After cycling 478km across Andalucía’s mountain range Dartmouth army vet Barry Azzopardi has been enjoying a celebratory pint in The Ship in Dock Inn.

A charity auction and bucket collection in the Dartmouth pub has added to the money raised in sponsorship on the trip.

Barry joined 11 other cyclists, mostly veterans and including two of his sons Ashley and James, on a five-day Race to the Sun challenge which finished in Gibraltar on May 21. They were cycling to raise funds for Alabaré’s Homes for Veterans which helps homeless and disadvantaged British forces veterans.

The race took in many ascents, totalling 8,600 metres, across the hot Spanish mountain range.

Barry said: “We hit one of the steepest hills in temperatures in excess of 35 degrees. The race was tough emotionally and very demanding. The sense of achievement reaching the peaks was amazing. There was great food and great company – it was a fantastic experience, and the donations are still coming in.”

The race was organised by former SAS veteran Ken Hames, who wrote the book Fallen Angel about his time in service. Race to the Sun had been postponed due to the pandemic, during which time Barry trained by cycling up College Way multiple times.

He said: “It was an epic journey two years in the making, headed up by Ken. From the initial drive to the 24 hours on the ferry and the 1000km road trip from Santander to Gibraltar, with three Queensmen and my son Ashley - the most time I have had one-to-one with my son, which was great. It was an amazing experience but also felt good to get home.”

Barry served in the First Battalion Queen’s Regiment and Royal Gibraltar Regiment. After running arms security at Britannia Royal Naval College for 14 years he now runs a landscape gardening business in Dartmouth with his son Nicholas.

Barry is still fundraising for the race, for Albaré’s Homes for Veterans, which works across England and Wales, specifically in Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Gloucestershire.

They said: “On any given night our homes for veterans are able to keep over 100 Veterans off the streets. We believe no veteran should be forced to sleep on the streets.”