A Sports Retrospective of 2024: 17,000 Kilometers on Two Wheels
Bogdan Țui - the Man Behind the Numbers
We hear it all the time how office workers are glued to their chairs in front of their PCs and avoid any kind of physical activity. At ASSIST Software we know for sure that this is not the case, as our community debunks this myth. We are proud to have a culture where sports, ambition, and active life form an integral part of personal and professional development. One such example that inspire us is Bogdan Țui, our Commercial Director.
What started in 2018 within ASSIST Sports Club as a hobby has become an endeavor of overcoming challenges and pushing limits. Bogdan has been cycling for years, and his devotion to sports and a healthy lifestyle has led him further and further. In our team, Bogdan has already built his reputation of making colleagues join him for a bike ride or planning the best group routes. All in all, he is truly dedicated and doesn’t let anything stand in his way.
Shifting Gears into 2024
April marked the beginning of the 2024 season and found Bogdan rolling into action at Triada MTB. The podiums were not his main objective, but he worked on getting stronger for the year ahead. He moved quickly into the high-performance mode, completing his first brevets of 200 and 300-km rides.
Bogdan grabbed every spare hour during the week to hit the roads or chase elevation on his MTB. Weekends were reserved for 100 km or longer rides that tested his endurance and prepared him for summer's bigger challenges.
Keeping Cool in The Heat of Summer
By summer, Bogdan was at his best and ready for the most extreme brevets: BRM1000 and BRM600. Besides these, he has since obtained more brevets for the 400, 300, and 200 km. As well as the physical demands, all these rides have tested his mental endurance of being on two wheels for so long with unpredictable challenges ahead.
A flagship event? The Gentlemen's Race. While riding alongside teammates under the "Young and Old" banner, Bogdan proved that cycling is more than a sport about speed or stamina. It was simply a great experience to be with his friends with whom he shares the same passions.
Fall, Recover, and Return
Just when things were rolling smoothly, mischance struck. A crash in July left Bogdan with a fractured shoulder. For most people, that would mean packing up the bike for the season. Anyway, that was not the case for Bogdan.
Determined to stay on the road, he threw himself into a fast recovery process. The first step was swapping his MTB for road cycling as soon as possible. In August, he was back to doing long distances, taking on a 300-km brevet and bracing for the ultimate test: the BRM600 with 8,000 meters of elevation gain.
What made this ride legendary? Tackling the Transfăgărășan from both sides in one day is an extraordinary feat for any cyclist, let alone one riding with a barely healed shoulder. He completed this race in 39 hours, with his attention and perseverance stretched to the limit.
Autumn's Golden Miles
Autumn brings a lot of color to Romania's forests, and Bogdan makes the most of it. From the Bucegi Mountains and TransApuseana to Bicaz Lake, Rarău, or Prislop Pass, he continued to test his endurance and explore our country's natural beauty.
“Each ride - whether on asphalt or MTB - made me appreciate nature more and understand that endurance is not only about training, distances, evasion, and physical limits but especially about mental endurance and how important perseverance, adaptability, and camaraderie are.”
Some Highlights
“Each road had its own story, whether it was fighting the cold on the night of the 400 km Ciuc brevet, the headwind on DN1, the blazing sun at BRM1000 km, the storm at 600 km Ciuc, the fog in the Bistrița valley, the incredible sunsets and sunrises at Sovata Brasov and Brosteni, the steep climbs and technical descents or the moments spent alone on deserted trails.”
2024 was a year to remember:
Activities: 221
Distance: 16,877 kilometers
Elevation Gain: 188,126 meters
Time in the Saddle: 637 hours
Brevets Completed:
1 x 1000 km
2 x 600 km (8,000 m elevation)
1 x 600 km
3 x 400 km
3 x 300 km
3 x 200 km
Popular Brevets: 50, 75, 100, 150 and 375km
Behind these numbers are countless hours of effort, unaccountable calories burnt, and the feeling of the impossible to overcome.
“2024 has been a memorable year of ups and downs - literally and figuratively. It has been a year of everything from savoring the beauty of Romania's roads to making invaluable friendships with people who share the same passion. Each stage has brought good and not-so-good things, from the first training sessions on Zwift to the epic 600km-plus laps.”
The Road Ahead
With almost 17,000 kilometers on the bank, Bogdan’s dreams are already bigger for 2025. The ultimate? An ultra brevet featuring a staggering 37,000 meters of elevation. Add a few MTB competitions, and his road ahead will be as exciting as ever.
For Bogdan, the most important thing is the memories he gets watching the sunrise from a mountain pass, sharing laughs with teammates in the pain of a climb, or encouraging a colleague to join their first ride.
“This incredible journey would not have been possible without the unwavering support I received along the way. I am deeply grateful to my amazing colleagues from ASSIST Sports Club for their invaluable advice and encouragement, as well as to my family for their steadfast understanding and patience, never voicing a complaint despite my absence during nearly every summer weekend.”
His story proves that no matter the job, there’s always room for challenge and growth outside the office. At ASSIST, we encourage our colleagues to pursue their passions, whether it’s sports, learning, or any other personal challenge. Bogdan’s progress proves that personal growth strengthens both individual performance and the whole team.
As we look ahead, we continue to support one another in our path of excellence—both in and outside the office. The road is long, but with persistence and teamwork, there’s no limit to what we can achieve together.
So, here’s to Bogdan and the many other sports enthusiasts in our community!
