2000 KM IN 6 DAYS: PREPARING FOR AN ULTRA CYCLING TOUR
An ultracycling race is perhaps the ultimate form of endurance: cycling for days, minimal rest, and continuous travel. No stages, no fixed place to sleep, just you, your bike, and the distance ahead. One thing is certain: an ultra demands more than just physical strength. Dutch CUBE Stores ambassador Levey van der Voort is riding the ultra ‘Race Around the Netherlands’ and will take you through all the steps and phases of his preparation for this challenge.
Step one is actually very simple: sign up for an ultracycling race, for example Race Around the Netherlands, and the anticipation can begin. Now, I have taken on physical challenges before, but this one feels like a different caliber. It requires a different approach than, for example, training for a marathon, where you work towards one specific goal. But can you really train for 2000 kilometers of cycling? I’d be happy to take you along in my preparation for RATN ’26.
Preparation
It all starts with research and reading. Who are these ‘crazy’ people who participate in ultra-challenges, on foot, swimming, or cycling? Dozens of documentaries and books have appeared in recent years about these kinds of adventures. What turns out: you are absolutely not the exception. It is a complete world in itself, with people who push boundaries and visibly enjoy it.
The nice thing about that is that you can learn a lot from others. At the same time, I quickly realized that everyone has their own theory and strategy. There is no 'sacred plan'. Yet the same themes kept coming back: practice, put in the hours, and invest time. In short, I knew what I had to do: train. To keep an overview, I divided my preparation into three phases.
Phase 1 – Kick-off
The first phase was entirely dedicated to getting started. See it as a long warm-up of several weeks, during which the body gets used to regularity and exertion again. No heroic training sessions, but short sessions that give the body an initial stimulus. The goal was simple: regain rhythm, build structure, and slowly get used to training. So, a gradual build-up.
Phase 2 – General physical base
This was followed by the phase in which I worked on my general fitness and endurance. You can use almost any endurance activity to build a strong aerobic base, as long as you spend enough time moving at a low to moderate intensity. It's about creating a foundation that you can draw from later.
My training sessions during this period consisted of running, cycling, swimming, and climbing. A lot of variety, but with one clear goal: move a lot and strengthen the body for what was yet to come.
Phase 3 – Specific work: putting in cycling miles
In the third phase, things got really serious. From here on, everything revolved around bike-specific load. That meant many hours on the bike, combined with targeted strength training. All training hours were now spent on the bike itself, because that's where the challenge ultimately lies.
This was without a doubt the toughest phase. Not only physically, but also mentally. The training sessions got longer, the kilometers piled up, and the schedule demanded a lot of discipline. Precisely during this period, you notice how important recovery is. That's why I supplemented the training with sports massages, foam rolling, Pilates, mobility exercises, and stretching. If you demand a lot from your body, you must also be willing to take good care of it.
Practical preparation
An undertaking of this magnitude involves more than just getting fit. Fortunately, I have gained a lot of experience through previous cycling trips. After all, I have traversed half of Europe by bike. As a result, I now know fairly well what works and, more importantly, what doesn't. I am now incorporating all those lessons into this preparation.
Bike fitting
One of the most important lessons was my posture on the bike. After hours in the saddle, small discomforts inevitably turn into major irritations. I used to take that for granted. It's part of it, don't complain. But on the advice of friends, I still made an appointment with a bike fitter.
Although I was naturally quite comfortable on the bike, there was still plenty of room for improvement. After a day of measuring, testing, and adjusting, I went home with an extensive report and many new insights. For me, the biggest gains were in hip mobility, saddle position, shoes, and handlebar adjustment. What stuck with me most was that a bike fit is much more than just adjusting a bike. It's about personal attention, customization, and injury prevention. Small adjustments can make a world of difference.
Equipment and materials
Of course, material also plays an important role. My philosophy on this is simple: the less you take, the better. Small bags, lightly packed, and only the necessary tools. The right clothing, good shoes, and sleeping gear that suits the purpose. In addition, the organization sets requirements for participation, such as lighting, visibility, reflective tape, and a bike check. Fortunately, I feel quite comfortable in this area due to all my previous cycling trips. You learn by yourself that you need surprisingly little on the bike. And it is precisely that minimal approach that gives a wonderful feeling of freedom.
Quick tip: the new ACID bag line has really improved a lot. I was less enthusiastic about the previous version, but they have made great strides here. Compact, practical and also just beautiful.
Nutrition
Nutrition turned out to be perhaps one of the biggest learning points. During regular cycling adventures, I often live perfectly well on bananas and normal food, but for a challenge like this, that's not enough. Not only during the training weeks do you have to take good care of yourself, but on the road, the engine must also keep running. And honestly: eating enough during long rides is harder than it sounds. Sometimes you can barely get it down. That's why I started supplementing my normal diet with sports nutrition. That also requires training. You have to test what works, what goes down well, and how your body reacts.
The most important lesson I learned: start eating on time. You almost never catch up on an energy deficit while cycling. Nowadays, I'm a semi-fan of a select number of sports products, alternated with real food and, of course, bananas. My absolute favorite.
Conclusion
Was my preparation perfect? No, certainly not. I could always have done more. But in my opinion, more is not always better. During the event, probably not everything will go perfectly either. And that's exactly what I've prepared for. Not for the perfect race, but for dealing with constantly changing circumstances. Ultimately, that's what such challenges are about.
Besides, enjoyment remains perhaps the most important thing for me. I enjoy cycling, and I cherish that. Time will tell, but I'm really looking forward to it. For now, my advice is: sign up and do it. Then the anticipation can begin.