1,160 kilometres, 32–38 degrees of heat, countless emotions and one shared purpose. Synch’s Johan Ragnar has returned from an unforgettable ride to Paris with Team Rynkeby Helsingbor, raising funds and awareness for children with critical illnesses and their families.
The journey began in Helsingborg, where family and friends gathered to wave the team off before the first stage south to Malmö and the ferry to Germany. From there, the ride became exactly what a challenge like this should be: Demanding, unpredictable, emotional and deeply rewarding.
Day after day, the team pushed through long distances, headwinds, sidewinds, roadworks, gravel roads and summer heat that climbed as high as 38 degrees. Some stages stretched close to 200 kilometres. Others brought climbs, tired legs, sore shoulders and back, and the kind of mental resistance that no training plan can fully prepare you for. Before departure, the team did about 80 indoor cycling and functional training classes followed by at least 2,500 kilometers on the bike.
“Cycling to Paris is a physical challenge, but the mental part is just as tough,” says Johan. “There are moments when the heat, the distance and the fatigue all hit at once. That is when the team, the purpose and the thought of the children and families we ride for carry you forward.”
Despite the conditions, the team had almost no incidents along the way, apart from the regular flat tyres that come with a ride of this scale. Behind the cyclists was an extraordinary support organisation: Motorcycle marshals keeping the roads safe, mechanics solving bike problems, service teams providing food and fluids and a physiotherapist doing what could be done for tired necks, knees and legs.
The energy required was enormous. On the hottest days, each rider needed 6-8 litres of fluid and thousands of calories just to keep moving. Bars, gels, juice, electrolytes, sweets, coffee, meals and constant encouragement became part of the rhythm. But the real fuel was something else.
“You sit on your own bike, but you do not do this alone,” Johan says. “You ride in a team, you look after each other, and you quickly realise that everyone has a role in getting the group all the way to Paris.”
Team Rynkeby is about much more than cycling. This year, the 68 teams from eight nations collected more than MSEK 100 in fundraising for vital causes, including Barncancerfonden and Hjärnfonden. Every kilometre, every sponsor and every donation contribute to something far bigger than the ride itself.
Synch is proud to have sponsored Johan’s charity fundraising and to support an initiative that combines commitment, endurance and heart.
“Rolling into Paris was overwhelming,” Johan says. “The strongest feeling was not that I had completed the journey. It was that we had done it together, as a team, for a cause that truly matters.” He continues: “I will definitely do it again, not next year but in 5-6 years or so, and recommend anyone to apply to participate, either as a rider or a member of the service crew”.
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