500 kilometres, 8,848 metres of elevation gain and a night alone on the road. Fabian Wurm on a road race that was, above all, a test.
When I signed up for Ardennes Monster 2026, I honestly was not entirely sure what I was getting myself into.
It had been a long time since I had ridden a road event. The closer the start got, the more the panic began to build. Ardennes Monster is simply completely different from the races and events I usually ride.
In the forest, there are entirely different influences. You hear more, see more and experience your surroundings much more intensely. That is exactly why the event was, above all, one thing for me at first: a test.
I wanted to find out how I would cope with this unfamiliar situation.
Planning as little as possible
After speaking with my boss, I was only able to take one day off. That is why I chose the 500-kilometre route. My thinking was relatively simple: if everything went reasonably well, it should be possible to finish within 24 hours.
I did not really have a race plan, though.
In fact, I had not prepared at all. It was only a few days before the start that I realised the race began in the evening. I had barely looked at the route either.
But that was partly intentional. Belgium is not particularly far from where I live, and I had been to the area several times before. I wanted to experience the race as an adventure and know as little as possible in advance.
I spent the day before the race relaxing at home. I tidied my flat, went about my normal day and did practically nothing that would traditionally be considered race preparation.
At some point around midday, I set off by car. I did not want to spend much time at the venue either, because waiting around and the whole pre-race atmosphere tend to make me nervous.
My only plan: be fast before dark
I ride more slowly in the dark and feel less confident on an unfamiliar route. So I wanted to use the first few hours to cover as many kilometres as possible before nightfall.
I also wanted to keep my equipment deliberately simple.
I had my frame bag with me, which held my first aid kit and the mandatory high-visibility vest, among other things.
For hydration, I carried my Hydration Vest with a two-litre water bladder. I also had water bottles containing carbohydrates for the first few hours.
I kept the food simple as well: cheeseburgers, regular bars and whatever I could buy along the way.
The start at the Citadel of Namur
After registration and the final preparations, we lined up for the start at 8:00 p.m.
From the Citadel of Namur, the route initially descended before heading directly into a steep climb.
I knew the Mur de Huy would come after roughly 40 kilometres. A brutal, steep climb. Even before that, small groups kept forming.
I started out fairly fast. During the first two hours, my power was close to 300 watts. For my size and weight, that is a solid effort.
My gearing was not exactly ideal. With a 52/36 chainset at the front and a 30-tooth cassette at the back, I was geared relatively hard for those ramps.
However, that was the setup I also ride at home. I did not want to change anything specifically for this event.
Fortunately, the bike handled everything without any problems.
Alone through the night
As darkness slowly fell, the groups around me began to dissolve. At some point, I was riding completely alone into the night.
At Ardennes Monster, riders were allowed to travel in small groups and stay in each other's slipstream. Personally, that does not really match the way I want to race.
So I made a conscious decision against it and continued alone.
I actually enjoy that especially at night.
When it gets dark and you suddenly find yourself completely on your own, the entire experience changes. Everything becomes quieter. You have time to be with your thoughts and take in your surroundings.
I deliberately rode without headphones. No music, no podcast. Just the bike, the road and the surroundings.
I was completely in my element.
And just as I had ridden into the night, I came out of it again. Alone.
The first checkpoint
At around 6:00 a.m., I finally reached a checkpoint.
There, I caught up with three other riders. I had two coffees, packed some more food and then set off again.
After that, nothing fundamental was really going to change.
An entire day alone on the road
The whole day unfolded much like the night before: alone on the road.
No rider in front of me and none behind me.
At some point, I noticed that tiredness was beginning to take its toll. At a car park, I decided to take a short 15-minute power nap for safety reasons.
Just lie down for a moment, close my eyes and clear my head.
At that exact moment, two other riders passed me.
Normally, that probably would have annoyed me or at least stayed on my mind. At that moment, however, I was so tired that I really did not care.
Safety simply came first.
After the power nap, I tried once more to make up some time on the route. But I quickly realised that it was no longer really possible.
So I simply continued at my own pace.
Kilometre by kilometre, I made my way back towards Namur.
Back in Namur, I received a warm welcome from the Ardennes Monster team.
After 500 kilometres, a night alone on the road and almost 8,848 metres of elevation gain, the race was over.
Considering my almost provocative lack of preparation, I am pretty happy with ninth place.
Twenty-two hours and 49 minutes for 500 kilometres and almost 8,848 metres of elevation gain is perfectly fine by me. :)
Above all, Ardennes Monster was exactly what I had hoped it would be: a test.
A test of how I would cope with an unfamiliar route, the darkness, the tiredness and riding alone for so long.
And perhaps the fact that I had prepared so little was part of the adventure.
Sometimes, apparently, you just have to set off and see what happens.
About the author
Fabian Wurm
Fabian has been part of the ultra and bikepacking scene since 2019. His focus is on off-road races, where adventure, remoteness and a controlled, safety-first approach take centre stage.
Text: Fabian Wurm. Images: Tanguy Sterckx (@tanguy_on_the_field) and Rémy Murez (@murez.remy).
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