Matthew breaks the castle world record
DESPITE a week of atrocious weather conditions, endurance cyclist Matthew Page, from Llandovery, has broken the Guinness World Record previously set by Welsh rugby legend Shane Williams to visit as many castles by bike in seven days.
The previous record of 50 castles in seven days was set by former Wales Rugby Union and Ospreys wing Shane Williams last year.
Matthew beat the record after just five days and reached 67 castles on his sixth and final day on Thursday, February 17, meaning he had a day of the challenge unused.
Starting from Carreg Cennen castle near Llandeilo, he has ridden almost 700 miles over the challenge, travelling to the South Wales coastline before riding along the English border north to Welshpool.
From here a diverted route due to bad weather and the impending
Storm Eunice took him west, to the bleak mountain top of Castell y Bere in Gwynedd and finally south through Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
The final journey was 68 miles across Carmarthenshire to Llandovery
castle in his hometown.
Shane Williams setting the record first, completed his mammoth ride last March with the record requiring the rider to touch each castle wall.
Matthew said: “When I saw the record and watching the coverage the challenge sparked something inside me, with a love of history and of course cycling that made it perfect and the research that I needed to do has taught me so much more.
“The weather and the incoming Storm Eunice forced me to change the route, skipping all of North Wales and the many castles that still stand, but that was the risk in attempting the challenge at this time of year.
“To anyone who fancies a big challenge, I would certainly recommend it as the scenery has been fantastic and given me the opportunity to see areas of Wales and the borders that I have never seen before.”