12,000km odyssey to promote renewables
BEIJING: A Belgian cyclist rode 12,000km from the French city of Lyon to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou in just 49 days to win an inaugural solar-powered electric bike race aimed at promoting renewable energy.
Raf van Hulle’s journey took him through Germany, Ukraine, Russia, then Kazakhstan, before riding into China, cycling an average of 270km daily.
He struggled through 3,000km of slopes amid scorching heat in the Gobi desert, which saw him pedalling unassisted in temperatures of more than 40°C to avoid overheating his bicycle’s battery.
“I am very happy to have won, but also not to have damaged my bike, which is quite expensive,” said van Hulle.
The bicycle, which has a solar panel in the front and another on a trailer behind, is used for his commute, said the architect, who arrived in Guangzhou on Friday.
The race started in June with 39 participants — they were given 100 days to get from Lyon to Guangzhou without a fixed route — and about 30 competitors remained.
French organisers Sun Trip started the race in 2013 to promote renewable energy. Previous editions saw participants racing from Lyon to Kazakhstan and Turkey.
This edition of the race picked China not just because of its position as the largest emitter of greenhouses gases, but also as the first country to invest in solar energy, said Sun Trip founder Florian Bailly.