GBDURO21 Race Round Up

Final Riders Complete GBDURO21

Majority of Remaining Riders Reach John o'Groats

Ollie Hayward & Jaimi Wilson Complete the Overall Top 3

Mark Beaumont Wins GBDURO21!

Angus Young Disqualified From GBDURO21

Late Race Drama For Angus

Stage 4 Preview: Fort Augustus to John o'Groats

Angus vs. Lachlan: Data Deep Dive

Angus Young Obliterates the GB Divide Stage 3 Record on GBDURO21

Ollie Hayward

Chris Simpson

Jaimi Wilson

Alice Lemkes

Philippa Battye

Carl Hopps

Mark Beaumont

Emily Harper

Nick Spencer-Vellacott

Victoria Peel

Simon Wareing

Howard Perkins

Ed Milbourn

Claire Stevens

Izzy Freshwater

Leslie Brown

Jill Dawes

Jim Higgins

Naomi Freireich

Rose Osborne

Lee Craigie

Sharn Hooper

Lee Brown

Isaac Hudson

Stephen Fryer

Clare Walkeden

Anthony Carton

Beth Jackson

Lewis Clark

Adam Colvin

Charlie Holden

George Bramwell

Liam Yates

Ben Rickaby

Angus Young

Chris Bower

Phoebe Heveron

Pete Worsfold

Loo Nalton

Jack Williams

Sharon Calton

Sofie Joore

Tim van Gemert

Issy Hill

Lucy Walker

Media 1

Media 2

GBDURO21 - a race with a sting in it's tail, much like the Corrieyairack Pass shown above.

__Race Summary__

GBDURO21 will be remembered as much for Angus Young's late race disqualification as Mark Beaumont's ultimate victory, or even Angus' own incredible ride from Land's End to John o'Groats in record pace - and that's a shame, because those efforts were far more worthy of recognition.

Mark had ridden a consistently fast race from the start, with progressively less sleep as he deduced what would be required for top placing with the staged format. His extensive experience meant that he never overstepped his limits when others did, particularly in the miserable weather conditions which caused so many to scratch on the second stage. Mark coped well when he encountered a slashed tyre on the Corrieyairack at the end of the third stage, electing to walk the final miles to the checkpoint given his close proximity, then nursing his bike home on the final stage to ensure he would secure what he thought at the time would be second overall.

![OA 9454A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/5qnydEKL9xjky7uEoup8zm/918ac5eaf3b22e0dd9ecebfebc1addfc/_OA_9454A.jpg)
*Mission accomplished for Mark Beaumont.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

Angus' disqualification saw to it that Mark would take the outright win, however Mark's own performance shouldn't be understated either. GBDURO is a 'reliability ride', and the decisions competitors make in their preaparation, equipment selection, and risk evalutaion on the race are all important in determining whether they will finish. Angus was certainly unlucky to suffer a freehub failure so close to the finish, but equally Mark knew when to back off in order to bring his equipment home. That's all part of the race.

Angus was the only rider to complete the 631km first stage without a significant stop, and so gave himself a commanding lead from the second day onwards. With potential rivals distanced so early Lachlan Morton's 2019 race record loomed large over the second half of the route. As Angus pulled further ahead of the field and indeed the fastest known time, he became laser focussed on capturing it. It made for thrilling dotwatching as we checked his splits at every town, watching him creep steadily clear of the virtual Lachlan - quite an achievment for an amateur athlete.

![OA 8342A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/7F0Nin0HnhgGlxSfclqiY7/26816cc78954c843b0c3bbde88738a50/_OA_8342A.jpg)
*Angus above the clouds.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

However a mere 230k from the finish, Angus suffered a terminal mechanical and had to start running/coasting his way to John o'Groats. Several miles later he bumped into a mountain biker who was riding the route in the hope of passing some racers, and offered up his bike as a replacement. Angus has explained his thought process on accepting the bike in detail on [his blog](https://angus-young.co.uk/journal/gbduro21-reflecting-on-what-could-have-been), and it's clear he knew that GBDURO made an exeption on outside support if given by "the kindness of strangers". Ultimately his interpretation differed to that of the race authorities and he was disqualified just a few hours from the end.

After the bike change Angus pressed on relentlessly, barely losing any time despite being on a poorly fitting mountain bike on roads far better suited to a Lachlan's aggressive gravel bike. In the end he made it to John o'Groats 2 hours faster than Lachlan - truly a remarkable athletic performance and one which will have rivals quaking whenever they see his name on start list from now on.

![OA 9227A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/5tCwp1julWq0ZpaiIhPp0A/be750d66196ee59ac7d439495ef04354/_OA_9227A.jpg)
*Angus arrives at John o'Groats in the small hours, but the celebration he had dreamed of was replaced with crushing disappointment.*
*@theracingcollective / @breakawaydigital*

The other key drama in the race was the battle for what became second place, which featured four contenders through the race. Ollie Hayward showed incredible pace all race but lost a huge amount of time on stage 2 due to the wet conditions and a knee injury, stopping for 10 hours a mere 40km from the checkpoint. Jaimi Wilson rode relentlessly for the entire race, barely stopping as she battled off both Carl Hopps and GBDURO19 fastest woman, Philippa Battye, who both enacted a similar strategy of minimal stops but restrained pacing.

![gbduro sat--2](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/3eNLa9GbPKIWKbTv1VZIB7/4556246ffc0c799bc64e70d92ba47a18/gbduro_sat_2-2091.jpg)
*Hike-a-bike up the Corrieyairack Pass for Jaimi Wilson.*
*@theracingcollective / @breakawaydigital*

In the end Ollie recovered from his stage 2 disaster to finish strongly and claim second overall, and Jaimi slowly pulled away from Philippa and Carl over the final two stages to take and third overall and the fastest woman title. Finishing 11 hours behind the winner, Ollie might look back and think that 10 hour stop on stage two cost him a shot at the win. However that would be belying the fact that Mark eased off massively towards the end and that the stop probably kept Ollie in the race. Sometimes you have to sacrifice the time to make sure you can fight another day.

![OA 9172A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/153jE4P801qvAcWwOE3lAb/ffb03951857d807b5b81547211855e75/_OA_9172A.jpg)
*Ollie Hayward rides into the sunset.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

In the end, there were 14 general classification finishers (of which 6 were women), 6 who completed the route outside of the time limit, plus one disqualified finisher. So from 45 starters, 21 made it to John o'Groats.

![OA 7124A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/3rcS0ylWlPf44yKiBdsv6a/bcb0c40ef7a07865e8ab1a71a0464028/_OA_7124A.jpg)
*Chris Simpson and Jaimi Wilson wait for dawn at John o'Groats*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

__The Nature of Self Supported__

Angus’ disqualification has raised the occasionally contentious issue of where the boundaries lie in a self-supported race. The Racing Collective published [their reasoning](https://www.theracingcollective.com/blog/the-essence-of-it-all) for issuing such a tough penalty, which sets out where they feel the line must be drawn. It must have been very difficult to expel a fellow organiser and friend from the race, but credit to them for doing so and upholding the integrity of the competition.

The issues with taking a bike from an interested spectator, even if a total stranger, come down to fairness: In the absence of a race, would a true stranger hand over a bicycle worth a month's wages to a person they had met only a few minutes previously? Would an unknown rider at the back of the field be trusted with someone's bike in the same way as well known athlete like Angus? Are there likely to be as many roadside dotwatchers out to see backmarkers as for the leaders? In all three cases the answer is no, and it is for this reason bike donations in ultra races are going to be illegal in almost every circumstance.

![2021-08-13-GB Duro 21-Mon 23-2](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/OyOabBvRakLiKQ1YmYsdP/3ee968864c07a76f7e358460e10c1cfe/2021-08-13-GB_Duro_21-Mon_23-2.jpg)
*Angus powers away on his borrowed bike.*
*@theracingcollective / @breakawaydigital*

Despite considerable discussion within the community over the last week, the legality of some scenarios remain uncertain. For example: Can a rider accept a complete bike from a person with no prior knowledge of a race? Can a rider get a bike shop to bring spare parts to them? Can a rider get a delivery driver to meet them on the route with a 3 course meal? The answers are still not 100% clear to this writer at least, and could do with some further clarifications by race organisers to keep pace with a changing world.

That said, and as The Racing Collective have stated, the guiding principle has to be to only take advantage of situations which would have arisen regardless of whether there was a race on or not. Follow that religiously and you can keep a clean conscience, knowing that you have not unfairly gained over a fellow competitor.

__Staged Format__

GBDURO21 featured a modification on the original staged format it pioneered in 2019. Now each stage would commence with a mass start 3 days after the start of the previous stage, which ensured all riders would meet at the checkpoints even if there was a runaway leader.

![011A9124 (1)](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/bP33MHsKJx3xRiSF8Lcqe/32c7df78185fa694f54f49bc10b9430c/011A9124__1_.jpg)
*Mark Beaumont, Angus Young, & Philippa Battye catch up at CP1.*
*@theracingcollective / @tomiczkovva*

The format prevents the race from becoming a sleep deprivation contest and so answers some of the safety concerns of the sport. The fact that it is possible to ride each stage straight through without sleep means that to stay competitive riders must not sleep on the stages. Some probably didn't aprpeciate this going into the event and it allowed Angus to build a huge lead by only the second day. The flavour is certainly very different to the conventional single stage format, with the 'sprints' requiring quite different pacing and probably suiting a different type of rider.

The overall [Race Trace](https://www.theracingcollective.com/gbduro-results.html) really highlights the importance of not stopping with the staged format:
![Picture1](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/5cLzm8hiayWZ6RYD2AnXwZ/d1ae000d6e69aa150bd351a365252924/Picture1.png)

The regrouping at the checkpoints made for a great feeling of community, especially later on as the field thinned out and remaining riders could get to know each other and share their experiences from the road. It really did feel like a low key finishers party at every checkpoint, and I'm sure made for an enjoyable experience.

![OA 9454A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/1qxrJ1nod1wXH3PasXf9sA/9209c24312d18929b2aad925b4b01a4a/011A0549__1_.jpg)
*The riders discuss the meaning of life, bikes, and everything at checkpoint 3.*
*@theracingcollective / @tomiczkovva*

__Environmental Undertones__

The Racing Collective was set up in part to use long distance cycling to open our eyes to the natural environment around us, to highlight that you don't need to get on a plane to have an adventure, and that bike racing needn't be polluting. The GB Divide route certainly shows the best of Great Britain, and how surprisingly empty parts of this busy island are.

![2021-08-13-GB Duro 21-Mon 23-2](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/6w6RPgZ6qm1feVMem8RsbX/1f2af8814641843bbb033c0011413f05/2021-08-13-GB_Duro_21-Sun_22-24__1_.jpg)
*Victoria Peel crosses a Scottish river.*
*@theracingcollective / @breakawaydigital*

Emissions from GBDURO would have been small, with the organisers going as far as to source electric cars for the photographers. This in itself proved an interesting experiment and highlighted how the charging infrastructure will need to improve in the coming years as society cuts its ties with the internal combustion engine. The beautiful photographs from @breakaway digital, @tommy.check, and @tomiczkovva demonstrate that electric vehicles can cope even with this extreme use case (the likes of Mark and Angus are hard to catch!) with a little extra effort.

![gbduro mon 2-09404](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/3OclIZLn2Ibysx0PrdCiml/fa7734b1fb9728372733812a21653334/gbduro_mon_2-09404.jpg)
*The photographer's EV waits ready to pounce as the riders start stage 4.*
*@theracingcollective / @breakawaydigital*

The growing popularity of ultra cycling was clear to see during GBDURO, with spectators appearing frequently along the route and ultimately affecting the final outcome as we know. One unintended consequence of this is the CO2 emissions from their transport to the roadside (this writer included), which must now be the biggest environmental impact on this 'no-fly' event. I'm sure future editions will see the organisers encouraging dotwatchers to take low carbon forms of transport to get out to the route.

__Goodbye For Now__

So finally, it's goodbye after a rewarding couple of weeks following and reporting on GBDURO21 for you. Speaking to these athletes first hand certainly rekindled my love for riding bikes, and I hope the words here passed on a little bit of that inspiration. If not them, then the stunning pictures provided by @breakaway digital, @tommy.check, @tomiczkovva, and others certainly will have done. Thanks to The Racing Collective for creating this fantastic event, congratulations to all the racers who started (no mean feat in itself) and cheapeau to those who made it to the end - hope to see some of you on the startline for a few races next year!

Coverage by James Illman
*@james.illman*

![2021-08-13-GB Duro 21-Fri 20-3 (1)](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/3c7WqI3C1uIueFif4stGt5/10276a7a2a33b258c72f743d70372ee2/2021-08-13-GB_Duro_21-Fri_20-3__1_.jpg)
*James at CP2, attempting to scrawl some words for this page.*
*@theracingcollective / @breakawaydigital*

*Header photo: @theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

The final riders in this year's GBDURO race, Pete Worsfold & Loo Nalton, have reached John o'Groats this afternoon to bring the event to a close after 15 days, 6 hours, 47 minutes. In 3 years of the GBDURO they are only the second pair to ever reach the finish.

They stayed at the Garvault Hotel last night, the most remote hotel on mainland Britain, and so would have been refreshed for the final run to the finish after over two weeks on the road.

![Capture](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/3sqnZE590HdKSlHkKaaw04/f44c9c24ae75fdf5d975968f6ad10a00/Capture.JPG)
*Pete Worsfold & Loo Nalton at John o'Groats, as the lanterne rouge of GBDURO21.*
*Loo Nalton*

Meanwhile a few riders seem to have continued on into an unofficial stage 5 on the Orkney Islands, as if riding the length of Britain wasn't enough!

![IMG-20210827-WA0001](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/6IBcYLHdY0y3WiXIUIaxhm/c702c0f253e43b2f9d09bb8f021041d2/IMG-20210827-WA0001.jpg)
*Phoebe Heveron on 'stage 5' of GBDURO, The Orkney Islands.*
*Jack Williams*

Congratulations to all 21 racers who made the finish - the race round up will follow shortly.

The bulk of the remaining riders in GBDURO21 completed the race today, arriving at John o'Groats through the afternoon.

Chris Bower caught Izzy Freshwater at lunch after a fast paced run through the second half of the route. It was the first rider Izzy had crossed paths with in days, having just missed the stage 2 time cut then suffering the demoralising effect of seeing most of the other riders in the same position scratch. However Izzy soldiered on, and rode in with Chris for the final 40km to complete the GB Divide route.

![IMG-20210825-WA0001](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/6sFrAEQmbjd7zLijLr1WpD/8db171ed05ce29a6fe4b0308f2becc9f/IMG-20210825-WA0001.jpg)
*Izzy Freshwater stands by the famous John o'Groats sign post.*
*Izzy Freshwater*

Chris had started the race with partner Sharon Calton, until she scratched due to injury in Manchester. He's ridden the second half of the route solo, and made up for time lost with the problems suffered in the early part of the race to finish strongly. He'll be glad to finish after being forced to abandon in Appleby last year, but sad that he couldn't do so with Sharon - although she had separately made her way to John o'Groats to cheer him home.

![IMG-20210825-WA0002 (1)](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/6ALX4dtwdS1TMYJQaHjcwj/d2ff5a2401dcc43d9ba1e6dc4dca2c52/IMG-20210825-WA0002__1_.jpg)
*Sharon Calton congratulates husband Chris Bower on completing GBDURO21.*
*Sharon Calton*

In the early evening Pheobe Heveron & Jack Williams became the first pair to make the finish, in fact the first pair to ever complete the GBDURO race in it's three years of existence - a satisfying result no doubt for the first time ultra racers.

![Capture](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/ueaYuDu5X3qfTQ9PqXycq/67d2989351fab93baabd82eb1f4e0a16/Capture.JPG)
*Pheobe Heveron & Jack Williams, first pairs riders to ever finish the GBDURO.
*Pheobe Heveron*

It sounds like today's four finishers then went out for slap-up meal at the 'glamorous' Seaview Hotel. Now anyone who's ever ventured as far north as John o'Groats will know that it isn't exactly five star accomodation, but I'm sure the food tasted incredible after 12 days on the road!

We now await our two remaining riders, Loo Nalton & Pete Worsfold, who covered 150km today with 450km remaining. It looks like they've bivvied on the shores of Loch Ossian, probably the most beautiful spot on the entire route. With easier going terrain towards the finish, it seems likely they will be at John o'Groats by Saturday afternoon.

![OA 0042-2](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/7GMBu1D6Z26pltlkx0vJoZ/5d1f1ed1b967e5804ac66201eab535f5/_OA_0042-2.jpg)
*Pete Worsfold & Loo Nalton ride on towards the finish - today, in the central belt of Scotland.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*


__Final GC Finishers__

![Capture](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/6QoLTEzys9zEBu0Bt5upvK/9c81a3106bff94a3e370bee6fe4b5488/Capture.JPG)

All four remaining riders in the GC managed to finish before the party had even started at 8pm this evening, and so the final tally sits at 14 riders to be credited with a time.

Ed Milbourn finished 11th overall after riding the final stage in his typical near non-stop fashion.

![OA 9948A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/16pJnoSWyHHqPRWaXCVb2L/7ce75ad9ce39d22d4df26e856bc6174c/_OA_9948A.jpg)
*Ed Milbourn looking fresh at the finish despite having ridden through the night to finish 11th overall.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

Simon Wareing came home 12th in the GC after a incident filled final stage which featured being taken out by dogs and numerous punctures.

![gbduro mon 2-2470](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/6r2zUd7514ayOsdUBNNhba/472f5a53be000f5d2ccecbe16d061a30/gbduro_mon_2-2470.jpg)
*Simon Wareing survived pitfalls on the final stage to finish 12th.*
*@theracingcollective / @breakawaydigital*

Howard Perkins places 13th overall after a long sleep last night and a dash to the line today. 

![011A1256](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/6BNX6oLiPVZ2AgArxwK29z/5c0d25173521da5ddca8cd7ee471049f/011A1256.jpg)
*Howard Perkins finishes GBDURO21 13th overall.*
*@theracingcollective / @tomiczkovva*

And our Maillot Noir (the final finisher before the cut off time, awarded in some races - not GBDURO, there are no prizes here!)... is Australian Claire Stevens. I'm not sure Claire so much as frowned in all 1961 kilometres, and very much embodies the spirit of the race. Midway through stage 1 as she merrily plugged away into the headwind on the Epynt miltary training area, she said something along the lines of "whoever designed this route was evil" to Miles Resso, chief architect of the GB Divide, totally oblivious as to who he was. I have never seen a more apologetic cyclist when the penny dropped!

![OA 9925A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/4WFrNatvdQR5QOk5S7WWBs/25cdd1210255f94426532f33476f48df/_OA_9925A.jpg)
*Claire Stevens, 14th and final rider in the general classification.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

![OA 9747A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/014OSkotaaaaavWrvyUq0M/c8e46017c6573f8ce70403d73848e8bd/_OA_9747A.jpg)
*Angus Young celebrates with riders at the finish in John o'Groats.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

__Still On The Road...__

Despite the formal closing of the finish line at midnight, several riders are still on the course and showing dogged determination to make it to the finish.

- __Izzy Freshwater__. 131km to go. Just missed the time cut in stage 2, nearly made it back for stage 3. Glad to have "slowed down a bit to enjoy the scenery in daylight". Izzy has been eaten alive by Highland midges today...
![IMG-20210824-WA0000](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/7HEfXUoAOsUVgS0Bb3xO3R/696ed6fc4ef941ee56f532db2b95e039/IMG-20210824-WA0000.jpg)
*Izzy Freshwater*

- __Chris Bower__. 178km to go. Formerly in a pair with Sharon Calton until she scratched due to injury.
- __Pheobe Heveron & Jack Williams__. 190km to go. First pair still in the race.
- __Loo Nalton & Pete Worsfold__. 602km to go. Lanterne Rouge of GBDURO21. Plan to keep "tootling along".

We'll keep following their progress until the last rider is at John o'Groats - keep rolling onwards!

*Header photo: @theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

Final Riders in The General Classification Finish in Time For The Party

__Podium Battle__

Ollie Hayward had to ride hard all the way to John o'Groats to stay away from a flat out Jaimi Wilson, who pushed her race long rival right until the finish. Neither had any significant stops on the stage but Ollie's raw pace saw to it that he extended his lead by 2 hours over Jaimi, giving them an overall separation of just 2h 21m at the famous sign post.

The battle for third, promoted to second following Angus' DQ, had continued the entire length of Great Britain and never exceeded much more than a couple of hours. Ollie was the only rider in the field to be able to match Angus for outright pace on occasion, but lost time due to a knee injury and saturated clothing on stage 2, which conspired to make him stop just 40km from the checkpoint. The 10 hours he lost here would have been enough to bring him within minutes of victory but then if he hadn't taken the break, he may well have ended up with a DNF. It was a wise move and quite possibly saved his race. From then on he was able to perform to his full potential - the 25 year old is certainly one to watch in the coming years.

![OA 9271A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/RCpseY3EJUP9g2SUiYmsv/590ab47b3182ae8017e390e2bcfb26a0/_OA_9271A.jpg)
*Ollie Hayward, elated to reach John o'Groats in second place.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

Jaimi Wilson's method was simply not to stop, and indeed she was barely stationary all race. Extolling the virtues of "relentless forward movement" during the terrible weather on stage 2, she managed to get into to a comfortable third place whilst her rivals fell apart around her. After Ollie repassed her on stage 3 she rose to the challenge and gave it her all on stage 4, leaving those around her trailing but ultimately unable to keep pace with Ollie. Jaimi is another one to watch as she gets stuck into the ultra racing scene.

![OA 9309A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/1o86l5WgboS6nGtelxNRR5/45f820e934db7811715d8c166e5e766c/_OA_9309A.jpg)
*Jaimi Wilson, former round the world cyclist, finishes GBDURO21 fastest woman and 3rd overall.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

__Top 10__

Carl Hopps and Philippa Battye had initally looked strong contenders for the top 3, but they fell away during the latter parts of the race, finishing fourth and fifth respectedly.

![OA 9673A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/4ngcFvqQgMaCaGlXSJPJ8x/0144e53e0408a78bde6bed42308f4e13/_OA_9673A.jpg)
*Carl Hopps somehow finds the strength to hold his bike aloft after finishing 4th  in GC.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

![OA 9584A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/38FoZTvAdzvkIfhnBzsmfx/12c3cab4e9b5478bfa14b6a2ad9a42a1/_OA_9584A.jpg)
*Fellow Adventure Syndicate riders, Alice Lemkes (7th) & Philippa Battye (5th).*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

Nick Spencer-Vellacott came home 6th but nearly lost the position to Alice Lemkes, who was flying for the second half of the race and came only 90 minutes from passing Nick after he took an extended break mid stage. Nick had made up 8 places on stage 2 after he decided there was no point in stopping as it was too wet to sleep anyway.

![OA 9720A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/7LFXO8tiTRvLwTfZ71ifkX/cc77e64d982dc24e50b0e0129a4198cc/_OA_9720A.jpg)
*Nick Spencer-Vellacott finshed a commendable 6th position after his tremendous performance on the second stage.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

Emily Harper finished 8th, comfortably ahead of Chris Simpson in 9th in the end due to her reduced stop time over the final few days. Victoria Peel looks set to finish 10th overall when she crosses the line within the next few minutes.

![011A1207](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/KpPg4Vz4Tsqo2FBEgDd8q/ace645757b67bc2161e641a322c0788b/011A1207.jpg)
*The endlessly enthusiastic Emily Harper celebrates her 8th place finish.*
*@theracingcollective / @tomiczkovva*

![OA 9347A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/hGaz4xp7QBFrf7vXxoxo0/41f40eaf3d483f56c7150e0c2d415c6f/_OA_9347A.jpg)
*Chris Simpson arrives at dawn.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

![OA 9764A](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/4B3MR4GPcdHgxb3EqzQqYz/a3a2f481fcca90a17900f951059255b1/_OA_9764A.jpg)
*Victoria Peel rounds out the top 10 on her debut ultra race.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

__Women's Race__

Jaimi also claims the honour of first woman to finish, with Philippa Battye second and Alice Lemkes in third. Alongside Emily Harper (9th) and Victoria Peel (due to finish 10th), this ensures that 50% of the final top ten will be female, a greater proportion than the 42% of female starters and quite possibly a record for ultra-endurance cycle racing.

__Grupetto__

The grupetto of final riders in the GC (Howard Perkins, Simon Wareing, Ed Milbourn, Claire Stevens) look set to make the time cut and are currently all predicted to finish at around 7pm.

Simon Wareing reports a fairly disasterous stage so far: He's had 4 punctures, a dotwatcher crashing on the trail ahead of him, and a pair of dogs wiping him out causing hand injuries. He's still going though, and as he said "I've come this far, right?!".

Behind them more riders push on outside of the GC and are likely to finish in the coming days. In a way these riders have the toughest time of all, with less recovery and far more time on the course. We'll cover their exploits over the coming days as they try to make it home.

After 2000km of racing across Great Britain, Mark Beaumont has won GBDURO21 in 135h 24m.

Despite holding the round the world cycling record and having participated in numerous expeditions over his life, Mark had never participated in a bike race before. He now holds a 100% win rate.

Mark rode at a fast but measured pace race long, taking advantage of years of experience riding long distances to maximise his daily mileage. The mental strength to ride all day without stopping was honed on his record breaking lap of the Earth, but the sleep deprivation of a shorter race like GBDURO was a new challenge for him. After a sleep stop on stage 1 he quickly realised that holding a sustainable pace without stopping was the secret to a top performance in this staged ultra race format, and barely stopped again.

The descent of the Corrieyairack Pass at the end of stage 3 was nearly his undoing when he slashed a tyre sidewall and had to walk for 3 hours, but he had enough margin to retain second overall. After repairing his tyre at the Fort Augustus checkpoint, he nursed it all the way to John o'Groats, riding carefully to ensure a finish. This mechanical sympathy allowed him to capitalise when Angus Young, some 24 hours ahead of him, had drivetrain trouble and was ultimately disqualified.

Mark rolled into John o'Groats at 06:43, a worthy champion.

Ollie Hayward finished 2nd overall with Jaimi Wilson securing the final podium spot and also the fastest woman in the race.

*Header image: @theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

*More to follow.*

With only 50km until John o'Groats, Angus Young has been disqualified from GBDURO21 for taking outside assistance. After a dominant performance in which he had led by over 20 hours, taken the fastest known time on 2 stages, and looked certain to capture the race record time, Angus suffered a mechanical failure with 222km to go. By chance a dotwatcher was nearby and lent Angus his bike to finish the race, however the organisers, The Racing Collective, have deemed this contravened the self-supported ethos of the GBDURO. They said in a statement:

> Self-supported riding is about getting yourself/your kit to the finish and riders must not gain advantage as a result of the event taking place.
> 
> It is for this reason we have had to DQ Angus Young for using a dotwatcher’s bike after his freehub failed. 
> 
> To have avoided using ‘outside assistance’ Angus should have detoured to make use of a commercial service i.e. one that was available to all riders, regardless of whether the event was taking place or not. 
> 
> This should not detract from Angus’ exceptional performance.

To come so close but still miss out will be heartbreaking for Angus, but he can be truly proud of his astounding pace and metronomic consistency throughout the event. He will rue his decision to take the replacement bike when he had easily enough time in hand (over 24 hours) to take transport to Inverness, repair the bike, and ride back to the route whilst still holding onto the lead. Angus was chasing the record though, and this was always the risk. Nonetheless, we love a racer, and kudos to Angus for giving it his all and showing he is one of the best ultra racers around at the moment.

This means that Mark Beaumont, round the world record holder, looks set to win his first ever bike race. The drama may not yet be over though as he has been unusually slow on stage 4 and appears to be nursing a badly damaged front tyre.

Mark currently sits around 8 hours ahead of Ollie Hayward overall with 100km to go.

Jaimi Wilson, the fastest woman on the race, has been promoted to 3rd overall with only a small but growing defecit to Ollie as they approach the finale of GBDURO21.

*Header photo: @theracingcollective / @beakawaydigital*


Angus was once again pulling away from the field and nearing the end of the lengthy gravel section prior to Rosehall when at around 4pm disaster struck: his freehub failed, leaving him with an unridable bike and given his remote location almost certain retirement.

![gbduro mon 2-2914](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/pOLVuh1aB71pHloEsB69j/4cbe013ccd49fc4ecf6369f3eb0b2909/gbduro_mon_2-2914.jpg)
*Disaster strikes at km 157 on Stage 4! Angus unsuccessfully attempts to repair his broken freehub whilst a dotwatcher readies his own bike.*
*@theracingcollective / @breakawaydigital*

However, it appears a bystander lent him his bike to ride, and so Angus continues - amazingly with less than half an hour's time lost. He passed through Rosehall at 16:57, only 7 minutes behind Lachlan's stage 4 time and has pushed on into the night on his borrowed full suspension mountain bike, which looks a wee bit small for him!

![2021-08-13-GB Duro 21-Mon 23-3](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/4pbnxocyBEGTvEJkuZy5Tx/1256f7abe2890cb6da79bb154bb3d6e6/2021-08-13-GB_Duro_21-Mon_23-3.jpg)
*Angus accelerates away back into the race on a borrowed full-sus MTB*.
*@theracingcollective / @breakawaydigital*

![Photo 23-08-2021, 18 19 10 (1)](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/1QR6l2yQRRMchoknY3DVXs/753189746a9f2783a345d8a4a3ee399a/Photo_23-08-2021__18_19_10__1_.jpg)
*Not the ideal bike for the final 200km of the GB Divide, but needs must.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

He is now losing time on Lachlan's race record and has just passed through Kinbrace 25 minutes down on the stage. He still has over 2.5 hours in hand though so the FKT is very much still possible. The question is - will the result be upheld come the finish?

__Self Supported Throughout?__

The rules of unsupported ultra racing in such a scenario are a little grey. It's generally accepted that competitors may only use what is commercially available to all, and some take that a little further to say only services which would have been there regardless of if the race were passing through or not may be permitted. The bastion of ultra racing, the Transcontinental Race, states in it's manual: *"No 3rd party support, private lodgings or resupply. All food, drink and equipment must be carried with you or acquired at commercially available services."* Under these rules Angus' bike swap from what we believe to be a dotwatcher would be unacceptable.

However, some races through more remote environs recognise that it is virtually impossible to source repairs in the Tian Shan mountains, for example, and that it would be rude (and foolish) to decline assistance in such a situation. The Silk Road Mountain Race has added the following rule in it's manual to reflect this: *"Riders must not solicit any form of private resupply from locals on the race route, any such interaction must be freely offered and unplanned"*. With this in place, it's arguable that Angus taking a bike which was freely offered to him is acceptable.

So to the GBDURO's race manual which states: *"all food, repairs, etc, must be acquired from commercial sources or from the kindness of strangers"*, which does appear to legitimise Angus' bike change, although it does hinge on whether the dotwatcher on the roadside was really a 'stranger' to the race - ultimately they were only there because Angus was about to pass by. We are still awaiting an official verdict from the The Racing Collective, who say: "organisers are reviewing the facts and will make a decision on the bike swap shortly".

Regardless of what the coming verdict may be, Angus is not giving up and is hammering towards John o'Groats as fast as his newly acquired full-sus will take him. Bet he's wishing he still had aero bars as he grinds along the flat tarmac which makes up most of the final stretch...

![Photo 23-08-2021, 18 20 52](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/2zy9KBe7wWUPlzbsyQSlzt/9d1f1ac4a1e1b38e2236d0f5c478c40c/Photo_23-08-2021__18_20_52.jpg)
*Down the final major descent to Loch Shin - will Angus be victorious or disqualified come morning? *

__The Peloton__

Behind Angus, Ollie is riding fast to keep Jaimi at bay, and the two of them have pulled well clear of the chasing pack. It looks like Ollie has third place under control for now, but Jaimi is pushing massively hard to stay with him and both had losses of time in the last few hours suggestive of mechanicals. There's nowhere to resupply in this part of the world and if you do stop the midges will eat you alive (I'm not joking), so these dips in pace are most likely due to punctures etc. This battle is too close to call.

Mark continues to ride conservatively behind as he seeks to defend his second place, which could be converted to an overall win should Angus be disqualified or penalised. His front tyre has seen better days after he slashed it at the end of stage 3, which probably explains his slow pace today.

![Photo 22-08-2021, 14 12 56](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/7ERpylaN89qdkWC1BQbyq0/a9d9cb33400ddf5e4bd7c10ff1376269/Photo_22-08-2021__14_12_56.jpg)
*Mark Beaumont's front tyre before the stage 4 start.*
*Markus Stitz / @shimanogravel*

Carl stopped for some time midway through the stage, apparently accepting defeat in the race for third.

![011A0748](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/2lIhW4JcWouLpZqY7R0AKu/f1a2bfb55567623cc6ef5077c73eb1c7/011A0748.jpg)
*Emily Harper struggles up the first (ridiculously steep) climb of stage 4*
*@theracingcollective / @tomiczkovva*

At the back of the pack, Ed and Claire are doing just enough. They won't make the start of the finisher's party, but they should be there for the end. Not far now, keep it up!

[Race Trace](https://www.theracingcollective.com/gbduro-results.html) for stage 4:
![Picture3](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/3xu0FmTo18X63BsktluAn2/cb7a53b6c234721380f687befd4d76ba/Picture3.png)


5 hours into the fourth and final stage of GBDURO21, Angus Young continues to put time into professional rider Lachlan Morton's 2019 race record, passing through Contin (97km on stage) at 12:14, a full 25 minutes up on his virtual rival. Lachlan's speed built all the way through the stage, so it certainly isn't over yet but it's a promising start for the Dorset based chemistry teacher.

![Photo 23-08-2021, 08 54 22](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/6d5TOQ1ipAdbWhv3VqANsT/6c1232a80b2f762ea22b2c1761ab8d17/Photo_23-08-2021__08_54_22.jpg)
*Maximum attack for Angus Young as he powers up the first climb of the day.*
*@theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

Behind him, Ollie Hayward is running second on the road as he tries to secure 3rd overall, with Carl Hopps and Jaimi Wilson not far behind.

![2021-08-13-GB Duro 21-Sat 21-32](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/25WEPpi2XhkucdYdy3yJ1D/26adcfb1d8b67f20d43f14746002c844/2021-08-13-GB_Duro_21-Sat_21-32.jpg)
*Carl Hopps pushing his bike up the Corrieyairack Pass on stage 3.*
*@theracingcollective / @breakawaydigital*

Mark Beaumont has had a measured start, presumably riding conservatively having lost so much time due to punctures at the end of stage 3, and with an 8 hour gap to his nearest challenger.

At the back of the field both Ed Milbourn and Claire Stevens look close to the GC time cut but the route does get faster towards the end so no major concerns for them yet.

[Race Trace](https://www.theracingcollective.com/gbduro-results.html) for stage 4:
![Picture7](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/7sOWHFFW0EX13QzPp4gtS4/d16cc60342fa27232056e4a7c81b0a5a/Picture7.png)

The riders finally have some good conditions in which to admire the beauty of the Highlands: 20°C and patches of sunshine.

*Header photo: @theracingcollective / @tommy.check*

Strong Start From Angus, Mark Pacing Himself

- __Stage 4:__ Fort Augustus, Scotland to John o'Groats, Scotland
- __Start Time:__ 08:00, Monday 23rd August
- __Finishers Party:__ 20:00, Tuesday 24th August
- __Finish Time Cut:__ 00:00, Wednesday 25th August
- __Distance:__ 379km
- __Elevation Gain:__ 3587m
- __Fastest Known Time:__ 17hr 57min (Lachlan Morton, 2019)
- __Time Cut Pace:___ 227km/day

The final stage of GBDURO21 will be a 'sprint' (in ultra race terms at least) across the highlands as racers fight it out for one last time and attempt to complete the brutal GB Divide route.

__Key Themes to Watch:__

__- Angus vs. Lachlan__ - After pulling 21 hours clear of the field Angus has only one real competitor: Lachlan Morton's 2019 FKT of 111 hours 41 minutes. Angus  currently sits 3 hours 6 minutes up on Lachlan's record pace but Lachlan really pushed on the last stage - Can Angus hold on to his advantage?

__- Mark Beaumont in second__ - Round the world record holder Mark had nver entered a race before despite a lifetime of endurance challenges. He's looked safe in second all race but Ollie Hayward's pace on stage 3 might have concerned him. Can he complete his impressive debut by keeping Ollie at bay to finish second overall?

__- Battle for third overall__ - The final podium spot has been hotly contested throughout, with Ollie Hayward, Jaimi Wilson, Carl Hopps, & Philippa Battye all enjoying their time in third at some point. The battle looks to have concentrated down to a duel between Jaimi's relentless forward movement and Ollie's incredible pace but possible fragility and they start the final stage separated by minutes - who will finish ahead?

__- Women in top spots__ - GBDURO21's high proportion of female starters (46%) is reflected in the number occupying top positions in the race - 4 in the top 10.

__- Backmarkers struggling to make time cut__ - The final time cut is the most aggressive of the entire race, although stage 4 is also the shortest, flattest stage. All riders will need to race without sleep in order to make it and it remains to be seen whether those at the back will have the pace after a week's racing (with minimal breaks for them remember). Keep pushing to the end!

__The Route:__

The final stage is 42% unpaved with most of the off-road fast rolling gravel. It's a cracking stage to close out the GB Divide route.

*km1582-1660*
Three steep (and long) gravel climbs start the stage, the final up to the dam at Loch Orrin. The views over the highlands will be immense though if the skies are clear, and the climbs are broken with stretches of fast downhill tarmac.
![Capture](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/6OA8G9uW5ckKSuZbSsKqz7/04126d1431c260ca6657813cd10abfac/Capture.JPG)
*The opening climbs may be steep but the views are worth it.*
*@james.illman*

*km1660-1740*
After crossing the valley at Contin, 80km of gravel with almost no interuptions follows. This is fast rolling doubletrack in the main, as the route heads deep into the Scottish wilderness.
![Capture2](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/TMkkogF9oftK8pdnb1iqH/5f59e13558055f5856b91af42621b472/Capture2.JPG)
*Remote Scottish gravel north of Contin.*
*@james.illman*

*km1740-1790*
A long section on remote tarmac roads heads through Rosehall (which featured a horrific number of midges on the 2020 edition) and up one final tarmac climb over to Loch Shin.

*km1790-1890*
The route turns east towards John o'Groats, with this section largely paved and fast.
![Capture](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/jjfwFkCpCOOpFkrl5n3G4/53566040e6262b9d9a92417cd652522e/Capture.JPG)
*Stage 4 is definitely the fastest of the entire GB Divide.*
*@james.illman*

*km1890-1920*
One final section of easy gravel, although I for one managed to puncture just a few km before the end of this section in 2020 and Paul Addy also struggled with punctures here, so it's not over until it's over.

*km1920-1961*
Riders that get this far are rewarded with 40km of fast tarmac to finish, as they either chase for a time or reflect on the journey.

![Capture](//images.contentful.com/6hyijb95boju/5aBRzeoiIow6BZ4Bm4P9MB/f55b3dbcc435e3133e4addab7d6c3d9e/Capture.JPG)
*The photo every GBDURO21 rider wants to take...*
*@james.illman*

<iframe src="https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=33603741&metricUnits=true&sampleGraph=true" style="width: 1px; min-width: 100%; height: 700px; border: none;" scrolling="no"></iframe>


It's often referred to as the "scrappy rolling picnic through Britain's ever changing landscapes", in more detail it's a four-stage mixed terrain race from the South West of Great Britain right up to Scotland's John O'Groats.

Ollie Hayward	

Jaimi Wilson	

GBDURO21

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