Heathfield man to cycle 1,000km to Spain in aid of Sarcoma UK.

East Sussex man to cycle 1,000km to Spain for brother with rare bone cancer

A 59-year-old business consultant from Heathfield is embarking on an epic 1,000-kilometre cycling challenge to Spain to raise funds for his brother, who is living with a rare form of bone cancer.

Harry Crane will tackle the ten-day journey starting on 28 June inspired by his brother George who has chondrosarcoma, which has left the former entrepreneur and teacher wheelchair-bound and in constant pain following a gruelling nine-hour operation to remove a tumour from his spine.

Harry’s brother George received a devastating dignosis

George started having back pain in September 2022 and saw his GP. The pain wouldn’t go away and George was eventually referred for some scans. In early 2023, he was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma in his pelvis and around his sacrum at the base of his spine.

He had a nine-hour operation to remove the tumour but was left with reduced movement in his legs and now has to use crutches. George, 57, from Lincolnshire, had to stop his job as a teacher and move to a bungalow. He is not cancer-free and has regular scans to check his health.

Harry said: “This has been completely life-changing for George and he is still in some pain but he has battled so hard and is an inspiration.”

Harry decided to use his passion for cycling to fundraise

Harry, a keen cyclist, is taking part in the challenge with three friends for charity Sarcoma UK that funds vital research, offers support for anyone affected by sarcoma and campaigns for better treatments. It is the only cancer charity in the UK focusing on all types of sarcoma.

Harry and his friends will cycle to Portsmouth and take an overnight ferry to St Malo in France. They will then cycle to Spain and back to Biarritz in France before flying home to the UK.

Commenting on his brother’s challenge, George said: “Having been diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, I was told that surgery was the only curative treatment. Sadly, despite removing a third of my pelvis and most of my sacrum on the left-hand side, the cancer persisted and is now incurable.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the help I have had at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham but there must be a better way to treat this awful disease. It may be rare and often undiagnosed in time, but, when it does manifest itself, the outcome is often amputation or severe impairment. So little research is done in this area so every pound you can spare will help to find new and innovative treatments that are less devastating than surgery. Your generosity buys hope in the darkest of times.”

Sarcoma UK will use funds to help support their research programme

Sarcoma UK’s Director of Research, Policy and Support, Dr Sorrel Bickley, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Harry for taking on this amazing 1,000km cycling challenge for his brother George. The funds he raises will directly support vital research like Dr Mandy Peffers’ groundbreaking work at the University of Liverpool, which is investigating the genetic switches that control chondrosarcoma.

“This type of research is crucial for patients like George because traditional treatments often don’t work for this rare bone cancer. Dr Peffers’ study of small RNA molecules could help unlock entirely new treatment approaches and give hope to the hundreds of people diagnosed with chondrosarcoma each year. Every pound Harry raises brings us closer to better outcomes for sarcoma patients.”

To donate to Harry, go to Harry Crane is fundraising for Sarcoma UK