‘The most important thing I take from this journey is not the record but how I got there... there were some amazing times, but there were some dark ones, too’
SURVIVOR’S Eye of the Tiger blared out of the headphones in the ears of Derby’s Leigh Timmis as he was bearing down on the finish line of his mammoth world record-breaking cycle ride across Europe.
With just 900 metres to go, the iconic lyrics began to work their way into the Oakwood man’s soul and, with nothing left in the tank, he made one last push to reach his destination city of Ufa and complete his trek eight days ahead of the world record.
For days he had battled tough terrain, contrasting weather, tumultuous traffic and the monsters lying deep in his own mind. But now the finish line was his and he become the fastest man to ride across the continent on Wednesday, September 26, in a time of 16 days, 10 hours and 45 minutes.
Just days after returning from Russia, the cyclist, who suffers with depression, spoke to the Derby Telegraph about the lessons he learned on his journey and how he plans to use his trek to inspire the city and those, like him, who have mental health issues.
He said: “The world-record ride was an incredible experience, but it’s not necessarily the record that is the most important thing. At the end of the day, that is just a certificate that will sit on my wall.
“The most important thing I take from this journey is not breaking the record, but how I got there. How I overcame not just the physical strains of the challenge, but the mental ones. There were some amazing times, but there were some dark ones, too.
“I learned a lot about myself, about pushing myself to the limit, and how I cope in these situations, and I want to use these stories to inspire people to break their own ‘world records’ and achieve their dreams like I have.”
On Monday, September 10, Leigh set off from Cabo da Roca, in Portugal, and gave himself 20 days to break the record for the fastest cycle ride across Europe.
Leigh pursued perfection in his performance, hoping to do the ultimate in what was humanly possible.
He didn’t want to beat the record – he wanted to smash it.
As he looked ahead to his journey, he was excited that his life’s dream was about to begin.
He said: “The start has to be one of the biggest highlights. We set off at 5am and we saw the sun rise over the mountains.
“We were above the clouds and I could see the tips of windmills turning. It was just beautiful. It was exactly as I imagined it.
“At the beginning I was very aware of my surroundings. I had a wild hare running alongside me at one point. I would cycle through quaint French villages and I was aware of the changes in the countries as we passed them.
“This was a performance-pursuing trek, though, and I focused my mind on the job in hand. My biggest memory is that of the back of my hands and my GPS.”
Leigh had been planning his bike ride for more than a year after returning from his sevenyear ride across the world.
Bored with the monotony of working every day, Leigh went on a 44,000-mile journey of selfdiscovery in 2010 with nothing but a bicycle for company.
After returning last year and his mind brimming with exciting experiences, he began planning his cycle ride across Europe.
He worked with the University of Derby’s human performance unit in the months leading up to the ride.
He was joined on the ride by operations manager Anthony Jemmett, physio Jahna Druins and media producer Kerr McNicoll, who drove alongside him in a cramped motorhome.
He cycled 14 hours a day in three blocks of four hours and one two-hour block, with only 30 minutes rest between each. Things were going well until the third day, when fatigue began to set in.