TPA25 set off from Lockerbie on a scorching July morning, with 17 riders heading north into the Scottish Borders before turning south for the long journey to Brimscombe. The heat and a lack of resupply made for a demanding first day, but the pace was quick, with seven riders reaching Falstone Bridge within 90 minutes of Thomas Martinus.
Callum Cant was the first to be hit by bad luck, discovering a badly dented rim that evening. When a passing local cyclist offered him a spare wheel, he accepted after a chat with us and rode on outside of classification – remarkably, on his first ever ride of more than a day.
Out front, 24-hour time trialist Mark Turnbull took the lead at Hardknott Pass, surviving on power naps for the first two days. Behind him, Chris Murkin climbed Hardknott seated the whole way, fuelled by an enormous plate of bangers and mash. But the weather turned on Monday, and by Tuesday riders were facing torrential rain and strong winds in North Wales, with some roads beginning to flood. Ken van Someren, Thomas Martinus, Ian Mitchelson, Mat Ivings and Chris Murkin were among those forced to scratch.
Mark pressed on regardless, despite a detour through a field of wheat, a GPS failure that left him navigating by phone and a crash that broke his derailleur and cost him his easiest gears. He reached Brimscombe in the early hours of Friday, finishing in 135 hours and 40 minutes once his time was adjusted for a road closure. Callum Cant arrived later that morning, with Mark Baker taking second place shortly afterwards. Mike Redshaw completed the podium just before sunrise on Saturday.
Callum Rae, who scratched in 2024, returned to finish fourth, spending his final night in a shepherd’s hut after a booking mix-up. Pascal Vandenbussche, who rode to the start from the ferry and home again afterwards, tracked down a bike shop in someone’s house in Tywyn to fix his brakes, before finishing alongside Tim Brown – who had come close to scratching after a miserable day around Bowland. In all, seven of the 17 starters made it to the finish.
