Lachlan Morton facts for kids
Morton at the 2014 Tour de l'Ain
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lachlan David Morton | ||
| Nickname | Lachy | ||
| Born | 2 January 1992 Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Weight | 62 kg (137 lb) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | EF Education–EasyPost | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | Climber (road) | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Lachlan David Morton, born on January 2, 1992, is an amazing Australian cyclist. He is known for both gravel and road cycling. Lachlan currently rides for the EF Education–EasyPost team, which is a top-level professional cycling team. He is famous for his incredible long-distance cycling adventures.
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Lachlan Morton's Cycling Journey
Lachlan grew up in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia. He started his cycling career in development teams. This helped him get ready for professional racing.
In 2016, Lachlan had a very successful year. He won stages and the overall title at races like the Tour of the Gila and the Tour of Utah. These big wins helped him join a major professional team in 2017. He even competed in the 2017 Vuelta a España, one of the biggest cycling races in the world. Later, in 2020, he also took part in the 2020 Giro d'Italia.
Amazing Long Rides
Lachlan Morton loves to push his limits with super long bike rides, called ultra-distance cycling.
- In 2014, he rode an incredible 2,500-kilometre (1,600-mile) from his hometown to Uluru with his brother, Angus Morton. They even made a documentary about it called "Thereabouts."
- They made another film in 2015, "Thereabouts Reprise," about a 600-mile (970-kilometre) ride across the Colorado Rockies.
- In 2017, their third film, "Thereabouts Colombia," showed their cycling adventures in Colombia.
In 2019, Lachlan took on several tough challenges. He was the first to finish the 2019 GBDuro. This was a 2,000-kilometre (1,200-mile) ride across the United Kingdom, from Land's End to John o' Groats. In May 2020, he set a new record on the 142-mile (229-kilometre) Kokopelli's Trail in the United States, finishing in just 11 hours and 14 minutes. Later that year, he won the Badlands race, a 700-kilometer challenge across the Iberian Peninsula.
The Tour Divide Challenge
The Tour Divide is a very tough mountain bike race across the Great Divide. Riders must carry all their own gear. In 2023, Lachlan Morton rode the route in 12 days, 12 hours, and 21 minutes. This was the fastest known time ever! However, his ride is not an official record. This is because he made some small changes to the route and had a media crew with him. The official rules say riders must be completely self-supported.
Conquering Mountains: Everesting
Lachlan once held the world record for Everesting. This challenge means you cycle up and down a hill repeatedly until you have climbed the same height as Mount Everest (8,848 meters or 29,029 feet). Lachlan completed this amazing feat in just 7 hours, 29 minutes, and 57 seconds on June 20, 2020. Other riders have since beaten his time, but it was a huge achievement!
The 2021 Alt Tour
In 2021, Lachlan did something truly incredible called the "Alt Tour." He rode the entire 2021 Tour de France route, including the parts between stages, all by himself and without any support. He did this to raise money for World Bicycle Relief, a charity that provides bikes to people in need.
He started on the same day as the official Tour de France. Lachlan rode for about 12 hours a day, building up a lead on the professional peloton (the main group of riders). After riding 5,510-kilometre (3,420-mile) over 16 days, he finished in Paris about five days before the official race ended! It was an amazing display of endurance and determination.
Cycling Around Australia
In 2024, Lachlan Morton set out to break another big record: cycling around Australia. He successfully completed this massive challenge! In October 2024, it was reported that he set a new record of 30 days, nine hours, and 59 minutes. This was a huge improvement on the previous record of 37 days, 20 hours, and 45 minutes, set in 2011.
Major Achievements
Lachlan Morton has achieved many great things in his cycling career. He has won overall titles in stage races like the Tour of Utah and the Tour of the Gila. He has also won individual stages in many races. Beyond traditional road racing, he has excelled in ultra-distance events, setting records and completing incredible challenges like the GBDURO and his unofficial fastest time on the Tour Divide. His "Alt Tour" and record-breaking ride around Australia show his unique spirit and incredible endurance.
See also
In Spanish: Lachlan Morton para niños
