In Maranello, just outside Modena in northern Italy, performance is part of daily life. This is, of course, the birthplace of Ferrari. The cars are tested somewhere beyond the houses. Horsepower is debated over coffee. Exhaust notes are spoken of in musical terminologies. High-speed adrenaline is prescribed as medicine.

Sandro grew up in this world and he still loves it: cars, motorbikes, competition of any kind. But the machine that stayed with him is somewhat simpler.

“I live for the bicycle. Almost since I was born.”

Today he works in a bike shop from Monday morning to Saturday evening. Long days on his feet. He does everything to do with bikes – full exotic bike builds, small fixes that interrupt rides, specialist diagnoses others cannot quite place. There’s grease on his hands that never really comes off, no matter how hard he scrubs. 

Alongside that life, he competes. He’s taken on the Masters Hour Record. As the name suggests, a rider must travel as far as possible within an hour. It is known as one of the toughest mental and physical challenges in cycling. For Sandro it was a project that lasted ten months. Six hundred kilometres a week. Five hours in the gym. One complete day of rest every twenty. Early mornings before work. Training in lunch breaks. Back on the bike again in the evening.

“And being ready for that hour, on that day, which I chose months and months in advance… NOTHING WAS EASY… IN FACT I DARE SAY IT WAS VERY BRUTAL IN SACRIFICES… with work, family, and all the daily commitments of an amateur who doesn’t cycle professionally.”

He rode 46.867 kilometres that day, setting the European 40–44 Age Group record. 

One challenge ticked off leaves room for another. When he heard about Nedbank Gravel Burn he logged on to check out Edition #1 of the race. He said to himself, “This is the ‘Dakar of cycling’. The ultimate gravel challenge – a race across special terrain that tests your limits. My dream. I want to be there for the next edition.”

Even though the race is 8 months away, he’s already chosen which bike he’ll ride, carefully reviewing the footage and reports and selecting each spec carefully. “I will ride a Trek Checkmate frame, very fast, smooth and reliable.” Being Italian, it’s no surprise he selected Campagnolo parts – Super Record WRL 2×13 in its AllRoad configuration, with a wide range of ratios for the long, punishing climbs and fast, flat sections. Campagnolo Bora wheels with 45C semi-slick tyres. Hydration pack with light multitools, plugs and spares. 

Ready for the unexpected he adds, “Here I will have the opportunity to use my experience as a former cyclist, a former racing mechanic, and still a professional mechanic.”

Not one to ‘count his chickens…’ preferring to take it all one step at a time, he admits he imagines crossing the finish line.. “The satisfaction of having completed this phenomenal race, to the best of my ability… and above all, being able to share the emotions I experience with the people I spend seven days with will be special..”

After the Burn Celebration at Shamwari, he will return to Maranello, this time with traces of the Karoo under his nails. While the engines roar across town, the sounds of Karoo gravel will still be echoing in his ears, till Sandro’s next cycling adventure.