Scot races to a record in round the world bike epic

A SCOTTISH ultra-endurance cyclist has become the fastest woman to travel around the world on a bike.

Jenny Graham, from Inverness, circumnavigated the globe in only 125 days.

The 38-year-old, pictured, arrived in Berlin yesterday, knocking almost three weeks off the previous record of 144 days.

She said: ‘I just set out to see how far I could go. The farthest I’ve cycled before was from Land’s End to John O’Groats – now I have cycled right around the world.

‘It’s sometimes been tough, but I thrive on challenges on the road and, of course, it has also been so amazing!

‘I knew I wanted to do something solo to test my physical and mental ability.

‘I am the fittest I have ever been, so I thought I’d train hard and give it a go – here I am back in Berlin. I can hardly believe it.’

She started her journey in Berlin on June 16 and cycled 15 hours a day unsupported – managing an average of 156 miles a day.

The 18,000-mile route took her through 16 countries – Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Mongolia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium and Holland.

To make it official, Guinness World Records still needs to ratify the data.

Fellow Scot Mark Beaumont is the male record-holder for the feat, which he completed in September of last year.

The Edinburgh-based adventurer said: ‘Just phenomenal riding and all the way with a smile, with a cheer, with a sense of humility and the excitement of the unknown.’