Daring duo ready for 2,800-mile bike race
17 Jun 10
British adventure duo James Cracknell and Ben Fogle are attempting the world's longest off-road race by pedalling their way from Canada to Mexico.
For their latest mammoth challenge to begin in August, they will try to break the Tour Divide record in 17 muscle-burning days.
Both Cracknell and Fogle are biking novices and will be seen attempting the 2,745-mile course - which begins in Banff in Canada and crosses the Rockies along the Continental Divide - in a BBC Two series later this year.
The Tour Divide will involve climbs equivalent to scaling Mount Everest seven times from sea level and the pair hopes to break the course record of 17 days and 21 hours.
To accomplish this, they will have to cycle more than 160 miles every day and although Olympic Gold-winning rower Cracknell has some experience of road bikes, Fogle has rarely cycled, while neither has had any mountain bike training.
Previously, they have successfully completed other gruelling challenges including crossing the Atlantic in a rowing boat and a race across the South Pole.
Cracknell said: "As 'fun' as the last two challenges were, the scenery in the Atlantic and on the Antarctic Plateau wasn't that varied so the chance to see the Rockies on a bike while pushing hard and seeing how close we can get to the record is an irresistible combination."
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