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Bikes of Léman Gravel Challenge 2024
19 May, 2024
Raphael
Age: 39
Location: St-Sulpice, Switzerland
Bike: Open UPPER
Key items of kit: Apidura framebag and Tailfin Aeropack
Adrienne Estrada
Age: 31
Location: Haute-Savoie, France
Bike: Pippo! A Triban 900 Titanium, GRX with 38T (oval, Wolftooth) by 11-50 (Garbaruk). 700x40: Hutchinson Toundra front and Hutchinson Touareg rear tyres. Wahoo Roam, Exposure Toro. Saddle: Specialized Power Mimic.
Key items of kit: Apidura Racing saddle pack and Top Tube Pack, Apidura Explorer Downtube Pack. I'll wear a waterproof jacket, a puffy jacket, gloves, a bivy, and a light sleeping bag. Secret weapon: Ovomaltine and neckwarmer.
Sandra Schuberth
Age: 35
Cap number: 51
Location: Munich, Germany
Bike: Veloheld Icon.x
Key items of kit: My bike, my framebag by Gramm Tourpacking with apidura hyration bladder, my Supernova light, rain Jacket and snacks by Rabbit Fuel and Katjes. Also some warm clothes.
Sylvain Follonier
Age: 42
Location: La Tour de Peilz, Switzerland
Bike: I will ride a Surly Midnight Special steel frame with an Enve Adventure carbon fork. My wheels are Zipp 303 Firecrest with René Herse Oracle Ridge 700x48c in front and René Herse Hurricane Ridge 700x42c in the back. On the transmission side, I use a mullet set-up with Sram GX 11-40 in the back and White Industries R30 crank with 30-46t in the front. My cockpit is composed of a Zipp Service Course SL 70 XPLR bar (460 mm), Sram Rival 2x11speed and TRP cable brakes. Finally my butt will be comfortable on my trusted Brooks B17saddle. This isn't a light setup, but I love how it rides!
Key items of kit: To carry my gears I use: A home made custom half frame bag and stem bag (X-Pack), a Gramm handlebar bag, a THLP saddle bag and 2 King Cage Manything titanium that I put on my fork. Some equipment that I plan to take with me in order to get some good rest at some point are: a Sea to Summit Ultralight sleeping pad, a Sea to Summit Spark SPII sleeping bag and a GrandAir bivy bag. That might be a bit overkill, but it is my 1st ultra so I'll learn for the next adventures.
Tamas Toth
Age: 36
Location: Freiburg, Germany
Bike: GT Grade Carbon 2x11 with Shimano Grx Rx 812 (46x30) (11x42). Wheels Dt swiss spline 1800 with Schwalbe G-one R tubless 700 x 45C.
Key items of kit: Restrap frame bag medium, Topeak front and back loader medium.
Jordan Vrijens
Age: 30
Location: Maasmechelen, Belgium
Bike: Bianchi Impulso Comp, Shimano GRX 610 groupset with powermeters. Front 46-30 and rear 12-36. 45mm Pirelli Cinturato tyres.
Key items of kit: AGU top tube and seat post bag. BBB handlebar bag.
Max Gu
Age: 22
Location: London, UK
Bike: Allied Able, 40t Chainring, 10-45 Cassette, SRAM Force 1x XPLR Groupset, HT Pedals, Enve G-Series Dropper Post and Specialized S-Works 3D Power Saddle.
Key items of kit: Mission Workshop Bag, Exposure Front Light, Garmin 1040, and Garmin Varia.
Jeff Kerkove
Age: 46
Location: Buena Vista, Colorado, USA
Bike: Canyon Grizl with Shimano GRX 2x11 and a FOX 32TC 50mm front shock.
Key items of kit: This is my no frills set up for big gravel days - from 120km to 560km. Tires are Maxxis Ramber 45c aired up to DT Swiss GRC 1400 carbon wheels. All bags are from Topeak. Front headight is the Lupine Neo and rear light is a Topeak RedLite Race. Comfortable contact points (bar tape, saddle, seat post) come from Ergon.
Bruno Caillet
Age: 46
Location: Fribourg, Switzerland
Bike: Rodeo Labs TrailDonkey 3.1, SRAM Rival AXS 34/10-52, Zip 303s, Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 700x45mm, Enve Dropper 40mm.
Key items of kit: Restrap Bags, Aerobars Profile Design T2+, Fenix BC26R, Wahoo Roam2, Western Mountaineering Summerlite Sleeping Bag, Ortovox Bivy, Sea to Summit Ultralight Sleeping Pad.
Johannes R
Age: 42
Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Bike: Open U.P. with 40 x 10/46 gearing and RH Barlow Pass (38mm) tyres.
Key items of kit: Apidura Bags and Lupine Lights.
Manuel Anrig
Age: 26
Location: Zug / Sargans, Switzerland
Bike: Specialized S-Works Diverge STR Size 54. I changed Handlebar to an Aluminium bar with 40cm width. 42T Chainring with SRAM Mullet 10-50T AXS Setum.
Key items of kit: Tailfin Toptube bag and Tailfin Aeropack and Profile Design 35A Aerobar.
Kristen Chalmers
Age: 28
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Bike: Cervélo Áspero
Key items of kit: Tern MFG custom framebag, Ortlieb seat and bar bags, and Revelate Designs feed bags.
Maxim Vrijens
Age: 30
Location: Belgium
Bike: Superior X-road
Key items of kit: Restrap frame and top tube bag (top tube bag not 100% sure yet) AGU bag on seatpost for extra clothing. Also bought myself some good rain clothing after seeing the weather forecast 🤣
Michal Fok
Age: 39
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Bike: Cervélo Aspero 2021, Shimano GRX 1x with Garbaruk setup, 40T chainring x 11-50 cassette, Ultradynamico Rosé JFF tires 700x42m.
Key items of kit: Apidura saddle pack 7L, Apidura frame pack 4L, top tube pack 1L, Exposure Toro MK12 front light, Exposure TraceR rear light and Wahoo Elemnt Roam.
Ueli Beetschen
Age: 48
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Bike: Frame: Soma Wolverine with a Cinq touring Fork. Drivetrain: Shimano GRX 2x11 42/27 (SRAM XX) x 11-40t. Wheelset: DT Swiss, Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 50-584.
Key items of kit: Carradice Saddlebag Super C with a Bagman, Restrap Framebag and a Schotter und Glück Hipbag.
Christophe Dijkmans
Age: 32
Location: Liege, Belgium
Bike: Cannondale SuperSix EVO CX - Prepared with by my friend and mechanical @allcapol.bike. Hutchinson Touareg 45 + Insert, Fizik Argo Vento Adaptive and SRAM AXS Mullet - 44/10-505.
Key items of kit: Tailfin Packs, Exposure Lights, Albion Gears and Garmin Edge 1040 Solar.
Yoan Dercourt
Age: 35
Location: Isère, France
Bike: CMT bike CX2, titanium frame with SRAM Rival AXS Mullet rear dérailleur GX eagle. 38 x 10/52t to climb trees. Tires Hutchinson touareg 700x45 and wheel wave SH Race.
Key items of kit: And a frame bag for my nutrition, jacket and repair kit
Alex Armstrong
Location: Kent, UK
Bike: My bike is a fully custom titanium master piece made by Brad Bingham, of Steamboat Springs, USA. “Bonnie” Bingham is my ultra machine for both gravel and road races :-) full SRAM Red / Eagle with a mullet setup. 38T paired with a 10-52 cassette so I spin easily up the steep climbs!
Key items of kit: Not a lot of kit on this race as it’s short, however the amazing Tailfin frame and top tube bag are great and my key item. Along with lots of food :-).
Xavier D'Arcy
Age: 29
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Bike: Cube Cross Race C:62 SL 2021, Shimano GRX 1x11 groupset, Hunt Gravel Race wheelset, René Herse Hurricane Ridge Endurance 42mm tires, 11-46 cassette, 40T chainring.
Key items of kit: I'll be travelling light, I'm planning on just taking a tool roll and one small frame bag with some essentials - there are plenty of pockets in my bib shorts, jersey and hydration pack for croissants and other snacks!
Benjamin Maibach
Age: 31
Location: Villars-le-Terroir, Switzerland
Bike: Specialized Crux
Key items of kit: A good rain jacket.
Grischa Flaving
Age: 35
Location: Cologne, Germany
Bike: Surly Midnight Special on two wheels, silver black combo of components that do what they are made for. Dynamohub, Supernova front plus Exposure light for riding the tricky parts at night. Tailfin top- and frame bag, big bottles and mechanical shifting and braking. Depending on the weather there might be an additional saddlebag.
Key items of kit: That colour…
Martin
Age: 42
Location: Kassel, Germany
Bike: Rose Backroad Carbon with Hunt Limitless wheels 42mm/27mm, Schwalbe G-One R 45mm rear, Quick Bite 45mm front, 36 chainring, Quark powermeter, XTR pedals, 10/52 Eagle cassette, SRAM X01, CeramicSpeed OSPW.
Key items of kit: Apidura race bags
Jan Recker
Age: 35
Location: Cologne
Bike: Specialized Crux, SRAM Force AXS XPLR 38/11-44 oval with Parcours Alta Wheelset / Tufo Thundero 44mm tyres.
Key items of kit: Gloworm X2 Light front, BBB StrikeDuo 1200 Headlight, BBB Rear Light. Maap Apidura Framebag: cables, electronics, first aid kit, leg/arm warmers, food. Hydration Vest: 2l bladder, Patagonia Down Jacket, food. Saddlebag: 2x Aerothan, CO2, Minitool.
Martin Aylward
Age: 55
Location: Brighton, England
Bike: I'll be riding my trusty Mason Bokeh with Zipp 303s 700c wheels, Rene Herse Oracle Ridge 48mm tyres, SRAM Red/Force groupset with 36x10-44 gearing, a RockShox XPLR dropper, Prologo AGX saddle, Zipp bars and a nice shiny Thomson stem.
Key items of kit: As it's a short one, gonna go down the minimal route, Exposure lights, Anker Power Bank, Apidura frame bag and hydration vest, emergency bivi, Rapha down jacket, Assos rain jacket, wool jersey and socks, plus my Ant Man lucky charm.
Yves
Age: 44
Location: Switzerland
Bike: Bike : Graxx III GTR. Groupset : Shimano GRX 820 1x12v 10-51t. Wheels : Vega C35 Pro Wide. Saddle : SLR Boost Carbon 3D.
Key items of kit: Bags : Apidura Saddle Pack 3L, Toptube pack 1L, Frame pack 4.5L. Light : front light Lezyne 1800i, back light Knog 100Lm, headlamp : Petzl SWIFT 1100 Lm.
Johannes Preindl
Cap number: 40
Bike: 3T Exploro Ultra
Key items of kit: Miss Grape Internode 4
Patrick Brunner
Age: 50
Cap number: 142 SAS6
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Bike: Otso Warakin with Shimano GRX 2x11
Key items of kit: Carradice odyssey on a soma front rack and Ortlieb saddle bag.
Jan Kaya Altinbas
Age: 38
Cap number: 103
Location: Heidelberg, Germany
Bike: Rose Backroad Ltd, SRAM 40/10-52 Mullet, Zipp 303s + Son Dynamo and Supernova M99 DY, Ultradynamico Rosé Robusto 42mm, SRAM Blips, Hope RX4+ brakes, Profile Design Ergo+/35 SLC aerobar, Flite Boost Gravel Superflow saddle.
Key items of kit: Aero Pack: Sleeping bag and sleeping pad, spare bibshort, Nanopuff down jacket, emergency gels, and a fleece + Merino shirt. Frame bag: Power bank + cables, tools, first aid + hygiene stuff, hardshell rain jacket, and food. Toptube bag: Money, cellphone, AirPods, and gels.
Thierry Michel
Age: 50
Cap number: 236
Location: Liege, Belgium
Bike: I'll be riding the LGC 2024 on my Sauvage LaPiste. The bike has a new pair of Hutchinson Touareg 45mm and a Rival AXS drivetrain with a 36T oval chainring (Alugear) and a 10-44T cassette. For as much comfort as possible, I’ll rely on an extra thick Supple Bar Tape from Wolf Tooth.
Key items of kit: I’ll be using a "salmigondis" (in French in the text) of bags : Tailfin for the top tube, Ortlieb for the saddle, Brooks for the frame bag and Decathlon for the food pouches. KLite and Stoots are gonna help me find my way in the night (without sleeping).
Tom Peacey
Age: 53
Cap number: 36
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Bike: Pivot Vault, Bling green wheels from Light Bicycle, Shimano GRX 2x gearing 48/33 with 11-42 mtb cassette just for this event. Hope RX4+ brakes.
Key items of kit: SON dynamo powering K-Lite. Rotor road crankset with power meter so I can see how low my watts are!
Daniel Schleh
Age: 39
Cap number: 67
Location: Waldshut, Germany
Bike: My trusty Nordest Albarda with DT Swiss GR 1600 650b Wheels and Umtanum Ridge 55mm tires, Sram Rival AXS 1x12 (36t x 10-52t)
Key items of kit: DIY X-Pac framebag with a water bladder and Pro saddle pack. Hammerhead Karoo 2 for navigation, Lezyne + Nitecore UT27 headlamp and a 10,000mAh power bank. Sea to Summit insulation liner, short airmat from Vango and DIY tyvek bivy bag. Set of baselayers for the night, Rab insulated jacket and Gore Shakedry jacket.
Guillaume
Age: 37
Cap number: 26
Location: Colombier, Switzerland
Bike: Canyon Grail CF
Key items of kit: Free
Christian Jobst
Age: 35
Cap number: 54
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Bike: Standert Pfadfinder with Shimano GRX 800 2by 11-42t, DT Swiss GRC 1400 and Zipp Cockpit.
Key items of kit: Mixture of Apidura and Topeak bags.
Frederic Bouvier
Age: 47
Cap number: 212
Location: Nyon, Switzerland
Bike: BMC URS01 TWO
Key items of kit: I may keep the mud guards as it may be muddy ;)
Mischa Flor
Age: 26
Cap number: 111
Location: Switzerland, Morges
Bike: Cannondale Topstone 2 2021 Aluminum frame, basic! 700c wheels with Schwalbe G-one R 45 mm tyres, tubeless. Shimano GRX 400 groupset with 30/46 x 11-36t.
Key items of kit: Topeak saddle bag and top tube, Ortlieb frame bag. Raincoat and extra coat strapped on the stem. Knog Blinder 1300 lm + spare front light (BBB 400 lm). 3 spare decathlon rear lights. Aerobars for occasional comfort moments!
My sleeping strategy: short breaks and power nap at CP2. I carry an inflatable mattress, minimal cothing, survival blankets and hand/feet warmers.
No mudguards, yolo.. but wearing waterproof overshoes.
My lucky item is a heavy 1L bag filled with cooked rice, tuna and vegetables. And earbuds for the tough moments.
Florian Ponzio
Age: 34
Cap number: Cap 22
Location: Strasbourg, France
Bike: Specialized Diverge carbon with Turbo carbon wheels
Key items of kit: Bar bag 3,5 L from Ornot. Frame bag intermode 4L from Miss Grape.
Cor Dijkstra
Age: 58
Cap number: 105
Location: Groningen, Netherlands
Bike: Swett Smockelaer R (www.swettcycles.nl), chainring front 48/31, cassette 11-42, vredestein Aventura 44, wheels hndgspkt (www.handgespaakt.nl).
Key items of kit: Restrap Saddle Bag, AGU frame bag, AGU toptube. Garmin 1040 solar.
Wilfried Bernier
Age: 40
Cap number: 49
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland
Bike: Standert Erdgeschoss
Key items of kit: Apidura Racing saddle pack, Apidura Expedition frame bag and Supernova Airstream front light.
Jona Riechmann
Age: 37
Cap number: 27
Location: Rosenheim, Germany
Bike: Bombtrack Hook Ext C
Key items of kit: WTB Vulpine 40 on CZR i23 wheels. GRX 1x12 - 36 oval paired with 10/52 casssette. Ortlieb bags. SQ lab 614 saddle and 314 handlebar. Vecnum suspension stem. Supernova Airstream 2 plus Stoots Headlamp.
Raphael Schröder
Age: 26
Cap number: 210
Location: Berlin, Germany
Bike: Norco Threshold, good old bike from the cyclocross era. Barely fitting 40mm Tyres but 2 big bottles.
Key items of kit: 40mm Tufo Thundero tyres, GRX/Ultegra/Dura-Ace Mix, Tailfin Frame Bag, Handmade Top tube bag and Evoc Hydration Bag. Lighted up with Magicshine Lights.
Julie von Grünigen
Age: 29
Cap number: 211
Location: Bern, Switzerland
Bike: Canyon Grizl, Campagnolo Ekar, DT Swiss GRC 1400 and Schwalbe G-ONE R.
Key items of kit: Tailfin Top Tube and Frame Bag, Magic Shine front light, Exposure back light, and small Bottle + Hydration Backpack. Excitement and Smiles
Alain Rumpf
Age: 52
Cap number: 56
Location: Gryon, Switzerland
Bike: Scott Addict Gravel Tuned 2023, Shimano GRX 2x11 (30x46, 11-40) and Schwalbe G-One R.
Key items of kit: Apidura bags, Lezyne 2400 and Garmin Edge 1040 Solar.
Salomé Bourny
Age: 34
Cap number: 122
Location: France
Bike: Canyon Grizl CF
Key items of kit: 2 Full lenght 1/2 frame bag from Riverside for food and goods 1 repurposed fork bag from Restrap into saddle bag for the duvet, bivy and rain goods. 2 foodpouch.
Arthur Dufay
Age: 33
Cap number: 201
Location: Meylan, France
Bike: GR Grade carbon
Key items of kit: Cycliste saddle bag, Tailfin top tube bag. Mix of Shimano GRX, Hope brakes. Hunt 650b with WTB adventure 47c.
Pascal
Age: 31
Cap number: 222
Location: Augsburg, Germany
Bike: Cervelo Aspero 5, with 36t chainring and Force Xplr 10-44
Key items of kit: AGU extreme Frame Bag
