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Fastest person to cycle around the world-world
record set by Mark Beaumont
[Feb
15]PARIS, France--Paris (AP): After cycling around the world
in 195 days, Mark
Beaumont, the 25-year-old Scottish cyclist arrived
in Paris on Friday at the end of a journey which set a new
world record for the fastest cycling trip around the globe.
Photo: Mark Beaumont (Picture STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty
Images)
(enlarge
photo)
"There is no easy 100 miles," Beaumont said. "And I've
just done 195 days on the road, so I mean, I am very much
looking forward to not getting on the bike tomorrow."
Beaumont
cycled 18,400 miles (29,611 kilometres) on a path that took
him across Europe, Asia and the United States, raising thousands
of pounds for charity and has received messages of congratulations
from Prince William and Edinburgh's Olympic cycling gold medallist
Chris Hoy.
Photo: Reunited
with his sisters Hannah, left, and Heather, right, and their
mother Una at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris
(enlarge
photo)
Mike
Beaumont braved extreme conditions cycling through Pakistan
click
photos to enlarge |
Mark
catches his breath in Istanbul, Turkey |
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Cycling
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During
the mammoth solo journey, he passed through 20 countries,
including Pakistan, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and the
United States, and endured floods, road rage and being knocked
off his bike in Louisiana by an elderly motorist who drove
through a red light. He also had his wallet and camera stolen
from a hostel after a fight broke out.
The 25-year-old claimed that he would have done
it even quicker if he hadnt been forced to eat junk food in
America and Australia. There were no healthy options. I had
to eat the stuff at truck stops and it had a massive effect
on my mental focus and body strength, The Sun quoted him,
as saying.
Mark
Beaumont averaged around 100 miles a day for more
than six months, despite suffering dysentery and mechanical
problems that threatened the whole expedition. His lowest
point came in Australia, as he crossed vast desert areas in
the Outback, riding against headwinds on endless roads.
He went through the pain barrier in Turkey and
Spain, where the 80lb packs on his bike's panniers weighed
him down on mountain climbs. But he passed through many countries,
including Iran, with no problems. In neighbouring Pakistan,
he was given a police escort across the lawless Baluchistan
province and was forced to sleep in grim police stations.
Mr Beaumont, who also had his wallet and camera
stolen from a hostel, said: "I can't describe what's happened
to me in the first hours since I got back to Paris. I've spent
six months on my own, often cycling through nothingness, and
then I arrived in Paris and suddenly it was full of people
and I was unable to get into the city centre because of the
cars and people blocking my way.
"The last week has been incredibly hard
as I was running out of gas in the tank. "I had to push myself
to meet my targets, as I lost a lot of time in Portugal and
up through the Pyrenees. "It's a bit of a whirlwind right
now, so I've not had a chance to properly reflect on it all.
I've now got a lot of media interviews and exhibitions lined
up, and there's a four-part series on the BBC starting in
March covering the trip."
Mark, from Fife, Scotland, has been flooded with
messages of congratulations - including a letter from Prince
William, who is patron of Tusk, a charity Mark raised cash
for. And Scottish Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy said: "I think
it's an amazing feat."
Mark's first long-distance ride was from John
O'Groats to Land's End, aged 12.
Explaining what prompted the journey, Mr Beaumont
said: "I did it because I enjoy the challenge. I've been riding
longer and longer distances ever since I was twelve, when
I cycled the length of Scotland. Circumnavigating the globe
was just something I dreamt up at university and I just can't
believe the media interest."
Mr Beaumont was met at the finish line by his
mother Una, father Kevin and sisters, Heather and Hannah.
Hannah Beaumont, who travelled back from a gap
year in Shanghai to surprise her brother, said: "I've never
experienced anything like it. There were camera crews all
around and Mark had tears running down his face. He had such
a look on his face when he realised I was in the country.
It was very emotional and wonderful." She added: "Mark's in
really good health. He is a little bit sore but he's on good
form. He's been really well looked after."
His mother has been co-ordinating his trip - paving
the way with embassies, arranging flights, dealing with the
media, 0rganising transport and making sure his bike was serviced.
Una Beaumont said: "I am very proud of him. With Mark, the
passion is being the first and the fastest, and that has definitely
helped him through all the challenges and it will mean a huge
amount. It's about pushing himself to the limit.
Mrs Beaumont said: "I am very proud of him. With
Mark, the passion is being the first and the fastest. "It's
about pushing himself to the limit."
" I believe that (the record] will be his for
a very long time – it'll take another very special person
to do what Mark's done."
The previous record holder is Steven Strange
of Britain, who circled the globe in a little over 276 days
in 2004 and 2005.
Mark hopes to net £18,000 - £1 for every
mile travelled - for charities including Country Holidays
for Inner City Kids, Edinburgh Cyrenians Trust, Tusk Trust
and Community Action Nepal.
THE FACTS
18,300 - The number of miles Mark cycled.
13 - His average speed in mph.
20 - The number of countries cycled through on the
epic trip.
3 - The number of crashes he had.
12 - The number of tyres used.
7 - The number of punctures.
6 - The number of pairs of shorts worn out.
115-120 - Mark's average heart rate measured in beats
per minute.
2000-6000 - How many calories he burned off every
day.
10-20 - The number of pints of liquid he drank
every day.
8 - The number of police cells Mark slept in.
45,000 - The total cost of the record attempt,
that was raised through sponsorship.
Leg 1: Paris to Istanbul = 2,054m Countries:
France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Romania,
Bulgaria, Turkey. LEG 2: Istanbul to Calcutta
= 5,234m Countries: Turkey, Pakistan, India.
LEG3: Bangkok to Singapore = 1,253m Countries:
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore
LEG 4: Perth to Brisbane = 4,085m Country: Australia
LEG 5: Dunedin to Auckland = 907m Country: New
Zealand
LEG 6: San Francisco to St Augustine, Florida
= 2,833m Country: USA
LEG 7: Lisbon to Paris = 1,180m Countries: Portugal,
Spain, France Total Distance: 18,492 miles in 195 days.
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