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Things didn't really go according to Josh's plan for Race Around Rwanda 2020. A storm hit the area and the resulting super-abrasive mud wore through his brake pads and rotors, and he didn't have a spare set with him. Up to this point Josh was at the sharp end of the race riding in a loose group of 4 riders and was feeling strong.

We catch up with our good friend Josh Ibbett after his unfortunate early exit from the 2020 Race Around Rwanda.

Race Report

How do you plan for a race in a new destination where you haven't ridden?

You can never really fully prepare, but I do as much research as I can. I try and avoid looking at forums and facebook groups as everyone just winds each other up, quite often with nonsense and speculation not facts. But google maps is a good resource for having a look at roads and towns and I’ll do a quick search for the basics like currency, exchange rates, local customs etc. But I feel it’s important not to over research as part of the joy of travel is going and discovering these new destinations.

What do you use to analyse terrain and make decisions on kit, tyres etc?

Normally you can get a feel of the type of terrain from a bit of basic research. I know what tyres work for me on certain terrains so often I can make a educated guess. However the nature of long distance racing means that you will never pick the perfect tyre for every section of the route, so it’s about finding the best compromise.

You were level with Ultan for most of the race, how were you feeling riding at the front with him? Was the pace in line with your planned pace?

Well I only actually rode the first day of the race before I wore my pads through (and foolishly didn’t take spares). I was in a group with Ultan and two Rwandans. I actually rode alone for the first 5 or 6 hours. I was trying not to get over excited and push too hard to early and then just before CP1 I saw Ultan ahead and pushed on to catch him. Ultimately I think Ultan was stronger in the race so the result would have been the same, but I could have ridden a solid race. Stopping early has its positives though, I still rode 40hours in 10days as I was touring before the race so not finishing mean that I didn’t dig a hole for my self. Ultra races take quite a while to fully recover from so it enabled me to recover quickly and get back to quality training once I was home.

RAR looked to be another well-presented and organised race. What attracts you to certain races and what would you say sets them apart?

I came across RAR quite late on and initially I was keen to race the Atlas Mountain race, however I’d never been to Rwanda before and had been to Morroco so that basically decided it for me. I value exploring new countries and cultures over the racing aspect of bikepacking.

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Bike and Kit List

What bike did you ride for Rwanda? What wheel and tyre combo?

I rode the Mason Bokeh with a set of HUNT Carbon Dynamo Disc wheels. The RAR route was about 60% tarmac the rest gravel. I took the risk and went for a tyre that would be faster on the tarmac so opted for the WTB Exposure 36. Ultimately this probably cost me as I had a few hard crashes in the rain and had to descend a bit easier but sometime you have to roll the dice! A gravel tyre would have been great for 40% of the race but a drag on the rest so its about finding the balance.

 

There was a lot of rain...how do you keep your kit dry?

I didn’t! You just learn to deal with it and keep warm.

Many people reading this have probably not ridden in Rwanda, please describe the terrain. Thousands of hills?

Yep the clue is in the name. The capital city is Kigali which sits at just under 1600m altitude. It basically goes up from there so most of the race was closer to 2000m. There is a lot of development in Rwanda so most of the road a very new and in excellent condition. The dirt roads are great to ride on and generally well used and smooth. However I doubt there will be so much gravel in subsequent editions as some of the road were already being re developed.

How does this race fit in with your overall plan TourDivide, how do the lessons learned transfer to TD? Apart from the obvious brake pad stuff.

It was a great chance to travel and get some base miles in. It wasn’t really about trying to win the race, more about getting hours in the saddle and discovering a new country. I aim to peak in early June so my fitness needs to be at its best by then. Last year my highest fitness values (in training peaks) were after Bikingman Oman in Feburary so it was hard to maintain that until the TD. So this year I’m trying to build up more slowly to reach the same level.

Are you striking the balance between ultra racing and work, home life in the UK?

I’m lucky enough to be working for my family business so that allows me to be flexible with my time and get to the races. I can normally manage a long ride mid-week as well which is really important when trying to build up fitness for long distance races. It is a fine balance, I could probably almost make riding full time work (and survive!), but things wouldn’t be financially secure and riding then takes on a whole new dimension. But equally without a doubt I could do better at races if I could train and recover full time. Right now I can’t really train any more than I do without burning out and all my time is either spent working, training or just being tired!

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Challenges racing in a new destination.

Food / fuelling - did you eat local or take your own supply?

There’s only so much food you can take on a long ride so at some point you will have to eat locally. But you soon learn the staple dishes of a new country and quite often bread or rice is available in most of the world.

You posted about the road racing in Rwanda, in the short time you were there, were you able to get an idea of what the scene is like?

I spent some time at the national cycling centre and watched a national road race. Cycling as a sport is relatively popular thanks to the tour of Rwanda, however cycling and bikes are deeply engrained into the culture. Bikes are a tool to get a job done. They are used as taxis, to carry bananas, sacks of rice or just to get from a to b.

Will you head back to Rwanda / Africa for further exploration?

There are rumours of a gravel series in Rwanda which is definitely interesting… so watch this space.

You're now riding for Shimano...what does this entail and what does the future hold?

I’m on the Shimano Gravel Alliance which basically means I get to have Shimano GRX fitted to my bikes and have to shout about it. Which is good as I love shimano products and am very happy to be finally representing the brand. The future holds a satisfying shhh sound every time I shift my di2!

What's next?

I’m getting my head down and training hard. I’ll be at the Dirty Reiver but as I mentioned before my big focus is the Dirty Kanza followed by the Tour Divide 10 days later. So everything is building towards those goals.