Irish amateur cyclist Ronan McLaughlin has broken Alberto Contador's world Everesting record in Co. Donegal.
Everesting is where a person, on bike or foot, completes repeats in a single activity until they climb 8,848m – the equivalent height of Mt Everest.
The 33-year-old, who five weeks ago recorded the fifth-fastest Everesting time, returned to Mamore Gap on Thursday and set a new time of seven hours and 18 minutes, beating his previous effort by 55 minutes.
In the process, he took more than 20 minutes of Contador’s record that was set earlier this month in Spain.
In the absence of professional cycling due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Everesting has taken on a more competitive edge with many high-profile attempts.
McLaughlin represented Ireland at the 2012 Road World Championships alongside Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche, and also raced U23 Worlds in 2008.
In 2013 he stepped away from professional cycling after a five-year career, but is a regular high finisher on the Irish cycling scene.
Rather than ride the same section of Mamore Gap he had covered previously, McLaughlin decided to cut out the flatter section, shaving off 35km off the overall distance, but increasing the gradient to 14%.
He recorded an eye-watering speed of 86.5 km/h on his descent.
"I in no way consider myself on the same level as Contador," a modest McLaughlin told CyclingTips.
"That was sort of my goal here – to prove that no matter if you’ve won two Tours de France or not, if you apply yourself and use all the marginal gains or science or whatever you want to call it, and train right, then anybody can be world class… If only for one day."
