FRIENDS of Mike Hall, an ultra-distance cyclist from Abbeycwmhir, have held an Audax event in his memory.

More than 500 long-distance cyclists took part in the ‘This is not a Tour’ event along the roads of Mid Wales where Mike and his partner Anna lived.

Mike Hall, 35, died in March 2017 after being hit by a car near the Australian capital, Canberra, during the Indian Pacific Wheel race.

County Times:

A group of riders gathering in Temple Gardens waiting for the go-ahead from Mark Rigby, one of the main organisers of the events. (Photo: James Gillies)

Mike, an outstanding cyclist, tackled the Trans American route, Indian Pacific Wheel and ran the Transcontinental event for a number of years.

Following his sudden death, Mike’s friends in the UK Audax community felt the need to plan a group ride that encapsulated his spirit.

On Friday, June 1 to Sunday, June 3, more than a dozen rides of distances between 100 and 600km featured in the event hosted by Highland Moors Guest House and Conference Centre and run with support from the Audax Association

The rides were completed over a period of up to 40 hours for the longest event.

County Times:

Mark Rigby checking riders details. (Photo: James Gillies)

Pat Hall, Mike’s mum, spent the weekend with the cyclists and organisers and enjoyed time with them on the Sunday evening with a hog roast and ale.

Most riders came back relatively unscathed having enjoyed the breathtaking scenery”.

County Times:

Front row from third left: Jo and Mayor John Williams, Mike's Mum Pat Hall, Mark Rigby, James Gillies. Back row: Sue Green, behind Mayor John Williams and Jeff Green, owners of Highland Moors hosted the weekend's events. (Photo: James Gillies)

“Driven by the challenge of self-supported adventure, Mike often rode 400km days on his bikepacking races, was keen to incorporate a bit of gravel into his Welsh road training rides and was certainly not shy of hills,” said the event’s website.

“Having talked it over, and ideas shared with Mike’s close family and friends, a plan was hatched for a 2018 Audax UK calendar event. The result was a challenging 400km mixed surface route with some of the steepest 7,500 meters of ascent you’ll ride in Wales. We felt that Mike would approve.”

Talks are already underway to host another event for 2019 in Mike’s memory.