Footballer in 500-mile cycle trip

Geoff Thomas is in training for a 3,052 mile race

A former football star recovering from cancer is due to set off on a 500-mile bike ride from Wembley Stadium.

Geoff Thomas, 41, and three team members will cycle in relay from Wembley to the Velodrome in Manchester.

The former England player, diagnosed with leukaemia in 2003, is training for a 3,052 mile race in the US next month.

He will be joined by Ian Whittell, 41, of Manchester, Paul Bailey, 29, of Telford, and Tim Lawson, 40, of Blackburn, on Wednesday's 24-hour ride.

They will take it in turns to ride for about 20 minutes each before switching, but will continue pedalling through the night.

Thomas, also a former Crystal Palace midfielder, is in remission but is recovering from chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation.

"My lungs have been affected and I do find it hard when I'm going up hills - I look like I'm about to fall off my bike - but when I look at what could have happened I feel very lucky," he said.

The team expect to arrive by 1400 BST on Thursday in Manchester.

Thomas is raising money for leukaemia charities - he finished the 2,200 mile Tour de France route last summer.

Next month he will take part in the Race Across America, where cyclists ride day and night through 14 US states.