Alex gets Blesma-funded bike as he trains for RAAM

A Blesma-funded bike has been a “godsend” for Alex Krol during lockdown.

Alex was selected for Blesma’s 2020 Race Across America team, but after turning up to a training day in January with what his teammates called a ‘donkey of a handbike’, Blesma stepped in to get the former Royal Marine a more suitable set of wheels.

“The new bike is phenomenal and it has given me something to focus on,” said the 38 year old from Merseyside.

“I rocked up to the first training camp and Mike Griffith, the Team Director, told me I was sitting too high in my bike and that I looked uncomfortable. It was suggested that if I was going to do RAAM properly, I needed the right gear.”

Alex has now upgraded to a Force NRG handcycle from manufacturer Top End, and has spent the summer training along the coast where he lives in the north west.

“The bike is a real head-turner. People stop me to tell me how amazing it is. It has electric gears, low profile carbon wheels, and it’s lightweight so it’s much easier to get into and out of the car. And RAAM being postponed has given me an extra year to get the training right and get up to speed!"