Former Cardiff Blues and Wales star players Tom Shanklin and Robin Sowden Taylor will be joined by ITV Holding Out for a Hero presenter Gethin Jones, and Cardiff Blues sponsor Tim Price of DS Smith, to complete a cycle ride from Cardiff to Paris ahead of the Racing Metro v Cardiff Blues Heineken Cup match on Friday 11th of November.

The team got together on Tuesday 1st November, at the Wales National Velodrome in Newport for some practice as they aim to complete the 300 mile ride.

There are a total of 14 riders in the team and journey will start in Cardiff on Tuesday 8 November, the team aim to finish on Friday 11 November at the historic Stade Colombes ahead of the 9pm clash between Racing Metro and Cardiff Blues.

Having represented London Welsh, Saracens, Cardiff Blues, Wales, Barbarians and the British and Irish Lions, Shanklin enjoyed an illustrious career spanning over a decade before a knee injury forced him to retire from the game in 2011.

The bike ride is part of the Tom Shanklin Testimonial Year which kicked off with the 'Shanks Rugby World Cup Final Golf Day' at Cardiff Golf Club on October 23rd.

Shanks and his team will be donning their spandex cycling shorts and cycling vests to help raise money for Tom's two nominated charities, the Wooden Spoon Society and Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust.

A prolific try scorer, Shanklin's total of 20 tries for Wales, places him 5th-equal in the all time list of Welsh international record try scorers, alongside such legends as Gerald Davies and Gareth Edwards, however the bike ride is a completely new challenge for him.

On his decision to organise this challenge, Shanklin said: "I wanted to make my testimonial year one that I would never forget and when I realised that the Blues would be playing in Paris in November, I knew that I wanted to do something to mark the occasion.

"Following my retirement from rugby earlier this year my doctor actually advised me that the best form of exercise I could do was cycling so this is the perfect challenge for me and a great way of raising money for two great charities."

As a passionate rugby fan and friend of Shanklin's, Gethin Jones was keen to join in with the trip. Gethin said: "I'm always up for a new challenge and when Shanks asked me to take part in Racing to Metro I jumped at the chance. I hope that this will be a very successful event and look forward to seeing how much money we can raise for these worthy causes."

For more information on Racing to Metro bike ride and other testimonial events, visit www.tomshanklin.co.uk