SNP CANDIDATE FOR MORAY RAISES £9000 FOR MACMILLAN CANCER.

Richard Lochhead took on the gruelling 66 mile bike ride on Sunday to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support who have been a valuable support to his family while his wife, Fiona, battles breast cancer .

Richard took to Facebook after completing the 66 mile bike ride and said:

The Loch Ness Etape today was amazing - great organisation, weather, scenery & cakes. 66m cycled, over 3000 calories lost and most importantly £9000 gained for Macmillan Cancer so far - a big huge thanks to all my generous sponsors and well done everyone else who raised cash for good causes.

Etape Loch Ness, one of Scotland’s most popular sporting events, saw thousands of cyclists take part in a closed-road sportive circling the iconic loch on Sunday.

The event sold out of 4,200 places in just 51 hours, with cycling fans from across the UK and beyond clamouring for a rare opportunity to ride 66 miles of traffic-free roads around one of the world’s most famous bodies of water.

The fastest male rider across the finish line was James Davidson from LSDW CC in a time of 2 hours 53 minutes and 37 seconds. The fastest female cyclist for the second year in a row was Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Team Scotland member Lee Craigie from Moray Firth CC in 2 hours 57 minutes and 51 seconds.

A special prize was also awarded to the quickest male and female participants to reach the top of the Glendoe summit outside of Fort Augustus. James and Lee were also crowned King and Queen of the Mountain for their efforts on the gruelling climb.

James from Aberdeen completed the King of the Mountain stage in 21 minutes and 13 seconds, while Inverness’ Lee took 23 minutes and 55 seconds. They were each presented with a red polka dot jersey by Councillor Margaret Davidson, leader of the Highland Council.

Event director Malcolm Sutherland says, “We are absolutely thrilled that the biggest Etape Loch Ness so far was also the best. We have had some fantastic feedback, and it’s a joy to see that the months of planning and organisation were all worth it.

“Since our first sportive in 2014, we have strived to spread the word about cycling in the Highlands and we’re delighted to have been able to bring more riders than ever before to the area this April.

“Everyone involved in organising Etape Loch Ness would like to offer a huge thank you to all of our partner agencies, communities along the route and the public, without whose support Etape Loch Ness would not be able to run.”

The biggest Etape Loch Ness to date brought with it a welcome boost in fundraising for official charity Macmillan Cancer Support, whose riders have raised around £150,000 for the

worthwhile cause – a figure which will rise in the coming weeks. Local businesses, including hotels, restaurants and shops, also enjoyed an off-season spike in sales.

The first cyclists set off at 6.15am, following a route which began and finished in Inverness, passing through Drumnadrochit, Invermoriston, Fort Augustus and Dores.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted that, once again, Etape Loch Ness has demonstrated to keen cyclists from all over the UK and further afield exactly why Scotland is the perfect stage for cycling events.

“The event organisers have done a tremendous job in creating a unique cycling experience in one of the most scenic settings the Scottish Highlands has to offer, which has been absolutely key in the incredible popularity of an event that continues to go from strength to strength.”

The second fastest male was Paul Gallacher from Fife Cycling 2000 in 2 hours 54 minutes and 59 seconds, while the third was Gavin Beaton from Moray Firth CC in 2 hours 55 minutes and 3 seconds. Catherine Moulton from COG Velo was the second fastest female around the route in 3 hours 13 minutes and 37 seconds, and Dagmar Borrowman from Moray Firth CC was third with a time of 3 hours 16 minutes and 16 seconds.

Registration of interest for the 2017 Etape Loch Ness can be made on the website at www.etapelochness.com Regular updates appear on social media through Twitter @EtapeLochNess using #etapeln16 and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/etapelochness