It has been a muddy week, but with the finishing line in sight today, 45 cyclists who set off on a 1,200-kilometre journey to raise funds for cancer research are as motivated as ever.

The group left Malta for Copenhagen last week and will arrive in Warsaw, Poland, today.

As in previous years, the Remax Alive 2017 Cycling Challenge is raising funds for medical re-search in Malta. For the first time this year, the challenge included a mountain bike trail and a separate road bike route.

Co-founder of the Alive Charity Foundation Elton Barry said yesterday that the team was already cycling through Poland and would be completing some 970 kilometres by the evening.

There were no serious incidents along the way, apart from a couple of falls, and all 45 cyclists who had set off from Denmark were still cycling their way to the Polish capital.

The group cycled through rain on the third and fifth days, meaning they had to pedal through mud for nearly the whole week.

There were no serious incidents along the way, apart from a couple of falls

But knowing that they would reach their final destination today, the cyclists were in high spirits, he explained.

Mr Barry recounted a sweet anecdote: upon reaching the Polish border, the mountain bike team ran out of water and could not find an adequate supply.

Two days of rain made the route rather muddy. Photos: ALIVE Charity Foundation

They met an old lady – Barbara – outside a small grocery store and she invited them over to her humble home, where she filled up all their empty jerry cans and also gave them some coffee and biscuits.

Mr Barry described the incident as a fantastic experience, especially since Barbara refused payment despite the meagre conditions of her household.

The woman offered the same support to the road bike team, which arrived at her village soon after, but their water supply had not yet run out.

The Alive team will return to Malta on Monday at 9.50am.

Those who would like to help the foundation raise funds can log on to www.alivecharity.com for more details.

Photos and updates are being uploaded to the Facebook page ALIVE Charity Foundation, and there is also to be a live tracker on the foundation’s website.