ARMY personnel cycled through Europe on their return home from service, crossing nine countries on their journey.

After being based in Estonia for the last eight months, 24 personnel from the 1 Royal Welsh Battlegroup, serving on behalf of NATO in the region, arrived in Tidworth on Saturday, July 14 following an end of tour bike ride back to the UK.

The team set off from Freedom Square in Tallinn, Estonia on July 4 on the ride which has been estimated at around 2,900km long.

The aim of the journey was to highlight the role the Battlegroup has undertaken by cycling through key NATO countries, as well as giving riders a challenging experience.

Lieutenant Colonel Owain Luke, commanding officer of 1 Royal Welsh and Battlegroup Estonia, said: “This event has been about demonstrating NATO unity with the team visiting the other Battlegroups in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland and also visiting the NATO Headquarters in Belgium.

“I don’t use the term ‘bursting with pride’ often but that is exactly how I feel on this occasion.

“These are the last troops of the Battlegroup to recover from Estonia, it is great to see them back with their loved ones who have missed them and their arrival today in Tidworth marks the end of Operation CABRIT 2.”

The team were welcomed back to Lucknow Barracks, home of the 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh (1 R Welsh), by family and friends where a special Battalion Families Day was being held to mark the end of the deployment and herald the start of some well-earned leave.

Corporal Paul Howell, who has been one of the key personnel behind the endeavour, said: “The hills were a challenge as we were only able to train on the flat. We mixed training in with work, getting up early mornings and going out before everybody else and getting the miles in.

"Some of the team were new to cycling so we have been bringing them on. It has been hard at times but it has been a fantastic achievement. It was been a challenging experience for all of us and the planning side has been epic but the team jelled together really well. It has been amazing.”