A team of cyclists from Tong Garden Centre are hoping to raise over £2,000 for Candlelighters when they tackle the challenging Maserati Tour de Yorkshire ride next month.

The team of nine, including directors, staff, suppliers and friends, will ride 84km on some of the the same roads as the fourth and final stage of the Tour de Yorkshire pro race on Sunday, 6th May.

The ride, that starts and finishes in Leeds centre, includes 1,228m of ascent and the team have been training hard for the event. Tong Garden Centre Managing Director, Mark Farnsworth explained the rationale for the ride: "Candlelighters is a fantastic, Yorkshire based charity who support families both financially and emotionally when a family has to go through the horrendous ordeal of a child having cancer.

"We have been super impressed by the charity and are trying our very best to raise £10,000 for them this year. I'm delighted that my fellow directors Tom, Charlie and David are joining me for the ride that we hope will raise over £2,000 towards our goal. If you are able to support us, any contribution would be gratefully received at https://give.everydayhero.com/uk/team-tong-s-tour-de-yorkshire-challenge. "

Brian Curran, Corporate Fundraiser for Candlelighters is delighted with Tong's support: "Good luck to Mark and the team. We need to raise £600,000 to renovate a property for use by families whose children are being treated at Leeds Children's Hospital for cancer, so any support you can give is invaluable."

A spokesman for the event said: "The Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride offers a unique mix of Tour de France delivery combined with Yorkshire hospitality and beauty resulting in a sportive dream day. The 8000 participants will ride many of the same roads as the pros before they do, including the pro finish line, complete with support from the waiting crowds."

The Candlelighters Trust (Candlelighters) is Yorkshire's pre-eminent children's cancer charity, providing practical, emotional and financial support to children living with cancer in Yorkshire and their families.

Tong Garden Centre occupies a 14 acre site in Tong village. It is one of Yorkshire's biggest garden centres with 110,000 square feet of retail space and parking for up to 1,000 cars.