Not in the mood for winter training and freezing after just a few kilometres? Then Omar di Felice might be a good source of motivation. Felice is an Italian ultracycling athlete who has won the extreme races Tortour Switzerland, Race Across Italy, Dolomitics24 and Le Raid Provence Extreme, among others. The 36-year-old has an ice-cold hobby: cycling in snow and ice. He has already cycled to the North Cape several times in the middle of winter or sought cycling adventures in wintry Iceland. Felice uses a normal racing bike or a cyclocross bike with spike tyres. He is not afraid of the cold.
Interview:
How do you come up with the idea of riding long distances on a road bike in winter?
When I started ultracycling, I wanted to add some magic to my rides and adventures. Ever since I was a kid, I've loved winter and the north. So I thought about how to combine the two. I bought a map and started dreaming - that's how I came up with the idea of cycling to the North Cape. Nobody had ever cycled 200 kilometres across the Arctic Circle every day on a racing bike before. There were people who did it on fat bikes, but I prefer the traditional road bike.
How do you train for adventures like the trip to the North Cape?
Most amateur cyclists take a break in winter and then look for a place that is as warm as possible for the start of the season. For me, it's the other way round. From November to January, before an Arctic adventure, I look for a place with similar conditions. That's why I train for hours in the Alps or in the Apennines on snow-covered mountain roads. In the last two years, I've had ideal conditions around Bormio and the Stelvio Pass. For me, ideal means icy roads and cold. You also have to think about all the equipment, which you can test best this way: Wheels, brakes, clothing...
How long are the stages on the way to the North Cape?
This year I cycled 1,600 kilometres in eight days and had one rest day. It was like a dream or a film. There's something magical about crossing a country in winter: from the big city of Helsinki to the cold silence of wintry Lapland in a peaceful, unspoilt landscape. Cycling under the Northern Lights is an experience you will never forget.
Are you not afraid?
When I get on my bike, I'm not afraid of cars, accidents or animals. Finland, Norway and Iceland are very bike-friendly, so the risk of accidents is very low. There have been dangerous moments because animals have crossed the road, but that's just part of it. And of course you always have to look at the road surface. Despite spikes, riding on ice is not easy.
Any technical tips?
I switched to disc brakes in 2014 and that was a revolution for me. The brakes worked well even at -32 C°.
What helps against the cold?
Above all, you have to deal with the cold mentally. If you don't like this weather, you won't be able to cope with it. And you have to get your body used to enduring the cold. Equipment is of course very important. I use merino wool underwear and in my experience this works best. And the energy consumption in such conditions is very high. So you have to eat more fat, protein and food with lots of calories.
Links in the net Omar di Felice:
On Strava: www.strava.com/athletes/1527761
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omardifelice/
The Vimeo film "All roads lead to the North Cape" records his adventure (subtitles can be switched on)
