MARK Cavendish has become a patron of Help for Heroes, the UK charity which supports the recovery of wounded servicemen and women.
The Manx cycling superstar will front a campaign to promote the Hero Ride, before taking part in the event scheduled for June 2.
Cav said: ‘I have seen first-hand the great work that Help for Heroes do and I’m a passionate supporter of the charity.
‘Hero Ride is a very special project to me because it engages the sport I love for a greater cause.’
Cavendish first became involved with the charity in 2010, when he attended a Help for Heroes event in California. It was here Cav met Peta Todd, his fiancée and fellow Help for Heroes patron, who was the welcoming party for a group of injured war veterans who had just completed a trans-America charity bike ride.
The father-of-one has continued his support of the charity by visiting Headley Court and the Help for Heroes-run recovery centres and by meeting wounded heroes. On one occasion he gave a Tour de France stage-winner’s jersey to Private Scott Meenagh.
The charity was founded with a fundraising bike ride in 2007. Co-founder Bryn Parry said: ‘We are proud to announce Mark as a patron of the charity, especially with the charity’s long-term association with cycling.’
