From Warwick Gates to Le Mans racetrack

Martin was part of a four man team who pedalled an amazing 169 laps of the 4,185-metre circuit in what became the Le Mans 24-hour cycle race.

The 30-year-old, who is a senior test engineer for Giti Tire, the manufacturers of GT Radial tyres, says the idea of taking part began as a joke.

He remembers mentioning how great it would be to compete in the Le Mans car race and the next thing he knew somebody was suggesting he could bike-it!

That was the start of what became the GT Radial team, comprised of Frenchman Bertrand Saint-Supery and fellow UK employees Brian McDermott and Ellis Hadley, who all agreed to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Martin said: “We each shared six hours riding time along with 2,500 other riders from across the world.

“This truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, never to be forgotten, not least because there is a 600-metre ascent at the start of every lap that varies between a gradient of 3.5 and 7 per cent.

“All four of us were at different levels of fitness and it was exceptionally windy which didn’t help. But everybody put in the same one hundred per cent amount of effort.”

Donations are still being accepted for the efforts of Martin and his team;

Anybody who wants to contribute can visit www.justgiving.com/GTRadial.