Brazil’s Fred completes charity ride to join new club in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian striker Fred completed a 600-kilometer (370-mile) charity bicycle ride when he arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.

Fred left on Monday from Belo Horizonte, the home of his former club Cruzeiro, and arrived at the Laranjeiras Stadium of Fluminense for his second stint at the club.

He wore a face mask and waved a Fluminense shirt in Rio’s empty streets on his morning arrival.

His goal was raising donations for poor families, and companies sponsoring the ride gave out four food kits for each kilometer he rode.

The 36-year-old Fred played for Brazil at its home World Cup in 2014. He was at Fluminense from 2009-16, winning two Brazilian championships in 2010 and 2012. He is the club’s third all-time top scorer, with 172 goals in 288 matches. He’s contracted to July 2022, when the Rio-based club marks its 120th year.