-My inspiration was Ken Judd. He passed away early last year, but before that he asked me to take over if he couldn’t finish. He told me I’d have to do a bloody good job - otherwise, he’d haunt me for the rest of my life, says Bernie with a laugh.
READ: Two-time runner-up, Ken Judd
Happy With a Podium Finish
The 93-year-old from Galanos House in England quickly established himself among the leaders but suddenly faced a strong challenge from an Australian cyclist.
Because Australia is in a different time zone, the Australian teams had already finished their rides by the time daylight broke in England. This gave Bernie the advantage of knowing exactly how many kilometers he needed to cover to secure the title.
-I was hoping for second place for Ken’s sake, but I would’ve been happy with third as well. But I managed to take the top spot on the last day, says Bernie, adding that many fellow cyclists and staff were cheering him on throughout the competition.
With a total distance of 4,801.3 kilometers, it was just enough - making Bernie the first-ever English world champion in the men’s category.