Three years ago, Alec Gates was learning to walk again after a near-fatal cycling accident. From his hospital bed, the Transcontinental Race became a goal to work towards. This year, he spent 17 days riding across Europe, navigating his own route and managing everything from food and sleep to the kit he relied on each day. We caught up with Alec to hear about the moments that tested him, the freedom he found along the way and how his CIOVITA apparel held up through long days in the saddle.
1. What does the Transcontinental Race involve, and what drew you to enter?
The transcontinental race involves cycling a self-made route from one side of Europe to the other. It usually ends up being between 4,000 - 5,000km long. Part of the race is also creating the fastest, most efficient route without going on banned routes and navigating all the checkpoints. I was drawn into this race while I laying in hospital from a near fatal cycling accident 3 years ago. I was told by doctors I would never be able to walk properly again, much less be able to ride a bike due to the severity of my injuries. I kept watching video after video about this race and put it in my head that thats my goal to recovery. At the time, I had broken my femur, fractured my pelvis on both sides in several places, broken ribs on the front and back of my left side, and had severe trauma to my kidneys and liver. I had to re-learn how to walk.
2. How did you prepare, and what was impossible to prepare for?
There are many aspects to prepare for this race, not just being physically fit. I had have confidence in my choice of route, my bike, the kit I would wear and many other things. I trained for long rides for days on end. I practiced packing and unpacking pieces of kits on my bike to know and understand what works and what does not. I was not able to prepare for the mental aspect of being on the bike and alone for such a long time.
3. What did a typical day on the road look like?
A typical day would be waking up after 5 hours of sleep, packing up the bike, and riding for 18 hours or so. I would be consistently thinking about what I need to eat next, where I should stop for resupply, how many km are left, and always planning into the future. The clock is always ticking to get to the next checkpoint and finish in time to stay in GC. Sometimes I would listen to music or talk to myself on the longer stints of the ride. I would try and reach 125km before noon and a minimum of 275km before bed, anything more than that I would judge on how I felt for the day or if I needed to push more.
4. Which CIOVITA pieces did you take, and how did you choose what to pack?
I chose to take the Apex H1 pro jersey in black and white along with the APEX cargo bibs. I brought only 2 bibs for the trip just in case it would rain and I could have a spare dry one for the next day. I chose a black jersey for the cold days and white jersey for the hot days.
5. When spending so many hours in the saddle, what matters most in your cycling apparel?
When doing such long, repeated days in the saddle, for me the most important thing to look for in kit is comfort and durability. The bibs and jersey didnt falter one bit.
6. How did your kit perform in the different weather conditions you encountered?
When the weather got hot, the white jersey kept me cool. It was able to breathe and reflect a lot of the sun off my back. The bibs kept my saddle sores at bay. It only rained for a short period of time on one day and there was no kit in the world to keep me warm enough on that particular descent. I am really surprise how well the jerseys lasted with such abuse from the sweat, washing and the sun cream that was baked into it. When I got home, the white jersey was finally white again. You get to a point in this race that you just focus on your own needs and nothing else. My white jersey was no longer white by the end of the race.
7. How did you manage washing and drying your kit along the way?
Everyday I would swap my bibs out. I wore the same jersey for most of the time. I would only wash my kit when I could find a hotel and have access to hot water. I would then wash it in the shower and use a towel to twist it up and hang it out while I slept.
8. What was your hardest moment, and what helped you through it?
My hardest moment was right before checkpoint 2. I started to get too much into following the numbers and not being present at the time. I had put in so much time and distance only to realize that I was not even halfway done yet. It was that and the time I fell asleep 4 times while descending the last 50km to the finish line. Another difficult moment for me was cycling at night in grace and being stressed out by the wild dogs. I came around one corner and had to sprint away from pack after pack of dogs. It was a choice to ride at night and deal with the dogs, or ride during the day and deal with the 40C+ heat. I chose the heat after that experience.
9. Which moment made the experience worthwhile?
There was a parcours that required me to go through a massive flat grass field on the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere. There was not even a trail to follow, just the line on my GPS. It was surreal and beautiful, I will never forget that. It felt very freeing.
10. Would you change anything about your kit or packing choices next time?
Next time I do this, I would take a hydro bladder for my back and remove both water bottles. I would use a full frame bag instead and take off the front aero bag. Being aero does make enough of a difference in these events to warrant these small changes.
11. What advice would you give someone preparing for their first ultra-distance ride?
For anyone preparing for one of these events, Id have to say, you need to be more mentally tough than physical. Pace yourself, eat regular food, and do not skip on sleep and comfortable kit is everything.
This event was something that most people will never get to do or experience. I feel lucky and privileged to have been able to participate. I made many friends along the way, but mostly I made lots of memorable experiences. There were many highs and lows during those 17 days. I also learned a lot myself along the way and I wouldn’t have known any of that without doing this event. I learned that I can push myself pretty far even when I think I am done and cant give any more. I learned how to problem solve on the go and let go of control. This race was more of a mental challenge than a physical one for myself.
