Marathon-man Christoph Strasser has smashed the world record by riding across Australia in less than seven days.
The 34-year-old Austrian arrived into Sydney in the earlier hours on Tuesday morning, having covered 3,950km since leaving Perth last week – and immediately said he wanted to enjoy a barbie!
Strasser’s final time for the amazing ride was six days, 10 hours and 58 minutes and he was naturally delighted as he completed his marathon trip in front of Sydney’s famous Opera House.
The endurance athlete, who has previously won the Race Across America three times, could barely speak as he crossed the finish line and it was later revealed that he had been hallucinating at times during his astonishing ride.
But Strasser said: “This is an incredible success for me. The last week threw everything at me, especially the weather – ranging between 10 and 44 degrees Celsius, from heat to heavy rain and head-winds to tail-winds. It had everything.”
Strasser had just five 45-minute sleeps during his challenge, with his support crew forced to blast loud music through speakers on top of their car to keep him awake and alert, especially during the middle of the night.
“I have a team that knows me inside-out and that has been working together so well for years. Again they were really able to motivate me and keep me going when the tiredness hit,” he added.
Strasser was given extra support by local people who heard about his mind-blowing ride and came out to cheer him on.
“We felt so welcome by all the Australians we met along the road,” the Austrian said. “So many cheered us on and even came out before work in Wagga Wagga, where the local riders put together a downright fan-fest!”
When asked how he planned to recover from such a gruelling ride, Strasser added: “For now all I want is a nap and some real food again. I’m dreaming of a nice barbecue, some burgers and some cold drinks.”