SARAH RUGGINS RIDES INTO THE RECORD BOOKS WITH DACIA BY HER SIDE

• Dr Sarah Ruggins has set a new outright record on the 6,000km Tarifa to North Cape route, completing her One Way North challenge in 13 days, 20 hours, 27 minutes
• The achievement sees Sarah beat the previous record of 16 days, 20 hours and 59 minutes on one of endurance cycling's toughest routes
• Dacia Bigster and Dacia Duster support vehicles travelled across 9 countries alongside the attempt, helping keep the challenge moving around the clock
• The support crew and vehicles carried equipment, spare parts, food and medical supplies while operating as a mobile base for the team throughout the journey
• The challenge also raised funds for World Bicycle Relief, continuing Sarah's commitment to using endurance sport as a force for good

Dr Sarah Ruggins has ridden into the record books, setting a new outright benchmark on the brutal 6,000km Tarifa to North Cape route and turning her One Way North ambition into reality, with Dacia Bigster and Duster support vehicles alongside her every kilometre of the way.

Completing the route in 13 days, 20 hours, 27 minutes, Sarah beat the previous record by a margin of 3 days, 37 minutes, on a challenge widely regarded as one of the toughest in endurance cycling. Spanning 9 countries, more than 52,000 metres of ascent and everything from searing southern European heat to Arctic temperatures, the route demands relentless physical and mental resilience from start to finish.

Sarah’s triumph marks an extraordinary milestone in a cycling career that only began in 2023, after she spent years recovering from a severe neurological illness that left her nearly paralysed and forced her to relearn how to walk and use her hands.

While Sarah pushed north through heat, rain, mountains and Arctic conditions, the Dacia support crew faced an endurance challenge of its own. Travelling almost continuously for more than two weeks, the Dacia Bigster and Dacia Duster became rolling logistics hubs, carrying kit, spare parts, food, medical supplies and the people responsible for keeping the record attempt moving around the clock.

Far more than transport, the vehicles became a mobile base for the team as they crossed Europe together. Whether providing a place to rest between shifts, transporting equipment to the next rendezvous point or helping the crew stay one step ahead of the challenge, they played a vital role in supporting the attempt from Tarifa to North Cape. Throughout the record attempt, a Dacia support vehicle stayed with Sarah on the road, helping keep her safe while providing the constant backing needed for a challenge where every minute mattered.

In fact, the Dacia Bigster used as Sarah’s follow vehicle was stationary for fewer than 30 hours, meaning it spent almost the entire record in motion behind her. Meanwhile, the Dacia Duster Hybrid used by the media team only needed five fuel stops in total, despite days spent chasing the story from the road rather than from behind a desk.

Inside the cars, it was the small comforts that mattered just as much as the big logistics. In the Bigster, heated seats helped bring Sarah back up to temperature during the short cat naps that kept her moving north, while the Duster’s Sleep Pack proved so comfortable that the media team abandoned their hotel in the middle of the night and headed back to the car. 

Dr Sarah Ruggins said: “To me, this record proves that women can compete alongside men at the elite level - and I hope it's a powerful statement to every woman who wants to try.”

Lina Ribeiro, Brand Director for Dacia UK, said: “Sarah’s achievement is awe-inspiring, but what makes it so powerful is where it started. She only began cycling a few years ago and has now ridden further than most of us would dream of driving. That’s a reminder that adventure doesn’t begin with a world record. It begins with saying yes to something new, getting outside and seeing where the road can take you. For Dacia, helping people do that in real life is what matters.”

The attempt also raised funds for World Bicycle Relief, The Times' Charity of the Year, helping provide life-changing access to bicycles in communities around the world.

ENDS

ABOUT DACIA:
Born in 1968, then relaunched by Renault Group from 2004 across Europe and Mediterranean countries, Dacia has always offered the best value for money cars by constantly redefining the essentials.

As a game-changer, Dacia proposes simple, multi-purpose, reliable cars in tune with customers’ lifestyles. Dacia models have become a reference on the market, including Sandero, the best-selling retail car in Europe each year since 2017 and the best-selling car in Europe in 2024, full stop; Duster, the best-selling SUV to European private customers since 2018 and the second most sold car to customers in 2024; Jogger, the C-segment versatile family car; Spring, the UK’s most affordable electric car; and Bigster, offering buyers of larger, family-friendly cars the robust, well-equipped, great value for money that they have been longing for.

Present in 44 countries, Dacia has sold more than 10 million vehicles since 2004. Dacia launched in the UK in January 2013 and enjoyed the most successful start ever for a new car brand. More than 260,000 Dacia vehicles have been sold in the UK to date.

For further information please visit www.press.dacia.co.uk or contact:

Charlie Roper
Dacia PR & Communications Manager
charlie.roper@dacia.com

Jim Holder
Renault Group UK Communications Director
jim.holder@renault.co.uk