On Tuesday 10th February in Essaouira, Morocco, Victor Bosoni crossed the line first and was crowned King of the Atlas. After 1,430 km through some of the harshest conditions the race has seen, he once again showed why he is one of the most exciting young names in ultra racing.
Victor completed the Atlas Mountains Race in 4 days, 1 hour and 46 minutes. Of that, 3 days, 12 hours and 59 minutes were spent on the pedals, leaving roughly 13 hours off the bike for sleep, food, kit checks and everything else needed to survive a race of this scale.
What stood out most was not just Victor’s speed, but his control. Despite this being his first time competing in the race, he started with a clear strategy and stuck to it throughout, covering exactly 336 km on each full day. His effort was framed by a 7 hour opening day and a 17 hour final push to the finish.
It was a measured, disciplined ride in conditions that punished every mistake, and, at the age of 24, it underlined his growing reputation as a true powerhouse in the ultra scene. Coming after his Transpyrenees win last year, this is another major statement performance for the Frenchman.
Riders described this year’s weather as the worst the Atlas Mountain Race has seen. The field faced 120 km/h headwinds, torrential rain, snow and late course changes. It was a race where equipment choice, resilience and decision making mattered as much as raw power.
Five hours after Victor, fellow Exposure Lights ambassador Chris Mehlman finished 4th in the men’s race, after four nights of sleeping wherever he could. Chris, who is from the US but now based in Girona, is building an impressive run of results, following his podium at Badlands late last year.
Canadian Rob Britton also returned safely and inside the top 20 finishers, despite battling knee injuries throughout the race. The 2025 Unbound XL winner was taking on his longest competitive ride to date and will no doubt have many stories from his time in Morocco.
In the women’s race, only two riders had reached the finish at the time of writing. One of them was long time Exposure advocate Kerry MacPhee. Fresh from her impressive Strathpuffer victory earlier this year, the Scottish rider took on 1,400 km in the Moroccan mountains and finished in 5 days, 14 hours and 5 minutes, having had a close tussle with the eventual winner, Cynthia Carson.
Victor Bosoni ran a Toro 16 and Diablo 15 combination, with a BoostR 3 ReAKT on the rear of his bike.
Chris Mehlman ran a Six Pack on the front with a Diablo on his helmet.
Rob Britton ran a Six Pack on the front with a Sirius on his helmet.
Kerry MacPhee also relied on the Six Pack, with a Joystick her helmet light of choice.
Beyond our ambassadors, Exposure Lights were clearly present across the race, with four of the top ten men running Exposure setups and a broad section of the wider field trusting Exposure through the night in the same extreme conditions.
For detailed rider accounts, follow @victorbozo, @the_mehlman_delivers, @rob_britton and @kerrymacphee on their personal Instagram pages.
