Jérôme Sorrel, partner at weelz.fr, continues his series of profiles. Today, he meets a Parisian cyclist, but not just any cyclist, as this individual is currently considered the best in the world in his discipline.
Sofiane Sehili, 41, was born in the Parisian suburbs and now lives in Paris, when he’s not pedaling somewhere on the other side of the world. Sofiane is a cyclist like the rest of us, or almost… He started cycling in middle school to get there and back, and continued until his first jobs.
But when it came time to sign a permanent contract, he couldn’t see himself in a desk job. Like some others who enter religious orders, Sofiane felt a calling… to the streets and to travel. So he became a bike courier. And the more he pedaled, the more he wondered, how far can you go with a bike? Where is the limit?
An endurance cyclist
Since 2016, he has taken part in the biggest and most challenging ultra-distance cycling events. He is considered the best current cyclist in the world in this type of event.
For example, at the end of August, he won the Silk Road Mountain Race for the third time, a race that takes place in Kyrgyzstan, covering 2,000 km with 33,000 meters of total elevation gain, completely self-supported and without assistance. The route takes riders through gravel, mountains, and plains. With temperatures during the day that can exceed 35°C and dropping to 0°C or lower at night…
Sofiane crosses the finish line after 6 days, 16 hours, and 47 minutes of effort… averaging 270 km per day for almost 7 days. To get an idea, the elevation gain is equivalent to climbing Mont Blanc from sea level each day.
Sofiane’s cycling in Paris?
Despite traveling to the most remote corners of the globe, Sofiane still enjoys getting around Paris and the Île-de-France region by bike. In our podcast, he suggests taking a leisurely ride to explore the Duys Aqueduct, or reminisces about his time as a courier in the city.
Sofiane has some advice for you
When asked what bike to use for cycling in Île-de-France, he responds with an anecdote. While on a trip to Laos, he bought his first used bike for the equivalent of one hundred euros. After just 2 days, the bike fell apart. He fixed it with whatever materials he had on hand. His conclusion: “If you can make it work in the middle of Laos with a bike in very poor condition, nothing too serious should happen to you in Île-de-France.” In other words, take your bike and go.
Practical information
Sofiane mentions Komoot in the interview. Komoot is an online route planning service. You can create your own route or find ones created by cyclists like Sofiane. Other similar services exist, such as Strava and Géovélo, to name a couple.
Alternatively, IGN maps are also a good solution (at least in France).
The meeting with Sofiane took place at the Pédale Douce bike shop located at 12 rue Crussol, 75011 Paris.
