Gravel Birds 750

What Should Have Been My First Ultra

GPX: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/55000756

9th of May 2026, Castro Verde, Portugal. After months of training, I set off on my first 750 km ultra race using a Cannondale Topstone fitted with Hunt wheels, 44 mm Tufo Thundero tires, and a full Tailfin setup.

2026 / 8 frames

Black and white photo of a weathered whitewashed archway in a Portuguese town, with cracked plaster, a cable running along the wall, and a quiet courtyard beyond.

Wet, cracked asphalt road winding through dry golden hills in the Alentejo, with power lines leading toward a white village on the horizon under a cloudy sky.

Black and white photo of a cyclist riding away down a long straight road through open rolling plains, passing a crossroads with signs to Castro Verde and Beja.

Loaded gravel bike leaning against a small white and ochre roadside shelter with a terracotta tile roof and traditional chimney, surrounded by golden wheat fields.

Blurred black and white close-up of a cyclist in a helmet and jersey riding fast, the bright empty background emphasising speed.

View down orange sandstone cliffs to a long golden Algarve beach with scattered sunbathers and waves rolling in from a turquoise ocean.

Wooden boardwalk stairs zigzagging down through eroded red and cream cliffs to a sandy beach and the Atlantic Ocean on a sunny day.

STYRKR MIX60 dual carb drink sachets and a GEL50 Mixed Berry energy gel laid out on an orange fabric background.