2179 MILES - 100%
HE HAS DONE IT 💪
7 DAY CYCLING DISTANCE WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT 🚴🏻♂️🥇
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS: “GREATEST DISTANCE CYCLED IN ONE WEEK - UNPACED” 🏆🌍
Sponsor: @Thomas_Franks_pic.twitter.com/vXRk8ioDgI
— Josh Quigley (@JoshQuigley2026) September 20, 2021
If you've seen the name Josh Quigley pop up on road.cc before, it wasn't always like this... before he finally stopped at around 4am yesterday having broken the record for the most distance cycled unpaced in seven days, riding a whopping 2,179 miles, Josh encountered a number of frustrating and terribly unfortunate incidents that prevented him from achieving his goal of cycling around the world.
A mental health campaigner who took up cycling after attempting suicide in 2015, Josh attempted to cycle around the world no fewer than seven times. He abandoned a 2016 attempt after riding more than 10,000 miles, and his run of bad luck ramped up in 2019 when he was fined £75 for cycling through Bedford Town Centre towards the start of his trip. Just weeks later he had his bike stolen in London - however supporters donated cash so he could get a new one.
After buying a new bike and making it to Australia, Josh found himself having to fly home to get a new passport and fly back again because he had damaged his old one with sweat.
Just a month later after resuming his trip, Josh was hit from behind at 70mph by a driver in Texas, suffering a fractured skull, ribs, pelvis and ankle as well as a punctured lung.
In January 2021 Josh suffered multiple fractures while training in Dubai, coming off his bike while descending at around 35-40mph. Just a few months later he made his first attempt at the seven day world record but was forced to abandon due to injury... before returning to the same course to take the world record and bury those past demons.
With Sports Personality of the Year coming up in December, should Mark Cavendish and Emma Raducanu be quaking in their cycling and tennis shoes respectively? Perhaps that will be a step too far for this intrepid Scotsman, but nevertheless we'll be intrigued to see what he does next!
You can donate to Josh's fundraising campaign here
Kings Cup Gravel Festival - Ruth Astle and Alistair Brownlee crowned British champions and presented with the @BioracerUK jerseys ... pic.twitter.com/SJS0EdQsMw
— British Cycle Sport (@VeloUK) September 19, 2021
Kiwi Ryan Christensen was first across the line at the King's Cup men's gravel race this weekend - a British national gravel champs of sorts, although not linked to British cycling. Yes, a New Zealander won, so second-placed Alistair Brownlee got the jersey - not bad for a triathlete, even if Brownlee is a double Olympic gold medal-winning one.
Trinity Racing's Cameron Mason completed the men's podium line-up. Ruth Astle dominated the women's race, winning by four minutes, and was joined on the podium by India Lee and Helen Ralston.
ELLEN VAN DIJK IS THE 2021 ITT WORLD CHAMPION! 👏🌈 The Dutch ladies did it again. #Flanders2021pic.twitter.com/aq7JYXymOX
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) September 20, 2021
For the fourth time in five years there'll be a Dutch woman on the top step of the podium in the World Championships' women's ITT. Ellen van Dijk was the winner, eight years after she last won the title in 2013. Marlen Reusser came closest, finishing ten seconds behind Van Dijk. National team teammate Annemiek van Vleuten was third.
The signs were good for Van Dijk from early on in the day, as she powered past the riders who started before her to set a benchmark time of 36:05 at an average speed of 50.383kph. Swiss rival Reusser was the only other competitor to break the 50kph barrier.
Jos Lowden finished a very respectable eighth for GB, while Pfeiffer Georgi was 25th at 3:18 just behind the best finishing home rider Julie Van de Velde, and 20 seconds behind Olympic Games hero Anna Kiesenhofer.
Cycling is home. @flanders2021pic.twitter.com/xDlqEIBT3m
— Tomas Van Den Spiegel (@tomasvds) September 19, 2021
In a hypothetical 'home of cycling' debate, the Belgians would have a strong case...
The crowds are back at the World Championships this year after a long two years away and it looks as though the good people of Flanders might be giving the scenes from Harrogate a run for their money. Just wait until the men's road race on Sunday when Wout van Aert is going for gold...
Cycling apparel giants Rapha will be opening a new pop-up Clubhouse in Bentonville, Arkansas at the start of next month. The company moved its headquarters to the city last year and will be running the five-week pop-up store in Northwest Arkansas as a base for several events, including pro athlete meet-and-greets, viewing parties and group rides.
Bicycle Retailer reports the Bentonville area has several cycling events and races in October, making the city a hotspot for US-based riders next month.
We'll hopefully have a full story on this big bit of Monday lunchtime news up on site shortly...until then, try not to argue about it too much...
"For Chris"😢 #Flanders2021https://t.co/kwucyAiytF
— Kit Nicholson (@kit_e_nicholson) September 20, 2021
Johan Price turned to the TV camera and shouted "for Chris", seconds after winning the U23 Men's TT at the World Championships in Belgium. The message was Price dedicating his win to ex-pro and compatriot Chris Anker Sørensen - who was killed while riding his bike on Saturday. The 37-year-old was in Flanders to cover the event for Danish television channel TV 2. On the podium, Price pointed to the sky...
All the feels🇩🇰🇦🇺🇧🇪#Flanders2021pic.twitter.com/vkCN9kvR3D
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 20, 2021
Readers might recognise the young Dane from those viral pictures from the World Championships in Harrogate a couple of years back. It was Price who ended needing a towel and some goggles...the combeack is complete.
How it started How it’s going#Flanders2021pic.twitter.com/eXXAi9P7n0
— Benji Naesen (@BenjiNaesen) September 20, 2021
Jennifer Aniston had a very brief stint as a bike messenger before making it as an actor via Friends. Speaking on Jimmy Fallon's Friday night show, Aniston said she did one day as a bike messenger in New York City...
"I was a bike messenger for a day in New York City," she said. "I worked at an advertising agency after school. My mom actually worked there. So to make extra money, I would do odd jobs. And one day their bike messenger just didn’t show up."
Asked by staff if she could ride a bike, Aniston was then sent out into the bustle of the Big Apple with a bike and bag full of deliveries...
"I just boldly said yes and they gave me this bag, and they put all these cylinders in this bag. Now mind you, in Central Park I can ride a bike, I mean, with soft areas to land. In my brain, I don’t know how I survived the day. To be on Fifth Avenue with traffic, and all that I was holding. I think I might have gotten into a cab just to finish the day. I don’t know what happened to the bike. It's all a blur."
Probably best the acting worked out...
Great ride by Daniel Bigham (GBR) into the hot seat#Flanders2021pic.twitter.com/9RMLL1LOVL
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 19, 2021
The Brits gave a good account of themselves over in Belgium. Ethan Hayter continued to show his promising talent, earning a top ten. Recent road.cc podcast guest Dan Bigham was involved too, and finished a very respectable 16th place.
Highlight of the day, for me, was seeing all the Belgian fans turning down the volume and telling Filippo Ganna to slow down as he powered past in pursuit of home favourite Wout van Aert...
Missed this one yesterday... Belgian fans showed Ganna hand signals of slowing down. 😂😂 #Flanders2021🌈 https://t.co/xE1ny8Mc7N
— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) September 20, 2021
Anyway, it ultimately didn't matter as Ganna defended his jersey and left Van Aert with another silver medal for his collection. 2020 World Championship TT: second. 2020 World Championship road race: second. Olympic Games road race: second. 2021 World Championship TT: second. Will someone please just let him win on Sunday...
In fairness, Wout didn't seem to deflated. Here he is reacting to Ganna's time with all the disappointment of someone realising they forgot to preheat the oven...
If you lose at something try to be Wout Van Aert. pic.twitter.com/DGxtkJ4JSU
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) September 19, 2021
Talking of people riding mega distances...here's a dose of Monday escapism for you, courtesy of Aaron Rolph and British Adventure Collective. Aaron rode from the Scilly Isles to Shetland (with some help across the seas) on "anything but the shortest route", but had some painful troubles at the bikepark, as you'll see a short while in...
2179 MILES - 100%
HE HAS DONE IT 💪
7 DAY CYCLING DISTANCE WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT 🚴🏻♂️🥇
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS: “GREATEST DISTANCE CYCLED IN ONE WEEK - UNPACED” 🏆🌍
Sponsor: @Thomas_Franks_pic.twitter.com/vXRk8ioDgI
— Josh Quigley (@JoshQuigley2026) September 20, 2021
2,179 miles cycled in seven days. An average of 311 miles per day. Josh Quigley has broken the Guinness World Record (pending official verification) for greatest distance cycled in one week unpaced. In the end the Scot beat Jack Thompson's record by two miles and finished at 4am earlier today.
It was the 29-year-old's second crack at the record, he was forced to abandon the first because of knee pain, but came back stronger for the second attempt on 80-mile laps of a circuit between Aberdeen and the Cairngorms. Josh's fundraiser for the Thomas Franks Foundation has already surpassed its £10,000 target and currently sits at £11,046.
"On the last day I couldn't even remember what challenge I was doing, I was so confused," Josh told BBC Scotland. "I am really happy to get it finished, it's such a relief, as it's been hanging over me and has really dominated my year since my failed attempt in April. I've had so much stress and worry about my knees and wondering what happens if they go again.
"It has been a lot of pressure but I had to go for it again. It's something I've always done throughout my cycling career - every time I try something if it doesn't go to plan the first time I usually try again until I get it so I couldn't be happier right now. It's been the most intense experience of my life."
Josh avoided any mechanicals or crashes on this attempt, having previously been hospitalised while training in Dubai and hit by a driver in Texas during his round-the-world attempt. Enjoy that well-earned kip, Josh!
Always learning from the great man. Cllr John Todd is such an effective local councillor. #NonStop#ChiswickHomefield#TurnhamGreenpic.twitter.com/lOztngievi
— Cllr Ron Mushiso (@RonnieMushiso) September 19, 2021
Given the history of councillors and cycling in the live blog archives, it was nice to see two local politicians out on the bike. However, as more than a few people pointed out, Cllr John Todd and Cllr Ron Mushiso could be putting themselves in danger by using this door zone infra...
Wandsworth's Labour active travel and transport speaker Jo Rigby said the pair were putting themselves in "grave danger" and recalled a woman was killed in Camden earlier this year when a driver opened their door, hitting the cyclist. Some said the infrastructure is the problem here and tells cyclists they are in the right place by riding near parked cars.
Others pointed out the lanes are part of Chiswick Conservatives' ward and should be replaced, not promoted...
Cycling in the door zone in a murder strip that is exactly the kind of retrograde infrastructure we need our local Councillors in Chiswick to be campaigning to remove and replace with fit for purpose cycle lanes. Not promote!
We are so poorly served by the Chiswick Conservatives https://t.co/vQwKwovdo7
— Paul Campbell (@PauloCampbell) September 19, 2021
Would this councillor and teacher be happy for a 10 year old to cycle unsupervised along this street? @RonnieMushisohttps://t.co/E82SGmhGOj
— Human & Travels (@humantravl) September 20, 2021
Here we have a dreadful door zone cycle lane that is paint only and has made the road more dangerous for cyclists. Don't cycle in the door zone like this man is doing - being doored is one of the biggest causes of cyclist KSIs in London. https://t.co/x9VsGr3FZx
— CyclingMikey tired of road crime. 🇪🇺🇳🇱🇿🇼 (@MikeyCycling) September 19, 2021