WHEN 65-year-old John Dodds joins the other 199 riders to escort the Olympic Flame through York, it will be the first time he has ridden a bike since being diagnosed with cancer three years ago.

York, along with Cambridge, is one of the only cities in the UK to be granted permission for a cycle escort to accompany the Olympic torchbearers as they run through the city on June 19.

Mr Dodds, who was chosen through a competition in The Press, said: “I suffer from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and this is about me celebrating the gift of life.

“I’m keeping it under control thanks to the brilliant efforts of York Hospital. I haven’t ridden a bike for three years so this is a bit of a comeback.”

Mr Dodds, who has also been a member of York Samaritans for the past six years, said: “I’m looking forward to the relay but I think I’d better go for a ride in the next few days. I have tested the bike down the drive and that’s as far as I have got.”

Another of the official riders due to follow the torch on Tuesday is 41-year-old Chris Power, from Clifton. He said: “I have done a few long-distance trips; I cycled through the interior of Iceland in 2004 and I have ridden from Lisbon to Faro.

“I jumped at the chance to get involved in the Olympic flame and, of course, I’m looking forward to it. I like cycling - it’s a great sport and highly underrated.”

Coun Sonja Crisp, head of culture and sport at City of York Council, said: “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the torch relay as it brings a taste of the Olympic spirit to Great Britain.

“We’ve worked hard to offer residents another fantastic way of sharing in the build-up to the 2012 London Games which will add to the spectacle.”

The riders will set off behind the first of the torchbearers when they leave York College and head for the city centre on Tuesday afternoon.