Two-time Tour de France stage winner Pierre Rolland still has a lot of power on the chain. He completed the course of the self-supported gravel race BikingMan 555 Serra Geral at an average speed of around 23 km/h. He was the only non-Brazilian at the start and had a comfortable lead of around 2.5 hours over the runner-up. The route of the race in southern Brazil not only had sporting attractions, but also leads through the landscape around the São Joaquim National Park. The highlight of the route is the Serra do Rio do Rastro, one of the most spectacular mountain roads in the world and a landmark of the state of Santa Catarina. It connects the coastal region with the highlands (Planalto Serrano) and is famous for its dramatic hairpin bends and steep slopes.
At this point, you will find external content that complements the article. You can display and hide it with a click.
The joy of ultracycling
Rolland has already demonstrated his passion for ultracycling in the past: he has already taken part in several ultracycling events. In 2025, he took second place at BikingMan Morocco. This year, he plans to start at BikingMan Peru. In the programme "Club Sport en France", Rolland revealed what fascinates him about the long distances: "You somehow get back to a primal state. You don't really ask yourself about all the comforts any more. I like the fact that everything is pretty simple: eating, sleeping and travelling. You take the bare essentials with you in your saddlebags and very quickly realise that you don't need any more." Even on longer tours, Rolland doesn't allow himself short breaks to sleep, but rides for long periods of time. Even though he finished fastest in Brazil, he is more interested in the adventure than the podium: "This is almost the opposite of my life as a professional cyclist, because in my previous life as a professional cyclist, it was all about performance, about being as fast as possible. I only had one job: I get on my bike, I perform, I have to get results, I get off my bike, they wash it for me, they clean it, they clean my clothes, they massage me so I'm ready to go the next day, they feed me. It's almost a different kind of sport. That means I'm on my own there, we're completely on our own. We have to manage ourselves, manage our equipment, our nutrition, our sleep."
Pierre Rolland Career
Pierre Rolland was a professional cyclist from 2007 to 2022. His greatest successes were winning a stage at the Tour de France on the legendary Alpe d'Huez in 2011, winning the white jersey as the best young rider at the 2011 Tour, a stage at the 2012 Tour de France in La Toussuire and a stage at the 2017 Giro d'Italia in Canazei. He also finished fourth at the 2014 Giro d'Italia. His last teams were Vital Concept B&B Hôtels from 2019 to 2022. His career began in his youth with numerous victories, moving to the French national team in 2004 and turning professional with Team Crédit Agricole in 2007. After spells with Bouygues Telecom, Europcar, Cannondale and EF Education First Drapac, he increasingly focussed on stage wins in the Giro and Tour from 2017 onwards. After his last success in 2020 at the Tour de Savoie Mont-Blanc, he ended his professional career in December 2022.
Links on the subject of ultracycling:
Kristian Bauer
Editor
