Exploro, Selva (2026)

24/06/2026

DAY 4: Of laughs, tears, love, and French bears 🧸

This morning, we finally crossed into France 🇫🇷

We started the day on the outskirts of Pamplona and climbed toward the Pyrenees, reaching just below 1000 m. Going up, the air changed.

At the top, Kili Velotto and I got the van ready for a technical stop and made the most of it by putting the Moka on: tiny roadside luxury — thanks to Flem Mountain Lodge
Too bad Lael Wilcox climbs like a train: no time to drink it!

Going down the road was so wet and slippery that I spent the whole time clenching my jaw. I know Lael has the skills, and I trust her judgment. I just do not trust wet tarmac, fast rolling, and gravity all working together.

Next stop: Itxassou, where S T E V E N L E H Y A R I C was waiting for her. Steven has GravelMan Series going on at the moment, but he couldn’t miss the chance to see Lael during her ride around the world. We stopped a little further down the road to refill Lael’s bottles, and he came to hug us, hot and sweaty. Then he did what Steven does best: talk about love and friendship until everyone gets emotional.

The next section was slow to drive, with narrow roads, traffic, roundabouts, and all the small things that make a van much slower than a bike. It was hard to catch up, and everyone was tense.

For another 100 km, Lael had company on the bike, and we moved through the freshness of the pine forests around Bayonne. What an incredible change again. The coast here is famous for its long beaches and waves, but just inland, the landscape becomes a green tunnel of maritime pines.

As we moved closer to Bordeaux through the Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne, the forest kept extending around us.

And somewhere in that long stretch, we hit the daily low. Rue and I stayed on the phone with Lael until she felt better. In the meantime, Kili tried to understand what was happening with the van’s brakes. After the big wet descent in the morning, they had started making weird noises. Of course, one stressful thing at a time would be too easy.

Closer to Bordeaux, more riders joined. The tension finally started to break. We laughed again, and Lael had another big day in the bag.

20/06/2026

DAY 3: Nothing but heat

We started the day in Alcalá de Henares, moving east under a sun that felt brutal from the very beginning.

Calling these temperatures torture for riding a bike almost feels like an understatement. We honestly ask ourselves how Lael Wilcox keeps going. Not only moving, but moving with her usual smile still there.

Of course she tells us she is hot and tired, and how hard this is. And it is: there is no pretending otherwise. This ride is brutal right now, and it feels deeply unfair to have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to go after this record in conditions like these.

But then Lael gets back on the bike, and somehow, that simple act feels incredible every single time.

Riding across the Meseta Central is helping a little, if we can call it that. At around 1,200 meters, the temperatures are just a tiny bit lower. Sure, not cool and not at all comfortable, but maybe just slightly less impossible.

From our side, there is no magic trick. We have no real way to make the heat disappear, and the only thing we can do is be there, again and again: bottles ready, food ready, ice ready, a little bit of shade when we can find it, and ice baths whenever possible.

Once again, the goal is to keep her hydrated, well-fed, and iced. But most importantly, to keep her moving.

Go Lael! You got this

20/06/2026

DAY 2: Into the oven

We’re slowly adjusting to race pace!

After stopping in Trujillo for the first night, we realized that one of the biggest challenges of the European leg might not be the most obvious one: not the distance, or the climbing, or even the heat… but finding a place to sleep.

Not having a campervan big enough to fit the six of us is definitely making things interesting. Finding accommodation exactly where Lael Wilcox needs to stop, exactly when the day ends, and exactly along the route is not as simple as it sounds.

Yesterday, Lael stopped at a hotel just 10 km short of the daily goal. After the amount of climbing and the heat she had pushed through, she was happy to have made it that far. And so were we!

Today, we are moving deeper into the heart of Spain, toward Madrid: one of the two antipodal points of the route — the other is Wellington, New Zealand.

As the temperatures keep rising, we are also crossing the Meseta Central, the great interior plateau of central Spain. With Madrid at its center, it stretches for more than 210000 square kilometers, sitting at an average elevation of 660 meters. Today’s high point will be around 1,200 meters, before dropping back down into the oven, as Lael likes to call it.

Peak temperature: 37°C
Humidity: 20%.
Bonus: headwind

And because apparently the heat outside was not enough, we also found out that the crew van has no AC.

So yes, we are all in this together. Quite literally.

Monfragüe park is shaped by the Tajo and Tiétar rivers, quartzite ridges, rocky cliffs, Mediterranean forest, and open dehesas with holm oaks and cork oaks. It is also one of Spain’s major birdwatching areas, especially known for vultures and other large birds of prey. Its geology is often described through hard quartzite ridges, folded rock, valleys, and river incisions carved over time.

Monfragüe park is shaped by the Tajo and Tiétar rivers, quartzite ridges, rocky cliffs, Mediterranean forest, and open dehesas with holm oaks and cork oaks. It is also one of Spain’s major birdwatching areas, especially known for vultures and other large birds of prey. Its geology is often described through hard quartzite ridges, folded roc

20/06/2026

DAY 2: Into the oven

We’re slowly adjusting to race pace!

After stopping in Trujillo for the first night, we realized that one of the biggest challenges of the European leg might not be the most obvious one: not the distance, or the climbing, or even the heat… but finding a place to sleep.

Not having a campervan big enough to fit the six of us is definitely making things interesting. Finding accommodation exactly where Lael Wilcox needs to stop, exactly when the day ends, and exactly along the route is not as simple as it sounds.

Yesterday, Lael stopped at a hotel just 10 km short of the daily goal. After the amount of climbing and the heat she had pushed through, she was happy to have made it that far. And so were we!

Today, we are moving deeper into the heart of Spain, toward Madrid: one of the two antipodal points of the route — the other is Wellington, New Zealand.

As the temperatures keep rising, we are also crossing the Meseta Central, the great interior plateau of central Spain. With Madrid at its center, it stretches for more than 210000 square kilometers, sitting at an average elevation of 660 meters. Today’s high point will be around 1,200 meters, before dropping back down into the oven, as Lael likes to call it.

Peak temperature: 37°C
Humidity: 20%.
Bonus: headwind

And because apparently the heat outside was not enough, we also found out that the crew van has no AC.

So yes, we are all in this together. Quite literally.

Early morning in Parque Nacional de Monfragüe, Extremadura.

Lael was riding through the first light when we found a deer on the road ahead of her. It could not get away at first, trapped between the road and the fences protecting the crops on both sides.

Eventually, it managed to jump out. We stayed a little longer, watching the road, making sure no other deer would cross as Lael rode through.

Monfragüe park is shaped by the Tajo and Tiétar rivers, quartzite ridges, rocky cliffs, Mediterranean forest, and open dehesas with holm oaks and cork oaks.

Monfragüe is also one of Spain’s major birdwatching areas, especially known for vultures and other large birds of prey. Its geology is often described through hard quartzite rid

18/06/2026

DAY 1: Lael rides around the world faster

We picked Lael Wilcox up in Lisbon at 22:00 on Monday evening (June 15), with one clear mission: get her to bed as soon as possible.

But for us, the night was only beginning. The van had to be ready, the gear sorted, the food organized, the whole little moving world prepared to leave again at 4:00 in the morning.

Lael wakes up every day at 3:30. Breakfast needs to be ready before she is. So we wake up before her, set everything up, and then the day starts moving fast.

From there, it becomes a constant run around: groceries, bottles, food prep, roadside feeds, route checks, ice, more food, more bottles. Everything needs to be ready before she needs it. We haven’t figured out what laundry is going to look like, but that’s coming up pretty soon too!

Around midday, we crossed into Spain, saying goodbye to Portugal 🇵🇹, the first country of the European leg.

And Spain 🇪🇸 welcomed us with heat!

Temperatures are rising quickly now, so keeping Lael hydrated and cool has become one of the main jobs. In the afternoon, it is ice packs all over her body, changed every 30 minutes, trying to keep the heat from taking more than it already does.

The next few days are only going to get hotter, which means our work will not get easier.

We have slept a total of 8 hours in the last 3 days. Better than nothing, but not even close to enough.

And still, every morning at 3:30, Lael gets up, gets on the bike, and keeps riding around the world, faster. Gotta keep her going!

19/05/2026

One last borderLESS thank you 💛

What a beautiful way to say hello to summer: bikes, gravel, sunshine, food, friends, muddy legs, big climbs, snow in May, and so many smiles along the way!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this first edition of borderLESS. You brought exactly the spirit we hoped for: no competition, no pressure, just the joy of riding together across places that connect more than they divide.

A special thank you to for co-hosting this ride with us and welcoming everyone at the start and finish.

Thank you to for believing in the project and for the special welcome pack that made every rider feel a little more spoiled before rolling out.

And thank you to for their continued support and for always being part of our adventures on and off the bike.

This was borderLESS. And yes, we’re still smiling.

📸 .cc

19/05/2026

Some roads are better when they’re shared 💛

borderLESS is not about racing to the top, chasing a result, or proving anything... but about riding together!

Finding the rhythm, waiting for each other, sharing the road, the effort, and all the little moments in between.

One by one, we all made it to the top of the big climb, with tired legs, muddy bikes, full pockets, and big smiles. There were snacks, laughs, layers coming on and off, and that very unexpected little gift from spring: snow in May ❄️

This is borderLESS: just a group of people on bikes, having fun, sharing the ride, and reminding us why days like this matter.

📸 .cc

18/05/2026

The perfect way to say hello to summer 💛

borderLESS has been exactly what we hoped it would be: bikes rolling through Brda/Collio, friends riding side by side, gravel under the wheels, food on the table, and that easy kind of joy that only a good day outside can give.

From Gorizia to Nova Gorica, along the Soča bike path, up toward Korada, and back to the pasta party... this was never just about the route!

We loved sharing the ride with you, crossing borders without thinking about them, laughing, sweating, eating, and getting to the finish line together!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this first borderLESS ride.
Summer, now we’re ready 🌞

📸 .cc

18/05/2026

borderLESS is finally LIVE!
..and what a ride we had! Despite the weather forecast, Sunday gifted us with the most perfect sunny day. Thank you, spring ✨

Follow us through this social off-road ride across the rolling hills of Brda Collio, where borders fade, roads turn to gravel, and the day is all about good people, good legs, and a proper ride together 💛

📸 .cc

15/04/2026

Join us on Sunday, May 17, for borderLESS 🍇

A social off-road ride through the rolling hills of Brda Collio, where borders fade, roads turn to gravel, and the day is all about good people, good legs, and a proper ride together.

borderLESS is open to all ages and all kinds of (off-road) bikes, with three loops to choose from depending on how big you want to go:

FULL — 150 km / 1500 m
HALF — 90 km / 750 m
MINI — 45 km / 150 m

Start + finish: , Cormons (GO)
Accreditation: 7:30–8:30
After the ride: pasta party + drinks 🍝

Registrations are open at exploro.cc/borderless 💌

🤫The first 100 registered riders get a branded Ortovox welcome pack.

Exploro

24/06/2026

20/06/2026

20/06/2026

20/06/2026

18/06/2026

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

18/05/2026

18/05/2026

15/04/2026

Indirizzo

Sito Web

Notifiche

Scelte rapide

Condividi

Digitare