Rupert Cornford

In September 2018, Phil Jones, managing director of Brother UK, and world record distance cyclist, James Golding, cycled the Tour of Britain route one day ahead of the race. 

These photos explore life on the road as they attempted to raise £50,000 for the Dave Rayner Foundation, which helps young cyclists turn professional. 

I joined the ride as Phil and James headed north to the Lake District and one of the hilliest stages of the week. After a 100-plus mile ride to the top of Whinlatter Pass (twice) they rode the team time trial the next day up the same climb.

The following stages included a rolling nine hours in the Midlands and the final stage in central London. Each day, they were joined by guest riders for support and goodwill, as the miles clocked up.

The people behind the ride included team director Cherie Pridham, mechanic Pete Mooney and social media manager Emily Sutton.