Vegan cyclist takes victory
Belgian mountain biker Frans Claes took first place at the 2023 Ekopak Belgian Mountain bike Challenge (BeMC).
BeMC is one of Europe’s toughest mountain bike races covering 260 kilometres and 8000 metres of altitude gain. The race is made of up four-day stages and Claes took a podium in each, earning him the overall title, despite having chain problems early on.
Claes’ career highlights include being crowned Belgian champion in 2015, 2016 and 2022, and being the overall winner of UCI World Series Marathon 2017.
Reflecting on the race, Claes said, “I think I have now reached an ideal point where my experience and my physical strength are at their peak. My experience in particular was the deciding factor this year.”
Claes has his sights set on the European championship in Laissac, France, on 11th of June and dreams of becoming world champion.
A vegan diet keeps the wheels on the bike
Claes has been vegan since 2009:
“My main reason was for the climate and the effects meat production has on the climate, the nature and its ecosystems. Second, for the animals that have to suffer and to die for the human need for animal products. Third, because we save a lot of energy and can feed more people in this world if we want to.”
Content sourced and adapted with permission from Great Vegan Athletes.
About the author
Nicholas Hallows
Nicholas has been vegan since the early 2000s and worked for Viva! between 2017 and 2020 as a Senior Administrator and Web Content Assistant. He is a qualified teacher, specialising in Language and Literacy, and an accredited Proofreader and Editor. He is now a freelance writer covering topics including veganism, mindfulness and minimalism.
