A COUNTY cycling legend will get back on her bike on Saturday to raise funds for a charity that cared for her father.

Malvern’s Tracy Moseley, 45, is doing the Chase The Sun annual event which covers 205 miles from east to west from the Isle of Sheppey to Weston-super-Mare.

The Worcester-born multiple mountain bike world champion will be tackling the challenge in memory of her father Michael, born and raised in Storridge, who died in January.

Tracy said: “I am doing a mammoth cycle ride this Saturday to raise funds for St Michael’s Hospice (Hereford) who cared for dad in his last three weeks of life.

“It’s an annual event that is always run on the longest day of the year.

“This year we will be leaving Minster on Sea on the Isle of Sheppey at 4.40am at sunrise and hoping to get to the Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare by sunset at 9.30pm.

“It’s 205 miles and we hope to average around 15 miles an hour.

“We will be navigating the route via our GPS on our bike computers and plan to stop every 45 miles or three hours to restock with food and water along the way.

“I am doing the ride with three friends — Sophie Fennell from Malvern who has been part of the Malvern Cycle Sport club, Stefan Sternkopf from Worcester — normally a runner but he jumped at the chance to join me on the bike on this challenge — and Katy Curd, a mountain bike four-time world champion who I have raced with for years and who is turning her normal 40-second sprint into a marathon cycle challenge!

“My husband James and six-year-old son Toby will be supporting us along the route and we will also meet my mum (Alison Moseley) who will be at the finish to hopefully greet us before sunset and remember my amazing dad.

“I have already been blown away by the generosity of the donations from people but would love to get to my target of raising £9,000 for St Michael’s Hospice as that would help run the whole unit for one day.”

To support Tracy in her bid, visit www.justgiving.com/page/tracy-moseley-chasingthesun.

The retired former world downhill and enduro champion previously appeared in the Chasing The Sun film which was screened at Malvern Theatres in April alongside a question-and-answer session.

The production celebrating cycling had its premiere at Kendal Mountain Festival and toured the UK at independent cinemas.

Tracy added: “Cycling gives me a connection with the outdoors and nature and it’s an amazing way to move self-propelled.

“I had my first bike at age four. It’s my life and my identity.

“Back in August last year we did the filming with my dad and my son.

“Only a few weeks before this my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but he was adamant he still wanted to ride and do the filming.

“The e-bike brought together riding with my 79-year-old dad and with my son then aged five, something that was truly special and even more so now as I treasure this footage.”

Chase The Sun is the UK’s longest one-day endurance cycle event with three simultaneous coast-to-coast sunrise-to-sunset rides.

They all set off at dawn in England, Scotland and Ireland on Saturday.