Paweł Sojecki completed the 45-SouthWest route in 17 days, 3 hours, and 5 minutes – riding in true vintage style.
He was the only rider equipped with 25mm tires – the largest that could fit his bike frame. No hydraulic brakes, no electronic shifting. Just a mechanical disc brake in the front, a rim brake in the rear, and pure determination.
Paweł was unstoppable from the beginning. At Passo del Tende, he confidently followed the updated route into France. In the village of Limone, he simply smiled and said, “I’m going,” and off he went.
Even the many challenges along the way couldn’t slow him down. His phone fell and cracked on Mont Ventoux, just before Checkpoint 5. But instead of stressing, he asked a tourist at the summit to take a photo and email it to him – problem solved.
Later, while descending the Col du Tourmalet, his front brake failed completely. Paweł managed the steep descent using only the rear brake – safely and calmly. Then, on July 1st in the Pyrenees, his credit card stopped working. No money, no food – but still no surrender. He found a way to solve even that.
Paweł never booked a room. He slept outside every night, under the stars.
He shared many more stories with us – these are just a few we remember.
When Paweł reached the finish line in Tarifa early in the morning, even the city wasn’t quite ready. The local cleaning crew was just starting to tidy up the plaza. So he waited patiently for his finisher photo in front of the iconic Tuna sculpture – on freshly cleaned ground. And once the job was done, Paweł calmly unpacked the bread and cheese he had carried all night through the hilly terrain – and enjoyed a quiet, well-earned breakfast at the end of an unforgettable journey.
After this truly adventurous adventure, Paweł headed back to the start. Not to do it again (at least not this year!) – he lives just a few kilometers outside of Kraków.
A huge congratulations to Paweł for this remarkable achievement – the only rider to finish this year 45-SouthWest in the Vintage Category!
Photos: Pawel at Pico del Veleta and at the finish Tarifa
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