Cyclist rides London Boris bike up French mountain and returns it in under 24 hours for charity Their efforts have so far raised more than £3,600 for Macmillan Cancer Support which was chosen because Mr Holden's father suffered from the disease. Mr Winstone, who, like Mr Laurie, comes from Kingston, south west London, said the idea came as the three friends went for a cycle ride and decided to see how far they could get a Boris bike in 24 hours. Robert Holden as he attempts the incline of Mont Ventoux (Airspace Media) He said: "We thought 'Let's get it somewhere that's a real cycling Mecca' - and it doesn't get much harder than the Ventoux for cycling." The group filmed the challenge and the YouTube video has since gone viral, helping to boost their fundraising drive. Mr Holden, who completed the 14-mile climb to the summit at 6,273ft in two hours and 55 minutes, said: "The ride itself was ridiculously hard. My whole body was in pain but I managed to fight on to the summit. With essentially one gear the whole way up, it was a struggle just keeping the pedals turning and there was a fair bit of weaving at the top. Having said all that, the weather was perfect, the mountain was awe-inspiring and I reached the summit at sunset, which was perfect. Robert Holden as he sets out on the ride (Airspace Media) Describing his motivation for the challenge, Mr Holden added: "Two years ago my dad, Brian, was diagnosed with cancer. It was a shock; nothing like that had ever happened to our family and it suddenly made cancer a frightening reality. Fortunately, Brian has responded well to surgery and is so far doing well, but for many others the nightmare continues. Mayor of London Boris Johnson has congratulated the trio on their challenge: "Huge congratulations to the trio who have conquered Mont Ventoux for charity and shown our Gallic cousins just how sturdy our city's hire bikes are," Mr Johnson said. Courtesy PA/ Airspace Media