Twp fundraisers are getting on their bikes to raise money for an Ilkley boy with cerebral palsy to go to America for a life-changing operation.

The family of Ben Smithson are trying to raise £45,000 by next year to send the eight-year-old across the Atlantic for pioneering surgery, which should ultimately help him to walk unaided.

Now there are a raft of events taking place to help the campaign, Ben’s Wish to Walk, raise the money for the transatlantic trip.

So far more than £5,000 has been collected.

Nigel Ezard and John Thompson are trying to assist those money-making efforts by taking on separate cycling challenges.

Mr Ezard, of Ben Rhydding, will be heading to France to take part in the famous Etape du Tour bike race on Sunday.

The Etape du Tour allows amateur cyclists to race over the same route as a Tour de France stage.

This year, more than 9.500 racers are expected to take part and the event starts in Pau and covers 181km over three peaks of the Pyrenees mountain range before finishing in Tourmalet.

The race starts at 165m above see level before finishing at 2,115m above sea level and the real Tour de France riders will attempt the stage on Thursday, July 22.

“Am I scared? Yes.” said Mr Ezard, 39, a teaching assistant at Ashlands Primary School in Ilkley.

“I only took up road cycling last year and so this is a big ask for such a novice.

“But I’ve put in the training, I’ve already done the distance and elevation gain here in the Dales so now it’s just the much longer climbs and potential heat issues.”

Mr Ezard hopes to complete the course in less than ten hours and has had help and sponsorship from JD Cycles and Shutt VR.

To sponsor him, email nigel.ezard@blueyonder.co.uk or donate directly at the website at benswishtowalk.co.uk.

Meanwhile, Mr Thompson, who spent more than 25 years as head of economics and business studies at Ilkley Grammar School, is preparing for a 70-mile ride to coincide with his 70th birthday.

The pensioner will ride from his home in Addingham to see family in Teesside on September 6 to raise money.

According to his daughter, Jo Onions, the ex-teacher – who has never done anything like this challenge before – is doing “a lot of training” for the event.

Elsewhere, there will be a bands day at the Station pub in the centre of Ilkley on July 31 to raise money for the Ben’s Wish to Walk campaign.

The event will start at 11am on July 31 and go on into the evening.

Last month, Heather Macpherson, 14, and 24 friends completed a six-mile sponsored walk from Ilkley to Burley-in-Wharfedale and back, and were joined on the last section of the walk by Ben.

For more details about sponsorship and other events, visit benswishtowalk.co.uk.