And so, in January, Morton set off from the Auckland darkness on a mission to make it to Wellington, at the other end of New Zealand’s North Island, before the end of the day.
Morton dug deep, cheered on by his support crew in a trailing van, and ultimately reached the finish at 10.36pm, 18 hours and 28 minutes after leaving Auckland – an hour-and-a-half faster than Fleck’s time.
“Considering the context – equipment at the time, and the fact he was a 43-year-old with a full-time job,” Morton marvels in a short film that recounts the Auckland to Wellington ride.
In honouring Fleck’s record, Morton and his support team – the Australian rides for World Tour team EF Pro Cycling – minimised reliance on modern advancements.
Australian cyclist’s day began at 4.09am in Auckland, New Zealand, and ended 18-and-a-half hours later in Wellington.
