I had long wanted to experience an ultra event. It was something that had been in the back of my mind for quite some time. In a moment of overconfidence, I decided to go for it and stepped out of my comfort zone.
I can recommend this event to anyone who enjoys cycling. It was a special experience to ride through the night under a starry sky, to cover a distance of more than 400 km in a single ride, and to discover that you are capable of more than you think.
Below you can find my report of The Long Race Home.
If you are doubting whether to take part, my advice is this: clear your mind for a moment, whether in a burst of overconfidence or not, and just go for it.
Enjoy!
To the start
With a bit of a nervous feeling, I left for Gent Sint-Pieters station. While waiting on the platform, as the train was delayed, I wondered if this was really something for me. I was not looking forward to the long train ride, which would give me plenty of time to think.
Suddenly, I noticed another cyclist appearing on the platform. We boarded the train and I struck up a conversation with other participants. I quickly realised that everyone had a lot of experience under their belt and I listened to their many stories. Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, we had arrived in Welkenraedt (Eupen).
I went to pick up my tracker and then it was still a fifty-minute wait. It already felt quite chilly in Eupen. Had I worn enough clothing? Just one winter base layer and my Gabba on top.
Now only pedaling was left
The start was given and we began to ride. I had expected that I would need to hold myself back because of the adrenaline, but that was not the case. I was relieved that it could finally begin. All I had to do now was ride.
On the first climbs I quickly noticed that even while holding back I was climbing faster than many around me, so I moved up a little. The first descents in the pitch dark took some getting used to. It is a strange feeling not to clearly see your line, especially on Walloon roads.
Checkpoint 1
I soon reached CP1. The casino in Spa was not very impressive, as I even rode straight past it.
After CP1 I began to notice the silence. Only my wheels made a soft whooshing sound and above me was a magnificent starry sky. I realised then that this was something for me, even though I still had 380 km to ride.
After climbing the misty and cold Stockeu I arrived at the Eddy monument. “What are you doing to us Eddy?” I muttered while taking a photo. I plunged into the dark descent toward the next familiar landmark, the bridge in Monschau, a place we had also passed during the PlugPlug 300.
It was time for the first RAVeL section which I had been looking forward to. Unfortunately that excitement turned out to be misplaced. The RAVeL was soaked, covered in leaves, chestnut husks and branches from the storm. Afraid of punctures and mechanical issues in this dark tunnel of misery I tried to keep up both my speed and my courage. Touching the brakes was not really an option here.
On the way to Monschau I saw a gas station that was still open. I stopped without hesitation and quickly bought two Snickers, a bag of M&Ms and a Red Bull which I drank while paying.
The next RAVeL sections I rode were much better and cleaner than the first, which was a relief. It was still extremely cold in the damp mist.
Deutschland, ich komme mit Vollgas
It was nice to see the familiar bridge in Monschau. I had already done a fair amount of climbing and took a moment to fill my bottles with extra water I had brought. My next stop was the 24/7 shop in Aachen. I had been eating and drinking well but was beginning to get a clearer idea of what this ride would demand from me.
Once out of the Monschau valley it was mostly downhill to Aachen, although the bike paths twisted and turned so much that riding them fast in the dark was quite tiring.
In Aachen I stopped at the 24/7 shop which happened to be in the nightlife district. I got a few curious looks when I arrived there at around two fifteen in the morning. To my surprise they had no water which I had been hoping for.
I bought two Red Bulls, tucked them away and rode on. A little further on I saw a bike outside and noticed another night shop. I dashed inside and bought water. Relief, I could keep going.
I was ready for some Dutch cycling infrastructure. On to Sittard.
On the way to Sittard I started to feel some discomfort in my stomach. Had I been pushing my carb intake too much in the beginning? I am not sure. I was getting tired so I started singing and doing a few Eddy Wally impressions. “Wow, after Sittard we go to America, land of the free, fantastichhhh.”
Suddenly my stomach said stop. I turned into a cornfield and breathed a sigh of relief.
Arriving in Sittard I felt better again. I filled my bottles and set off for America. Wow wow waaa. The road to the next checkpoint was long but Eddy Wally kept me company, maybe for a bit too long.
On the way to America I entered a flow that is hard to describe. Time became vague and I no longer realised I was still riding through the night. I followed my light and the line on my GPS. I did not dare to push too hard on the pedals yet.
Waves of pure happiness, moments of doubt and flashes of awareness followed each other quickly. I thought often of my wife Stefanie who was following my progress from home and our children. I realised that getting older also means accepting that all the clichés are true, including those about family and health.
Riding into America I began singing Rammstein.
🎶 We are all living in Amerika
Amerika ist wunderbar 🎶
The next milestone was Ravenstein. There I would refill my bottles properly and in my mind this was where The Long Race Home would truly begin.
On the way to Ravenstein my stomach started acting up again and I had to stop. I knew I was overloading it and if I kept going like that it would not end well.
Adjusting the plan
I decided not to eat for a while and only drink water until I felt my energy drop too much. Then I would start eating again but more gently. It was a risky strategy but ultimately the right one. My stomach got some rest and without that I think I might not have made it.
It became especially tough when I realised the night was almost over. I had feared the night most of all but in reality I had been in a wonderful flow the whole time. When daylight started to appear it felt as if the sky had fallen on my head and I had to mentally pull myself together. I think this was also because my sugar levels were low from giving my stomach a break.
Until this point I had decided simply to go through the motions, not to push the pace too much and to eat well while enjoying the ride. From Ravenstein onward the real work began and I decided to increase the pace. In hindsight it was quite insane to start pushing with 155 kilometres still to go as it demanded a lot of mental energy from that point on.
Leaving Ravenstein I felt a wave of motivation surge through me.
Send it home
I began to push harder and made good progress toward Woudrichem. It felt great but I also knew that after Woudrichem there would still be a solid 100 kilometres of headwind to face before reaching home.
In Woudrichem I saw a message from Stefanie telling me I was crazy and doing great. With tears in my eyes I left Woudrichem ready to take on the final 100 kilometres.
Those last 100 kilometres into the wind were a huge battle, both physically and mentally, exactly the full package I had been looking for. I passed two more checkpoints but was less focused on them. Every ten kilometres felt like a victory and my thoughts shifted from “it is still so far” to “we are almost there.”
The battle with myself was fully underway as I tried to keep the pace high without going over my limit. I was also nervous that my stomach might start acting up again since I was balancing on the edge of my carb intake.
I reached the dike where I had decided to gamble on taking a ferry. This would make my route a little shorter and faster if I got lucky. As I climbed onto the dike I saw the ferry coming toward my side, perfect timing.
On the ferry I looked at the food I still had with me and started making my eating plan for the final push to the finish.
Several times tears came to my eyes. I was going to finish The Long Race Home and nothing was going to stop me.
The last fifty kilometres to home were the most beautiful and the hardest I have ever ridden. Thinking about the journey kept overwhelming me with emotion, partly from the lack of sleep, so I stopped trying to think about it too much.
Suddenly I was riding on familiar roads, with only thirty five kilometres of effort left to reach home.
My thoughts became noticeably slower and I trusted my own observations less. For example, when crossing a road I checked in every direction several times to be absolutely sure.
The finish
When I arrived in Antwerp I felt something I had never felt before. Stefanie and two of our three children were there and I was so happy to hug them.
It was hard to put into words how happy I was to see them or to describe what I had just been through.
The Long Race Home was a race against myself. When I arrived I found out I had finished twentieth. I am proud of that, although during the ride I had not been thinking about my position at all.
I am proud of my ride and how I approached and completed it. I will definitely try this again in the future. I also recommend it to anyone who enjoys cycling and wants to step out of their comfort zone. It was an unforgettable experience.
