A YOUNG cyclist from Teignmouth is making good progress in his mammoth quest to cycle 100kms a day to raise money for the Red Cross in Ukraine.

Alex Mehara, 22, a Ukrainian-born British citizen, has been cycling an average of his target every day since the beginning of May.

By the end of this month, he will have pedalled 3,100kms around the lanes and cycle paths of Devon.

That is the equivalent distance of cycling from Teignmouth to Odessa on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast and not far short of the entire length of the Tour De France.

Alex has been setting off between 6am and 7am every morning and it takes between four and five hours for him to reach his 100k target for the day.

He first came to Devon aged just nine and learned to speak English at Inverteign Primary School and completed his education at Teignmouth Community College.

But he still has many relatives in the war-ravaged country, many of whom have had their lives turned upside down by Russia’s bombing campaign.

He uses an app to calculate the distance travelled and a typical ride will take him around Torbay, Newton Abbot, Dartmoor, Exeter and East Devon.

He’s happy that he’s only had to contend with three punctures, so far.

Alex, who lives in Moor View Drive, said: ‘I just want to do what I can to help raise funds for the Red Cross in Ukraine.

‘They’re doing such a great job helping people who’ve had their homes destroyed or who’ve been forced to flee.’

A lunch time finish is followed by a shower and a short rest before he begins an up to eight-hour shift as a store assistant at Sainsbury’s, in Dawlish, returning home around 11.30pm to sleep and then begin again next morning.

He has raised £600 so far but hopes to reach at least £1,000 before he completes the journey.

To read updates on his progress or to support his fundraising efforts go to https://gofund.me/370eb681