NICK LEEPER AT THE RIFT 2024

The Rift routes you through 200km of stunning backcountry terrain in southwest Iceland. It starts in Hvolsvöllur, climbs for 40 miles, passing the base of active volcano Hekla, into the Fjallabak Nature Reserve, loops around and then heads back towards town. If you have been reading the Journal you will remember Abraham’s write-up from 2023.

I rode my ENVE MOG setup with a SRAM AXS mullet drivetrain and Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels clad in 47c Specialized Pathfinder Pro tires. For gearing, I paired a 48t chainring with a 10-52 cassette that cranked up the steepest hills (except one) and allowed me to pedal on the long gradual downhills.

The fuelling plan was simple. I had two 950ml bottles and a 2-liter hydration pack filled with a total of 720grams of carbs plus a few Maurten gels and 3 bottles of Delta G Tactical Ketones in my pockets. I planned on a single aid stop to simply refill bottles when it seemed least risky based on group dynamics. I had enough carbs to fuel the entire race, it would just come down to hydration.

As you can guess from my nutrition plan, unlike Abraham in ‘23, I went there to race the event. The elite women had a separate start that went off 30 minutes before the elite men which was followed immediately by the Open field. Race day was blessed with perfect weather as the sun was shining, peak temperatures into the mid-60s with mild winds. The morning was cool but started to heat up quickly, prompting most in the elite corral to start stripping layers. Fortunately, my brother was at the start so I could ditch my vest.

The race starts with a 5-mile neutral rollout that was painfully slow and oddly paced. The pace car would race up the hills but then go down very slowly, causing everyone to bunch up, nearly causing a few crashes. But then the pavement ends and we start to climb for the next 2.5 hours, gaining 3400ft of elevation in 38 miles. The pointy end of the elite field picked up the pace for on the first mile of dirt and then really accelerated to shed all but the strongest riders. I did my best to hang but after putting out 440 watts for 5 minutes (400w for a longer 10 minute effort), with no sign of the pace abating I decided the front group wasn’t for me that day and backed down the effort as I knew I still had 7+ hours of racing to go.

I settled into a decent size group but that eventually broke up on the undulating hills. I spent time riding alone, probably sitting around 40^th through the high point of the course. For the first leg of climbing I averaged 15.4 mph, normalizing 333w for over 2 hours 30 minutes. The landscape was absolutely stunning through this section. You’re riding on a red dirt road, surrounded by black volcanic dirt covered in a thin green layer that stretches into a field of volcanic rocks with Hekla over your shoulder in the distance. Truly one of the most scenic locations I’ve ever ridden.

At this point the race plateaus for a stretch while you do a small loop through the Fjallabak Nature Reserve. I was riding endurance pace, trying to recover from the hours of tempo. I could not see riders in front of me but there were two close behind so I let them catch to work together on the flats and downhills. Only one was interested in working though, the other would not contribute which was quite frustrating. When we reached the next water stop GB, a strong rider from Iceland, needed to fill his bottles quickly and we shed the non-contributor there.

GB and I caught two up the road, creating a solid group of 4, all working really hard, catching a few riders in front, but then disaster struck. While I was the 4^th rider in line, I struck a rock that put a large hole in my rear tire. It was too large to plug, requiring a tube and a tire boot to get going again. I learned I need to practice my repairs as 9 minutes for a tube is way too long. I later learned that I cracked my rim on that strike but thankfully Zipp has a lifetime warranty and Signature helped me get it replaced quickly.

After I aired up, I continued on down the road alone, passing a few riders that overtook me during the repaid. It was hardpacked but very rough with long washboard sections and many large embedded rocks. At the next aid station, I stopped for a minute to pump my tire up to 35 psi. After that we hit the worst mile of the race. It was hard packed road with football size rocks sticking up, spaced just far enough apart you could pick a slow line through it. It took 5 minutes to cover a flat mile but then we were rewarded with 9 miles of downhill pavement. I could see a couple guys in front so I tucked into an aero position and went to work, slowly reeling them in.

I made contact with Ipar, a bike guide located near Girona, Spain. We shared the workload for 15 miles until I flatted again around mile 101. This change was slower, 10 minutes, and I was passed by a lot of riders. I was out of tubes and CO2 plus the aid stations wouldn’t provide mechanical support. If I flatted again I was going to have to rely on the help of my fellow riders so I pushed just hard enough to catch a four-rider group. I then sat on the front, letting them draft off of me, trying to build up goodwill in case I called on their assistance.

Fortunately, I navigated the last 20 miles of dirt without issue, though slowly, and made it back to the last 5 miles of pavement to the finish. I put my head down and emptied the tank to pass as many riders as possible. I was greeted at the line by my wife, two boys, brother, sister-in-law, a cold beer, and an ice bath for my tired legs!

I partook in the requisite finish line hotdogs with all the fixings, enjoyed a few beers, met a couple fellow Alaskans, and exchanged contact details with others I met along the way. After a couple of war stories, it was time to adventure with the family to the remote Seljavallalaug swimming pool. It’s a short drive from Hvolsvöllur and worth a stop. If you’re thinking about the Rift and want to discuss please reach out to Abraham to connect us.

Best, Nick.