While Cayman slowed down for Christmas Eve, two cyclists geared up for a long ride that would etch their names into the local record books.
Jeremy Solomon and David Grosshans embarked on a gruelling physical journey as they took on the Rapha Festive 500. Now in its 17th year, this global cycling phenomenon challenges riders to cover 500 kilometres – approximately 311 miles – between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Both cyclists decided to push the limits of endurance, becoming the first ever in Cayman to complete the entire distance in a single day.
Grosshans recorded a moving time of 16 hours, 13 minutes and 51 seconds, while Solomon clocked in at 16 hours, 23 minutes and 31 seconds, representing their actual time spent pedalling without the inclusion of breaks.
Out of more than 130,000 competitors participating globally, the duo finished the challenge in 13th and 14th place.
For Grosshans, a 49-year-old who rides four to seven days a week, the Festive 500 has become a year-end tradition.
He had been inspired by a friend who previously had completed the distance in 24 hours.
“One of my friends in Australia has done the 500km in one day with his cycling club … and I always wanted to do it as well. It is much easier to achieve in a group and so far, I [hadn’t] found anyone who wanted to do it with me in one day, [so] when Jeremy asked me, it was a quick yes from my side,” Grosshans says.
Solomon, the 48-year-old current Masters National Road Race Champion and a first-time participant in the challenge, says he was encouraged to take on the challenge by fellow cyclist Wayne Kirkconnell.
He admitted, “I didn’t plan on doing such a challenge for the rest of the year, but my preparation [for it included me] completing 200+ miles about six times since last year October.”
Additionally, while acknowledging his current Masters title, he said, “There’s a level of fitness that has to be retained to be able to compete internationally.”
The cycling journey begins
The journey began in the pitch black of midnight on Christmas Eve where Solomon started his ride from South Sound at 12am to meet Grosshans across from the Kimpton Seafire Resort in West Bay.
In addition to testing their mental and physical fortitude, the pair was forced to shift plans when the strength of the natural elements intervened.
Their original plan of three full island loops changed quickly because it was one of the windiest days of the year. They did the first 100 miles together on the west side of the island, then made one full island loop with a bigger group, and then the remaining 140 miles mainly in West Bay.
Reflecting on the weather conditions, Grosshans says, “It was extra challenging [because of the wind], but thankfully, there were a few showers to cool us down and it was mostly cloudy, which meant not a lot of sun and heat, which was great.”
Both cyclists say their goal was to complete the challenge in 18 hours; however, “the wind cost us time” forcing them to finish around 9pm.
“[Despite it being] a challenging ride, the support that we received from the Cayman cycling community helped us through,” Grosshans said.
While Solomon is already open to a future attempt, Grosshans is carefully weighing his options about whether he’ll take on the challenge next year once again.
“Maybe. I know I can do it, so I don’t need to do it again as the ride is long and repetitive,” he said. “However, if some of my Cayman Cycling club friends want to attempt it, I will join and support them to achieve it – or if Jeremy wants to do it again and we try to do it in a faster time.”
While Solomon and Grosshans stole the headlines with their single-day effort, they were not the only Cayman cyclists to conquer the Rapha Festive 500 this year.
Over the course of the eight-day window, local riders David Hill, Steven Stewart, Wayne Kirkconnell and Aaron Roye all successfully clocked their 500 kilometres.
