
Angèle on the Race Around Rwanda
Categories
On February 1, 2026, Angèle Paty set off on the Race Around Rwanda, an ultra-distance gravel race that has become a benchmark for riders seeking extreme adventure.
The format immediately sets the tone:
- 1,000 km,
- 19,000 m of elevation gain,
- 4 checkpoints,
- 140 participants, including 20 women,
- starting and finishing in Kigali,
- all while operating in complete self-sufficiency.
The organizers have confirmed these details for the 2026 edition, as well as a time limit of 163 hours, or less than 7 days.
Under these conditions, every choice of equipment matters. Altitudes above 2,000 meters, changing weather, long demanding sections, managing sleep, nutrition, and exertion: the Race Around Rwanda demands the ability to move fast, for long periods, and above all, with confidence. Angèle Paty finished 20th in the 2026 edition and was the top woman.
To tackle this challenge, Angèle rode the Mavic Allroad SL Carbon. In a race where reliability isn’t a minor detail but a prerequisite for success, her feedback speaks volumes: despite the cumulative elevation gain, thunderstorms, and the demands of riding on a single battery charge, she emphasizes that she encountered “zero mechanical issues”. This feedback fully justifies the choice of the Allroad SL Carbon: wheels designed to support commitment, absorb the relentless mileage, and remain consistent as the terrain, fatigue, and conditions grow tougher.
Beyond athletic performance, this adventure illustrates what the most dedicated gravel riders seek: equipment capable of sustaining the effort without becoming a source of uncertainty. With Angèle Paty on the Race Around Rwanda 2026, the Mavic Allroad SL Carbondemonstrated, in the field, what is expected of a high-end adventure wheel: performance, confidence, and reliability all the way to the finish line.
In Angèle’s words:
“Lots of elevation gain, altitudes above 2,000 meters, thunderstorms, such a difference in terms of food—where to find it, what to find, etc.—but the landscapes and, above all, the Rwandans are incredible and super welcoming. Lots of kids running alongside to cheer us on. And no mechanical issues!”
Photo credit:https://www.instagram.com/jamesbusbyimages/?hl=fr
News & advice

Sep 23, 2026Choosing Wheels for an IRONMAN: Dylan Magnien on Depth, Wind, and Race Day Dylan Magnien has raced the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona and in Nice, and won IRONMAN Lanzarote. We asked him how he chooses wheel depth for a long-course bike leg, when a deeper front wheel stops being the faster front wheel, and what he wants from a wheelset over 180 kilometers when aerodynamics, stability and fatigue are all on the line.
Sep 10, 2026Heïdi Gaugain wins gold at the Para-cycling World Championships in Huntsville Heïdi Gaugain crowned paracycling world champion in Huntsville with her Comete 85 and Comete Road Disc wheels!
Sep 3, 2026Mavic at MADE 2026: A Thank You to the Builders Rob English winning Builders Choice, a salamander-inspired gravel bike from Josh Saxe, and six more builders running Mavic wheels at MADE 2026 in Portland. A season of thank yous, in sixteen bikes.
Aug 28, 2026When Lighter Is Actually Faster: Inside a 1,080 Gram XC Wheelset The new Crossmax Ultimate weighs 1,080 grams a pair, three hundred grams less than the wheelset it replaces. Any company can build a light wheel. The hard part is keeping stiffness, strength and reliability while the material comes out. Here is exactly where those grams went, what the ASTM Level 3 rating and 135 kg load limit actually mean for the rest of us, and why the racing is the proof rather than the point.




