A WINCHESTER man has completed a 142 kilometre cycling challenge in memory of a brave father who lost his six-year battle with cancer.

Grant McKnight, who works in air traffic control, completed the L’Etape du Tour which covers the route of a single mountain stage of the Tour de France.

Along with Jody Rodger, of Beaconsfield, the two climbed 5,000 metres from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to the ski resort of La Toussuire.

They have raised more than £6,000.

Their friend Fraser Dunlop died in April and the money will go towards Imperial College Healthcare Charity and Cancer Research UK.

At just 38-years-old Mr Dunlop was given less than a year to live when he was diagnosed with stage four cancer. The father-of-two survived for a further five years thanks to treatment at Hammersmith Hospital and his determination to beat the disease.

Two years ago he completed the cycling challenge and raised £4,000 for Cancer Research UK.

Mr McKnight, 45, grew up with him in Scotland before moving to Winchester.

He said: "His second daughter was only two weeks old when he was given nine months to live. Then he started meeting really good consultants through Imperial College and they gave him hope.

"They kept him going long enough for us to get an extra five-and-a-half-years with him and now his daughter will have memories of her dad, which was never going to happen when he first found out.

"We have been focussing on the L’Etape du Tour since Fraser left us in April. It keeps his memory alive and it keeps him close to us."

The Fraser Dunlop Research Fund has been set up at the Imperial College charity and will go towards developing technology, drug delivery improvements and combatting cancer drug resistance.

Mr McKnight added: "Fraser was such a character.

"I felt really emotional when we completed it within the time."

Donations are still open, go to virginmoneygiving.com/team/forfraser to help.