Brighton firefighter recovers from broken back

A Brighton firefighter who suffered a broken back is heading to France to ride the route of one of Europe’s toughest cycling races.

Ben Bailey, a firefighter from White Watch, Roedean, heads to the south of France in June to ride the route of the Trans-Provence race.

It has been described as the definitive all-mountain race and definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Mr Bailey is aiming to raise money for the Fire Fighters Charity. He said: “I’m doing this event because of my passion for mountain bike riding and to give something back to the Fire Fighters Charity after they helped me recover so quickly from my back injury last year.

“I fractured five vertebrae in my back and spent some time at Harcombe House, which is a rehabilitation centre (in Devon), opened by the Fire Fighters Charity in early 2006.

“Run by teams of dedicated professionals, the rehabilitation centre offers a wide range of treatments, including exercise, rehabilitation and physiotherapy – often helping firefighters to return to work after career-threatening injuries.”