Over 6,000 cycling enthusiasts from all over the world attended this event. PBP is a 1,216 km (760 miles) randonneuring spectacle that occurs every 4 years.
In terms of history, it is older than the Tour de France. It began as a race in 1891, but ceased to be a competition in 1951. It essentially involves a test of cycling skill and endurance as riders negotiate nearly 12,000 meters (40,000 feet) of climbing over 1,216 km in under 90 hours.
Stage 1 involved 28 hours of cycling covering 490 km (305 miles) and nearly 4,000 meters of climbing. No outside mechanical assistance is permissible so a self-sufficient, ready-for-anything plan is essential.
The night-time temperatures dropped to 40°F so multiple layers of clothes were needed to stay warm. The local people from Brittany were in front of their houses all through the cold nights offering encouragement and pancakes, coffee, and water to the riders.
To qualify for PBP riders have to complete a series of rides; 600 km, 400 km, 300 km, 200 km in the year of the event. During the winter months, Geoffrey’s training included many sessions in the YMCA gym and swimming pool.
We build a Passoni Top Force for Vadim in 2015 with this event as the main goal. We used a custom steel fork from Waterford to accommodate the 650b x40c tires.