After 58 hours of effort, Laurianne Plaçais achieved a new feat by finishing second overall in the BikingMan Eusakdi. The 1,000km course took in 64 mountain passes and 23,000 meters of elevation gain. A look back at a unique race...

Adrien : How did you get into ultra cycling?

Laurianne : I've always been drawn to long-distance endeavors, but I was convinced I wouldn't be able to complete them. In the past, I've done a few short cycling trips, and last year, I extended the distances and fulfilled a long-held dream: to cycle around Corsica.

Since then, the Origine Cycles brand, where my partner works, has become a partner of BikingMan and this was an opportunity for me to get started.

Adrien : What do you like most about BikingMan?

Laurianne : After 3 BikingMan, I can say in order:

  • The quality of the courses and the layouts. The courses are magnificent! The roads are carefully chosen and you rarely come across cars.

  • The kindness of the Race Angels, pillars of the organization and smooth running of the races. They help immerse you in a positive bubble. During the race, they are points of reference: motorcycle marshals, media teams, reception at checkpoints

  • The atmosphere, relative to this positive bubble. Axel likes to talk about "Bikingmanblues" and it's true that the return to reality is brutal!


Adrien : How did you manage such a small gap mentally AND physically? during 1000km of racing?!

Laurianne : I started the race at my own pace. I left CP1 in first place and during the night, I made a gap with my two pursuers. The pressure of being caught was very difficult to manage because due to a lack of self-confidence, I didn't feel in my place... When Clément caught me around km 735, I was almost relieved. I was surprised to catch up with him a few kilometers later. This gave me a boost and I came back confident in the race.

Adrien : What are your next goals ?

Laurianne : After 3 ultras in less than 4 months, am I going to rest on that front? I was supposed to be at the Roc Gravel in October.

Regarding next year, I don't know yet which races I'm going to do...

Adrien : In terms of lighting, how do you manage it and what are your needs over such distances?

Laurianne : I ride at night, often all night, so I have a great need for lighting. My bike is equipped with a dynamo wheel, so I don't have to worry about managing my batteries. In addition, I use a Go'Lum to have a light source high up and whose orientation I can decide.

Adrien : What does your Go'Lum bring you?

Laurianne : Bright ideas! More seriously, the advantages of the Piom +2 are its weight, its battery life, and its ease of attachment (I attach my headlamp mount to my helmet). The Go'Lum smart modes are very practical on a bike! Changing the battery is quick and recharging is clever with its powerbank format.





Adrien : What is your battery life? How many times have you changed the batteries on the BikingMan Euskadi?

Laurianne : I use one battery per night (and in September, the nights are already long!). I use the smart mode with power priority. So I used two batteries on the BM Euskadi.





Adrien : Finally, do you want to add anything?

Laurianne : Thank you for the interview?

41 comments