Marcus Pook

Marcus Pook with his son's Chris, left, and Tom before the Ride Across Britain

It’s unlikely you’ll know who Marcus Pook is – and indeed I barely knew him – but his death on Boxing Day at the age of 51 deserves to be marked on this blog.

It was here last Summer that I wrote from the Ride Across Britain, a 1,000-mile, nine-day ride that tested the mettle – and, in my case, knee joints – of 600 riders along a gruelling route from John O’Groats to Land’s End. Chris and Tom Pook were doing it for their Dad, as I wrote on day one back in June:

They were 2,000 miles into an epic cycle tour from Cape Town to Mozambique when, a year ago today, their Dad, Marcus, called to tell his sons he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Fearing the worst, the brothers cut short their adventure to rush home. They would complete the remaining 1,000 miles back at home.

Chris, 27, and Tom, who’s 23, got their extra miles and also raised more than £22,000  for Prostate UK. Best of all, Marcus was well enough to watch them do it. For several stages between courses of chemotherapy he followed the course with his partner, Dina, driving back and forth between sons – Tom was stuck at the back with me for much of the week with similarly painful knees – and beaming with pride as they crossed the finish lines.

Stage six, a 110-mile route from Manchester to Ludlow, took the Pooks through Shrewsbury, their home town, where family and friends lined the road waving flags and cheering.

Marcus appeared to be in remarkably good health, as the photo, above, shows. But he knew time was limited. In November he married Dina and on 11 December he walked his daughter, Emma, down the aisle. But the next day he became seriously ill. He died of a pulmonary embolism last Sunday with his family.

Chris writes: We take comfort from the fact that he was walking (albeit slowly) up to two weeks before his death, always kept his hair (!) and sense of humour and never really lost control of what made him Dad. For that we are all grateful.

The boys have signed up for several big rides in the new year, including the fearsome Etape du Tour, where their Dad will still be following them.

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