OUR WORLD BEATER
A FORMER Geelong man has made history near Anglesea by smashing a decade-old cycling world record.
Mitchell Anderson pedalled continuously around the Australian Automotive Research Centre track for 24 hours as he clocked up a distance of 894.35km.
Although Saturday’s result in Wensleydale is yet to be verified by the UltraMarathon Cycling Association, it is set to make the qualified doctor the new world record holder for 24-hour outdoor track cycling.
The previous record was set by Slovenian Marko Baloh in November 2008, with Dr Anderson beating that distance by more than 4km.
The 42-year-old set off on his attempt late on Friday and battled nau- sea, vomiting and cold temperatures before eventually crossing the finish line to rapturous applause about 5.30pm on Saturday.
Dr Anderson said the ride had been 18 months in the making, but claimed he nearly pulled the pin about halfway through the attempt.
“Nothing can prepare you for it. It’s like spending 24 hours on Mars, put it that way,” he said. “I was certainly having a bad patch about 4 or 5 in the morning when I was vomiting. I thought I wasn’t going to make the record or even be able to finish the 24 hours. But then I thought, I’ve done so much preparation, I have to finish.”
Fortunately, some nutritional management and encouragement from his support car helped him push on.
Speaking from home yesterday, Dr Anderson said he felt like a “bus hit me”.
“Pretty much all my limbs are aching and I’ve got a bit of a sore lower back. It’s almost like I’ve got a hangover,” he said.
Over the course of the ride, the former professional triathlete completed 275 laps of the 3.25km circuit, with an average speed of more than 37km/h.
Dr Anderson also holds the 12-hour cycling record, which he set one year ago.
He grew up in Geelong and attended Geelong College, before moving to Melbourne where he is now a sports doctor and physiotherapist.
After conquering the record on Saturday, Dr Anderson surprised friends and family when he promptly announced his retirement from elite sport.
“I’m almost 43 and, even though the mind would be willing, I have to provide a good example to my patients as well — that you actually have to look after yourself,” he said. “Doing this type of cycling is not looking after yourself that well.”
But he said he was elated to sign off after joining the likes of cycling legend Sir Hubert Opperman, who achieved similar success across a 24-hour race in the 1920s.
“Not that I’m anywhere near half the man he was, but to have a record he achieved is very special to me,” Dr Anderson said.
He singled out praise for wife Aithne for leading a team of 50 volunteers who helped the record attempt come to fruition. The ride doubled as a fundraiser for the Craig Percival Family Trust.
Percival — a fellow endurance athlete and former patient of Dr Anderson — died suddenly in 2016 after suffering multiple heart attacks.