A CYCLIST from Poole has helped to raise more than £2million for the fight against heart disease.

Rory Dodds, 45, was one of 16,000 British Heart Foundation supporters who took on the 54-mile London to Brighton Bike Ride in aid of his close friend Ian, who underwent a heart transplant after being diagnosed with heart failure four years ago.

After crossing the finish line, Rory said: “The atmosphere at the finish line was absolutely brilliant and I enjoyed every moment of the ride – even the hills!

“It was truly wonderful to have so many supporters there and the camaraderie between the riders was pretty inspiring. It feels even better knowing that the money I’ve raised will help the BHF fund vital research into preventing, diagnosing and treating heart and circulatory diseases and I’m just proud to join the charity in their mission to beat heartbreak forever.”

Roshan Teeluck, the charity's head of events, said: “It’s great to see Rory’s determination in completing this year’s London to Brighton Bike Ride. The success of this event is testament to the fact that cycling is such an inclusive sport that everyone can enjoy and we’re grateful to all our BHF Champions for getting on their bikes and fundraising for our life saving research.

“Without the dedication and commitment of BHF Champions like Rory, who have helped us raise a phenomenal amount of money this year, we wouldn’t be able to fund research that will help more than seven million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.

This year’s London to Brighton Bike Ride marked 44 years of the charity’s flagship cycling event. Since its inception, elite and novice riders alike have pedalled more than 41 million miles between them and raised more than £70 million to help the charity and beat heartbreak forever.

Registration for next year’s event is now open. To find out more, visit bhf.org.uk/L2B2020