Larry Warbasse sets new record on Mauna Kea KOM, climbing to over 4000m altitude: "I felt like I was never going to make it by sunset"

Larry Warbasse put an exclamation mark to his 2023 with a 106.10km ride in Hawaii to set a new Strava record. The Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale rider took on the Waikoloa beach to Mauna Kea summit climb, which brought him to over 4,000 meters, almost 14,000 feet.

The previous Strava record for the climb was held by Phil Gaimon. Set on December 31 2016, his final year as a pro, he set the record of 4:59:19. Warbasse edged it, improving the mark by 15 seconds, and wrote about how hard it was.

"It was like hitting the last few kilometer of Tre Cime Lavaredo after riding up one of the steepest hills of the Strade Bianche that went on for 10km. But somehow after feeling like I was never going to make it by sunset, I got to the top."

Gaimon was quick to congratulate him on social media, and described what was his own unorthodox approach. "I was pushing hard but sharing it on Instagram live and taking photos, probably crying here and there. I stopped to poop at the visitors center, and then I was woefully unprepared for the 10k of dirt on my 28c tires and 25-tooth cassette. I ran it with my bike on my shoulder, got the KOM by 2 hours."