“At this distance, your whole approach changes”: Interview with Race Across France winner Pauline Gaidet

Pauline Gaidet, from La Rosière, in Savoie, France, grew up in the mountains, where sport was part of her daily life. She skied from an early age, and rode horses, before turning to endurance sports such as multi-day ski touring in high school. She soon found a passion for trail running, which quickly became central to her life for the next dozen years.

In 2022, a serious accident interrupted this trajectory. After a long rehabilitation, cycling entered her life, first to maintain fitness, then as a real sporting project. Faced with the uncertainty of whether she would be able to start running again, she took on her first ultra-cycling event. 

Having already ridden and won the individual Race Across France races over shorter distances (300, 500 and 1,000 km) she took on the 2,500 km race for the first time this year – and won.

Alex caught up with Pauline shortly after her victory to discuss heat, sleep strategy, mechanical disasters, and why spending a week on a bike is exactly where she feels happiest. 

You clearly seem to enjoy the Race Across France events. How was this first attempt at 2,500 km different from the previous editions? Was it simply “more of the same, only longer”, or did the extra distance present unexpected physical or mental challenges?

The 2,500 km was my main goal for the year. My entire preparation was built around this race, with the aim of arriving on the start line in the best possible shape.

So it wasn’t simply “more of the same, only longer.” At this distance, your whole approach changes. My goal was to perform at the highest level possible over the course of an entire week, which requires much more careful management of effort, sleep and recovery.

This distance confronted me with physical and mental challenges that I’d never experienced before. I had a few mechanical problems during the race, and the heatwave also added another layer of difficulty.

Physically, the real challenge was continuing to perform over several days despite the heat. Mentally, I felt well prepared, but I was also constantly observing myself – trying to understand what was actually possible for me over such a long duration, without having any previous personal experience to use as a reference.

Because I’d never ridden for that long before, I spent a lot of time listening to my body and monitoring my mental state as the days passed. One thing this race confirmed for me is something rather unusual: I genuinely enjoy spending a week on a bicycle. There’s something both very simple and very powerful about crossing an entire country by riding for long periods at a steady, low intensity.

Is there a particular reason why you choose Race Across events over other ultra-endurance races?

There are several reasons why I’m drawn to the Race Across events.

First of all, I really appreciate the variety of distances they offer. Race Across France ranges from relatively short events all the way up to the 2,500 km race. That flexibility is important because, in ultra-endurance, your preparation can always be disrupted by injury, unexpected circumstances or accumulated fatigue. Being able to adjust your objective according to how your season unfolds is a real advantage.

Secondly, riding 2,500 kilometres across France is something quite unique. The first time I heard about the race, it almost sounded unreal. I felt I needed to experience it myself to truly understand what 2,500 kilometres actually represents.

What also makes Race Across special, in my opinion, is the quality of the organisation. They’re very close to the riders. I feel safe, supported and well looked after. You can tell there’s genuine care given to every participant. There’s a very human side to the event. Over the years I’ve got to know some of the staff and volunteers, which creates a family atmosphere that’s quite rare for an event of this size.

Finally, I really enjoy the routes. Since my first participation, I’ve discovered beautiful parts of France and travelled through regions I probably would never have explored otherwise.

How did you cope with the extreme heat during the event, and what effect did it have on your ride?

I like hot weather, so when I saw the forecast was for a dry week, I was actually pleased. When fatigue starts to affect your concentration, riding on dry roads is much safer, especially on descents, so I began the race in quite a positive frame of mind.

I’d also completed a block of heat training beforehand because it’s often very hot in France in June. To adapt to the extreme temperatures, I added a hydration pack carrying two litres of water, allowing me to carry more fluid between resupply points. I also increased the amount of electrolytes in my bottles to compensate for what I’d lose through sweating.

Beyond my race strategy, I place a great deal of importance on listening to my body. Since I first started endurance riding, I’ve tried to stay very aware of my body’s signals. Whenever I felt even the slightest need for water, I drank immediately. I wanted my body to know that water was available whenever it needed it. Before the race I’d also identified plenty of water points and fountains along the route, which meant I felt calm and confident throughout.

In the end, the heat had a rather unusual impact on my race because the organisers imposed mandatory cooling breaks during the hottest parts of the day. On the hottest days we had to stop for between four and six hours. That forced me to completely rethink my strategy – but actually in a positive way.

Those long breaks allowed me to recover more effectively, speak with my coach and support crew, and then restart with much greater intensity.

It’s quite paradoxical, but that constraint actually made my race more dynamic. I was able to alternate proper recovery periods with harder riding. My coach instructed me to ride at tempo on the easier sections, which is a very unusual approach in a 2,500 km race.

I also slept less during the night and spent more time riding in the dark, which suits me perfectly. Night riding is something very special for me. There’s something unique about being alone on the road, surrounded by silence. It’s a space that feels entirely my own, and I absolutely love it.

You’re obviously delighted with the win, but what was your lowest moment in the race?

I had a small mechanical mishap involving a slow puncture. I waited until daylight after taking a short micro-nap because I wanted to be fully alert before fixing it.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan. When I replaced the inner tube, I realised the spare tube I’d taken out was also punctured, so I had to start again, which already cost me quite a bit of time.

And that wasn’t the end of it. When I tried to inflate the tyre, my hand pump broke. The heat had caused the mechanism to fail completely. At that point I had no option but to ask for help. I knocked on local residents’ doors to see whether anyone had a compressor or some way of inflating my tyre. Altogether, that episode cost me about two hours.

These are exactly the kinds of situations that are part of ultra-distance racing. You’re not just managing your physical effort – you also have to solve very practical problems, often with very limited resources and while extremely tired.

The lesson is simple: next time I’ll check my equipment more carefully… and I’ve already replaced my hand pump with an electric one!

Apart from that, I experienced some wonderful moments during the race, and I’m very happy to have finished in good condition and with such a strong result.

What was your overall impression of the route? As a French person riding through your homeland, did it evoke any special emotions?

I really enjoyed the route. We travelled through a wide variety of landscapes, and that’s one of the things I love about Race Across France – you genuinely feel as though you’re crossing the entire country in all its diversity.

I particularly loved riding through the vineyards. As a French woman, they naturally evoke familiar cultural references, so there was something almost intimate about those sections.

Passing near the Loire Valley châteaux was also a memorable moment. Then, of course, there was the ascent of Mont Ventoux, which was truly special. These are legendary places in cycling, and riding through them in this context made the experience exceptional.

The organisers had to make some tough choices during the race – changing the route, and adding rest breaks, and so on. How do you think they did overall?

Arnaud Manzanini and his entire team did an outstanding job. Given the extreme weather conditions, it wasn’t easy to keep the event both safe and fair, and I thought the decisions they made were absolutely the right ones.

I wasn’t disappointed by this week in the slightest. Quite the opposite – I had a wonderful experience, and I’ll definitely be back. The organisers genuinely do everything they can to ensure riders have the best possible experience.

The finish town of Mandelieu-La Napoule seems like a beautiful place to relax now and celebrate your win. Is there any chance of that, or are you off on a new adventure?

The setting, between the sea and the mountains, is beautiful. Being able to stay here for a few days with my family has allowed me to recover properly. I enjoyed the beach, the peaceful atmosphere, and it provided the perfect transition after the intensity of the race.

The atmosphere in the race village was also wonderfully friendly. I really enjoyed catching up with and meeting members of the ultra-cycling community around Race Across.

I’d have loved to get back on my bike and explore more of the area around Mandelieu-La Napoule – but that will have to wait until I’ve fully recovered.

What are your cycling plans for the future? Are you planning to take on even longer rides?

Later this summer, my next goal is Les 7 Majeurs, a 360km route with 11,000 metres of climbing between France and Italy. It’s a challenge that’s particularly close to my heart, and I have a very clear time goal: to complete it in under 23 hours.

In the short term, I’m not necessarily looking for longer distances. I may ride the Race Across Spain 1000 at the end of September, depending on how well I recover.

Next year, however, I’d like to return to Race Across France 2,500. Because of the heat-related neutralisations, I still haven’t experienced the event in its original continuous format. I really want to experience the race exactly as it was designed.

I’m also planning to add another race of around 2,000 kilometres to continue building experience at this distance.

That said, I’m careful to maintain a healthy balance throughout the season. To preserve my health and ability to recover, I’ll probably limit myself to no more than three long races each year.

Longer term, my ambition is to become competitive over distances of around 4,000 kilometres. But I think I still need a little more experience before attempting races of that length. I’m taking things one step at a time.

Finally, would you recommend Race Across events to sportive.com readers?

Absolutely, without hesitation.

What I particularly like about Race Across is that it’s accessible to many different types of riders. There really is something for everyone, with distances beginning at around 200 kilometres. I think it’s an excellent introduction to ultra-distance cycling.

Even on a 200km event, you’re often riding through the night, which already lets you experience one of the unique aspects of endurance cycling. Riding in darkness, managing fatigue, staying mentally sharp as your body starts to slow down – that’s an experience in itself.

Compared with a traditional sportive, the approach is also completely different. You’re riding an individual time trial without drafting, and you’re almost entirely self-sufficient. You have to manage your pacing, nutrition, equipment and decision-making from start to finish. That makes the experience more demanding, but also much more adventurous.

I think ultra-distance cycling allows people to experience something that’s increasingly rare today: stepping completely outside their normal lives, slowing down in a certain sense, and focusing on very simple things – moving forward, eating, drinking and managing your energy.

Race Across also allows you to travel. The routes cross beautiful regions and several countries, making it a unique way of discovering a landscape through physical effort.