ONE 72-year-old is out to prove age is just a number – by cycling 1,000 miles round Hardy Country.

Roderick Drew, from Martinstown, is not your average retired person. In 2012, he followed the progress of the Olympic torch around the UK, covering 4,200 miles on his journey.

This week the retired teacher is embarking on his latest adventure, cycling around the Wessex area Thomas Hardy wrote about. He will set off from Manor Park First School on Thursday, head to Portland, before moving on to Penzance and Land’s End. He will then turn back north towards Bristol, taking in Oxford, Reading, Winchester, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight, before heading back through the Isle of Purbeck to Dorchester.

Mr Drew volunteers at Manor Park First School a couple of days a week and the children spent some time on Tuesday morning decorating his bicycle with blue, yellow and white ribbons. This is in tribute to Mr Drew’s chosen charity beneficiary of the ride Marie Curie.

Mr Drew said that everyone in Dorset knew a friend or family member who had been affected by cancer. He himself lost his father and two sisters to it. He said: “I want everyone to feel I’m doing something for them, that they can relate too.”

Having always been active and loved sport since he was a child, Mr Drew only gave up running three years ago, after developing breathing problems and getting a pacemaker fitted. He also had resurfacing surgery on both his knees 15 years ago. He hopes his adventures will inspire others, adding: “I want people to realise they can still be active and still do things.”

For the past seven years Mr drew has volunteered at Thomas Hardy’s home at max Gate and is a big fan of his works. The Dorset author and his first wife Emma were both big cycling fans, having got into the sport in their 50s. Mr Drew said he loved Hardy’s ‘evocation of the Dorset landscape,’ and his poetic writings.

Mr Drew was born in Marshall, the land which inspired Tess of the D’Urbervilles. He said: “My ride is a homage to hardy and his writings.”

With the hope of riding 60 miles a day with a few rest days, Mr Drew hopes to be home in about three weeks. To sponsor his ride for Marie Curie visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Roderickdrew