We had already undertaken many crazy cycling trips as a group of five study friends, from La Marmotte to the border pole classic of 420 km, but we were looking for an even bigger challenge. At the beginning of 2024, we asked ourselves: wouldn’t it be fun to cycle as far as possible in 24 hours without sleep and without a clear destination? That sounded like something we could get behind. We would try to go as far as possible by cycling with the wind for 24 hours. We would think about the return journey later. We planned our ultra for June 29, 2024.

The plan was further developed on a few beer coasters in a pub in Groningen. We didn’t just want to cycle; we also wanted to contribute to a better, greener world and create a platform to inspire people. The name of the club we founded was quickly born: 24 Cycling Club. One of those coasters outlined how one could become a member of the club: a cyclist signs up through the website, which we still needed to create, plans their ride on a chosen date, and tries to cycle as far as possible in 24 hours, either alone or with others. To contribute to a better and greener world, our club partnered with Justdiggit. Justdiggit naturally re-greens dry land in Africa, contributing to cooling the earth. Upon registration, a participant would also immediately receive a personal donation platform on the site to raise money for Justdiggit during their ride.

Because we have big ambitions for a national and perhaps even European or global expansion of our club, we worked out on another coaster how we could increase the visibility of our club. How cool would it be if every participant had the opportunity to purchase a unique cycling jersey after completing the 24-hour ultra? In our search for a cycling clothing brand that matched our club, we quickly came across Velor. Because Velor is still a young brand with a strong sustainability ambition, we felt a clear connection. The dream of participants who completed the 24-hour ultra and cycled in a fully circular cycling jersey was thus a step closer. Together, we came up with a beautiful design and ordered the first jerseys for our own ride.

Two days before our ride, we checked the weather forecasts. Ideally, the wind would take us through the Ardennes and Luxembourg to the Vosges, then turn towards Germany on Sunday morning. However, the weather in this area seemed less favorable, with storms exactly in the regions our route would pass through. So, we looked for an alternative. From Utrecht to the coast at Normandy, the wind would blow diagonally in our favor from the northwest throughout the journey. Each of us planned a part of the route, trying to account for convenient stops, avoiding too many elevation gains, and staying away from large cities. Particularly at night, water points are scarce, so 24/7 open gas stations are a blessing on your route. Our calculations brought us to a total distance of between 550 and 650 kilometers.

On Saturday, we started at noon from Utrecht, then rode through Zeeland into Belgium. The ferry from Vlissingen to Breskens was an unavoidable obstacle, as there was no good alternative via Antwerp. Since the ferry only runs once an hour, it was a race against the clock; a one-hour wait would have been a real waste! Averaging 33 km/h, we reached the ferry after 167 km, and fortunately had just enough time to grab a substantial pasta salad to make good use of the wait time. With full stomachs, we continued into the evening over the concrete slabs of Belgium. Aside from one flat tire, everything went smoothly. Just across the French border, there was a McDonald’s right before nightfall, which provided us with a not-so-healthy but much-needed meal after 300 km. After almost 12 hours of elapsed time, we embarked on the second half of our journey, and our morale was still very high! What followed was a short night on paper but a long one in practice. We didn’t see any elevation gains, but we certainly felt them; owls swooped by us from all directions, and we steadily took turns leading the pack. Fatigue began to set in towards the end of the night, and caffeine gels and pills didn’t help. Fighting sleep, we reached the first coastal villages of Normandy. Thankfully, there was a baker who was willing to sell us his freshly baked baguettes before opening time at 6:30 AM. The accompanying coffee was very welcome. Relatively recharged, we pressed on to complete the last 5 hours of our ride. Normandy was a bit less flat than we had anticipated, making for a tough final stretch. Fortunately, we were never all exhausted at the same time, and we pulled each other through. We eventually planned the route so that we would end up in Rouen, the capital of Normandy. 24 hours after our departure from Utrecht, we arrived utterly spent but extremely satisfied. We had cycled a distance of 570 km with 3,000 meters of elevation gain and had a total moving time of 19.5 hours. The pizza on the terrace was delicious.

With our group, we have already raised 5,000 euros for Justdiggit, a sum we are very proud of. Perhaps what makes us even prouder is the fact that there are already other participants from the Netherlands who are also planning to do or have already done the ride. The club has had a great kickstart, and in total, we have now raised nearly 9,000 euros. Our dream of a widespread club of cyclists who want to challenge themselves and do good for the climate is already partially fulfilled. But we hope to see our club grow much larger. Are you inspired to join after reading this blog and contribute to combating climate change? You can sign up on our website. This also gives you the opportunity to purchase the unique, sustainable cycling jersey we designed with Velor. Who wouldn’t want that!?

Sign up via our website: www.24cyclingclub.com, complete the challenge for a greener earth, and order the fantastic shirt!