Cyclist sets record after horror crash

● Livingston rider completes 516-mile journey in 31 hours and 18 minutes

Josh Quigley is believed to have broken the world record for the fastest cycle round the North Coast 500 – just nine months after sustaining life-threatening injuries in a horror crash.

The West Lothian rider completed the route in 31 hours and 18 minutes.

Josh Quigley is believed to have broken the world record of fastest cycle round the North Coast 500 just nine months after sustaining lifethreatening injuries in a horrorific crash.

The crash in Texas left him in hospital with injuries including a fractured skull, traumatic brain injury, broken ribs and a punctured lung. Now the West Lothian endurance cyclist and his team believe he has completed the cycle challenge in record time.

Yesterday afternoon the 27-year- old, originally from Livingston, completed the route in a time of 31 hours and 18 minutes.

If confirmed it would be a record, smashing the existing time by five minutes.

The first North Coast 500 record was set in 2015 by record-breaking round the world cyclist Mark Beaumont, who completed the challenge in 37 hours and 58 minutes.

Commonwealth Games medallist James Mccallum then broke that, setting the record of 31 hours and 23 minutes within a year.

Quigley’s record attempt is yet to be verified by Guinness World Records.

His challenge began at 5am on Saturday from Inverness Castle and he cycled non-stop, including 12 hours in total darkness, to complete the 516mile route.

He tracked his progress live online, which allowed sup - p or ters in the areas he was passing to see when he would be there and allow them to venture out briefly to cheer him on.

Instead of stopping for breaks, Quigley consumed all of his food and drink while riding his bike – and he expected to burn a total of 20,000 calories throughout the challenge.

Quigley used the challenge to raise money for Baylor Scott and White Central Texas Foundation, the charitable foundation of the hospital in Temple, Texas, where he was treated for his injuries after he was hit by a car at 70mph while on a round-the -world cycling trip just before Christmas.

He was just 2,000 miles short of his 18,000-mile target at the time.

He spent five weeks in rehab in the United States before returning home to Livingston in January.

Dubbed as one of the world’s toughest endurance challenges, the route has an ascent of 34,423ft – which is more than Mount Everest, which stands at 29,092ft.

On the Gofundme page, he said: “Ever since my accident, I’ve wanted to do something to thank the hospital and staff at the Baylor Scott& White Medical Centre who saved my life.”