Omar Di Felice will once again attempt to cross Antarctica. A year after his first attempt (which ended with his evacuation from Antarctic soil due to serious personal problems), the ultra-cyclist will once again embark on what will be the most extreme and difficult adventure ever experienced.
Antarctica Unlimited, as the project is called, will be the longest solo crossing ever undertaken entirely by bicycle. It will be carried out in total self-sufficiency, without any means of support. The only point where supplies will be available will be the permanent base at the South Pole.
Omar will start his journey on the coast of Hercules Inlet: the route is over 1,500 km long, the first objective being to reach the South Pole, from where he will continue along the Leverett Glacier, finally attempting to cycle back to the South Pole.
“After dreaming all my life of being the first cyclist to cross Antarctica, I felt the pain of the previous attempt: in addition to the environmental and territorial difficulties I had foreseen, there were the unexpected challenges of serious family problems that forced me to return early. I worked the following months to heal the wounds of that first attempt, which was abruptly interrupted, trying, day after day, to rediscover the enthusiasm that drove me to organise what is undoubtedly the most difficult adventure in every sense: physical, mental and organisational. I am returning to Antarctica because a dream like that deserves a second chance” says Omar.
The ultra-cyclist finishes a year that has seen the culmination of his adventure in Ladakh and, above all, his success in the Trans America Bike Race (the longest and most iconic unsupported ultra-cycling race, 7,000 km from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic).
Antarctica Unlimited will be linked to the Bike to 1.5°C project with which Omar, through a series of adventures and explorations, is trying to spread the word about the climate crisis. In the weeks leading up to the departure, it will be possible to follow live broadcasts and interviews with researchers who have experienced life in Antarctica, a place as extreme as it is delicate, where climate change is generating devastating impacts for the rest of the planet.
“It is the biggest and most ambitious project of my life. Because of the importance of Antarctica in the delicate balance of our planet, I could never relate to the most inaccessible and extreme place, regardless of the great changes it is undergoing precisely because of human activity.”
Antarctica Unlimited will also include in-depth talks with experts and scientists who, once again, will make up the virtual conference table that Omar will hold over the coming months, before and after his adventure on his bicycle. This initiative will also include articles, publications, a docufilm that will tell the story of the expedition and the project related to the presentations at schools, already launched after the first attempt.
Once again, the Italian Climate Network will be one of the scientific partners of the initiative, which will also involve ESA, the European Space Agency, whose presence in Antarctica is essential for the study of climate change, as well as for the training of astronauts in space missions.
Among other things, Omar has just returned from a final training camp in Iceland, where he was able to carry out the final stages of preparation and test the materials he will be using.
From a technical point of view, last year’s experience has allowed him to make the small changes necessary to optimise the equipment. The bike used will be a special model developed by Wilier Triestina specifically for Omar’s requirements for the Antarctic crossing and the challenges he will face, and equipped with Shimano components, to which he will attach a special sled needed to carry all his equipment, as well as the Missgrape bike bag system and the saddle, which will once again be the Aspide Supercomfort Short by Selle San Marco.
This bicycle is a unique product that will not be available to the public and will carry the climate line graphs highlighting the global warming trend since 1850. The same graph, created by Professor Ed Hawkins (and available here), is present in the Lazer Vento Kineticore helmet that will serve to protect Omar throughout the crossing.
As for clothing, on the other hand, essential for surviving temperatures that will drop below -40°C (with an even lower perceived temperature due to the famous katabatic winds that can blow), UYN, an Italian brand of the Trerè Innovation company, has developed a special high-altitude suit similar to that worn by mountaineers at over 8,000 metres, but with special features that make it comfortable to wear while cycling. This work has made it possible to create the first model capable of combining the features of protection against extreme cold and the comfort needed to cycle such a long distance. The suit will also be combined with the new Biotech underwear line, made from natural fibres.
The tent and the equipment necessary for camping in Antarctica will be provided by Ferrino, already partner of the famous mountaineer Reinhold Messneran, author of one of the longest and most difficult explorations of the continent.
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It will be possible to follow the adventure thanks to the live map created by ENDU using Garmin inReach tracking devices based on Iridium technology, which will also be an official partner of the adventure and will provide Omar with the necessary connectivity to send updates via satellite phone which will be published on its own social channels and those of Allianz, one of the main partners of the initiative and which will follow the project with the hashtag #AllianzLifeExplorer.
Full details regarding the timing and modalities of the bike exploration, as well as how and where it will be possible to follow the adventure live, will be announced in the coming weeks.
