Sebastian Breuer won Badlands in 2022 in 43 hours and 36 minutes. This year, he won Unbound XL in a sprint duel - that means 570 kilometres in 20 hours, five minutes and 36 seconds. He finished the Atlas Mountain Race 2023 in 3rd place.
His determination was evident even before the ultracycling races, when he was still active in mountain biking. One of his major goals was to become German champion. He was able to fulfil this dream in 2021. Then new goals had to be set and the new goals had a lot to do with getting little sleep in long-distance races without a support team. Today, on 12 July 2024, his next project has been launched: European Divide Trail - or, as he calls it, European Connect Trail.
Interview with Sebastian Breuer
One week before the start of his 7800-kilometre tour, we had the chance to speak to Sebastian Breuer. His work colleague Peter Krischio was in a fun mood and used this nice picture to illustrate the proportions (TOUR editor Sandra Schuberth is 1.60 metres tall).
TOUR: You have big plans this year. Tell us about them. What are you planning?
Sebastian Breuer: I will be setting off for Norway next week and then travelling from Norway, on the Russian border, from the last corner of Europe to the other corner of Europe, to Sagres in Portugal. I will cross 9 countries on the approximately 7800 kilometres. I want to get to know the European continent from a completely different perspective. When the project started, I had a record time in mind, i.e. a Fastest Known Time (FKT). It currently stands at 32 days, 6 hours and 28 minutes. At first, my main approach was: I want to beat that.
And now?
In the meantime, it's not just the record ride, I also want to convey a message. We in Europe have the opportunity to do something like this. We don't have closed borders. The only hurdle you might have is a kind of language barrier. But otherwise we have the opportunity to do this, which other people don't have in other countries or on other continents. I think it's super important that we keep realising and appreciating this. Especially in this day and age with war and the like.
We in Europe have the opportunity to do something like this - Sebastian Breuer
I imagine sitting with my grandchildren in 30 or 40 years' time and being able to tell them 'Grandad cycled through Europe once'. Yes, that's my big project for this year.
The route of the European Divide Trail is predetermined, the route has existed since 2019. Officially it's called the European Divide Trail, you call it the European Connect Trail. Tell us about it.
Exactly, the route is predetermined. Officially, it is called the European Divide Trail, inspired by many bikepacking events and tours such as the Tour Divide, which is based on the continental divide. We thought about how we could best package the message we wanted to convey.
The European Divide Trail
Those in the know will say: Why 7800 kilometres? Actually, the European Divide Trail is just under 7600 kilometres long. Sebastian Breuer nevertheless assumes that it is 7800 kilometres, as there is always something added here and there.
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- Distance: 7800km
- current record: 32 days, 6 hours, 28 minutes
- Start: Norway
- Target: Portugal
- Sebastian Breuer starts on: 12.7.2024
European Divide Connect Trail
And that's why you turned Divide into Connect?
Yes, for me it's more of a European Connect Trail. 'Divide' means you separate two things. We want to connect. We connect the people, we connect the countries, we connect the cycling. I also want to get to know people along the route. I want to have encounters. Anyone who wants to come along is welcome to join us for a bit. The community is super important and it's fun to socialise with people and simply meet new people. That should be the message behind the whole thing.
This is reminiscent of Lael Wilcox, who wants to set a new world record for a round-the-world bike ride. Her goal is 110 days and she is always happy to meet people and have company along the way.
Yes, I think that's really nice too. I've ridden a lot of races, especially in the self-supported area, so the encounters are very short. European Connect is also self-supported, but I've also drawn up my own 10 rules. The sleep deprivation thing is really important to me, because I don't like it and I've been against it for a year or two.
Sebastian's 10 rules for the European Connect Trail
- Rest for at least 12 hours within 48 hours: Sleep deprivation is not the solution to achieving the record
- Ride under your own power and with your own support
- Connect and not divide: It's about connecting, not dividing or marginalising. Everyone is invited to join in.
- Having fun doing what you do: It's simple: have fun and take care of yourself.
- Do not leave any rubbish behind: Should be a matter of course and seen as a message to the world.
- Time runs continuously from start to finish
- The entire route must be travelled by bike: Without motor. No electrical assistance.
- Social media is welcome and permitted: Without content on social media, there is no entertainment for everyone at home. Without it, sport could not grow if nobody could follow it.
- Health and a safe arrival at the destination always come first
- Always be a good ambassador for sponsors, sport and life
Why are you in favour of making sleep breaks compulsory?
You miss out on a lot in life if you just rush through everywhere and don't realise what's happening to your left and right. Especially at night. It's also dangerous. I want to distance myself a little from that and I want to say so. That's why, like Lachlan Morton, I've decided that I need to sleep at least 12 hours in 48 hours. That's just 6 hours a day, but significantly more than some people sleep during such events.
How did you change your mind? At Badlands, you travelled for two nights.
I've just seen too many things in all the races where I think it's just a matter of time before something really happens and then we have the problem. Then the whole scene is suddenly dead because something happened once.
Badlands was okay for me, it was within the bounds of what was still acceptable. I had set myself a rule and promised my wife the same: I will never risk anything for a bike race, microsleep or anything like that. And I didn't have that problem at Badlands. I was so in the flow and I didn't even have the feeling that I had to stop because I was tired.
During the Atlas Mountain Race I overdid it, I lost my bearings at times due to fatigue. That's when I realised that it was dangerous. It wasn't fun either. Looking back, it was like torture for me. I don't want that anymore. And that brings me to a point, a project that is still open. I actually want to ride the Tour Divide at some point - and win. But I have to think about how that's possible for me as long as the rule that you have to take breaks doesn't exist yet. There are too many people who ride at my level who don't want this rule. If I want to win the race, am I prepared to go that deep into sleep deprivation? I just wish we could have this rule at some point.
Experiences that last
I'll have more questions about the Tour Divide later. What are the other rules for you during the current project?
For me, self-supported doesn't mean that I should turn down invitations and encounters. I rode the Silkroad Mountain Race last year because I wanted to experience something. I didn't want to do it as a race. I didn't give a shit about the result. I did end up fifth, but I slept a lot and I slept with the local people. They invited me and I accepted the invitation. That was a really nice experience. On the flight home, I had a very nice experience and extremely good impressions of this country in my luggage. I still have them today. These are stories you can tell.
What was it like for you in races where your focus was different?
When I look at other races, such as the Atlas Mountain Race, which I rode as a result, I have to say that I simply saw far too little of Morocco and I don't want to do that again in the future. I also want to take something from the country with me and experience it. I think you can only do that if you don't close yourself off to the outside world.
Get to know people, accept invitations, produce content
Accordingly, it is very important for me to say, yes, my record attempt is self-supported but It's also super important for me to get to know people, accept invitations and, most importantly for me, produce content. I have a videographer with me. Every day we will create a reel about the previous day's experiences.
Why is content so important to you?
This gives us the opportunity to bring the whole thing closer to people at home and say 'Hey, you don't need to fly to Africa or anywhere else to have an awesome adventure. You can do it in Europe too'. If we didn't produce this content, just like if your magazine didn't exist, then people wouldn't even know what's going on out there in the world.
I see it as my job to bring this closer to people through a story that you tell, through pictures, through videos.
There was a film tour last year, will there be another one of the European Connect Trail?
Yes, last year we were in different cities in Germany. I realised that I really enjoy giving talks. It's really nice to show people the film and then answer questions and talk to people and give them tips.
In retrospect, I'm not entirely happy with the film from last year. It turned out pretty dark. I also think that I don't come across in the film as I actually am. The European Divide Trail project is a chance for me to make another film and give people something to take away with them.
Sebastian Breuer wants to inspire
I don't want to be the guy who rides any races for the next few years, maybe the biggest self-supported races in the world, but who has no message, who is just - I'll say grey like a fish. I want to give people something or inspire them. Until I won Badlands, trophies and winning races were the most important things for me. Badlands was the first time I got messages like 'Wow, that inspired me to start gravel racing'. I realised how much more it means to me to give people inspiration. I want to keep doing that and expand on it.
Ride along
How can people accompany you on the European Divide or Connect Trail?
I'm happy about everyone who somehow comes to the route or even rides a few metres with me. The route also runs through Germany. It's particularly suitable here.
When will you be there?
I'll be in Hamburg from 24 to 25 July and then two days later in Cologne. There will also be live tracking so you can follow me.
How does that fit in with your target record time?
Sure, of course I have this record time in my head. That means I certainly won't be able to spend three hours in the evening eating pizza with people in peace. But I still want to pop in, get to know people and take this experience with me into the next day. These encounters might even help me the next day.
How so?
Cologne is a good example. Cologne is where the real thing starts for me, because from then on it gets really tough with a lot of metres in altitude and a lot of terrain. And maybe I'll benefit from the fact that I had a few cool encounters beforehand that will motivate me to keep going. 29 days - that's going to be tough.
Gravel bike for the European Divide Trail
What kind of bike will you be riding?
I ride a combination of mountain bike and gravel bike: the Rose PDQ hardtail frame with drop bar. So basically a monster gravel bike with 50 or 45 tyres. That should fit quite well.
What luggage do you have with you?
It's typical for me to start throwing things out of my bags before longer races to save a bit of weight. So far I had planned to use a tent, but I'll probably switch to a bivouac sack because I'll be sleeping in hotels quite a lot. It's simply better for regeneration. If you have to drive 15 or 16 hours every day, then a hotel has a lot of advantages. Nevertheless, I will sleep outside from time to time, which I'm looking forward to. My sleeping set-up will probably consist of a bivouac sack, sleeping bag and sleeping mat.
Otherwise I have a lot of food, some spare materials and clothes for all kinds of weather conditions - summer hasn't really started yet this year.
"I expect a lot of emotions"
Is there a section of the route that you are looking forward to the most?
I think that the entry to Hamburg and Cologne will be really cool because I know there will be people waiting. Scandinavia will be a big unknown for me because it's just so different in terms of the landscape and because there are sections where there isn't a soul for 300 kilometres and because it's completely different to what we know.
And I think the journey through Andalusia will also be very emotional for me, bringing back memories of the Badlands. And at the end, of course, the finish in Sagres. I used to live in Sagres myself. That means it's also a bit of a homecoming for me. I've been dreaming of cycling back to Portugal for years. And that's what I'm doing now. I'm expecting a lot of emotions. I'm really looking forward to it.
2025 Tour Divide?
As promised, we'll come back to the Tour Divide. You said you wanted to win it. Why?
The Tour Divide has fascinated me from the very beginning. Basically, it's the biggest race of all, the one with the most prestige.
Do you already know when you want to ride it?
For two years, I say that I want to do it in 2025. My brother's wedding might get in the way. That's definitely more important to me. If I tackle the Tour Divide project, then that's the main project that year and I can subordinate everything else. I know that I'm physically capable of doing it now. But I still lack the experience for such long things. I hope that I will gain the necessary experience on the European Divide Trail.
What is your message in a nutshell?
It's not about cycling, it's about going out, it's about doing things, pushing the boundaries, educating yourself and broadening your horizons.
Sandra Schuberth
Editor
