Steve Abraham ends Highest Annual Mileage Record attempt (video)

Steve Abraham has ended his attempt to set a new cycling Highest Annual Mileage Record (HAMR).

Abraham announced the decision to call time on his attempt via a statement posted via Facebook and a video posted on YouTube on Friday morning.

"With great sadness, Steve Abraham has made the decision to end his second attempt on the Highest Annual Mileage World Record," said the statement.

"Steve's aim has always been to break the record (he didn’t want to come second, or third). After careful consideration of his current performance - and after lengthy discussions with the support team - Steve decided on Thursday 21 January 2016 that he will officially withdraw from his ongoing attempt on the Highest Annual Mileage Record.

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"As you can imagine, the decision to end this attempt has not been an easy one. Steve would like to thank you all for your incredible support. For now he will undertake a well earned period of rest and recovery, before deciding on any plans for the future."

Abraham talked more about the decision in a YouTube video, saying: "I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not going to get the record, so I've decided to stop."

"I had a schedule to get the record, and I'm just not doing enough. I'm getting further and further behind and I don't think there's any way I can get back on it again."

"The only way I can do more is by getting faster, but the only way I can get faster is by doing less."

"It's not in my interest to carry on. I don't want second best, I want the best."

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Abraham started his attempt on January 1 2015, with the intention of riding until the end of the year to break Tommy Godwin's 1939 mark of 75,065 miles. However, he was hit by a moped in March and broke his ankle. This forced Abraham to take a break from the attempt, and he subsequently 'reset' the attempt timeframe in August 2015, intending to carry on until August 2016.

Meanwhile, American Kurt Searvogel bettered Godwin's record in January, elevating the record to 76,076 miles and effectively changing the daily mileage target for Abraham.

Another rider is also attempting to set a record for the most number of miles ridden in a year. British-based New Zealander Dave Bruce Berkeley started his attempt at the beginning of January, but has been disqualified by the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association for not complying to its regulations. Berkeley is carrying on regardless, and has said that his record attempt will be ratified by Guinness World Records.