All but one of the 22 cyclists taking part in the Actavis Lifecycle Challenge 2014 crossed the finishing line in Tokyo this afternoon, after a gruelling 2,000 kilometre ride that veterans of the extreme event described as the hardest yet.

Apart from two days when the cyclists had to go up 15 kilometres of steep mountains, the route took them through several major towns with traffic lights every 100 metres, stretches of pitch black roads and tunnels with no cycling lanes.

Cyclists got separated from the back up vans almost every day and there were falls regularly.

One cyclist skidded on the second day hitting a roadside barrier and falling against a passing trailer, ending up underneath it.

Even though he only needed a few stitches , the thought of how easily it could have been a tragedy shook everyone up and hung over everyone until the end.

Two cyclists out of the original 22 did not complete the challenge, one because of bike problems, the other because of a knee injury.

However, the injured cyclist let his team member borrow his bike so that she could ride to the finish line.

This year's challenge, the 16th edition, is raising money for the Renal Unit.