Wales In A Day, one of the hardest sportives in Great Britain, crosses a whole country in a day – 185 miles and 15000 vertical feet of Wales – and it rolled out from magical Caernarfon Castle for the last time on Saturday 17 July.
Prior to the event, organiser Open Cycling let it be known that this 2021 edition would be the last and over 500 participants signed up for an unforgettable day (and night for some) riding through the beautiful Welsh countryside between Snowdonia, the Cambrian and Black Mountains.
363 riders completed the journey with Jonathan Bryan finishing fastest in 13:04:27 and Matthew James closing out the final edition with a beaming smile in 19:37:07.
Afterwards, Matthew James said, “I’ve want to thank the organisers for a special day yesterday, what an experience, one of the toughest days I have ever had and I wouldn’t have made it without the help I received from other riders on this event, a really good community, hope you all recover well and take care, oh and I am proud of my last place lol.”
Rider Sean Cleary (16:38:47, 149th) simply said, “That was epic !! What a absolutely fantastic day, though it was very hot, hot, hot.”
With temperatures reaching 80+ degrees in 60% humidity, heat exhaustion was a concern as riders searched for water, water and more water throughout the day.
Andy Pugh (16:54:24, 173rd) commented, “An amazing day, I would like to thank the two cyclists and the lady and her daughter who were sat outside there van helped me when I was overcome with heat exhaustion near the top of gospel pass, they gave me plenty of water and gave me a seat for 20 mins, then I got up and finished the ride.”
Wales In A Day was Gethin Morris Owen’s first ever sportive (note: we do not recommend sportive rookies start with a 185 mile event) and he crushed it, finishing 28th in 14:36:59. “What an experience! First ever sportive, having only done a few century rides in the past, what a baptism of fire!”, he said afterwards.
Darren Payne, who rolled across the finish line in at 11pm (18:52:55, 333rd) summed up his epic day as, “A long hot day in the saddle. Unforgettable stunning scenery and never-to-be-forgotten random acts of kindness and generosity – lady in her house and her tap of cold water, Man and Woman in the ‘57 plate Transporter and their water, young lad in a car (nothing to do with the race at all and his cold can of coke) and the Essex boy and his van of water).”
He then added, “there won’t be another Wales In A Day?…or will there?”
If it were up to the riders, this iconic sportive would return in 2022, but rest assured Open Cycling is not abandoning the “xxx In A Day” sportive model. They plan to hold the 150 mile Coast To Coast In A Day sportive on 9 July 2022, traveling across England from Seascale to Whitby.
WALES IN A DAY 185 MILES | ||
1 | Jonathan Bryan | 13:04:27 |
2 | Mark Powell 40+ | 13:04:31 |
3 | Nicholas Lemin 40+ | 13:07:59 |
4 | Jim Karthauser | 13:09:31 |
5 | Tim Sharpe 40+ | 13:09:44 |
6 | Keith Walden 40+ | 13:31:07 |
7 | Frans Frison 40+ | 13:43:22 |
8 | William McIntosh 50+ | 13:43:34 |
9 | Christopher Finn 50+ | 13:46:27 |
10 | Matthew Chard 40+ | 13:54:46 |
11 | David Vickers 50+ | 13:56:58 |
12 | Jonathan Eggett 50+ | 13:59:59 |
13 | Sally Ozanne 40+ | 14:01:11 |
14 | Andrew Woodhead | 14:05:58 |
15 | Aidan McLucas Gen | 14:06:35 |
16 | James Southwell Gen | 14:09:24 |
17 | Kathryn Miller | 14:21:11 |
18 | Ben Anderson 40+ | 14:22:59 |
19 | Neil Parnell 40+ | 14:24:46 |
20 | Rick Tarver 50+ | 14:25:42 |
21 | Chris Warren 40+ | 14:25:57 |
22 | Edward Davies 40+ | 14:27:09 |
23 | Andrew Fry 40+ | 14:27:15 |
24 | Pete Lowson 40+ | 14:29:40 |
25 | Jason Newman 50+ | 14:32:42 |
26 | Oliver Northern 40+ | 14:33:29 |
27 | Matthew Davies | 14:36:21 |
28 | Gethin Owen 40+ | 14:36:59 |
29 | Phil Drew | 14:37:44 |
30 | Neil Darke 50+ | 14:38:21 |
31 | Tina Albrecht 40+ | 14:38:26 |
32 | Robert Pilato | 14:38:32 |
33 | Mark Westcott 50+ | 14:38:36 |
34 | Mark Pickering 50+ | 14:39:31 |
35 | Lewis Stevens | 14:42:05 |
36 | James Halle-Smith Gen | 14:42:08 |
37 | Keith Roberts 50+ | 14:43:33 |
38 | Gary Davies 40+ | 14:47:42 |
39 | Craig Tweedie 40+ | 14:47:46 |
40 | Tom Gibbs 40+ | 14:47:47 |
41 | Ian Grace 50+ | 14:47:52 |
42 | Ben Turner | 14:47:55 |
43 | Tom Davies 40+ | 14:47:58 |
44 | Christian Haw 40+ | 14:53:33 |
45 | Jim Hildreth 40+ | 14:55:19 |
46 | Kieran Lloyd 50+ | 14:56:29 |
47 | Richard Ridgway | 14:57:32 |
48 | Cat Ridgway | 14:57:35 |
49 | Roger Stubbs 50+ | 14:58:13 |
50 | Del Nash 40+ | 15:00:28 |
51 | Paul Davis 40+ | 15:00:35 |
52 | Stuart Robertson 50+ | 15:01:04 |
53 | Howard King 40+ | 15:01:44 |
54 | Luke Gething Gen | 15:01:56 |
55 | Martin Clark 50+ | 15:02:59 |
56 | Stuart Coupe 50+ | 15:02:59 |
57 | Nikolas Hanson 40+ | 15:03:07 |
58 | John Shanks | 15:03:09 |
59 | Andy Howell 50+ | 15:03:40 |
60 | Graham Collins 50+ | 15:04:01 |
61 | Dan Murray 40+ | 15:04:28 |
62 | Jason Procter 50+ | 15:04:49 |
63 | Jason Holmes 50+ | 15:05:13 |
64 | Jason Evans 40+ | 15:05:30 |
65 | Ian Sime 50+ | 15:05:54 |
66 | Lee Burchell 50+ | 15:06:02 |
67 | Rob Forster Gen | 15:06:25 |
68 | Dougie Pratt 50+ | 15:10:28 |
69 | Dan Kingston 40+ | 15:11:04 |
70 | Anthony Fidow 50+ | 15:11:05 |
71 | Darren Dalton 40+ | 15:11:53 |
72 | Mark Whitby 50+ | 15:11:55 |
73 | Chris Bone 40+ | 15:14:16 |
74 | Allen Horrigan 40+ | 15:14:31 |
75 | Mark Endersby 40+ | 15:14:35 |
76 | Chris Perry 50+ | 15:15:17 |
77 | John Hines 50+ | 15:15:30 |
78 | Phil Birch 50+ | 15:15:32 |
79 | Sam Miller 40+ | 15:16:49 |
80 | Paul Steckler 40+ | 15:18:13 |
81 | Richard Pollard 40+ | 15:18:45 |
82 | Joseph Southall 50+ | 15:20:00 |
83 | Darren Wood 40+ | 15:20:46 |
84 | Stephen Swinton 50+ | 15:23:29 |
85 | Chris Woolley Gen | 15:23:36 |
86 | Hector Rodriguez Piedrabuena | 15:23:43 |
87 | Pete Gough 40+ | 15:29:53 |
88 | Martin Cook 50+ | 15:29:53 |
89 | Aisling Patterson 40+ | 15:31:16 |
90 | Justin Mark Phillips 40+ | 15:32:09 |
91 | Stephen Tonge 50+ | 15:38:26 |
92 | Steven Mosley 50+ | 15:38:29 |
93 | Steve Wilkins 40+ | 15:38:39 |
94 | Alistair Smyth 50+ | 15:38:44 |
95 | Simon Vallance 50+ | 15:38:45 |
96 | Vincenco Wilson 50+ | 15:38:46 |
97 | Clive Bandy 40+ | 15:38:52 |
98 | Carl Betts 40+ | 15:40:01 |
99 | Mark Jacobs 40+ | 15:40:06 |
100 | Jon Finch | 15:40:31 |
101 | Dean Thomas | 15:40:43 |
102 | Rachel Meredith 40+ | 15:41:08 |
103 | Fraser Jamieson 50+ | 15:41:38 |
104 | Scott Walker 50+ | 15:42:05 |
105 | Steve Osmond 50+ | 15:42:15 |
106 | Steve Clayton 50+ | 15:43:53 |
107 | John Campbell Gen | 15:46:40 |
108 | Neil Titterton 50+ | 15:48:46 |
109 | Gordon Simpson 50+ | 15:48:54 |
110 | Paul Bruton 40+ | 15:52:06 |
111 | Terry New 50+ | 15:52:35 |
112 | Craig White 40+ | 15:53:36 |
113 | John Fairhurst 40+ | 15:53:36 |
114 | Dominic Seymour 50+ | 15:55:30 |
115 | John Parr 50+ | 15:55:33 |
116 | Duncan Cupit 50+ | 15:56:51 |
117 | Shaun Dutton 50+ | 15:59:39 |
118 | Andy Fletcher 50+ | 15:59:42 |
119 | Shuna Neave | 16:01:03 |
120 | Allan Howatson 40+ | 16:02:55 |
121 | Mark Davies 40+ | 16:04:38 |
122 | Mike Williams 50+ | 16:06:50 |
123 | Adrian Bond 40+ | 16:07:34 |
124 | Peter Thacker 40+ | 16:07:35 |
125 | Greig Milsom 40+ | 16:08:18 |
126 | Luke Pugh | 16:08:46 |
127 | Richard Bruce 40+ | 16:09:44 |
128 | Malcolm Hazle 50+ | 16:10:14 |
129 | Dave Gaskell 40+ | 16:10:38 |
130 | Rod Hill 40+ | 16:10:39 |
131 | Jacques Smith-Woodman Gen | 16:11:00 |
132 | Adrian Kirk 40+ | 16:14:32 |
133 | Ian Wood 40+ | 16:14:33 |
134 | William Hartwell 40+ | 16:16:55 |
135 | Geraint Morton 40+ | 16:17:01 |
136 | Andy Davies 50+ | 16:18:09 |
137 | Graeme Crane 40+ | 16:18:40 |
138 | Mike Busher 40+ | 16:29:34 |
139 | Peter McKernan 40+ | 16:32:04 |
140 | Daniel Mallon 40+ | 16:32:15 |
141 | Wayne Cooper 50+ | 16:35:40 |
142 | David Hormigo 40+ | 16:36:29 |
143 | Carl Davies 50+ | 16:36:31 |
144 | Matthew Brereton 40+ | 16:36:35 |
145 | Jason Davies | 16:38:01 |
146 | Colin Thornton 50+ | 16:38:07 |
147 | Kevin Snowball 50+ | 16:38:10 |
148 | Ben Worrall | 16:38:13 |
149 | Sean Cleary 50+ | 16:38:47 |
150 | Darren Aldous 50+ | 16:39:09 |
151 | Dave Bache 40+ | 16:40:11 |
152 | Ian Mortlock 50+ | 16:40:20 |
153 | Colin Bird 40+ | 16:40:49 |
154 | Andy Taylor 50+ | 16:40:51 |
155 | Andy Robertson 50+ | 16:40:52 |
156 | Richard Blythe | 16:41:14 |
157 | Irfon Thomas 40+ | 16:41:19 |
158 | William Fox Grant 50+ | 16:41:23 |
159 | Chris Mingo 40+ | 16:41:25 |
160 | Jamie Menzies 40+ | 16:42:17 |
161 | Chris Parsons Gen | 16:42:32 |
162 | Iain Shone 50+ | 16:42:52 |
163 | Dale Cochrane 50+ | 16:43:30 |
164 | Ben Howard 50+ | 16:43:35 |
165 | James Noble 40+ | 16:45:24 |
166 | Gareth Davis 40+ | 16:45:27 |
167 | Mike Rodgers | 16:45:42 |
168 | Matthew Bailey 40+ | 16:46:00 |
169 | Nick Coward 50+ | 16:46:17 |
170 | Daniel Bishop 40+ | 16:46:18 |
171 | John Rhoades 40+ | 16:46:51 |
172 | Neil Smailes 50+ | 16:53:01 |
173 | Andy Pugh 50+ | 16:54:24 |
174 | Andy Hemsley 50+ | 16:54:43 |
175 | Chris Elliott 40+ | 16:56:29 |
176 | David Williams 50+ | 16:59:02 |
177 | Sion Davies-Rollinson | 16:59:16 |
178 | Gareth Jones 40+ | 16:59:30 |
179 | Richard Shaw 50+ | 16:59:38 |
180 | Nick Gaunce 50+ | 17:01:02 |
181 | Mike Hale 50+ | 17:01:14 |
182 | Gareth Banks 40+ | 17:02:30 |
183 | George Harris 40+ | 17:04:02 |
184 | Gary Lloyd 50+ | 17:05:11 |
185 | Mark Webster 40+ | 17:06:34 |
186 | Marcus Williams 50+ | 17:07:11 |
187 | Martin Pulley 50+ | 17:07:13 |
188 | Matt Cornish 40+ | 17:07:52 |
189 | Charles Butterfield 40+ | 17:08:27 |
190 | Robert Thomson Gen | 17:08:31 |
191 | Penny Butterfield 40+ | 17:08:31 |
192 | Chris Evans 40+ | 17:08:38 |
193 | Iain Marshall 40+ | 17:08:53 |
194 | Andrew Bottel 50+ | 17:09:57 |
195 | Matthew Jones 50+ | 17:10:00 |
196 | Julian Lee 50+ | 17:10:03 |
197 | Gareth Chislett 40+ | 17:10:03 |
198 | Gari Jones 40+ | 17:11:04 |
199 | David Lewis 50+ | 17:11:33 |
200 | Tony Fisher 50+ | 17:11:37 |
201 | Joss Eastwood Gen | 17:11:40 |
202 | Ciaran Talbot | 17:11:41 |
203 | Steve Eastwood 50+ | 17:11:45 |
204 | Andrew Creese | 17:11:49 |
205 | Mark Blomfield 40+ | 17:11:58 |
206 | Steven Hudson 40+ | 17:11:59 |
207 | Anthony Lloyd 50+ | 17:12:47 |
208 | Alasdair Swanson 50+ | 17:14:13 |
209 | Robert Jennings | 17:15:20 |
210 | Philip McCormick 50+ | 17:15:34 |
211 | Lee Coulson 40+ | 17:15:41 |
212 | Phil Hughes 50+ | 17:16:18 |
213 | Alan Howells 40+ | 17:20:17 |
214 | Stewart Bailey-Smith 40+ | 17:20:21 |
215 | Stuart Robinson 40+ | 17:20:26 |
216 | Richard Banfield 50+ | 17:23:51 |
217 | Adam Mumford Gen | 17:24:46 |
218 | Alistair Hatton 50+ | 17:24:48 |
219 | Michael Bigwood | 17:24:49 |
220 | Dave Moore 50+ | 17:25:07 |
221 | Matt Smith 40+ | 17:25:13 |
222 | Glenn Parry 40+ | 17:25:14 |
223 | Val Ravenhill 50+ | 17:27:04 |
224 | Selwyn Fisher | 17:27:23 |
225 | Andrew Boutflower 40+ | 17:28:20 |
226 | Paul Slaymaker 40+ | 17:28:23 |
227 | Colin Parnell 40+ | 17:28:30 |
228 | David Davies 40+ | 17:28:32 |
229 | Matt Phillips 40+ | 17:28:38 |
230 | Matthew Geer Gen | 17:30:19 |
231 | Adrian Ward 40+ | 17:30:24 |
232 | Olivia Neal Gen | 17:30:38 |
233 | Adrian Aspinall 50+ | 17:30:39 |
234 | David Swann 40+ | 17:31:00 |
235 | Anthony Kelly 50+ | 17:31:38 |
236 | Andy Coldwell 50+ | 17:33:18 |
237 | Matthew Griffiths 50+ | 17:33:57 |
238 | Kevin Geer 50+ | 17:34:27 |
239 | Steve Brooks 50+ | 17:41:53 |
240 | Doug Davy 40+ | 17:42:16 |
241 | Jonathan Kettlewell 50+ | 17:42:20 |
242 | David Dodsworth 40+ | 17:42:22 |
243 | Paul Wright 50+ | 17:47:32 |
244 | John Dunne 50+ | 17:48:35 |
245 | Alexander Croft | 17:49:26 |
246 | Struan Lownie 40+ | 17:50:09 |
247 | Paul Carmody | 17:50:29 |
248 | Paul Lawton 50+ | 17:51:44 |
249 | Chris Strickland 50+ | 17:52:50 |
250 | Alex MacKie 40+ | 17:53:19 |
251 | Steve Ward 40+ | 17:54:44 |
252 | Mark Sargent 50+ | 17:57:14 |
253 | Wendy Carrington 50+ | 17:57:19 |
254 | Simon Sinclair 40+ | 17:57:26 |
255 | Darren Joint 40+ | 17:57:27 |
256 | Nathan Lee Gen | 17:57:52 |
257 | Roger Clay 40+ | 17:58:33 |
258 | Peter Whitbread-Abrutat 50+ | 18:00:10 |
259 | Martin Fido 50+ | 18:00:26 |
260 | Paul Harris 40+ | 18:00:33 |
261 | Nicholas Pounder 40+ | 18:00:53 |
262 | Paul Stubbs-Jefferies 50+ | 18:02:46 |
263 | Peter Ford 50+ | 18:03:30 |
264 | Jessica Notzing | 18:04:49 |
265 | Rich Brown 40+ | 18:05:03 |
266 | Mathew Nicholls 40+ | 18:06:39 |
267 | Shane Wolstencroft 50+ | 18:07:21 |
268 | Andrew Keary 40+ | 18:08:23 |
269 | Neil Duncombe | 18:08:25 |
270 | Scott Armstrong | 18:08:28 |
271 | Ben Green | 18:08:29 |
272 | James Upton 40+ | 18:09:21 |
273 | Phil Wilson 40+ | 18:09:35 |
274 | Ian Smith 50+ | 18:10:31 |
275 | Andy Davies 40+ | 18:10:34 |
276 | Justin Crook 40+ | 18:11:01 |
277 | Jonathan Harris 40+ | 18:11:10 |
278 | Adam Edmundson 40+ | 18:11:13 |
279 | Ben Collier 40+ | 18:11:17 |
280 | Andrew Brown 40+ | 18:11:18 |
281 | David Morgan 40+ | 18:11:28 |
282 | John Moulds 50+ | 18:12:57 |
283 | Simon Fox 50+ | 18:12:58 |
284 | Marcin Saczek | 18:13:07 |
285 | Steve Rayers 40+ | 18:13:15 |
286 | David Moore | 18:13:54 |
287 | Phil Darlington 50+ | 18:15:23 |
288 | Ashley Cooper 50+ | 18:19:10 |
289 | James Vaughan 40+ | 18:19:11 |
290 | Dickie Davis 50+ | 18:19:23 |
291 | Ben Voisey 50+ | 18:19:28 |
292 | Sion Hunnam 40+ | 18:19:39 |
293 | Craig Pattison 40+ | 18:20:15 |
294 | Iwan George | 18:20:17 |
295 | Struan Marshall 50+ | 18:20:30 |
296 | Christopher Hughes 40+ | 18:20:32 |
297 | Simon Storey 40+ | 18:20:41 |
298 | Peter Satchwell 40+ | 18:20:46 |
299 | Andrew Floyd | 18:20:48 |
300 | Chris Taylor 50+ | 18:20:51 |
301 | Peter Gill 40+ | 18:22:43 |
302 | Richard Havercroft 40+ | 18:22:53 |
303 | Tim Simmons 40+ | 18:23:00 |
304 | Huw Davies 40+ | 18:23:15 |
305 | Neil John 40+ | 18:24:14 |
306 | Dan Simmons 50+ | 18:24:20 |
307 | Jamie Buckle 40+ | 18:24:26 |
308 | Ellie Salisbury 50+ | 18:25:59 |
309 | Chloe Rafferty 40+ | 18:26:39 |
310 | Martin Staples Gen | 18:27:55 |
311 | Ian Woodley 50+ | 18:27:57 |
312 | Jeffrey Fidler 50+ | 18:36:27 |
313 | Huw James 50+ | 18:37:23 |
314 | Louise Clague 50+ | 18:37:24 |
315 | Ben Hagger 40+ | 18:37:44 |
316 | Matthew Eglin 40+ | 18:37:46 |
317 | Mark Lavington 50+ | 18:37:48 |
318 | Steven Walsh 40+ | 18:37:50 |
319 | John Keegan 40+ | 18:37:58 |
320 | Cem Azakli 50+ | 18:38:09 |
321 | Sarah Weinberg | 18:39:11 |
322 | Dan Robson 50+ | 18:39:22 |
323 | Mark Prust 50+ | 18:39:25 |
324 | Adam Horrocks | 18:39:39 |
325 | James Coull 50+ | 18:39:47 |
326 | Simon Lovett 40+ | 18:40:28 |
327 | Yianni Karakousis | 18:41:51 |
328 | Martyn Gibbons 40+ | 18:41:55 |
329 | Philip Dearden 50+ | 18:44:03 |
330 | Matthew Rowe 50+ | 18:44:54 |
331 | Melville Jackson 50+ | 18:52:18 |
332 | Ian Price 50+ | 18:52:36 |
333 | Darren Payne 40+ | 18:52:55 |
334 | John O’Brien 40+ | 18:53:42 |
335 | Ed Slater 40+ | 18:54:19 |
336 | Gareth Dixon | 18:54:35 |
337 | Dafydd Gibby 40+ | 18:55:12 |
338 | Wayne Owen 50+ | 18:59:15 |
339 | Simon Pollitt | 19:01:35 |
340 | Ryan March | 19:01:39 |
341 | Paul Denham 50+ | 19:03:22 |
342 | Noam Sohachevsky 40+ | 19:03:49 |
343 | Stephen Webster 50+ | 19:10:10 |
344 | Adrian Carr 40+ | 19:10:13 |
345 | John Sammut 40+ | 19:15:43 |
346 | Craig Beaton | 19:16:14 |
347 | Paul Taylor 50+ | 19:17:43 |
348 | Phil Michael 40+ | 19:18:39 |
349 | David Smith 50+ | 19:19:07 |
350 | William Keeling 50+ | 19:20:24 |
351 | Pete Openshaw 50+ | 19:20:26 |
352 | Michael Matthews 50+ | 19:24:50 |
353 | Nathan Harper | 19:24:53 |
354 | Clayton Shorthouse 50+ | 19:25:01 |
355 | Kate Humphrey 40+ | 19:28:55 |
356 | David Williams 50+ | 19:30:52 |
357 | Mark Ford 50+ | 19:30:52 |
358 | Ian Reynolds 50+ | 19:30:58 |
359 | Peter Dawson 50+ | 19:32:13 |
360 | Matthew Allenby 40+ | 19:33:30 |
361 | Andrew Davies 50+ | 19:34:40 |
362 | Maxwell Hodson 50+ | 19:34:58 |
363 | Matthew James 40+ | 19:37:07 |
PHOTOS: Wales In A Day / Open Cycling
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