Tandem record bid scuppered by injury

Olympians James Cracknell and Rebecca Romero's tandem record bid has ended in disappointment as the duo have had to abandon their attempt to cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats because of injury. Beijing cycling gold medallist Romero has had to withdraw from the ride because of pain in her knees.

The pair were just north of Johnstone Bridge near Dumfries when they had to give up, and were ahead of schedule on the 874-mile trip which would have seen them break the tandem record by three hours.

They set off before dawn yesterday to take on the tandem end-to-end record, which currently stands at 2 days, 3 hours, 19 minutes and 23 seconds and was set in 2000 by Andy Wilkinson and Lynne Taylor. The record attempt also marked the launch of the Deloitte Ride Across Britain.

The pair hoped that their lack of tandem experience and preparation would be made up for by their natural athletic ability and Romero was positive about the attempt before setting out, saying: “There’s no denying this is going to be hard, especially trying to combat sleep deprivation as we cycle non-stop throughout the night, but I am really looking forward to the challenge. It would be great to break this record and will be a huge accomplishment for me if we manage to do so.” But the gruelling ride looks to have been a step too far.