Congratulations to Arvis Sprude – who set the HWMR attempt (7dayTT) on July 6, 2024 in the following categories: Male, 18-4, non-drafting, standard upright bike.
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Rider’s Report:
**Guinness World Record – Be an Example**
This Guinness World Record was not just my story about being able to ride the most kilometers in seven days. We created the project “Be an Example.” The charitable goal of this project was to support oncology patients. Our aim was to draw attention to the fact that these people are often put in a situation where the state refuses to help them with medication, leaving them without hope even though their chances of survival might still be 50%.
During my record attempt, I also had the possibility of achieving it or giving up, so we wanted to show that there is always hope – even if it’s just 50%.
**Day 1**
We started the record attempt in the evening at 7:00 PM in the Kalku Street quarter of Kuldiga, from where I set off on the record-setting route Kuldiga – Skrunda – Kuldiga, a 64 km loop on a completely straight highway. My base was set up alongside the highway where I could rest.
Although we started the record in the evening, we stuck to one plan each day: I rode until 2:30 AM, then went to sleep at 3:00 AM, woke up at 4:40 AM, and started riding again at 5:20 AM.
The first evening went precisely according to plan; the weather was perfect, with nighttime temperatures around +14°C. The morning started very well, and by noon at 4:00 PM, I had already reached 600 km. By the end of the first 24 hours, we finished the day with 699.570 km. This laid a strong foundation for the record as both Plan A and Plan B were fulfilled.
**Day 2**
The second day started on a positive note, as a good result was achieved in the first 24 hours. Here, we began adjusting the daily plan as we had to take a dinner break after 9:00 PM. Initially, this did not significantly affect the events, but by midday, I felt unpleasant pain in my knees, necessitating my physiotherapist’s help to fix my knees. As we approached 24 hours, I realized that the weather would no longer be as favorable, as the wind gusts increased with each hour, which was not a good sign. Around midnight, the event we feared most occurred – a strong thunderstorm with heavy rainfall of 30 mm and storm gusts of 30 m/s hit Latvia. We had to change our plans, going to sleep at midnight. The first attempt to ride was at 2:00 AM, but the wind and rain were too strong, so we returned to the base and started again at 4:00 AM. This time it worked, but the wind did not abate, and by the end of the day, I realized that these plan changes would affect the result. We finished the day with 508.890 km.
**Day 3**
The third day started with severe shoulder pain and back problems due to spending a lot of time fighting the wind. Worse, it rained all day, and I was quite exhausted and cold. I struggled with sleep problems all day because I had changed my schedule. This 24-hour period began with a very cold night (+8°C) and strong winds, forcing me to wear winter clothes, which reduced aerodynamics. The pain in my arms and shoulders increased even more. The rest of the day was cold and rainy, but friends kept me on the road by starting a support campaign, gathering locals to cheer me on every evening from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM. We finished the day with 484.510 km, and it was clear that we would switch to Plan B to break the record, as the goal of 4000 km would not be achieved this time.
**Day 4**
This was the most emotionally challenging day. It was clear that nothing was going according to plan, and the bad weather persisted. After 5 hours on the road, I reached a point where I realized that nothing was happening as planned, and I had no more warm and dry clothes. The night was again cold (+9°C) with strong winds, and I continued to have sleep problems. My physiotherapist arrived and fixed my arm and shoulder, allowing me to hold the TT bike’s handlebars properly, but to relieve my back, I had to spend 4 hours on a road bike. It felt like the rhythm was returning, and I knew that my friends would support me again in the evening. This group of supporters had grown to a crowd of 90 people, which motivated me not to give up. A conversation with my friend Krists Neilands, who was competing in the Tour de France at the time, helped me a lot. By evening, it was clear that the rain had finally stopped, leaving only the fight with the wind. We finished this day with 491.840 km.
**Day 5**
This day started great because the night was finally dry and not so cold. We did everything according to plan, and I returned to the base as planned at 2:30 AM, allowing me to go to sleep on time. Waking up, I was greeted with a huge surprise – my friends were waiting for me and cheering at 5:00 AM. It was an emotional moment, but it changed everyone’s mindset, making them realize that the Guinness record was not just about me and my struggle but about supporting everyone. More and more people started appearing on the roadside to support me with encouraging shouts. With every minute, I understood that we could achieve a good result. I had not only my team’s support but also the whole city’s. From this day, the whole city lived under the Guinness sign; everyone knew about the project “Be an Example,” and I became their example. We finished the day with 521.130 km, meaning we were back on track to break the record, as the minimum required was 520 km in 24 hours.
**Day 6**
This morning started with a surprise visit from a television crew who wanted to see the whole process I was going through to achieve the Guinness record. It was a bit comical as everyone finally saw what an Ultra cyclist looks like after 1.5 hours of sleep. The entire team was mobilized and focused on achieving the best possible result. The local radio station invited people to go out to the highway in the evening, and I eagerly awaited this moment. The day was warm, and the wind had slightly decreased. Everything went according to plan, and by 24 hours, we had covered 533.940 km.
**Day 7**
This day will definitely remain in my memory forever. Since I started the record at 7:00 PM, my last 24 hours began the previous evening, and I knew they would be special. For the last few days, my lunches and dinners were prepared by a local chef and delivered so that I could eat with minimal time loss. But the moment I was most looking forward to was 8:00 PM, as my team told me it would be epic. And it was – my friends had gathered over 130 people in one place to support me, and for the next 4 hours, the entire highway where I was setting my Guinness record was full of people. Every 3 km, there were groups of people with posters, flares, flowers, and various other props. I felt like I was at the Tour de France. These people’s emotions kept pushing me forward and not giving up, as I had tremendous support behind me. By 4:00 AM, we were only 120 km from breaking the record, but the fatigue was immense, so we decided to take a break to gather strength for the final stretch. I took an unusual 1.4-hour nap at the base (possibly, anyone else would have kept riding, but we understood that this break would provide extra energy for the last 12 hours). I broke the record around noon, choosing a spot by a house where two little girls greeted me every day with posters regardless of the weather, so we decided to celebrate the moment I reached 3620 km with them, marking a new Guinness record. With a few hours left until 7:00 PM, I aimed to ride as much as possible and then return to finish in the city where I started.
On July 6, 2024, at 7:00 PM, my bike computer recorded a result of 3814.620 km. I was greeted by a huge crowd, and it was a true cycling festival. My project “Be an Example” had raised €10,800 in support for oncology patients.
*During the Guinness record attempt, I used my ITT bicycle, a BMC Speedmachine with 65mm Cadex wheels and a Cadex disc for 99% of the time. Additionally, I had a Giant Propel bicycle with 55mm Cadex wheels. Both bikes were equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace power meters. I used a Garmin 1030 Plus Solar bike computer for data recording.
*I ate regular meals three times a day, prepared according to a nutritionist’s recommendations. However, while riding, I primarily used sports nutrition from Nduranz and specific products from underrated.lv.
I would also like to acknowledge the following team members:
Coach-Toms Flaksis
Nutritionists- Aksels Bresme
Charity “Be an example” team:
Gatis Līvs
Alekss Krasts
Juris Vecitirāns
Krista Jirgensone
Oskars Rudzītis
Roberts Jansons
Žanis-Raivo Behmanis
Inese Skujāne