The Alpe du Zwift King: Magnus Kulset’s Record-Breaking Climb Back to the Pros
For most cyclists, the Alpe du Zwift is a landmark achievement – a singular, grueling test of fitness that defines a Saturday morning. For Magnus Kulset, the 25-year-old Norwegian climber, the 21 hairpins of Watopia’s most storied peak became the backdrop for a feat of endurance that defied both logic and the limits of the human engine.
In early 2026, while navigating the strange, often silent limbo between professional cycling contracts, Kulset didn’t just climb the Alpe; he “Everested” it. In doing so, he set the fastest known time for a virtual Everesting on this specific segment: 7 hours and 6 minutes.
This wasn’t just a workout; it was a statement. In a sport where your value is often reduced to a spreadsheet of watts-per-kilogram and UCI points, Kulset used the virtual world to remind the cycling community that his engine is still very much WorldTour-caliber.
The Record: 8,848 Meters of Virtual Reality
The concept of vEveresting is simple in theory and devastating in practice. A rider must climb the equivalent height of Mount Everest – 8,848 meters (29,029 feet) – in a single activity on a virtual platform. There are no shortcuts. The Everesting Hall of Fame rules are strict: the smart trainer must be set to 100% gradient difficulty, meaning every percentage of the Alpe’s 8.5% average grade is felt in the legs.
To hit the target on the Alpe du Zwift, which gains 1,035 meters per ascent, a rider must complete roughly 9 laps. For Kulset, this meant over seven hours of relentless climbing.
“I didn’t prepare,” Magnus admits. “I just did my normal training and took an easy day two days before. Then it was just a matter of fueling, drinking, and eating enough.”
Maintaining that level of intensity for over seven hours is a masterclass in metabolic management. Every descent – roughly 10-12 minutes of “free” speed on the Alpe – was a calculated window to refuel and recover before hitting the bottom of the climb and starting the 1,000-meter grind all over again.
The Stats of the Record Ride:
- Total Elevation: 8,852 meters
- Total Time: 7 hours, 6 minutes
- Distance: 202 km
- Average Gradient: 8.60%
- Laps of Alpe: 9
While many high-profile vEveresting attempts are months in the planning, Kulset’s “just showed up” approach speaks to the baseline fitness of a man who has spent the last five years in the professional peloton.
The Uno-X Legacy: A Norwegian Talent Factory
To understand the power behind this record, you have to look at the jersey Magnus wore for most of his career. Between 2021 and 2025, Kulset was a cornerstone of the Uno-X Mobility project.
The Norwegian team has become famous in the cycling world as a talent factory, a program dedicated to developing Scandinavian riders and bringing them to the biggest stages in the sport, including the Tour de France. Magnus rose through the ranks of the Uno-X Dare Development Team before moving to the ProTeam in 2023.
He wasn’t just a rider; he was part of a cycling dynasty. The Kulset name is synonymous with Norwegian cycling excellence. His brothers Kristian, Sindre, and Johannes are all professional cyclists. In fact, his younger brother Johannes is currently making waves as a GC leader for Uno-X at the Giro d’Italia, representing the next generation of the family legacy.
During his time at Uno-X, Magnus was known as the ultimate helper. A pure climber weighing in at a naturally lean 56-58kg, he provided critical support for team leaders in the high mountains of races like the Tour of Slovenia and the Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye. However, the professional peloton is a fickle place. As Uno-X tightened its roster for a 2026 WorldTour push, Magnus found himself without a contract extension – a victim of the increasingly competitive nature of the sport.
The Crossroads: Doubling Down
The end of 2025 was a period of uncertainty for the Kulset family. Despite his proven track record as a domestique and his climbing prowess, the elusive first professional win and the sheer volume of available talent meant Magnus was left hunting for a home. Instead of hanging up the wheels, he doubled down. He signed with the UCI Continental team Team Ringerike for the 2026 season, choosing to stay in the game rather than fade away.
2026: The Road Back Starts in Redlands
If the vEveresting record was a display of raw power, his performance in the 2026 season has been a display of race craft. Magnus recently traveled to the United States to compete in the Redlands Bicycle Classic, one of the most prestigious stage races in North America. Competing against a field of hungry Continental pros and elite domestic teams, Magnus finished 21st in the General Classification.
For Magnus, 2026 is a “bridge year.” He is using his time with Team Ringerike to refine his time-trialing position and lift his functional threshold power. He has ditched the traditional fixation on long “Zone 2” rides in favor of more modern, high-intensity training – data he often shares on his Strava and validates through his Zwift records.
The Virtual Tool: Why Zwift Matters for the Pros
The question often arises: Why would a pro cyclist spend seven hours on a trainer when they could be outside? For Magnus, Zwift is more than a training tool; it’s a laboratory.
- Controlled Intensity: On the Alpe du Zwift, there are no stoplights, no traffic, and no downhill sections that force you to stop pedaling (unless you choose to). It is the purest way to test a rider’s climbing ceiling.
- Psychological Fortitude: Everesting is as much a mental battle as a physical one. Doing it virtually, staring at a screen while the body screams for rest, builds a level of suffering capacity that is vital for the final 5km of a WorldTour mountain stage.
- Visibility: In the modern era, a record on Zwift is a resume. Managers and scouts look at Zwift Power data. A 7-hour, 6-minute Everesting is a blinking neon sign that says, “This rider is ready to work.”
The Hope for 2027
Magnus Kulset is not done with the pro peloton. His goal for the remainder of 2026 is clear: secure a return to the ProTeam or WorldTour level for 2027. He is a rider who has lived through the highs of WorldTour racing and the lows of contract uncertainty, and he has emerged with a refined perspective.
He continues to be a loyal servant to the sport, whether he is leading out a teammate in a UCI 1.2 race in Norway or setting world-class times on a virtual mountain. For the Zwift community, Magnus’s story is a reminder that the leading avatars we see on the screen are often driven by real-world dreams and an unbreakable spirit.
Next time you’re struggling through the hairpins of the Alpe, take a moment to think of Magnus. He didn’t just climb it once; he did it nine times, back-to-back, faster than almost anyone else on the planet. And he’s just getting started.
Magnus Kulset currently races for Team Ringerike. You can follow his pursuit of a pro contract and his latest training data on his social media channels:
Are you ready to attempt your own Everesting? Check out vEveresting: An Objective Review for tips on fueling, gear, and surviving the Alpe.
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