Tour de Four

How fast could four female amateurs relay-ride the length of Britain?CW speaks to their captain Louise Vardeman fresh from the finish line

- David Bradford

Two years ago, Louise Vardeman brought together a group of 10 amateur female riders to join forces with Donnons des Elles au Velo J-1 – a team of French women who since 2015 have ridden every stage of the Tour de France, one day ahead of the pro men, to promote gender equality. Having recruited riders of various nationalities, Vardeman named her squad the InternationElles.

After successfully completing the Tour route in 2019, the InternationElles aimed to join the Donnons des Elles project again in 2020, but Covid got in the way. Instead they rode the distance and elevation of the Tour by means of two virtual challenges. With pandemic restrictions still in place this year, they were again forced to come up with a plan-B. “Everyone has heard of Land’s End to John o’ Groats and everyone loves Guinness World Records, so I thought, let’s look at what records are available.”

The record the team chose was LEJOG as a continuous relay in a team of four: Vardeman herself as team captain, divvying up the 1,349km (838 miles) with Jess Fawcett, 31, Rhian Denton, 32 and Jules Cass, 32. There was no existing mark, so provided they finished, their place in the record books was guaranteed. That said, it’s not in Vardeman’s nature to settle for the easily achievable. “Guinness advised us to attempt 50 hours, based on the existing two- and eight-person relay records,” says the 43-year-old, “so we decided to target 48 hours.”