RADIO 1 presenter Greg James made his way through the county passing through Bridstow and Ross-on-Wye on Sunday morning, before heading off to Ledbury, as part of his Comic Relief challenge of cycling 1,000km in eight days.

Following a countdown by the public on Sunday morning in Abergavenny, Greg James, supported by two outriders and numerous support vehicles and a police escort, left the market town and went on to experience the rolling hills of Monmouthshire before crossing the border on the B4251 into Herefordshire at Broad Oak and passing through the villages of Three Ashes and St Owen’s Cross before turning onto the A49.

At Peterstow, Greg and his entourage dropped in at the Yew Tree Inn for a pit stop, during which he was presented with a personalised bottle of cider to commemorate the occasion.

The Johnson family, who run the Yew Tree , said: “We were delighted to be a pit stop on BBC Radio 1's Longest Ride with Greg James from Weymouth to Edinburgh for Comic Relief.

“We are massive fans of Greg and his Breakfast Show, so we were absolutely over the moon to be asked to help out for such an amazing cause. We gave Greg a personalised bottle of our cider to commemorate the occasion. What a mammoth journey. Go Greg, go! You can do it, we are behind you all the way.”

It was then a short distance to Bridstow, where Greg was greeted with applause from those waiting outside the village hall.

Others had their camera phones poised by those who had spent a while waiting at the Wilton roundabout and along the A40 dual carriageway.

After turning left at the former Travellers Rest on the A449, Greg soon came across another group of enthusiastic residents at the turning for Brampton Abbots as he left the area and headed to Ledbury.

Greg said in an interview later that day that he had cried when he saw the people cheer him on as he passed through Ross-on-Wye during his Comic Relief challenge.

Greg’s eight-day challenge will conclude in Edinburgh on Red Nose Day on March 20, having cycled for at least eight hours a day, often riding in tandem, but mostly alone.

This challenge marks Greg’s third challenge for Comic Relief, after previously stating he would never do another one.

Greg’s other challenges have included completing five triathlons in five days in 2016, and in 2018, he carried out Pedal To The Peaks, in which he cycled between and climbed Scafell Pike, Snowdon, and Ben Nevis.

Greg said as he set off on his challenge that the world feels really overwhelming at the moment and added: “There’s a lot of things to worry about so now is the right time to come out of challenge retirement and do my bit to help.

“Cycling 1,000km in eight days will be brutally hard and relentlessly demanding, but that’s exactly the point.

“I’m dedicating this challenge to anyone who feels like they’re carrying life’s load on their own.”