Cyclist Lucas Becker won, this Wednesday, June 26 in Mandelieu-La Napoule in the Alpes-Maritimes, the 7th edition of the Race Across France, the ultra-distance race of more than 2,500 km.
These figures are dizzying. 2588 km of running, 31,000 meters of elevation gain. After crossing 603 cities, 8 regions and 28 departments, Lucas Becker, 29, crossed the finish line of the 7e edition of the Race Across France in Mandelieu-La Napoule, in the Alpes-Maritimes, this Wednesday June 26. The cyclist sets a discipline record in 5 days, 18 hours and 10 minutes.
It was a first for him on the roads of Race Across France. “I had a pretty good performance and I managed my breaks and my sleep well”he rejoices upon arrival, into the microphone of the organizers. “I really pushed the pedals. And I discovered parts of France that I didn’t know. A really great journey.”
Starting from Lille on June 20, the race links the Massif Central, the Basque Country, the Col du Tourmalet, Mont Ventoux to the Côte d’Azur.
It was a great adventure. We don’t realize it but there are really all the landscapes in France. Seeing the changes every day is incredible.
Lucas Becker.France 3 Côte d’Azur
This cycling enthusiast, used to daily stages of 100 to 130 km, took up long-distance racing to find a “mixture of adventure, challenge and competition”. “And at the same time, we pay attention to each other on the road when we pass each other”he says.
Originally from Germany, Lucas Becker managed to maintain an average of 24.8 km/h (not counting break times) in the ultra-distance cycling race, created in 2018 by Arnaud Manzanini.
Lucas Becker, 29, on the roads of Race Across France.
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© Race Across France
A mechanical engineer in Nantes, Lucas Becker owes his performance in particular to his excellent sleep management. “I drive until nightfall and, at one point, my head can no longer hold up. I have hallucinations and I realize that I am going to end up in the ditch… The easiest thing is to stop and of sleeping”explains the cyclist.
“A lot of runners think you have to deprive yourself of sleep, but that doesn’t work.”judge Lucas Becker. “I slept three hours a night, almost double the other participants in the top 15.” A performance that could set a precedent among fans of long-distance racing.
