AN Olympic gold medalist has become the patron for a charity which rescues unwanted bikes and ships them to Africa.

Cyclist Chris Boardman, who won the individual pursuit at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, has backed Re~Cycle based in Wormingford.

Nicknamed The Professor during his career because of his meticulous attention to detail, Mr Boardman has been awarded an MBE for his exploits which included breaking the world hour record on three separate occasions and winning three stages of the Tour de France.

Mr Boardman, 48, has agreed to become the charity’s first patron.

He said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been asked to become Re~Cycle’s patron.

“It’s an incredible charity which helps so many people.

“ A total of 87,000 bikes have already been delivered but many people have never heard of it.

“I’m asking everyone to please tell their cycling friends about this amazing charity - as cyclists know how great and fast bikes are, and how much they can carry.

“Most cyclists will have thrown away bikes or parts, and will have seen abandoned bikes chained up.

”At the same time, people who’ve been to parts of rural Africa have seen people walking long distances, often with huge loads in the heat.

“Please help by doing a sponsored bike ride or by making a donation of bikes or money.”

Founder and CEO of Re~Cycle Merlin Matthews said he was delighted to secure the backing of someone who could appreciate their aims.

He said : “As a cyclist, he really understands what we do and the positive impact it has on thousands of people.”

“Transport in parts of rural Africa is either non-existent or too expensive.

“Riding a bike allows people to cover four times more ground and carry five times more load in weight than a person on foot, and is the only affordable transport choice for millions of people across Africa.

“It means children do better at school, nurses can visit more patients and farmers can get their produce to market.”

According to research from Re~Cycle’s partners in Ghana, each bike donated is shared by up to six people meaning nearly half a million people will have benefited from the charity’s work since they started up in 1998.

For more information about the charity and to find details about sponsored rides and drop-off points for donations, visit re-cycle.org.