‘Professional biking is completely disconnected from the truth of the on a regular basis instrument that may be a bicycle’_ TCR rider Marin de Saint-Exupéry
The Transcontinental Race (TCR), Europe’s most excessive self-supported extremely biking race, is underway, with over 350 riders heading from Belgium to Greece.
A kind of racing is Marin de Saint-Exupéry, a 26-year-old extremely bicycle owner from Switzerland. Saint-Exupéry is taking up his fourth TCR, and is hoping to enhance on his fifth place final 12 months.
Saint-Exupéry, who by day is a motorbike messenger, has been vocal in encouraging riders to be extra acutely aware of their environmental footprint, and to take trains and boats as a substitute of planes, and in some instances, trip, to races.
He has used trains and boats to get to and from each TCR he has executed up to now, and for this 12 months’s TCR Saint-Exupéry caught a practice from his house in Lausanne to Brussels and rode 50km to the beginning line.
Notably, TCR organisers, Misplaced Dot, launched a Inexperienced Leaderboard and a Low Carbon Journey Fund for TCRno9. 78 riders dedicated to travelling to and from the race with out flying, and Misplaced Dot provided a £250 grant for 10 riders to make travelling overland extra accessible.
Saint-Exupéry is presently head down racing the TCR, however we caught up with him simply earlier than he set off.
That is your fourth TCR, why do you retain coming again?
Saint-Exupéry: ‘I’ve progressed yearly and I can really feel myself getting stronger. This 12 months I need to be on the entrance of the race with the tremendous robust racers.
‘The primary time I did the TCR the objective was to simply end the race, I got here second final, about one hour earlier than the time restrict. Then I got here again to enhance my inserting and got here seventeenth. Final 12 months I wished to complete within the entrance of the race, I had a fairly unhealthy begin however managed to shut the hole and end fifth. I’ve progressed yearly, and that’s what I’m using once more this 12 months.
Extremely racing is tough sufficient, why would you trip to an occasion after which race?
Saint-Exupéry: ‘I wish to trip to the beginning of the race the place there is no such thing as a apparent technique of practice transport. In Europe the trains are nice, and the TCR is an enormous objective and using to the race is tiring, so I made a decision to get a practice.
‘When there is no such thing as a practice to get to a race or it might take weeks by practice, then it makes a whole lot of sense to do it my bike. It’s an excuse to have a pleasant journey. I’ve found that perhaps you’re extra drained whenever you arrive on the race however you’re additionally extra acclimatised to the nation. For instance once I cycled to the Atlas Mountain Race in Morocco, I used to be used to Morocco and my abdomen was used to the nation too. So it was an enormous bonus.
‘However after all it additionally relies on the situation. I rode to the Silk Street Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan [and won it] however that’s not lifelike for 99% of the racers. However for Morocco a couple of folks requested me for tips on getting there by bike. I believe it may well actually assist seeing somebody do it, and present folks it’s potential, and doable, you’ll be able to get pleasure from it, and you may win it in any case that like I did.
‘Each TCR I’ve executed I’ve at all times come by boat and practice, it’s at all times been a brilliant good reminiscence of being somewhat group of riders who trip collectively and share tales about our races. I hope this 12 months there shall be a correct large group trip to the boat after the race.’
How do you’re feeling concerning the TCR introducing a Inexperienced Leaderboard and Low Carbon Journey Fund?
Saint-Exupéry: ‘It’s actually nice that the race organisers are doing the inexperienced classification. The TCR is the race which made me fall in love with extremely racing and to see it create these initiatives that are tremendous necessary makes me actually comfortable. I hope it can encourage extra folks to cycle to races, to get trains and boats, moderately than take an airplane.
‘Even when a couple of folks begin doing it, it may well change mentalities slowly and encourage different folks to ask themselves why they should fly to a race. Clearly you need to journey the world and uncover new issues, but it surely’s necessary to make folks acutely aware of the carbon footprint of flying and likewise present that using to a race is a pleasant starting.’
What’s your technique for TCRno9?
Saint-Exupéry: ‘I don’t have a technique. The objective is to outlive the beginning of the race after which it may well solely be nice.
‘There are a couple of different off-road parcours on this 12 months’s TCR that are shortcuts. They might value lots as a result of they’re off street however I believe I’ll attempt them, relying on the climate. I don’t suppose everybody will do that so it could possibly be helpful.
‘I assume the race shall be gained in lower than eight days, so that might be the objective. However it’s at all times tough to say in such a protracted race. If the climate is unhealthy, it may well change a whole lot of issues, so we’ll see.’
How do you practice for a race just like the TCR?
Saint-Exupéry: ‘Due to my day-to-day job as a motorbike messenger I rack up a whole lot of kilometres each month however I additionally practice outdoors of my job.
‘You need to practice lots if you wish to have success on TCR. I practice like a professional athlete would outdoors of my job with a couple of diversifications. I’ve a coach, I do a whole lot of bikepacking journeys to get into the move of being outdoors and handle conditions whichgo incorrect. The coaching itself is interval coaching and a whole lot of base miles.
‘Each TCR up to now I’ve ridden on a metal bike and this 12 months is not any completely different. I’m using a Fairlight Strael.’
And eventually, what do you concentrate on professional biking and its function in inspiring folks to trip bikes?
Saint-Exupéry: ‘I believe professional biking is completely disconnected from the truth of the on a regular basis instrument that may be a bicycle. It’s not inspiring on a regular basis mobility and I believe that’s a disgrace, as biking can accomplish that a lot for this.
‘I used to be lately on the Want One Gravel Race in Milau, France. The primary sponsor of the occasion was Whole so I had ready to put on a biking jersey which mentioned ‘the bike doesn’t want gasoline’. I used to be given the mic and selected to talk about greenwashing within the trade. I believe everybody was stunned but it surely’s tremendous necessary, biking deserves so a lot better.
‘It made me suppose what an actual professional might do in the event that they took the mic and spoke about it. However nobody is doing it.’
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