Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

news

14-year-old Sussex cyclist ‘Everests’ Ditchling Beacon

Tom Pughe-Morgan scaled South Downs climb 65 times to beat height of world’s biggest peak

A 14-year-old cyclist from Sussex has Everested the ascent of Ditchling Beacon on the South Downs – and is believed to be the youngest rider to have climbed the height of the world’s tallest mountain in a bike within a day.

Last Thursday at 5am, Tom Pughe-Morgan, aged 14, and his friend Lukas Nerurkar, 13, set off to ride up the South Downs hill more than 60 times.

Unfortunately, Lukas began vomiting after their first food stop following 20 ascents and due to fluid loss had to abandon.

Tom, however – like Lukas, a member of Preston Park Youth Cycling club – continued, and scaled the climb 65 times to take him past the height of Everest.

He was sponsored by Hassocks-based business, Proper Cycling and Coffee, which also supplied a support vehicle, and has raised more than £2,000 for the Nepal Youth Foundation UK.

Proper Cycling’s Ross McCracken said: “It was sad to see Lukas retire as he’d worked so hard.

“Tom was gutted to have to ride the rest without his training partner but there was no way he could go on. I’m amazed he got as far as he did after being that unwell. He’s a seriously tough lad!”

“Tom did amazingly, he was beginning to struggle towards the end and things got pretty intense. He just got his head down and pressed on.

“It was impressive to watch, I’ve never seen determination like it,” he added. 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

8 comments

Avatar
joules1975 | 7 years ago
1 like

A quick google revealed to me that Ditchling Beacon is a climb of a little over 1.5km.

So not only did he climb the height of everest, assuming he rode down each time as well he covered around 200km!

I'd struggle to cycle 200km on the flat. I'd struggle to do over 8800 m of climbing on foot. The two combined into a single bike ride? I'd have no chance!

Amazing!

Avatar
peted76 | 7 years ago
0 likes

Ditchling Beacon sixty five times... wowzers most impressive !

Avatar
EddyBerckx | 7 years ago
0 likes

Massive kudos and respect to the both of them!!

Avatar
davel | 7 years ago
0 likes

Chapeau lads!

Avatar
yourealwaysbe | 7 years ago
2 likes

Well done! The Ditchling Beacon i do about once every year or two, and i wouldn't want to do it any more than that..

Avatar
GazHove | 7 years ago
0 likes

What an amazing picture !!

Avatar
thehill | 7 years ago
0 likes

kudos

Avatar
CXR94Di2 | 7 years ago
2 likes

Congratulations, shame his co rider had to retire

Latest Comments