Middlesbrough Evening Gazette photographer Doug Moody is to swap the Great Wall for the Pyramids after his planned charity bike ride in China had to be cancelled.

Chief photographer Doug had been looking forward to travelling to China and cycling 395km from the Great Wall to Tiananmen Square on a trip organised by learning disability charity Mencap.

But following the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome epidemic, organisers have followed Foreign Office advice to avoid the area and have re-routed the trip to Egypt.

Doug said: "I'm very disappointed. Going to China and taking photographs of the Great Wall was one of the main reasons for the trip.

"But I've managed to raise a lot of money and don't want to cancel, and I understand the reasons for re-routing the trip."

The exact itinerary has not been decided yet, but the journey will begin at the Pyramids and end 430km later at the Red Sea.

So despite not getting to China this time, Doug will still get to enjoy new experiences.

He said: "I've not seen the Pyramids before. I wouldn't say it's the next best thing, but it's not a bad substitute."

And now with less than a month to go before the trip begins, Doug is heavily in training, which has left him with a few aching muscles and a very sore bum!

He said: "The training isn't going too badly. I've been out on the bike every day and am getting used to the longer distances.

"I'm disappointed that we're no longer going to China, but at least the trip is still going ahead and we are still raising money."

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