Kristof Allegaert
To his pupils he’s Mr Allegaert, but to ultra-distance racers he’s ‘The Machine’, with multiple wins at the world’s most extreme cycling events. He tells Cyclist what makes a true endurance rider and why winning is never his intention
Cyclist: You’ve won the Transcontinental three times, plus the 9,200km Red Bull Trans-siberian Extreme. What’s the attraction of ultra-distance racing?
Kristof Allegaert: I love riding on my own and having to do everything by myself. You never know where the next stop will be or where you’ll be able to get food or shelter. In conventional racing you can sit in the bunch and then sprint for the line. With ultra-racing the mental element is much stronger.
Cyc: How much of it is responding to the actions of the other riders and how much of it is a personal test?
KA: For me, it’s personal. If you check social media every five minutes you can get a picture of what’s going on, especially with every rider carrying a tracker. But all those moments you’re not making progress. The first thing is always to push yourself. My own world is pretty small at that moment – it’s just me and my bike. I don’t care if other people are suffering, or going well. I can find out afterwards.
Cyc: What are the key ingredients to winning an ultra-endurance race?
KA: You have to be very efficient. It’s just a big time-trial. All the time you’re not riding you’re not going forward. The mental part is hard, because you have no one to talk to. On the first day, I love being by myself. Three, four, five days in it’s a different story. In the space of five minutes your mindset can be like a rollercoaster, up and down so fast from the most positive to the very darkest place. You have to be able to handle this on top of the physical fatigue and hunger. If you’re not ready to suffer, forget it.
Cyc: How do you stay motivated? Is winning itself a motivator?
KA: The first race I ever entered was the first Transcontinental [Allegaert was the fastest finisher]. I’d never raced before and didn’t know what to expect. It was just a big adventure. I hate the word competition – I want to ride my bike and have fun, and I was surprised I did so well. If winning is your only motivation, you’re going to end up disappointed. I have more respect
for the last rider on the road who’s enjoyed it, than the second place rider who’s experienced nothing.
Cyc: How many kilometres do you ride each year?
KA: Last year I did 45,000km. The numbers are not the goal, although I’m always happy if I can do 25,000km. I get out on my bike as often as I can, and when you add it all together, in the end it’s a big number.
Cyc: What’s the worst place you’ve ever slept?
KA: In Australia, I was sleeping by the road because there was nowhere to lay my head down for an hour. I take a lot of care about my sleeping spots, both to get a good rest and also so as not to be robbed. I turn my Spot GPS tracker off a few kilometres before so no one knows where I am. When you sleep, you really sleep. You could have all your stuff taken and not wake up. Cyc: How do you fund your adventures and fit the hours on a bike around work?
KA: Every bit of free time I have I ride my bike. I don’t have a training schedule but the distance goes up in spring and summer. Funding comes from myself as I’m a teacher and I try to live on a budget, so I cut back on the luxuries. The moment you’re on the road it can be very expensive. In Australia, I was surprised at the price of a bottle of water. And it’s not like you can go to the next shop when the next shop’s 200km away.
Cyc: What do your pupils think of it all?
KA: The thing that excites them is being in the newspapers. Also being sponsored inspires them a lot.
Cyc: Which ultra-distance race most captures your imagination?
KA: The first Transcontinental race was London-istanbul – that’s what everyone called it. It sounded like a big adventure. London-istanbul says so much more to me than the Transcontinental. It’s like in Russia, racing from Moscow to Vladivostok. It sounds like the end of the world – it just starts you dreaming. Cyc: You were leading the Indian Pacific race when Mike Hall [the celebrated organiser of the Transcontinental] was killed in a road traffic accident. How can we make adventure racing safer while maintaining its character?
KA: It’s a tricky question. If you want to make it totally safe you’d have to close the course, but then the adventure is gone. Or do it supported with a car behind you? That’s a completely different style of racing and it costs a lot of money. Danger is part of the game. I hope everyone can stay safe, but it’s still dangerous.
Cyc: Which country or area has proved the hardest to cycle through?
KA: Russia. The shops have nothing. The quality of the food is rubbish. The distance between the towns is extremely big. Afterwards, I was very glad to have done it [the Red Bull TransSiberian Extreme] as a supported race. It makes the logistics easier.
‘If you want to make it totally safe you’d have to close the course, but then the adventure is gone. Danger is part of the game. I hope everyone can stay safe, but it’s still dangerous’
Cyc: Which other ultra-rider do you admire, and why?
KA: Sarah Hammond from Australia. She has such a positive mindset and is prepared to suffer a lot. It’s the combination of everything I want to see. She has just the right skills.
Cyc: If you could wake up tomorrow in a different part of the world and ride your bike, where would it be?
KA: It must be Europe: Switzerland or northern Italy. Or even in Belgium [Allegaert’s home country], getting up early to see the sunrise over the Koppenberg. My place is perfect for cycling – I can choose hills or flat roads. Northern France is such a pleasure to cycle around too. The cool thing about Europe is you can cycle 100km and be in a totally different landscape.
Cyc: What luxuries do you allow yourself when riding and what piece of kit do you wish someone would invent?
KA: A razor. Not for looking good, just for the feeling. Stubble after three days drives me crazy. A dream piece of kit? Nothing. I have everything I need.