AN endurance cyclist from Colchester cycled the equivalent of ascending Mount Everest.

But Mark Wellsted didn’t stop there. In fact, the 45- year-old “climbed” another 2,000ft.

He achieved the astonishing feat while cyling 180 miles for the Veteran’s World Solo 24-Hour Mountain Bike Championships.

To win the bronze medal, Mark managed to cycle up moutainous terrain reaching the equilant of 31,500ft – Mount Everest is 29,029ft high.

He said: “That’s the elevation I gained over the 24 hours.

“I’m just continuously riding around a lap of eightand- a-half miles, but when you break it down into those kind of figures, it does make you think ‘wow that’s a lot of climbing’.”

This year’s World Championships was held at Fort William, through the Ben Nevis range of mountains.

To help him, Mark brought fellow Colchester cyclist Paul Barrow as his pit crew.

For more, see Friday's Gazette