A gravel man as a trial run for cyclist Sébastien Esbalin

Sébastien Esbalin, la passion alliée à la détermination, ici lors d’une course gravel en 2023. Midi Libre – D.R.

After completing the Gruissan event in 24 hours and 37 meters, the Alésien will appear, at the end of July, at the start of the Bikingman in Villard-de-Lans (38), over a distance of 1,000 km, including 19,500 meters of total elevation gain! An exceptional course designed on the advice of veterans Jacques Barge and Marc Lalande.

Self-transcendence and beyond. By showing up, at the end of April, at the start of a 600 km Occitanie gravel man, a positive altitude difference of 6,000 meters, with a departure at 6 a.m. and 60 hours of time to complete the affair, the Alesian Sébastien Esbalin was convinced of his determination to do even better.
With a time of 24 hours and 37 minutes, completed in its road version, the fifty-year-old considers it as a first meeting in order to achieve the annual objective: the  Bikingman, at the end of July in Villars-de-Lans (38) with a distance of 1,000 km for a positive altitude difference of 19,500 meters!

L’ultra brings freedom, discovery and surpassing oneself. Everyone has their own pace, each their own discovery and each their own personal challenge.

Passionate about ultradistance, discovered late in life 3 and a half years ago, lifelong lover of Little Queen, founder of a club called “Les Cyclistes cévenols”, the values ​​of challenge both sporty and discovering exceptional natural environments were confirmed by this race in Gruissan. Nourishing unforgettable memories like this arrival on the Olonzac plateau, after a 16 km long pass and a day of running, when a lady offers him a breakfast! A rare moment of sharing while the man is tested physically and mentally.

A project: create an ultra test in Cévennes

Prepared by Sébastien Berlier on a physical and psychological level, Sébastien Esbalin deepens his practice in the management of sleep, rest times, telephone batteries, clothing bags as well as technical elements of the bicycle while " magnificent passes, breathtaking gorges and an unprecedented mix of sea and mountain " allow the pain of effort to ebb away.
Coming second in this event, " the essential is elsewhere " for this crazy lover of the Cévennes who wants to do it the framework of an ultradistance event. " Ultra brings freedom, discovery and surpassing oneself. Everyone has their own pace, each their own discovery and each their own personal challenge. "
The next one is big but a Cévenol accustomed to climbing the Col de la Luzette, justice of the peace of his own motivation, will not tremble at the foot of the Vercors blue.

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