TV presenter and radio host Paddy McGuinness has said cycling alongside Sir Chris Hoy was akin to “having a kickabout with Ronaldo” after finishing a 300-mile charity cycle ride from Wales to Scotland for BBC Children In Need.
The Top Gear presenter began his journey on Monday at Wrexham AFC’s Racecourse Ground, and described how Glasgow was “lit up in sunshine” as he approached the finish line in the city on Friday.
The 51-year-old undertook the Radio 2 Ultra Endurance Cycle Challenge on his dream childhood bike, a Raleigh Chopper, with his bike painted in the colours of the charity’s mascot, Pudsey.
Just before 9am he was surprised with a visit from Sir Tom Hunter who has pledged to match every donation up to £3 million through the Hunter Foundation.
Crowds of people lined the city streets and cheered him on as he cycled towards BBC Scotland’s Pacific Quay headquarters, arriving at 10.28am.
He was welcomed by Zoe Ball, who was presenting a live broadcast of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in the foyer.
As he arrived he said: “I can’t believe it. Coming out of East Kilbride and I were looking at Glasgow, and it was lit up in sunshine.
“And the streets were lined, I had Sir Tom at the side of me as well. I came around the corner there, what a sight, what a feeling, thank you so much everybody. Wow.”
So far more than £7.5 million has been raised for Children In Need.
Members of the Lomond School Pipe Band piped him into the building and singer Chesney Hawkes performed his classic hit The One and Only.
McGuinness set off on the last leg from Strathaven to Glasgow early on Friday morning and said he would miss the journey when he went back to his usual job, presenting his self-titled show on Radio 2 on Sundays.
After completing his journey, he said: “I have blisters, my knees have gone, my legs have gone, my neck is in bits, my back’s seized up.”
He added: “It’ll probably be the next few days where I start to physically feel everything but I do need a little bit of time just to take stock of the last few days because it has been absolutely – I know they call it a challenge – but it doesn’t feel like that, I feel privileged, really.”
Mr McGuinness trained with Scottish world champion cyclist, Sir Chris Hoy, who also joined him for part of his journey.
He said: “When Sir Chris Hoy came to my house about three or four days before the challenge, he took me to a hill called Blaze Hill. If you’re into biking it’s torturous. It’s ridiculously steep and it’s a mile long.
“He had me up there, where he was coaching me all the way, which is impressive in itself.
“I don’t know how he could even talk because I couldn’t. And when he got to the top he said, ‘right, you’ve just done that on that chopper. People on 18-gear bikes struggle with that. So everything you’ve got ahead of you won’t be as steep as that’.”
He added: “He taught me about pacing myself and not going too fast. When you’re on a flat area you think you’ll get a bit of time back, but he said to save as much energy as possible. It’s been invaluable.”
He continued: “I think we did about 17 miles together, and that is like equating it to being a football fan and having a kickabout with Ronaldo or something like that.”
He also rode alongside Sir Tom Hunter for around nine miles at the end of the challenge.
Thanking him for his donation to Children In Need, he said: “What he did was really generous, £2 million pounds, then changing it to £3 million pounds.”
He added: “When you’re trying to thank someone like that, I couldn’t really get the words out that I wanted to say to him.
“What was really nice was coming into Glasgow with the sun shining on it, and he was kind of telling me a little bit about the city and being a tour guide.
“I’m so glad he got to witness what I’ve witnessed.”
He said the journey was “a moment in time I will take to my grave, and I will never forget it.”
Those wishing to donate can do so at www.bbc.co.uk/paddy
Watch the TV documentary of his whole challenge, Paddy: The Ride Of My Life, on Tuesday November 19 at 8pm on BBC One and hear him read the CBeebies Bedtime Story at 6.50pm on Friday November 15 on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer.
