PEDAL power will be at a premium as 30 fundraisers get set to write the next chapter in their ark-mazing story.

Known as the Arkriders, the group of cyclists have been at the heart of the community campaign Ark Cancer Centre Charity, which aims to raise £5million for a new NHS cancer treatment centre in Basingstoke – and the group has now set out on its 2019 challenge of the Arkriders Twin Towns Tour.

In the last three years, the Arkriders have piled on the pedal power from John O’Groats to Land’s End, London to Brighton, Basingstoke to Paris, and Basingstoke to Bournemouth and back, as well as organising a fundraising charity dinner.

So far, they have raised more than £215,000.

The idea of this year’s Arkriders Twin Tours Challenge was the brainchild of Ark charity supporter Mark Dolby, director of Beaufort Financial.

He said: “The Arkriders Twin Towns Tour team have put in a lot of hard work, time and effort to prepare for this challenge, and we are grateful to everyone who is supporting the riders, individually and collectively.

“The 2019 Arkriders have passed their initial £20,000 team target so we have now raised the bar to £35,000. We hope we can raise as much money as possible to help deliver this much-needed cancer treatment centre.”

In 2017 the keen cyclists passed through Basingstoke’s twin town Alencon on the way to Paris.

This year’s challenge will take place between July 17 and July 22 and will see the cyclists visit Basingstoke’s twin towns of Braine L’Alleud, in Belgium, and Euskirchen, in Germany.

Friends, family and representatives from event headline gold sponsor MiniTec and silver sponsors Display Manager, LMW, Rotary Basingstoke Deane, Sixth Sense Business, Unum, Apollo Hotel, and Loft Plan, cheered on the group as they set off from Basingstoke yesterday.

All the money raised from the Arkriders efforts will be donated to Ark Cancer Center Charity.

The success of Ark Cancer Centre Charity’s £5m appeal will ensure a range of support services and complementary therapies are available alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments in a calm and uplifting environment. The centre, which will largely be funded by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, will be built at Basingstoke hospital.

The riders taking part will be supported by experienced cyclists from the Morvélo Basso road racing team, and Mallorca Cycling and The Road Shepherds, who specialise in cycling events and holidays.

If anyone wants to support the Arkriders, individually or collectively, they can make a donation by going to justgiving.com/companyteams/twintowns19.