An inaugural charity bike ride from London to Monaco raised as much as £240,000 ($294,000) towards conserving the world’s oceans, the organisers revealed today.

The London to Monaco Bike Ride was organised by the UK ocean conservation charity Blue Marine Foundation (Blue) and renowned yachting and aviation design specialist Winch Design, to coincide with the 2016 Monaco Yacht Show (MYS).

This 10-day event took the cyclists on a 1,500-km trek journey from The Tower of London to the Prince’s Palace in Monaco where they were welcomed personally by Prince Albert himself, a day before the show opened, on September 27.

The race was launched in London by pop legend and Blue ambassador Simon Le Bon. 

Over 10 days around 70 riders took part in the ride, some riding the entire way and others joining for certain sections only. 

As many as 50 cyclists crossed the finish line at Prince Albert’s palace in Monaco, and Formula One personality and TV presenter Eddie Jordan was one of the cyclists who made it over the finish line.

Professional cycle events company La Fuga came on board to help plan the route and ensure the safety of the group while Le Col provided the kits. 

“A big thank you to Le Col for the kits and for making us look so great on the ride,” said Jimmy Carroll, Head of Marketing at Winch Design. “And we would like to say how grateful we are to Blohm and Voss and Imperial Yachts for sponsoring two of our brilliant support vehicles, which not only look great, but that we couldn’t do without.”

After a champagne reception, Prince Albert gave a short speech to congratulate the riders and talk about Blue, which will use the funds raised for two vital ocean protection projects in the Aeolian Islands and Ascension Island.

Blue exists to combat over-fishing and the destruction of biodiversity – arguably the largest problem facing the world’s oceans – by creating large-scale marine reserves and developing models of sustainable fishing.

Winch Design, which was founded in 1986 by Andrew and Jane Winch, co-organised the charity bike ride as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.