Alaska's Lael Wilcox Chases Fastest Round-the-World Cycling Record
Alaskan cyclist Lael Wilcox aims to become the fastest human to circumnavigate the globe by bike, smashing the current men's record.
Lael Wilcox, a cyclist from Alaska, is on a quest to become the fastest human to cycle around the world. After setting the women's around-the-world record two years ago, she is now aiming to break Mark Beaumont's outright record of 78 days and 14 hours.
Wilcox's previous record-breaking journey covered 18,000 miles over remote mountains and across 22 countries, which she completed in 108 days. Now, she is preparing for an even more ambitious challenge, one that will require a major shift in her approach from adventure riding to pure racing, with a focus on efficiency, aerodynamics, and rigorous planning.
Motivated to prove that women can compete with men in ultra-cycling, Wilcox will start her second attempt on June 7 in Chicago. Shaving 30 days off her previous time will be no easy feat, but Wilcox is determined to make her mark on the record books.
The journey ahead will be grueling, with Wilcox facing remote terrain, unpredictable weather, and the physical and mental demands of cycling for hours on end, day after day. But she is undaunted, saying,
Source: The Guardian
