Text by Miriam Terruzzi / photography by Phil Rouleau @philrouleaufilms
Alexis Cartier is not your typical pro cyclist. A seasoned road and mountain racer from Montreal, Alexis has shifted gears—literally and philosophically. In 2025, he embarked on an ambitious 14,000 km journey to race the Lifetime Grand Prix series in the U.S.—not in a car or in a van, but on a gravel bike. Powered by legs, values, and a 3T Ultra, Alexis is showing that performance and responsibility don’t have to be at odds. This is a story of how going slower sometimes means moving forward.
“It’s not a sacrifice. It’s just different. It can be as fun - or even more fun - than the old way. You just have to shift what’s most important.”
Riding the line between racing and responsibility.
Alexis Cartier has always loved bikes. From early road races to mountain bike events and even youthful bikepacking adventures, cycling was always central in his life. But at some point something shifted. After years in the competitive circuit, Alexis began to wrestle with the carbon footprint of his passion - especially the travel. “Every time I took a flight to a race, I felt kind of bad,” he says. “I was looking down at the mountains thinking, I wish I was actually on my bike instead.”
This year, he decided to make a change. One that’s both simple and radical: ride to the races.
The 14,000 km challenge.
Including iconic events like Sea Otter, Unbound, Leadville and Big Sugar, The Lifetime Grand Prix represents the highest tier of off-road competition in North America. With the way the series gravel races are now spaced out in the calendar and geographically, he saw a way to travel the entire length by bike. “It was the perfect year to link all the races in one loop” he explains. “It’s long distances, but no rush. I can ride between races, train along the way, and still show up ready to compete.”
From California to Kansas, Colorado to Canada, and back again, Alexis is stringing the gravel races together like pearls on a chain: point-to-point, no van, no support car, no shortcuts. It’s a logistical and physical feat that merges elite performance with environmental consciousness.
Ultra distance, Ultra bike.
None of this would be possible without the right tool. Enter the 3T Ultra. It’s the one gravel bike Alexis uses for everything - from rugged bikepacking across the Rockies to all-out gravel racing. “It’s super versatile,” he says. “With big 650b tires, it handles weight and rough terrain. But when I strip the bags and swap the gearing, it’s fully race-ready.”
Comfort matters too. With a loaded setup tipping 45kg, big volume tires and a capable frame are essential. “That little cushion makes a huge difference when you’re spending weeks in the saddle,” Alexis explains. “It’s not just about speed. Comfort is performance, too.”
A journey into stillness.
Beyond the races, beyond even the bike, Alexis has found something else of great importance on the road. “The feeling is the freedom, really. I have my house on my bike, and I just go in a straight line, no loops. It’s a point-to-point ride, and it feels like a true journey,” he says.
Traversing the vast, empty landscapes of the American West - Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado - has profoundly shifted his relationship with nature and technology. “The U.S. is so big, and especially in the West, it’s just empty. Being in that space, in that silence, has changed how I feel. It’s really calming me down. No phone, no screen, most of the time there’s no reception anyway. It’s like being unplugged from the noise of modern life.”
That disconnection became an unexpected gift. “We all struggle with screens in my generation. But being in nature resets me. I take showers in rivers or lakes, set up camp, read a book. It’s simple and I feel better.”
As a modern-true explorer, he’s currently reading Magellan by Stefan Zweig, drawn to the story of the first circumnavigation of the globe. It’s quite inspiring for someone who is out there, riding across a continent.
The emotional high point came on the Tour Divide route, a legendary mountain bike trail stretching from Canada to Mexico. “I spent three days alone in Montana. No riders, barely any cars. I was camping, singing out loud to keep bears away. It felt almost unreal but deeply peaceful. That solitude, that reconnection, has become one of the most meaningful parts of the journey.”
After weeks of solitude, the arrival of his girlfriend Sarah brought a different kind of balance, reminding him that adventure is also about connection. For two months, they would share the journey - on a 3T Racemax Boost e-bike - tracing remote trails together through rugged landscapes. Being away from home for seven months is a monumental commitment, and having her by his side - sharing mornings, weather, meals, and miles - became essential to making this project not only possible, but truly joyful.
Performance with purpose.
Alexis is clear-eyed about the trade-offs. Riding to gravel races takes longer, it can sap energy, and it might mean not hitting peak results. “Maybe I don’t perform as well,” he admits, “but maybe that’s not the most important thing. I’m trying to focus less on results and more on the bigger picture.”
He knows it won’t change the world overnight but he hopes it starts a conversation. “It’s not done inside me either,” he says. “I’m still learning. But it feels like the only way I can keep racing and feel good about it.”
Keeping the knowledge alive.
As a designer, Alexis feels a natural alignment with the philosophy behind 3T. What draws him in is not only the brand’s commitment to technical innovation, like pushing boundaries with wider tires, aerodynamic design, and forward-thinking components but also its dedication to craftsmanship and local production. The effort to bring manufacturing back to Italy speaks to values he holds deeply: preserving know-how, investing in quality, and maintaining a tangible connection between design and making.
Having worked for a small Canadian bike bag company, Alexis saw firsthand how important it is to keep manufacturing and craft alive locally. “I was lucky to learn sewing from skilled workers. It’s disappearing in Quebec, like a lost art. 3T is doing the same for bikes - keeping that know-how in Italy. That’s meaningful.”
Going far, bringing others along.
Alexis isn’t planning to go more extreme. Instead, he’s thinking about community. “Next year I want to bring more people into the idea. Maybe not as long, but show that it’s doable and actually fun.”
He’s eyeing a European trip: shorter distances, more races, and perhaps a visit to his brother, a Buddhist monk in Bordeaux. “I still love racing,” he says. “And if I can do it by bike, even better.”
