AT some stage he will probably wish he was at home washing the car, but next Sunday Mark Beddowes is tackling one of the toughest stages of the Tour de France for charity.

He will be taking part in the 148km L’Etape du Tour bike ride, which was established in 1993 to allow amateur cyclists to test their legs on one of the Tour's most formidable mountain routes through the Pyrenees, including an ascent to the summit of the Col du Tourmalet, which reaches 17.1km with gradients of more than seven per cent.

The effort is to raise money for the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people, CLIC Sargent. Mr Beddowes works for Johnson Fleming, a Bromsgrove-based workplace pensions specialist where employees voted CLIC Sargent as their charity of the year for 2014. CLIC provides clinical, practical, financial and emotional support to help cancer patients get the most out of life and offer support from diagnosis onwards.

Mr Beddowes said: "After lots of training and preparation I am really looking forward to the challenge and can’t wait to test my legs. I am proud to be supporting CLIC Sargent and hope to raise lots of money for such a good cause.”