# BikingMan

BikingMan is a French-based organization that organises unstaged, self-supported, ultra distance cycling events, in South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It was founded in 2016 by Axel Carion, who came back from cycling across South America in 2015 and wanted to share the experience of cycling unknown places in survival conditions for endurance athletes.

## Self-supported ultra cycling

The self-supported nature of the BikingMan races makes it different from supported ultra-distance events like the Race Across America (RAAM), in which each racer has a large support crew with multiple vehicles and where pure performance cycling is needed to finish these races. The carbon footprint of the races are kept to a minimum, support cars outside BikingMan organizations media cars, are strictly forbidden.
Being self-supported means that drafting is not allowed, receiving any form of support from other racers, friends, or family is not allowed; all food, accommodation, repairs, etc., must be purchased from commercial sources if they can find any on the road. The organizer provides a mandatory route, a GPS tracker to monitor each participant's progress and prevent cheating, as well as a road book. Riders must strategically choose how much time to devote to riding, resting, and refueling each day.
It is not a stage race, the clock never stops from the moment the riders leave the start to the moment that they reach the finish. Orienteering plays a major role as most of the races' locations are unknown to most participants.

## Rules of BikingMan races

The complete rule set is available in the race manual of every race.
* Athletes are self-supported and need to handle their fueling, repairs and rest during the race
* All athletes must ride from the start location to the finish location while crossing the mandatory checkpoints in the right order
* Every athlete needs to stamp her/his progression at every staffed checkpoint in the opening time windows
* Drafting and riding as a pack are forbidden
* Every athlete needs to carry a GPS tracking system to trace her/his progression
* External assistance of any kind is forbidden
* No support cars are allowed
* SOLO or pair riders can attempt the races

## How to follow the race

BikingMan events are all covered by a limited number of media cars from the organization. The events are therefore presented live on social networks, namely the Instagram and Facebook accounts of the organization. During races, and on a daily basis, a story-based article is published on the Exposure page of the organization, as well as an additional article for the leaderboard once the race is completed. All participants are equipped with a GPS tracker, which allows to share their position on a live-tracking website.

## Season 2017

In 2017 was held the first BikingMan event; the IncaDivide race, which took 17 athletes in the Andes mountains of Ecuador and Peru. A brutal race where the main challenge for every racer was to battled against high altitude cycling conditions of the Andes.

### Calendar of the races

| Race Name | Start location | Finish location | Dates | Distance (km) | Total elevation gain (m) | Mandatory Checkpoints | Time limit |
| IncaDivide 2017 | Quito (Ecuador) | Cuzco (Peru) | July 1, 2017 | 3500 | 63000 | 4 | 25 days 600 hours |

### Results

| Race Name | Starters | Finishers | 1st Female | 1st Male | 1st Pair |
| IncaDivide 2017 | 17 | 6 | Yoshie Yabu (Japan) in 24d7h | Rodney Soncco (Peru) in 16d21h | N/A |

## Season 2018

In 2018, BikingMan introduced the 1st ultra cycling championship which gathered athletes from around the globe to race the Hajar mountains of Oman, across the Andes Cordillera of Peru with IncaDivide race, around Corsica and in Taiwan.
On the "Sprint" BikingMan 2018 races (Oman and Corsica), base camps were built at the checkpoints where athletes could rest. Compulsory stops at staffed checkpoints ensure athletes timestamp their progression, validate their physical state and eventually scratch the athletes who don't respect the closing times of every checkpoint.

### Calendar of the races

| Race Name | Format | Start location | Finish location | Dates | Distance (km) | Total elevation gain (m) | Mandatory Checkpoints | Time limit |
| BikingMan Oman 2018 | Sprint | Barka city (Oman) | Old Muscat (Oman) | February 25, 2018 | 1050 | 7500 | 3 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan Corsica 2018 | Sprint | Bastia (Corsica) | Bastia (Corsica) | April 29, 2018 | 700 | 13000 | 3 | 5 days 120 hours |
| IncaDivide 2018 | Divide | Trujillo (Peru) | Trujillo (Peru) | July 1, 2018 | 1800 | 31000 | 4 | 12 days 288 hours |
| BikingMan Taiwan 2018 | Sprint | Taipei (Taiwan) | Taipei (Taiwan) | October 22, 2018 | 1150 | 18000 | 3 | 5 days 120 hours |

### Results

| Race Name | Starters | Finishers | 1st Female | 1st Male | 1st Pair |
| BikingMan Oman 2018 | 44 | 34 | Juliana Buhring (Germany) in 49h53min | Rodney Soncco (Peru) in 46h17min | Oman Cycling (Mohamed Al Chandoubi/Hatem Al Booshri) (Oman) in 71h30min |
| BikingMan Corsica 2018 | 83 | 59 | Ivana Furlan (Italy) in 40h24min | Mikael Flockhart (Sweden) in 29h35min | Antony Duriani / Loic Leonardi Giacometti (Corsica) in 45h41min |
| IncaDivide 2018 | 35 | 22 | N/A | Rodney Soncco (Peru) in 127h22min | Yanis Hernandez / Eddy Marquez (Venezuela) in 221h34min |
| BikingMan Taiwan 2018 | 28 | 23 | Perrine Fages (France) in 119h32min | Rodney Soncco (Peru) in 57h58min | Romain Level / Simon Noel (France) in 81h30min |

#### 2018 Championship ranking

Participants enter the season ranking once they have completed, as finishers, 2 BikingMan series races.
| Position | Female Rider | Male Rider | Pair Riders |
| 1st | Perrine Fages (France) | Rodney Soncco (Peru) | Mohamed Al Chandoubi / Hatem Al Booshri (Oman) |
| 2nd | N/A | Niel Copeland (UK) | Reinhard Mink / Anne Wursthorn (Germany) |
| 3rd | N/A | Michelangelo Pacifico (Italy) | N/A |
| 4th | N/A | Robbie Ferri (UK) | N/A |
| 5th | N/A | Marcus Leach (UK) | N/A |
| 6th | N/A | Marco Beligni (Italy) | N/A |
| 7th | N/A | Marcel Esser (Netherlands) | N/A |
| 8th | N/A | Rodrigue Lombard (France) | N/A |
| 9th | N/A | Xavier Massart (Belgium) | N/A |
| 10th | N/A | Fabian Burri (Switzerland) | N/A |

## Season 2019

The 2019 season introduced 2 new events: Laos in May, and Portugal in September, bringing the series to a total of 6 events, all parts of the 2019 championship.

### Calendar of the races

| Race Name | Format | Start location | Finish location | Dates | Distance (km) | Total elevation gain (m) | Mandatory Checkpoints | Time limit |
| BikingMan Oman 2019 | Sprint | Barka city (Oman) | Old Muscat (Oman) | February 24, 2019 | 1035 | 7200 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan Corsica 2019 | Sprint | Biguglia (Corsica) | Biguglia (Corsica) | April 29, 2019 | 700 | 13000 | 3 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan Laos 2019 | Sprint | Luang Prabang (Laos) | Luang Prabang (Laos) | May 20, 2019 | 780 | 11000 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| IncaDivide 2019 | Divide | Trujillo (Peru) | Trujillo (Peru) | August 14, 2019 | 1650 | 23500 | 3 | 10 days 240 hours |
| BikingMan Portugal 2019 | Sprint | Faro (Portugal) | Faro (Portugal) | September 23, 2019 | 950 | 10000 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan Taiwan 2019 | Sprint | Taipei (Taiwan) | Taipei (Taiwan) | November 4, 2019 | 1150 | 18000 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |

### Results

| Race Name | Starters | Finishers | 1st Female | 1st Male | 1st Pair |
| BikingMan Oman 2019 | 75 | 69 | Jasmijn Muller (Netherlands ) in 45h37 | Rodney Soncco (Peru ) in 38h17min | Cristian Auriemma (Italy ) / Jeff Webb (Canada ) in 58h59min |
| BikingMan Corsica 2019 | 67 | 61 | Helle Bachofen Von Echt Muller (Denmark ) in 41h03 | Rodney Soncco (Peru ) in 30h52min | Hatim Al Booshri & Mohammed Al Shandoudi (Oman ) in 40h07min |
| BikingMan Laos 2019 | 15 | 11 | N/A | Jason Black (Ireland ) in 51h52min | Romain Level & Simon Noel (France ) in 69h10min |
| BikingMan Peru / IncaDivide 2019 | 44 | 12 | N/A | Sofiane Sehili (France ) in 135h35min | Victoria De Sa & Bruno Rosa (Brazil ) in 210h09min |
| BikingMan Portugal 2019 | 75 | 64 | Helle Bachofen Von Echt (Denmark ) in 62h40 | Romain Wartel (France ) in 40h12min | Hatim Al Booshri & Mohammed Al Shandoudi (Oman ) in 56h30 |
| BikingMan Taiwan 2019 | 22 | 14 | Julie Melville (Canada ) in 114h41 | Bryce Bénat (France ) in 71h47min | Cristian Auriemma (Italy ) / Jeff Webb (Canada ) in 74h16 |

### 2019 Series Ranking

Final 2019 Rankings after the race in Taiwan - as of November 15, 2019.
Participants enter the season ranking once they have completed, as finishers, 2 BikingMan races
| Current Rank | Female Category | Male Category | Pair Category |
| 1st Rank | Helle Bachofen Von Echt (Denmark ) | Rodney Sonnco (Peru ) | Hatim AL BOOSHRI & Mohammed AL SHANDOUDI (Oman ) |
| 2nd Rank | Julie Melville (Canada ) | Guillaume Chaumont (Belgium ) | Jeff Webb (Canada ) & Cristian Auriemma (Italy ) |
| 3rd Rank | Eleonora Balbi (Switzerland ) | Jonas Deichmann (Germany ) | Musaab AL BOOSHRI & Mshari AL KHALILI (Oman ) |

## Season 2020

The 2020 season will be composed of 6 events with new routes unveiled on Oman, Corsica, Peru and Laos. Brazil will be part of the series for its first time. The crown jewel event incadivide will unveil a course in the sacred valley of the Incas around Cusco city.

### Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Following the global pandemic and many locked-down countries, the race calendar has been modified by the race organisation to adapt to the situation with the races in Brazil, Peru and Laos canceled, while the 2020 edition of BikingMan Corsica, initially scheduled for April 2020, is planned for October 2020. The 2020 series will therefore be composed of 3 events out of the 6 initially planned.

### Calendar of the races

| Race Name | Format | Start location | Finish location | Dates | Distance (km) | Total elevation gain (m) | Mandatory Checkpoints | Time limit |
| BikingMan Oman 2020 | Sprint | Muscat (Oman) | Muscat (Oman) | February 22, 2020 | 1,060 | 8,700 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan Portugal 2020 | Sprint | Faro (Portugal) | Faro (Portugal) | September 21, 2020 | 950 | 12,000 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan Corsica 2020 | Sprint | Bigulia (Corsica) | Biguglia (Corsica) | October 26, 2020 | 850 | 15,000 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan Brazil 2020 | Sprint | Taubaté (Brazil) | Taubaté (Brazil) | Canceled | 1,000 | 17,000 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| IncaDivide 2020 | Divide | Cusco (Peru) | Cusco (Peru) | Canceled | 1,600 | 38,000 | 3 | 14 days 336 hours |
| BikingMan Laos 2020 | Sprint | Luang Prabang (Laos) | Luang Prabang (Laos) | Canceled | 920 | 17,000 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |

### Results

| Race Name | Starters | Finishers | 1st Female | 1st Male | 1st Pair |
| BikingMan Oman 2020 | 80 | 67 | Elizabeth Dunne (Ireland ) in 70h47 | Laurent Boursette (France ) in 43h36min | Cristian Auriemma (Italy ) / Jeff Webb (Canada ) in 53h32min |
| BikingMan Portugal 2020 | 66 | 60 | Nadia Chenaoui (France ) in 78h07 | Laurent Boursette (France ) in 37h33min | Cédrick Guerin / Christophe Gouyon (France ) in 58h51min |
| BikingMan Corsica 2020 | 116 | 99 | Nathalie Baillon (France ) in 59h08 | Anthony Duriani (France ) in 55h15min | Bruno Laval / Julien Merle (France ) in 73h38min |

## Season 2021

The 2021 season has been announced with 7 events focusing mostly on Europe (4 events in France + Portugal) + Brazil and Oman. Brazil will be part of the series for its first time after the canceled 2020 edition.

### Calendar of the races

| Race Name | Format | Start location | Dates | Distance (km) | Total elevation gain (m) | Mandatory Checkpoints | Time limit |
| BikingMan Corsica 2021 | Sprint | Biguglia (Corsica) | April 26, 2021 | 1,000 | 18,000 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan Brazil 2021 | Sprint | Taubaté (Brazil) | May 16, 2021 | 1,000 | 17,500 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan AURA 2021 | Sprint | Valence (France) | May 24, 2021 | 1,000 | 19,500 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan France 2021 | Sprint | Le Cannet (France) | June 21, 2021 | 1,000 | 20,000 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan Euskadi 2021 | Sprint | Bayonne (France) | Sept 6, 2021 | 1,000 | 23,000 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan Portugal 2021 | Sprint | Algarve (Portugal) | Oct 4, 2021 | 1,000 | 15,000 | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |
| BikingMan Oman 2021 | Sprint | Not Revealed yet (Oman) | Q4 2021 | 1,000 | Not revealed yet | 2 | 5 days 120 hours |