Dripping with sweat and smiling just the same, legs twitching slightly from exertion, Tony McEachern hopped off a tandem bike and said he was feeling good.

"This is awesome; I've got so many friends here," said the 10-year brain cancer survivor about the roaring crowd of supporters surrounding him.

McEachern, sales manager at Village Bikes, was one of 65 men and women who participated in the third annual Cycle of Life, a two-day, 200-mile fundraiser that started Saturday morning in Ormond Beach and concluded Sunday on Main Street in Lakewood Ranch where cheers, food, beer and music welcomed the cyclists at the finish line.

The event, which raised nearly $60,000, was organized to support the Team Tony Foundation, a nonprofit organization McEachern founded in 2010 to pair newly diagnosed cancer patients with cancer survivors of similar age and disease for one-on-one support.

Sam Stern, 62, a Team Tony board member who survived prostate cancer and participated in the ride, said the organization gives those with cancer something nobody else can -- a friend who truly understands.

"When you hear those three words 'you have cancer,' it's a mindblower, it's a shock," Stern said. "There's nothing like having someone who's not in the medical field -- someone who really knows what that's like -- to talk to."

The ride included a scenic trek through Ocala National Forest, Lake Mineola and Sugarloaf Mountain -- the highest point in the Florida peninsula and a popular attraction for veteran cyclists.

"We went out pretty fast, but those hills were challenging," said rider Cody Dolly, 32.

After breaking for a night's sleep and hearty breakfast in Clermont, the cyclists hit the road again -- joined by riders who signed up for the last leg only -- and pedaled another five hours.

To ensure everyone coasted home about the same time, the riders split into groups based on strength and speed, and staggered their takeoffs every 30 minutes.

Group A, the seasoned cyclists, sliced the wind at 23-plus mph. Group B, the largest group, moved at a clip of 20 to 23 mph, and Group C pedaled a fit 18 to 20 mph.

Seasoned cyclist Ford Snodgrass managed the team leaders, those who ride at the front and back of each group to make sure the fastest cyclists do not exceed maximum speed and the slowest are keeping up.

"Yeah, the egos always come out," agreed Snodgrass about the competitive nature of experienced cyclists.

However, he said those same egos also know when to take a backseat and enjoy the true spirit of the ride -- one person helping another.

"If people are struggling, the stronger ones will actually come up, put their hand on their back and push them along for a little while," said Snodgrass, a Sarasota police officer.

And when it comes to helping cancer fighters pedal through the cycles of their disease, Team Tony vice president and cancer survivor Lori Mishos said more than a dozen survivors in the Team Tony database are ready to be someone's teammate.

"We've connected a total of 24 cancer survivors and fighters," Mishos said proudly.