NorthCape4000: Stéven Le Hyaric’s New Record

Just a few days after completing the first stage of his 666 project (6 deserts, 6 months, 6 continents), adventurer and extreme cyclist Stéven Le Hyaric won the NorthCape 4000, an ultra-race of over 4000 km between Lake Garda in Rovereto, Italy, and North Cape in Norway, passing through 11 countries, and beating the event record by more than 48 hours. He tells us about this extraordinary human and sporting adventure, where he was able to win thanks to his preparation and experience.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: @NorthCape4000, Stéven Le Hyaric,@florentschneidr

From the Namib Desert (covered in 18 days for 4250 km with a 90% gravel route) to the northernmost point of Europe at North Cape, it took Stéven Le Hyaric just over three weeks to go from one desert to another. “The last part of the NorthCape route is desert-like, with a very low population density, he begins. From Finland and in Norway, resupply points are rare.” The only difference, and not the least: the climate.

From the humid and suffocating heat of the shores of Lake Garda, passing through the mountains in Slovenia, the plains in Hungary, the valleys of Slovakia, the flat and windy roads of Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, to the roller coaster hills of Finland before arriving in Norway, the cold and rain gripped the competitors as they moved north. “I had gotten used to the dry and arid climate of Namibia, Stéven Le Hyaric continues. On the first few hundred kilometers of the NorthCape, I felt like I was suffocating. But I saw many competitors leave with minimal equipment for this long unsupported event. For my part, I had planned two bib shorts and two jerseys, arm warmers and leg warmers, two pairs of gloves, shoe covers, a light padded jacket and a light waterproof jacket, and a skullcap to wear under the helmet. To ride at night and in cool conditions, it was the minimum.“

Minimum rest

After crossing Slovenia, where he is still far from the lead, Stéven Le Hyaric settles into his cruising pace and accumulates between 15 and 21 hours of cycling per day. Including all stops during the day. Because to stay in the race, he quickly has to adapt his rest protocol compared to his competitors. In this type of event, you have to choose to ride fast and sleep long, or ride slower and settle for micro-naps of five to 30 minutes. “I allowed myself two short hotel nights over the 10 days of the event, he continues. Each time, I took the opportunity to take a good shower, wash my bib shorts and jerseys, collapse for three or four hours on a good mattress, and leave with damp bib shorts. For the rest, I knew I was capable of riding between 23 and 30 km/h during the day, and between 20 and 26 km/h at night, without drawing too much on my reserves. I managed my stops according to resupply points, in grocery stores or gas stations most often, and especially according to the stops of my competitors, whom I followed on the GPS tracker. I also had to regularly reinflate my front tire because I was losing pressure, but it held up. The one who stops to sleep four or five hours easily loses a hundred kilometers. For two-thirds of the event, there was a German in the lead who rode fast and stopped little. But after seven days, he completely cracked. For my part, I proceed more in bursts. I set myself small goals. Every 50 km, I try to accelerate to shake myself up a bit, to avoid falling into a routine. Then I sit up and recover. But I keep moving forward.”

A serious competitor

Three days from the finish, the Parisian takes the lead and never lets go, even if he has to manage with only a five-hour lead over his direct pursuer. “I managed my stops according to his, and I accelerated or slowed down according to his pace. The closer we got to the finish, the more determined I felt and certain of winning, even if in this kind of event, emotions are heightened and you go through all sorts of states. There were difficult moments. We can’t say that we go through dangerous roads, but I wasn’t necessarily reassured riding at night in Slovenia or Slovakia, where you can encounter bears. From Poland and crossing the Baltic countries, the roads are monotonous and not at all designed for cyclists. You have to remain constantly vigilant. The weather conditions were also difficult. But my competitive spirit quickly takes over in these conditions, explains the former Elite racer. To finish, I completed 718 km in one go.” At the finish, the other Frenchman Bruno De Rambuteau conceded 4h41 to Stéven Le Hyaric, after 4480 km of effort. The third and fourth, the Germans Martin Temmen, finished almost 40 hours later.

Coffee and chocolate

Accustomed to this type of event, Stéven Le Hyaric also knows how to eat throughout the day, but he has to make do with what he finds on the road, and also with his budget. “I left with about fifty energy bars, enough to make a dozen liters of drink, but I also ate 30 chocolate bars of 200 g, about fifty chocolate bars and a lot of sandwiches. But I don’t eat meat, and the further north I went, the harder it was to find even an egg sandwich. Prices are also very high in northern Europe, and we even saw a competitor get away with a bill of €118 for provisions at a gas station! Coca-Cola, water and coffee in quantity also accompanied me throughout the journey. My first real hot meal, I was only able to enjoy it by taking the ferry between Tallinn and Helsinki (two hours crossing).”

It was in an equally austere atmosphere that he was welcomed as the winner at North Cape by the organizers. To the applause of a very sparse audience, Stéven Le Hyaric received a handshake and a finisher’s diploma at the same time as he learned that he had shattered the event record. He didn’t even get a free coffee, despite the €450 entry fee, and even though he had already done a lot for the event’s reputation with hundreds of Stories published on social media while he was cycling. He then had to make his own way back to France. “This type of event is still not very publicized and for now only recognized by true ultra-distance specialists. There is nothing to gain from it, except self-transcendence. This is not my first experience, nor my first victory, and I have other goals in mind in the medium term, notably to go and challenge the Americans at home on the Trans Am Bike Race (crossing the United States from West to East unsupported) or on the Great Divide (crossing from North to South, on Gravel). But this will necessarily be in addition to the 666 project, which I absolutely want to complete to raise awareness about climate change, and which for now poses some logistical problems given the health crisis,” he concludes.

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