This weekend 'The Magnificent Seven' will attempt to cycle 100 miles in less than six hours to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK at the Prudential RideLondon sportive. 

Of the seven, three are prostate surgeons, three are patients who have undergone prostate surgery, and one - Professor Roger Kirby - is both a surgeon who has used the da Vinci robot to cure more than 1,300 men of prostate cancer, and undergone robotic prostate removal himself. All are determined to work prevent prostate cancer causing premature death. 

Three of Kirby's patients - Andrew Etherington, Paul Fletcher and Mark Becker - have all been cured by surgery and will line up alongside Mark Speakman, President of the British Association of Urological Surgeons, and Ben Challacombe, a prostate surgeon from Guy's Hospital who trained in Australia in robotic surgery with charitable support. The final member of the team is Roger Plail, an eminent urological surgeon who is President of the Urology section of the Royal Society of Medicine. 

Thanks to the generous support of patients and friends, The Magnificent Seven have so far raised over £31,000 for Prostate Cancer UK. However, more funds are needed to fight this disease, which afflicts one in every seven men during their lifetime. 

The charity will also be represented at RideLondon by former Charlton Athletic goalkeeper, Bob Bolder - now East Kent Community Officer - who will be taking on the challenge alongside a team from the Charlton Athletic Community Trust. 

Bolder, who made 296 appearances between the posts for the Addicks between 1986/87 and 1993/94, has been busy gearing up for the second instalment. 

He said: "I live on the Kent coast and we have a lovely ride down here, the Viking trail. Matt and Dean have been down and had a little 40-50 mile practice ride. Also, a few weeks ago I was in Edale in the Pennines and scaled one daunting hill a few mornings before breakfast, so was happy with that." 

Bolder continued: "Prostate Cancer UK is a fantastic charity and the more people know about it and raise funds to combat the disease the better. It's about letting people know that it's out there and trying to change that male mentality and getting us blokes to go and get checked out. I certainly have." 

"Wearing the Prostate Cancer UK top on the way round is inspiring too. You get amazing support, as you would do for any charity, and then when people thank you afterwards as they have been affected by the disease, it's so touching," Bolder concluded. 

Prudential RideLondon-Surrey100 will start in the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, then follow a 100 mile route on closed roads through the capital and into Surrey's stunning countryside. The challenge will finish on The Mall in central London, and with leg-testing climbs and a route recently made famous by the world's best cyclists, it will be a truly spectacular event for all involved. 

If you have concerns about prostate cancer please call Prostate Cancer UK's confidential Helpline on 0800 074 8383 or visit www.prostatecanceruk.org. The helpline is free to landlines, staffed by specialist nurses, and open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday with late opening until 8pm on Wednesdays.