Ultra-distance cyclist killed in collision with bus driver during “dream come true” attempt to break world record for fastest South America crossing by bike

An ultra-distance cyclist who was attempting to break the world record for the fastest north-south crossing of South America by bike was killed on Wednesday after being hit by a minibus driver in Chile.

36-year-old Mohit Kohli, originally from India but based in the UK, was three weeks into his planned 10,000km ride from Cartagena in Colombia to Ushuaia, Argentina, when he was fatally hit by a bus driver on Route 5 in Pozo Almonte, a northern Chilean commune located in the interior of the Atacama Desert.

According to Pozo Almonte’s fire department superintendent Efrain Lillo, the bikepacker and endurance cyclist died on the spot in the collision.

“Due to the severity of his injuries, he unfortunately lost his life,” Iquique Police’s Alexis Gutierrez Corbalan said, according to local reports.

“That is why the presence of this investigative team was requested in order to analyse the elements and traces present on the road to determine the dynamics and the underlying cause of this accident.”

In 2023, Kohli gave up his job in business to pursue ultra-endurance cycling and bikepacking, with the aim of “exploring the world one continent at a time”, and took part in that year’s edition of BikingMan Portugal.

Last summer, he finished the tenth edition of the Transcontinental Race, the iconic 4,300km self-supported race through 14 countries across Europe, an event which “made me realise the beautiful feeling of pushing the human body to its absolute limit”, Kohli wrote on Instagram.

“The highs and lows starting from the cobblestones of Belgium to the streets of Istanbul, along with the incredible experiences in between have only reaffirmed the want to come back for more. On to exploring the Americas,” he said.

On 22 January, the 36-year-old set off from Cartagena as part of his bid to break the world record for the fastest crossing of South America on a standard bike, set in 2018 by Austrian Michael Strasser, who completed the 10,000km route in 41 days and 41 minutes.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Mohit Kohli (@mohit_kohli246)

Documenting his ride on Instagram, Kohli said he was “really excited to take on this challenge”, describing it as a “dream come true”.

Covering around 300km a day, often on tough, high-altitude climbs and in difficult weather conditions through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, Kohli was roughly 5,400km into his ride when he was killed “somewhere in the middle of the desert in Chile”, his brother Mudit told the Hindustan Times.

“My brother commenced his journey on January 22 from Cartagena, Colombia,” he continued. “His mission was to traverse multiple countries across the continent whilst spreading the message of peace and unity. Having covered half of his 10,000 km journey, Ushuaia was his finish line.”

Meanwhile, Vicky Algah, a neighbour of Kohli’s in his native Meerut, a city in the western region of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, told the newspaper: “Mohit wanted to establish his identity as a cyclist, for which he was continuously striving. He aimed to set a record by cycling 10,000 kilometres at high speed in South America, but fate had other plans”.

 “On Thursday, our friends were tagged in a post on Instagram where someone from Chile informed them that Mohit had died, and that they were trying to get in touch with his family,” a schoolfriend of the cyclist added.

“That’s when our friend informed Mohit’s parents, who are on their way to Chile now. We are all heartbroken.”

He continued: “During Covid-19, he was in England and couldn’t return home. Instead of fretting about his own future, he began volunteering with an organisation that helped take care of patients. He dedicated himself to do that. That’s who Moko [his nickname] was.

“In the UK, he became a cross-channel swimming instructor for a few years, and then picked up cycling. He was very excited about this adventure, about cycling and bikepacking, and about breaking a world record.

“He trained hard, and was a very determined person. He made a WhatsApp group with his friends and family members to update them daily about his journey.

“He was so passionate about cycling. He wanted to shoot videos and post them on social media, so he could find sponsors. He had such a long way to go. This is heartbreaking and shocking.”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by The Transcontinental (@thetranscontinental)

In a post on Instagram, the Transcontinental Race also paid tribute to Kohli.

“We are devastated to learn of the death of Mohit Kohli who was killed whilst riding in Chile yesterday,” the event said.

“Mohit joined the Transcontinental family at TCRNo10, and immediately made a huge impact with his infectious personality, big smile, and relentlessly positive spirit. He'll be missed by so many, and our hearts are with those closest to him.

“He was one of our own, and this year we will honour him on the start line where he would have joined us.”