What does it take to win... the Seven Serpents? Interview with Ultracycling Phenomenon Justinas Leveika

Justinas Leveika, 34, from Lithuania, manager of a nursing home in Norway, has made waves in the ultracycling scene for over a year now. After participating in his first unsupported races, he has since racked up numerous victories and podium finishes, including at the Transpyrenees, Race Around Rwanda, Dales Divide, Atlas Mountain Race, and Seven Serpents. Most recently, he secured a second place at the infamous Tour Divide. He could be called a natural-born ultracyclist.



But what makes him tick, and how does he prepare for these grueling races? We interviewed Justinas after his victory at the Seven Serpents.

What was your experience at the Seven Serpents like? Do you have any anecdotes you share with people who ask about it?

I always say: "People should stop bringing knives to a gunfight." By that, I mean a gravel bike is out of place at a mountain bike race. Underestimating the terrain is a common mistake, and in my opinion, it's why many people have to scratch. This year's Seven Serpents was particularly crazy due to the weather. I didn't take off my rain gear once in the first 24 hours - but at least I didn't get sunburned. Participating in this race was also a test run for the Tour Divide, essentially my longest training ride in preparation for a completely new challenge (the Tour Divide is over 4400 km and longer than anything Justinas had done before, also see our blog about Ulrich "Uba" Bartholmös).

How did you get into ultracycling? What sports did you do before?

I played soccer for many years, but even as a child, I had a lot of energy. So, my mother let me try out any sport I wanted. I started with track and field, followed by swimming and handball. Eventually, I stuck with soccer and even played semi-professionally. Ultracycling entered my life during the pandemic. Cycling was the perfect outdoor activity between my shifts as a nurse. On vacations and days off, I went bikepacking to explore more of Norway without violating social distancing rules. At some point, I wanted to see how far I could ride in 24 hours. So, I planned a route and set off, covering 700 km. After that achievement, the next step was participating in an ultra-race, and there I was in June 2021 at the start of the Transpyrenees, my first official ultra-race.

How do you prepare for such an event? Or is it even possible to prepare? 

I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all approach. No doubt, you need to be fit for these races. I admit, I train a lot. Last year, including my races, I cycled for 1100 hours. But a strong mind is also crucial in this game. A friend of mine captured it well: "Start with your legs, finish with your mind."

Why did you choose SUPERNOVA lighting? What do you particularly like about the B54, DY PRO, and Airstream?

I wanted reliable and durable lighting, so SUPERNOVA was the perfect choice! The less you have to worry about your equipment, the faster you can ride. The AIRSTREAM is an excellent all-rounder. I mainly use it for road races because its beam angle is more focused, and it can be charged "on the fly," which is rare for other front lights. The B54 battery light offers a broad beam and an incredible battery life of up to 50 hours. The DY PRO is an "eternal" light source, if you will. Once you've installed your setup, you don't need anything else. That's ideal for riding ultra-long distances. 

When do you use battery lighting, and when do you use dynamo lighting?

Roughly speaking, I use battery lighting for races and dynamo lighting for tours. However, I sometimes need to reevaluate this strategy. Some races demand more from you than others because they're incredibly long, like the upcoming Tour Divide. For such races, dynamo lighting as an "all-around carefree" solution is probably more suitable.

Which races do you still want to win? What other adventures do you dream of?

Oh, there are too many races I could still participate in. Although it may sound strange, I'm not concerned with winning the race against other riders. I often don't even look at the tracker until the very end. It's more about winning against myself and testing my limits. And it's about the places these adventures take me. I dream of one day setting off on my bike and not coming back, at least for an extended period. Living on my bicycle and exploring the world with it.

We also had a question for Justinas AFTER the Tour Divide: How did it go? What was particularly important to you in terms of lighting?

On this kind of distance, you need to be much better at pacing yourself and brushing off things that set you back. When you go from problem to problem to problem, it can be hard on your morale. But I think the most important thing is to be as self-sufficient as possible. You need to be able to repair many things on the bike yourself, like the drivetrain. That's even more complicated if you have an electronic drivetrain. My derailleur broke during the Tour Divide. I had to hitchhike to a town 100 km away to get to a bike shop. Then I had to walk back to where I had stopped on the route. That cost me a lot of time and my early lead. You also never know when and where you'll be able to charge your electronics next. Having to look for places to charge your lights adds mental stress. So the biggest change to my setup was switching to dynamo lighting with the M99 DY PRO (instead of battery lights, ed. SUPERNOVA). Now that the race is over, I couldn't be happier with my choice. The light was strong and it always worked when I needed it! 

(Not-so-)fun fact: Justinas rode the last 800 km of the Tour Divide with only one pedal and just one working gear. He still finished second.

Photos: Nils Längner / Tobias Schürer

Interview & Text: Levin Sottru