A group of 29 cyclists have pedalled more than 1,000 kilometres in a week hoping to raise awareness about much-needed funding for cancer research.

Over five years, the Alive Foundation has raised €525,000 for all kinds of local cancer research and for their sixth challenge this year, they are 75 per cent through to their goal of collecting €100,000.

This year's challenge saw the cyclists leave from Vienna, pedal through the Alps, and reach Milan's Piazza del Duomo on Thursday afternoon.

All of them have made it through the whole challenge, including six who fell ill, but continued pedalling until the finish line. The main challenges this year were the extreme changes in weather, co-founder Nicky Camilleri told Times of Malta.

The transalpine route saw them pedalling through wet terrain on one hand, and 37˚C heat conditions on the other.

The cyclists split up in two groups, with one taking a mountain bike route and the others pedalling on the roads alongside traffic.

Mr Camilleri noted that this year's challenge was particularly special for him as he pedalled with his “right-hand man” and foundation co-founder Elton Barry

Photo: Alive Charity Foundation - Stefan Dorekens

Mr Barry has completed this feat nine months after suffering a brain haemorrhage. Just five years before, he had survived three heart attacks.

Read: 'I had a stroke and three heart attacks... but I walked the marathon'

In 2012, Mr Barry, then only 36, suffered three heart attacks in as many days. Three weeks later he was back on his bike and in December that year he took part in a 135-kilometre cycling fundraiser for Puttinu Cares. 

Together with Mr Camilleri, Miriam Abela Orland and Gerth Lapira, Mr Barry went on to set up the Alive Charity Foundation. In 2013, around 38 cyclists pedalled from London to Paris in aid of the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation, set up by the late Helen Muscat.

This first cycling challenge managed to exceed the €40,000 target by a whopping €15,000.

Then in October of 2017, Mr Barry suffered a brain haemorrhage, but this did not stop him from completing the Malta half-marathon last February.

Since then, he has been training for this year's Alive Cycling Challenge, which he completed by Mr Camilleri’s side.

If you want to help out the team, go to www.alivecharity.com or send a text message on 5061 7364 for a donation of €2.33, 5061 8081 to donate €4.66, 5061 8913 to donate €6.99 and 5061 9208 for a donation of €11.65.