Belgian rider draws 277km beer on Strava, beer company responds in the best way possible

277 kilometres is a long way to go for a beer. The distance seems longer when it is just to draw one. But its what Belgian cyclist Bavo Deneckere set out to do last Saturday.

Second pour’s perfect

Bavo Deneckere‘s epic ride traced out the perfect pint of Duvel beer on the roads of Belgium. He even drew out Duvel’s characteristic foam head, using small side roads. Tracing out the beverage took 15 hours total, and a full 12 hours of saddle time. Even in a country known for its love of specialty beer and passion for cycling, the impressive effort stands out.

RELATED: Geoff Kabush chugs Belgian beer and does pushups in the name of ‘cross

The perfect pour took two takes, though. The Antwerp cyclist’s first attempt, a week earlier, fell flat. Or rather, went flat. Deneckere went through all his spare tubes early in the ride, letting the air out of his attempt. He tweaked his routing and returned a week later. The second time went perfectly, with not a single flat on route.

Beers earned the hard way

The long-time Duvel patron chose which beer to draw based on his own preferences, and a bit of practicality. “I was a fan and have always remained so,” Deneckere told AD, adding “Duvel also has a very recognizable glass and logo, so this certainly seemed feasible for cycling a beautiful and recognizable drawing.”

When the ride was posted to Strava, it quickly garnered attention beyond Deneckere’s friends. Even the brewery that inspired his ride took notice.

A few days after the ride, Duvel showed up at his home with a big box of its beer, six glasses, a cycling jersey, water bottle and a cap for Deneckere. A perfect post-ride reward for his effort.

Deneckere isn’t the only cyclist to take on a challenge inspired by Belgian suds. Canadian mountain bike legend and Olympian Geoff Kabush chugged glasses of Chimay Blue, a Duvel rival beer, and did pushups in his tongue-in-cheek “60 Second Cyclocross Training” video back in 2017.