German cyclist on Di2-equipped bike beats world record for crossing Australia

Extreme cyclist Guido Kunze smashed the official world record for crossing southern Australia by bicycle last month. And the 43year-old German had a little bit of help from Shimano on the trip.

Kunze did the 4,200 km ride in seven days, 19 hours and five minutes which was 16 hours faster than the former record holder, Australia's Richard Vollebreght. And aside from his impressive will power and fitness he was able to perfectly rely on the performance of his high-tech equipment for the successful fight against the clock and the elements.

He was supported and equipped for his record attempt by Paul Lange & Co, the official Shimano distributor in Germany. Shimano’s state-of-the-art electronic road racing component group DURA-ACE Di2, DURA-ACE wheels and pedals and Shimano Custom-Fit road racing shoes were provided to him and proved to be decisive factors for the record ride.

Kunze, from Mühlhausen in the German state of Thuringia, said: “There was no damage throughout the whole exercise. The Di2 showed 100 per cent reliability and excellent function and didn't have to be adjusted even once.”

The only minor flaw came regarding the initial plan to cover the whole distance without recharging the Di2 battery pack which had to be cancelled in order not to
endanger the overall goal of breaking the record. Due to the extremely windy conditions on the first days Kunze had to shift much more frequently than usual.

“I am quite sure that I could have covered the whole passage without charging the battery. But we decided we didn't want to take even the slightest risk and so we changed it for the final 800 kilometers."

He said of the endurance of the Di2 battery: “Despite the much more than usual shifting operations at the beginning, the battery had already brilliantly performed for an impressive 3.400 kilometers without charging - and was nowhere near empty at that time."

Similarly positive was Kunzes summary for the other Shimano parts used for this extreme endurance test. Of the DURAACE WH-7850-C24-CL wheelset he said it had “perfect function, no centering, great performance and great comfort,” while the DURA-ACE pedal PD-7810 had "perfect power transmission and perfect function." for the.

The high-end road racing shoes SH-R310, using Shimano’s Cutom-Fit technology, also got the thumbs up from the German, o not only set a new world record but also promoted Polio Plus, a charity initiative of the Rotary Clubs.