Last week, Dr Sarah Ruggins arrived in Nordkapp, in the far north Arctic-tickling tip of Norway, exactly 13 days, 20 hours and 27 minutes after setting off on her bicycle from Tarifa in southern Spain. Her total riding distance was 6,042km, and just to put that into context, last year’s entire Tour de France was 3,301.9km in length, spread across 21 stages and three and a half weeks.
In completing her epic journey in such a blisteringly fast time, the Canadian-born athlete and adventurer not only smashed the existing world speed record for riding from the bottom to the top of Europe – knocking over three days and 32 off the time set by Dr Ian Walker, in 2019 – she also set a new record for the greatest distance ever ridden by a woman in a week, riding 3,364.08km in seven days.
These figures are phenomenal in anyone’s book, but when you consider that Ruggins couldn’t even ride a bike just three years ago, they’re nothing short of incredible. Now a triple-record holding ultra-cyclist (she also holds the John O’Groats to Land’s End and Back record), Ruggins only began cycling in 2023, after spending 10 years recovering from a rare autoimmune condition.
A promising track and field athlete as a child, with realistic Olympic aspirations, Ruggins was diagnosed with the condition when she was 15, and the illness left her bedridden and in need of 24-hour care. A couple of years before setting her LEJOGLE cycling record, Ruggins was planning to run from Land’s End to John O’Groats, when she run collapsed with series of dreadful injuries as result of her illness, suffering two broken ankles, and fractures in her femur and pelvis – just weeks before the planned start.
Ruggins survived on 10-minute micro rests (which had to include medical checks and food) during the day, after sleeping 90 minutes overnight
(Image credit: James Busby)
Undeterred, she secured an entry for the Transcontinental Race, a 4,000km unsupported race across Europe, and then bought a bike and started training. Ruggins crashed out of the 2023 event, but returned stronger in 2024, and finished near the front.
But, even having proved herself capable of climbing such a steep training and learning curve, Ruggins achievement over the last fortnight is jaw dropping. So, how on earth did she manage to pull off such an incredible ride, let alone in the heatwave conditions she started off in last month?
Dr Ruggins has a PHD in finance – suffice to say, she knows her way around an abacas, and number discipline was obviously a crucial factor to achieving what she has done over the last couple of weeks.
With that in mind, Cycling Weekly spoke to the rider and some of her support crew earlier this week, when they were enroute back to Britain (where Ruggins is now based), and together we have gathered the stats and stories that tell the tale of this extraordinary double record-setting ride.
(Image credit: James Busby)
Riding by numbers
One – Ruggins rode the entire route on a single bike, the Liv EnviLiv Advanced SL (also much beloved by Cycling Weekly tech writer Hannah Bussey). She also rode the entire route on one chain.
12 – Number of croissants with cream cheese eaten per day by Ruggins during the latter part of the ride, after she overcame the nausea that plagued her during the early stages.
Nine – Countries passed through during the continent-crossing adventure.
Two – Number of punctures Ruggins suffered during the entire ride.
14 – Number of times Ruggins listed to Salt by Ben Camden during her mammoth cycle. “I felt very overstimulated,” she says. “I had my earbuds silent most of the time. But this track reminded me of my partner, Ryan. My second most-listened to track was Hymn by Charlotte de Witte – that one kept me awake at night!”
90 – Minutes of lie-down sleep Ruggins allowed herself every day until she broke the seven-day distance record (after which she treated herself with a 3-hour kip)
Four – The maximum number of off-bike micro rests Ruggins allowed her during each day (five minutes of which were taken up with eating and medical checks, leaving 5 minutes for a quick nap)
8,623 – Amount of money, in GBP sterling, that Ruggins has so far raised for World Bicycle Relief, a charity that helps people and communities around the world by providing them with life-changing bikes.
Two – Number of fingers Ruggin’s has no feeling in (temporarily, we hope) after suffering nerve damage during her ride. “I was unable to use the aero position for much of the ride, because of saddle discomfort,” she told us. “So I was riding on the hood for most of the way, and I’m paying for it now!”
35,000 – metres climbed during the 6,042km ride
22 – Hours spent in the saddle every day during the challenge
11,000 – calories consumed on average every day
20 – Number of kilometres of mud, sand and gravel Ruggins was forced to ride her road bike across when she encountered some unexpected road works whilst leaving Poland.
35 – Degrees of heat (in Celsius) that Ruggins was riding in during the first few days of her record attempt, while racing across Spain and France. “Nutrition, especially hydration, was very challenging, in those conditions” she says. “I was taking on 2 litres of electrolyte-loaded liquids every hour, and the only thing I could eat was gels.”
11,748 – Kilometres driven by Ruggins’ media and support car
500 – Number of Buffalo Bicycles Ruggins is aiming to provide to people in poor rural regions around the world.
Read an interview with Sarah Ruggins in the current print edition of Cycling Weekly – subscribe here!
