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news
Race Across America logo 2014Pippa Middleton to ride in world’s toughest bike race this month
Pippa Middleton, sister to the Duchess of Cambridge, will set off later this week on the world’s toughest annual bike race* – the Race Across America (RAAM), which covers around 3,000 miles from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
Although she’ll be riding as part of an eight-person relay, and is the only woman on the team, it’s a daunting undertaking for any cyclist.
All the more so, perhaps, for one who in January confessed that she was a comparative novice at road cycling – although in 2011 she completed the Highland Cross duathlon, which includes a 30-mile bike ride.
Middleton and her brother James are riding for the Michael Matthews Foundation team, the charity named after the 22-year-old who died in 1999 as he descended from the summit of Mount Everest after becoming the youngest Briton reach it.
One of his brothers, also called James, once dated Middleton – and is also taking part in RAAM - while another, Spencer, is one of the main figures in the reality TV series Made In Chelsea.
Competitors in the various team categories set off from Oceanside, California on Saturday 14 June to start the ride to Annapolis, Maryland.
Other UK teams taking part are Data Techniques powered by Networks Centre (Nick Crosby and Sean Frost) in the two-person category, and the four-person London Pride Spinhalers (John Hall, Martyn Grant, Dave Shephard and James Fuller).
Five riders from the UK are entered in the solo category, with riders setting off tomorrow. They are Chris ‘Hoppo’ Hopkinson, Mark Pattinson, Shusanah Pillinger, Tim Richardson and Brian Welsh.
You can keep up to date with the 33rd edition of the Race Across America through its website.
* Organisers of the unsupported Trans Am Bike Race, which covers almost one and a half times the distance and began on Saturday, may disagree.
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.
Latest Comments
- belugabob 1 sec ago
...and he's probably written some (awful) poetry about it...
- AidanR 10 min 54 sec ago
I suspect it's because they're interested in freedom for people like them, and the consequences and impingement on other people's freedom be damned
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Ah, but: in UK, if a motorist drives into you (or simply parks in a cycle lane, forcing you out into the path of another motorist) then the council...
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Why is it stupid? Please explain.
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Have added some clarification....
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24 comments
No pics?
Should relabel the article "ladies bottom does charity thing - sad old internet perverts on cycling website don't give fucks about charity"
Good for Pippa, and everyone else doing the race - it's mega. Good luck to all!
At least she's getting off her posterior and doing something.
or possibly getting on her posterior to do something
I'm all for slebs getting themselves in the papers on bikes. First, it confuses the hell of the Daily Mail. Second, it promotes cycling to a section of the population that probably wouldn't have heard it from anywhere else.
If young Jemima (or Jeremy) walks into Decathlon, Evans or Halfords this weekend, and asks about buying their first bike because Ms Middleton is spending one of her summer holidays riding across bits of Murrica, meh, is all good.
Rich over privileged kids on holiday. Pff
that should tone up that lovely ar$e even more ....
'Middleton and her brother James are riding for the Michael Matthews Foundation team, the charity named after the 22-year-old who died in 1999 as he descended from the summit of Mount Everest after becoming the youngest Briton reach it.
One of his brothers, also called James, once dated Middleton – and is also taking part in RAAM - while another, Spencer, is one of the main figures in the reality TV series Made In Chelsea.'
There doesn't seem to be a very big gene pool for this charity challenge lark does there? I suppose the rest of us are busy working for a living.
So, a celebrity airhead with no discernible talent is going on an all expenses paid trip to America to ride a bike for three hours a day. And it's all for "charridee". Nope, can't see the story here. Top marks to those who are doing it for real, but the headline story here is nonsense. Why do we buy into this stuff?
Totally agree. 3 hours a day in the saddle by a middle-class toff for a week is neither tough nor news-worthy.
Is it not all just down to money? RAAM costs money, sponsors give money, sponsors want coverage, enlist 'celebs' = column inches = sponsor money. Which allows the event to take place and to grow. Just a shame 'celebrity' will overshadow the real winners of this race.
tough event, good luck
Good Luck to all Solo and Team riders taking part in RAAM 2014. Thanks for the mention road.cc. Please visit our website for more information - we are racing for Asthma UK spinhalers.co.uk
Great news, good for her. Disappointed though that there appears to be no "flag as sexist/misogynistic/inappropriate" button below certain morons' comments. This is a cycling website, not the pub. Have some respect.
I will bet you'll need that flag thingy for our national press once they pick up on this story. They've had a very singular fixation with that royal-in-law.
By the way, my sister's boyfriend will also ride in this race – who cares?!
I still can't quite comprehend just how extreme riding this (or the trans am for that matter) must be. I'd love to do something like this, not sure I'd be able to be that committed to training though. Good on them for doing it.
Good on her for having a go. Meanwhile, that Shu Pillinger lady they mention is from my local club Verulam CC and bidding to become the first-ever British woman to officially complete the RAAM solo. Whole different level of hardcore...
I used to work with Shu. As you say, what she's attempting is properly hard core. The amount of training and dedication she's put in is simply awesome!
She's raising money for Herts. Air Ambulance, you can sponsor her here: http://www.justgiving.com/ShuRAAM
A local club rider.. See the Verulam out regularly. Good luck Shu!
No matter how many times she flicked her elbow there'd be no chance of me leaving her back wheel to do a turn...
Huh huh huh.
Is she the one with the nice bum?
Yes, her genetically superior posterior will be a great asset.