Kromvojoj Ultra Distance Cycling Event 2024

Allhamdullillaah (praise be to god) on Saturday 11th May I had the pleasure of taking part in the kromvojoj ultra distance cycling event. In its 3rd year this year’s route was 1385km with 24500m of elevation taking some infamous cols around the Pyrenees. I was lucky enough to be selected as a sponsored rider which was super nice, and the support provided by the Kromvojoj team was amazing.

I had heard about the event via a friend and immediately applied for the sponsored rider option. I’d ridden my first ultra event in 2023 All Points North and really enjoyed the experience despite scratching for various reasons! However, I managed to get round and came 3rd in the rookie category.

Kromvojoj was slightly different in that it was cycling in the Pyrenees using a fixed route provided by the organisers. Super hilly as can one imagine given the area the route traversed. As an avid climber this didn’t put me off but actually helped cement my decision to apply and take part. As a sponsored rider I was gifted items from Goodyear, Albion and Eltin which was an amazing gesture of support. Ultra events can get quite expense due to the various kit requirement but then there are added costs of flights and hotels for ones completed abroad. Lots of support provided by the organisers in terms of logistics, kit and general knowledge of the area where the event was to take place. The route wasn’t shared until 2 weeks prior to the start which kept me on my toes. Once the route was communicated I looked at the course profile and broke it down in terms of distance and number of days. I’m not one to over think or over plan and it was no different for this event. Most of my kit was purchased for my first ultra event and was to be re-used. Leading up to the event I started doing longer rides (300km+) as well as reccing the first 300km of the Solstice Sprint ultra planned for June. These were with a fully loaded bike to get a sense of feel and difficulty when doing the actual event. I felt good and felt I was in the best shape possible.

I’d originally booked a one way flight from Manchester as I wasn’t sure when I’d finish but then noticed a return flight from Leeds Bradford which was a 15 minute journey so decided to book that instead. With it being a Ryanair booking there were no refunds so ended to losing £130 on the flight! Also, a few weeks before flying I received an email from Ryanair stating the return flight had been cancelled and the new flight was a few days after which meant I’d have to stay a few extra days. Not ideal as this meant I’d be away from home for 10 days. I didn’t let this dampen any spirits and was looking forward to the event. The sense of meeting new people, making friends and riding in the Pyrenees for the first time.

As a Muslim cyclist from the BAME community I have always had the aim/goal of helping to increase participation in these types of events from this demographic. The colour of one’s hair, skin or anything for that matter should not get in the way of riding a bike and exploring new places. As it was once said we all bleed red despite our differences.

I arrived in Reus the day before the event to register, collect my number and tracker. Staying in a hotel in the centre was ideal as lots of shops and restaurants and very close to the start finish. The whole registration process was slick so again a testament to the organisation. I also took the opportunity of making new friends and sharing plans of how I planned on tackling the event. After registration I went for a gentle bike test ride into the hills to ensure all was ok with the bike and to acclimatise slightly. There was a slight issue with changing gears so popped into one of the many local bike shops in Reus. It turned out the mech hanger got bent ever so slightly during transport. An easy fix and I was good to go.

I arrived early on the day of the event as a bike safety check needed to be carried out as well as a mandatory kit check (emergency blanket, phone, backup navigation drive, etc) I now see why this is such as important element given the remote/extreme places the route traversed where there are no shops, houses, etc and the weather can change in a flash. Both bike check and kit check were successful bar being told the rear brake pads being a little low. I had a spare set so was covered and should have swapped them out at the start. More on this later as it would turn out to nearly cause me to scratch!

I now had a few hours to spare given the actual event didn’t start until 20:15 as is custom with most ultra endurance cycling events. More drinking coffee and fuelling given it would be a long night and day of riding. I also bumped into a couple of friends who id met for the first time in person after conversing via Instagram!

Day 1 The time had arrived, and it was time to roll out via a police escort to ensure safety through the busy town. I stayed with the front group chatting to riders to help calm the nerves given it would be my second time riding through the night. This year I opted for a Dynamo light setup to help with anxiety of light failure. The pace was good, and we were making steady progress drafting where possible until a split due to a routing issue. I needed a comfort break so stopped and then lost touch with the front group. I continued at my own pace passing riders and enjoying the ride. At this point I was making good progress and, in the zone, as they say. I saw another lone rider up the road and managed to bridge across to ride side by side for a while. It wasn’t long after I reached CP1 – Col Du Banyuls and decided to catchup on sleep having ridden nearly 250 miles!

Day 2 started around 5am where I headed towards CP2 – Col Du Portillon. Again circa 250 miles with a lot of elevation given I was in the Pyrenees! The plan was to cover at least 150 miles or to finish just before sunset to allow time for the maghrib (sunset) prayer. I think I got to 135 miles and stopped for the day. Despite carrying sleeping equipment (Bivvy, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and pillow) I ended up in a hotel.

Day 3 was very similar to the previous day in that i started I woke up at around 04:30 and started riding at 05:00. Breakfast included a few dates and an OTE bar. The plan was to reach CP2 given I had circa 170 miles to go. I was now in the French Pyrenees and the weather turned to heavy rain for most of the day. I was stopping and starting with taking kit of as it got too warm up the climbs or putting kit back on as I descended. I took refuge in a restaurant for some food as well as drying my kit, but this was short lived as it started raining again just as I left. What also made matters worse was the two punctures. Not a massive issue as i was running tubeless tyres so they self-healed but did have to stop and inflate the tyres. I purchased a portable pump which was put to the test. Despite being loud it worked very well. On the downhills I had to pedal which I found very strange as previously I would be freewheeling and going as fast. There was also a noise coming from the rear wheel so once at the bottom of the descent I decided to check the bike and that’s when I noticed the rear brakes binding. The pads looked worn and the callipers were pushed out a lot. I had the tools and a set of spare pads so not overly concerned. However, I didn’t do a quick google search for a bike shop and noticed one being 3 miles away. I think having the comfort of being close to a bike shop helped in case I needed a specific tool. Once at the shop the owner let me borrow the bike stand and I changed the pads. In the past I’ve had to re-align the calliper but on this occasion I replaced the pads and all worked perfectly fine. A quick spin of the wheel and there was no disc rub or binding. I also took the opportunity to clean the don’t brake and inflate the tyres using a track pump. Super happy and grateful to the owner I continued my journey.

Day 4 was interesting to say the least given the CP was at the refuge on Mont Caro. An infamous climb that has an average gradient of 9% and went on for ever or it felt like that anyway. The road surface for the last 2 miles wasn’t the best either making it more difficult but the views at the top were amazing. The media crew must have been tracking my dot and noticed I was close by so decided to start filming. This didn’t help as I couldn’t take a breather knowing I was being filmed! Once at the top the sense of achievement was unreal. A few snaps and it was time to roll back down to the refuge for a some much needed food and the brevet to be stamped. The plan was to continue to the finish in Reus circa 120 miles. After some food and rest I was feeling good and was keen on getting to the finish. I noticed on the tracker another rider wasn’t just in front so made an effort to try and catch him. However, I didn’t wasn’t to go too hard and blow up. I was making good progress and getting closer but needed a comfort break and a water bottle refill so decided to stop in a small town about 60 miles from the finish. It now started getting dark as it was approaching sunset but was adamant on getting to the finish. I bumped into another rider as we leap frogged each other and then decided to ride side by side for safety reasons. We did this for a while but then i looked backed and he was nowhere to be seen. I can only think he stopped for whatever reason. At this point I was 12 miles to the finish so decided to press on. I was glad it was mostly downhill to the finish and made it back just before 03:00. One of the volunteers was sleeping in the camper and welcomed me back. I was super tired having ridden 225 miles so after getting the brevet stamped decided to sleep at the start finish in my sleeping bag.

An amazing adventure and one I would recommend to every cyclist. The Pyrenees are amazing but steep and long! The sense of achievement of completing such an event is second to none. Yes, I had sore knees and slight saddle sore but that was expected given the route and parcours. The support shown from my circle of friends an in particular the Muslim community was amazing. Its not everyday you get a cyclist from the Muslim community taking part and I do hope it has inspired others to take part in the future. There is one special person that really helped me through it and knows who it is 😉 My next event is the Solstice Sprint which takes place in the UK at the end of June, again its a fixed route provided by the organisers and I’m very much looking forward to it.