A photographer from the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette is having to rethink his plans after the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome epidemic affected his charity bike ride in China next month.

The planned trip is off but the charity bike ride will still go ahead - on a new route to be announced.

Chief photographer Doug Moody was not too worried about the virus but the organisers have put safety first.

Doug was originally due to fly out for the nine-day journey between the Great Wall and Tiananmen Square starting on May 24.

The dad-of-two is deep in training, and is getting a lot of help from world-class cyclist Peter Smith, who he met at a local gym.

They are using a special computer programme in the training, and Doug said he was confident he would complete the 250 miles.

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