Tough day for LifeCycle participants

Cyclists taking part in the LifeCycle Challenge between Istanbul and Damascus are facing a tough day today, pedalling 240km from Safranbolu to Cubuk in central Turkey.

They started off at 7 a.m. and are expected to reach their destination at 7 p.m. The temperature is expected to be in excess of 35 degrees.

"As was expected, the first two days were the tough ones as regards gradients, however the long distances will put many cyclists under a different type of physical and psychological challenge," LifeCycle said.

Two cyclists have dropped out of the challenge so far. One bowed as because of injuries suffered before the event, and the other stopping from exhaustion towards the end of the second day.

LifeCycle is raising funds to help the Renal Unit at Mater Dei Hospital and renal patients.