“I felt like I’d been
hit by a train”

There can be fewer more dedicated sportspeople than James Hayden – endurance cyclist and CW Challenger. In August, James came second in the Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan, one of the most challenging bike races in the world. The 1,895km route goes through the Tian Shan Mountains before ending at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, and James completed it in just over seven days and six hours. Below, James looks back on an extraordinary few days.

Hi James! How did you feel after the race?
Exhausted. The day it finished, I ended up getting gastroenteritis. I can’t compare it to anything, I’d never felt this bad before. I’d got no energy: I just made a sandwich and then went back to bed.

When did the race begin?
Midnight on August 12th in Osh, the second biggest city in Kyrgyzstan. We all started in one group, as there’s a neutralised start for 10km til we get out of town. Then it spreads out quickly depending on whether you want to ride hard or not. I tried to keep up with the lead riders otherwise, you’re losing time. Within an hour, there were 10 of us together near the front.

How did the first day go?
I didn’t stop for 24 hours. By daylight, we were up in the mountains. Osh is about 1,000m up, and I finished at 4,200m. I wasn’t well: I had a tummy bug and couldn’t take on food. I kept going to the loo, which slowed me down, so by the time I got over the first mountain pass, I’d lost five to six hours to the leaders. I had to make that up later.

When was your first night’s sleep?
At 1am on the second day. I had a sleeping bag and stopped on the side of the track. Some people can handle less sleep than others – I decide each day. This event is so hard you can’t push sleep deprivation. I slept for four and a half hours – it was one of my longer sleeps.

Tell us about the third and fourth days
It was lower elevation – going over mountain passes, but not that high. Then on the fourth day, we got up into the mountains and stayed up there.

“I collapsed by the side of the road. There was nothing left”

Were there any moments when you were struggling?
You can’t let yourself think that, as that’s a negative frame of mind, and it’ll take hold of you. I remind myself how far I’ve come or that I’ve done it before, and I know I can finish it.

How do you take on food and drink?
I have a water filter so I can scoop up water from anywhere – rivers, streams or puddles. Food – I did 36 hours without a shop, so when I stopped in Naryn – a small town – I bought 36 hours of food. You have two options: one, buy local food that might make you sick, or two, stuff that comes in a packet. I bought about five sandwiches and 30 Snickers bars!

Did anything crazy happen?
Everything went smoothly. On the last night, there were some river crossings– and the water was flowing over my knees. I threw the bike over my shoulder and waded across without much hesitation.

What was the feeling as you came to the end?
To finish, I had to do one last mountain pass at 3,800 metres. I cycled halfway up, but then it turned into a horse track so had to hike the rest, which took most of the day. I got to the top at 9pm then came down – navigating around a couple of massive landslides. At one point, I had to walk down the river bed: it was 11pm and pitch black!

Sounds scary…
After that, I got a phone signal and found I was catching up with Sofiane Sehili, the rider in first place – he was nine kilometres ahead with 130km to go. I eventually managed to get so close I could see his rear tail light – he was only 300m ahead. As we went toward Bishkek, my body gave up as I hadn’t eaten (it was midnight, and all the shops were shut), and I collapsed by the side of the road. There was nothing left. Eventually, I came second, 59 minutes behind the leader. The guy in third finished 27 hours behind.

Did you talk with Sehili after?
We spoke at the finish, though we’re strong rivals – and I wouldn’t say we’re friends! We have history between us. We’re both big personalities, and neither of us likes to be beaten by the other. When we race head to head it’s phenomenal for other people to watch.

Afterwards, what happened?
It was 6am, I had a couple of beers, then I went to a hotel and passed out for the rest of the day. When I woke up, I felt like I’d been hit by a train. At that point, your body says, “I’m shutting down”.

Did you wear your C63 Colchester?
Of course! I’ve not managed to break it yet!

Follow James' adventures on Instagram at @jamesmarkhayden or jamesmarkhayden.eu