Lachlan Morton has completed his Alt Tour de France ultra-endurance charity ride, reaching Paris and completing the final stage and laps of the Champs Elysées early on Tuesday morning.
The EF Education-Nippo rider covered 5,510km and 65,500-meters of elevation gain in just 18 days, riding solo and unsupported for 220 hours and often sleeping wild and sourcing his own food. He beat the men’s professional race by six days.
Morton has completed a number of ultra-endurance rides and races, inspired by his own unique perspective on professional riding and racing.
He set off from Brittany at the same time as the Tour de France but quickly built an advantage on the race so that he could reach Paris before them.
Knee pain and blisters forced him to use flat pedals and swap his cycling shoes for a pair of hacked Birkenstocks, with the lower strap removed. However he pushed on, eating at roadside restaurants and loading up at early-morning boulangeries for bread and French cakes.
After riding through the Pyrenees and covering the numerous transfers between the official stages of the Tour de France, Morton headed to Bordeaux and then decided to ride the final 576km to Paris in one long ride, a distance greater than any stage in the history of the Tour de France.
A surprise visit from his father, who had flown out to meet his son, gave him vital moral support for the final ride.
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Morton reached Paris in the early hours of Tuesday morning and finished his ride at 5:30 am, with several riders encouraging him on the laps of the Champs Elysées, He celebrated with his wife Rachel and his father, finally taking off his sandals and opening a bottle of champagne.
He has so far raised £367,934 for the World Bicycle Relief charity, close to his final goal of £400,000.
Click here to donate to World Bicycle Relief and read more about the charity.
Champagne showers on the Champs-Élysée! 🍾🥂 a fitting end to an incredible ride. #TheAltTourpic.twitter.com/PPCnVixt9BJuly 13, 2021
Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
