Global cyclist plots his last leg home.. then it's bye-bye bike

Published on Saturday 16 February 2008 10:15

ROUND-THE-WORLD cyclist Mark Beaumont is looking forward to one more journey after his record-breaking trek – coming back home to Edinburgh.

The 25-year-old plans to return to the Capital from Paris, where he pedalled his bike across the finishing line after 195 days and six hours on the road.

Mr Beaumont, a New Town resident, was reunited with his family at the Arc de Triomphe at 2.30pm yesterday. The economics and politics graduate, who is originally from Fife, said: "I'll return to Edinburgh next Wednesday, where there will be a press conference. I'll definitely give the cycling a miss for a while though."

Guinness World Records is still verifying his attempt, but believes he has smashed the current best of 276 days. Mr Beaumont cycled 18,000 miles, raising thousands of pounds for charity and has received messages of congratulations from Prince William and Edinburgh's Olympic cycling gold medallist Chris Hoy.

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.

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."

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."