be much of a day off because he plans to ride round Etna!

From there he will catch another ferry before arriving in Malta where he will be greeted by friends and family, including his girlfriend Eve Griffiths.