1 continent, 10 countries, over 4300 km self supported with a legendary destination, the Arctic Circle! This is the NorthCape4000, this is the ultimate in Ultracycling Bike Adventure racing.
Here we go once again, pushing my endurance to the point of incredible pleasure filled with so many emotions that hang gingerly between unbreakable, nearly broken to totalled.
This next chapter of Adventure starts this Saturday July 27, 2019 at 8am in the sumptuous city of Turin Italy ranked among the most elegant and culture-rich cities in Europe.
The 4300km Route
From Turin i will begin to dream about the Arctic and share the spirit of NorthCape4000 with racers and fellow adventure athletes and follows from all over the world. The 4300km route allows me to share and intertwine my story and values of life while bike packing on a wonderful new stage, a continent in which culture and nature’s beauty have always shaped my everything, from landscapes food cultures traditions and people my mind will become once more, enriched.
I will cross dream-like landscapes and views of every kind, from the majesty of one of the most legendary Alpine passes, the Great St. Bernard (2473m) to the Swiss lakes and the ridge of river Rhine, between France and Germany.
Four mandatory checkpoints pave the 4300km route the first in Strasbourg and there after the charm of Alsace and onwards through the fascinating forests of Luxembourg and Belgium, in the Ardennes region, where i will check into the mandatory Gate 2 in Bastogne, a symbolic town and theatre of one of the most famous battles of the Second World War, and from Bastogne i will head to Liegi, to experience the unrepeatable emotion of the route of one of the greatest classics of the north, the Liegi – Bastogne – Liegi, and then cross the ultra-vast spaces of Lower Saxony.
The route has two sea ferry crossings with Oslo marking gate 3.
By now I will be breathing in the scent of the North Sea and the sensational Danish countryside continuing north riding to the balsamic and deep scent of the Swedish and Norwegian forests, and then reach that earthly paradise called Lofoten, home of Gate number 4, surrounded by an outstanding natural setting.
Finally, after an adventure that will have deeply changed and shaped you, as well as made you know your fellow travellers as they were your brothers and sisters, you will conquer a place which is so spiritual and fascinating that seems to have come out directly from a fairytale, a timeless place that has never needed any introduction, the finish line : North Cape.
Get ready to live the adventure with me making it the most exciting experience on adventure. The NorthCape4000 will be the sum of all my dreams and ambitions this year.
The Plan
A man with no plan but to have an epic adventure .. how can you plan a 4300km race to the Artic. It’s simple, I’ve always believed in baby steps in life, and that you can eat a huge elephant if your prepared to take small bites and that’s my plan. Steady as she blows or hopefully as they blow lol.
Food wise I’m going to eat normal food as best I can sourced from supermarkets the odd treat of a fast food Resturant. Carbs pizza, pasta, Bread rolls protein source of chicken & fish and to satisfy that sweet tooth it’s Nutella you have to have Nutella especially Nutella ice cream.
Sleep is limited to the comforts of a my sponsors the great-outdoors super lite sleeping bag shoved inside a snugpak divvi bag and elevated of the ground with a thermarest mat all enjoyed in my humble lodgings at the side of the road, that’s as long as it don’t rain…
Delighted to announce that I’ve joined the rider roster at Mason Cycles & will proudly race the new mason Bokeh2 force 1x set up 42-11 driven by a 42 tooth rotor drivetrain. Super excited to test the bokeh incredible capabilities, its triple butted aluminium frame with the new parallax carbon front fork, disc brakes, deda stem saddle post & handlebars will make for a sensational ride.
Hunt wheel designed with purpose.
I’m so proud to be a Hunt endurance bike-packing race ambassador joining the hunt family roster of riders for the 2019 & 2020 season.
Using the Hunt 35 carbon x-wide wheel-set for this race set on the tubeless ready 28mm Schwalbe pro one tyres, this combination the last word in seriously fast riding.
#Jasonmissionpossible #Jason@Mason is the has tag I hope to be getting a regular Instagram Facebook & Twitter update on my once a day out on my progress the race process the countries the people the culture and of course the food.. I promise to be completely honest when I’m good I’m good when I’m down you’ll see it as it is .. but you can help with supporting words of hope friendship and motivation to continue pushing through to brighter days. I’ll be riding as a global ambassador for the Irish RedCross highlighting there changing of lives around the world.
Sponsors
Without the huge support of Mason cycles. Hunt Wheels. The great outdoor Dublin. Qilta endurance products. Kn Group, Castle cycles and Morvelo sports clothing It just wouldn’t be possible & I hope to proudly represent you and your business values.
There is unsupported Bike-packing races. Then, there is the NorthCape4000. #NC4K
So finally life is an expedition full of the unexpected, embrace your fears…that’s the magic.
