Cyclist Dan's 2,700-mile ride of his life as he tours the US

Chapel St Leonards-born Dan began his journey flying to Banff in Canada for the 2,700-mile race which began the following day.

He said: “Somehow I felt very calm and focused among all the noise and hype at the start line. I seemed to be void of all the interference and stress.”

There were no breaks in the race for Dan and his fellow competitors – the clock ran continuously from start to finish.

The Tour Divide is for individual amateur riders only, with competitors riding alone and only calling for assistance if they want to leave the race.

Riders must carry with them all the equipment, supplies, tools for repair work and clothing the need to complete the race.

On average, Dan averaged 133 miles per day, cycling in altitudes of up to 3,300 metres.

Dan slept in a tent in remote areas, or if one was close by he chose motels to rest for a few hours before getting back behind the handlebars.

The route of 2,700 miles follows the Continental Divide in North America.

It travels through rivers, forests, grasslands and finally the Chihuahuan Desert to complete the ride.

On crossing the finish line Dan said: “It was totally satisfying and fulfilling to have finished. Yet immediately I felt sad that I wouldn’t be riding again the next day.”

He added: “I will treasure the memories of this event for the rest of my life but more importantly I feel blessed to have met some amazing people.”

The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route tests rookies and veterans in every way imaginable, and captured attention from 2008 onwards. The route is over 2,700 miles, includes a total 180,000 to 190,000 feet of vertical ascent, over 15 to 25 days competitive duration. This year 188 were at the start line, with 71 having finished, 28 still going and 89 being scratched from the race.

To see this year’s leaderboard visit: http://tourdivide.org/leaderboard