THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RACE
The ultimate unsupported race across Europe
Somewhere between Maloja and Sils Baselgia in Engadin - thanks to Paul Spethmann for the amazing picture
Since I discovered the sport of cycling while living in Belgium for two years, the Transcontinental race remained one of my dreams. Living a bikepacking adventure across the mountain passes in Europe was something I always wanted to do. After my cross Canadian bikepacking trip and riding around the island of Taïwan and Iceland, my next monumental trip had to be The Transcontinental race (TCR). I was attracted by the artistic nature of the race, creating your own destiny. So I joined the other 300 cyclists hungry for adventure on the start line in Geraardsbergen (Belgium) in 2023 for the TCR no9 with Cap256 under the torches of supporters.
Preparation
route planning
I subscribed to Komoot premium since Komoot is an official sponsor of the Transcontinental race and was providing the Parcours and Checkpoints as pre-built segments that can be saved as a Collection and included in the route. The premium feature allowed to use the Collections and Daily route planner. The latter is a feature that gives you the option to divide the whole planned route into several sections depending on the parameters set for the number of days.
However, the Daily route planner converts the “road bike” type of route to a “gravel bike” type of route. There is no way to change that, other than re-converting each segment as “road bike”, but then you lose the ability to re-adjust the total of days for the envisioned trip. I don’t know if it is because as soon as some sections are gravel, it converts everything to gravel, or it is just that the Daily planner can only route '“gravel bike”? This has been very frustrating for me for the TCR planning, especially since during the race I noticed that my route was making me go through difficult gravel-mud sections in the night. Making me lose precious hours that I would have enjoyed more on the road, especially with the rain pouring that first night. I have contacted Komoot about this problem, but I did not follow up with them as I have completely abandoned using the routing feature since the TCR and moved over to Ride with GPS since then.
gear
I guess you are all interested to know what I brought with me on my (race) trip across Europe. Here’s a list of materials I had with me. I present the items that were necessary for me for the trip, and the ones that were nice to have, but not essential.
Nice to have
Compass
Grease
Spare spokes
Spare derailleur hanger
Spare b-knuckle
Spare derailleur cable
Essentials
Everything I had with me off the plane in Brussels (Belgium). I donated my shoes before the start of the race.
Saddle bag
Bivvy
Sleeping mat
Sleeping liner
Sleeping pants (Smartwool)
Compression socks
Toothbrush and other hygiene products
Frame bag
sunscreen
passport
wallet
sealant
ski (Voile) straps
zip ties
Top tube bag
Dynamo USB converter
Cache battery (I had the Voltaic V25)
As many snacks as possible (pepperkoek, nougat, whatever you find with high carbs)
Toolbag
Multi-tool
Tubeless plugs (bacon strips)
Mini pump
CO2 cartridge + inflator
Spare tubes
Tire boot
3 water bottles
1x 750ml Camelback Podium chill
2x 950ml Elite Fly
training
I am lucky to have on of the best coaches in Montreal. My training consisted more of zone 2 cardio and mostly long adventures on the bike. Basically training to get lost and figure it out in harsh conditions.
food
Training the gut to be able to eat any kind of petrol station junk food (high carb) is what I would suggest. Not everyone can handle the amount of junk carbs required for such a race. Through my training, my diet has evolved from max recovery (higher protein) to max fuel (higher carbs) food.
As I raced The Transcontinental, I didn't have much time to post pictures and write about my adventure. So here is a series of posts detailing how it all unravelled. Race prep started in Geraardsbergen literally on the first Parcours of the race, as I had very nice hosts living there (thank you for your hospitality @marleenfrancq and Harry). The day of the race it was really rainy 🌧️ and I went to see a friend up the climb of the Muur. On the way back I slipped and in the whiplash got a stiff neck. 2h before the race I went to the Bar to see some friends. I came back to prepare for the race start and took some time to put Physio tape for my neck. However, in the spirit of the TCR, I didn’t want to ask for help and it took me longer than expected to put the tape on. Then I was a bit stressed to put everything back on the bike and thought I had loss one glove that I took a few minutes to try to find. Add putting on Velotoze overshoes, all this got me really tight on schedule for the race start line that was 50m away.
Up to my reputation I got to the start line probably 30s late, didn’t have the opportunity to take pictures with friends. Then the TCR was ON, fire torches 🔥, bell man 🔔 and slippery cobblestones on the climb. One lap around the Mur, then on the final section of the first Parcours somebody ended up blocking the way so I had to unclip. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get traction with my road shoes on the slippery 🧼 cobblestones in the steepest section so my foot went under the bike and my knee scrapped the sidewalk. What a way to start a 3800km race, right?
Then we were off on the rainy dark roads of Belgium. After about 100km I started to doubt my itinerary which seemed to lead me systematically to weird gravel trails where I didn’t see many riders, and sometimes no trails at all 🚧. I felt I was losing time, going a bit slower in offroad tracks and also re-routing on the fly. Plus the rain ☔. After a first tease of the morning croissants, it was finally time to hit the sunflower fields in France.
Day 2 - France [231km 1800m D+] (Link for partII here)
After all the rain I got, I figured that my waterproof arm warmers and gilet were not sufficient. So my first quest was to find a Decathlon open on time to buy an ultralight packable jacket. So I headed east ➡️. Luckily I had the wind mostly on my back 🌬️ and I gained a bit of speed. On my way to Mulhouse, I was riding in the dark and as I was looking on my GPS to get back on my route, I ended up on a highway ramp! 😬 As soon as I realized I turned around on the shoulder to catch back the boulevard, but it was too late. 3 police cars passed by and they signaled another car 🚨. The French police was really frustrated 🥴 throwing my bike on the other side of the fence. The more I talked and explained my race situation, the more they calmed down. We tried to fit my bike in the police van 🚓 to head back on the boulevard but it didn't fit. So they had to block the ramp so I could ride back safely, I hit the pedals hard while escorted by the police to get back on my route. Overall, this event made me lose a good 1h-1.5h in my race… A little behind schedule, I slept in a small pedestrian park. Next morning was time to reach Switzerland and the Mountains! 🏔️
Day 3 - Switzerland [280km 1744m D+ / 215km 3537m D+]
Mulhouse what a beautiful city. After a good meal in a Russian restaurant for dinner. I got back on the road to sleep in Oftringen, Switzerland. I was making sure I would sleep as much as I could before hitting the big mountain passes coming up. A good 13000m D+ within 24h needs some decent recovery beforehand.
Switzerland, the perfect country. Roads have no cracks. Surrounded by mountains and beautiful people. Sometimes it rains. Food and lodging is a bit expensive (to be expected from a perfect country right?). This is when we hit the steep climbs and it is my time to shine. First long climb out of the valley I already catch back 3 riders. Another mountain, 4 riders. After approximately 3000m D+, already passed about 15 riders. What a good day in the saddle, sunny, legs hurt a bit but not so much. A long and slippery downhill hike a bike and then we continue South of Luzerne. The landscape tastes like pretzels 🥨. What a view!
After all this climbing in Switzerland. Time to enjoy the descent? Not!
After passing the Gotthard mountain, I stop in Bellinzona (Switzerland) behind a gas station to get a good 3h of sleep under the shooting 🌠 before starting the San Bernardino pass about 2h before dawn.
It was time to start picking up the pace to catch back a few riders. I start by an early ride to the splendid San Bernardino and Passo dello Spluga which are definitely one of my favorite mountain passes. Then I head through Maloja pass to get to Passo del Bernina and Forcola di Livigno.
Passo dello Spluga - first hard mountain pass in TCR No9
I was having such a good time until… my phone ran out of battery and even though I saved back all segments of my route as road rides plus looked for kinks in the route, the GPS got me to a location that wasn't the first checkpoint (CP1)... In fact it got me to the Livigno lake, which is not even supposed to be on my route… What the f**k Komoot? And since I had no cellphone and it wouldn't charge fast enough I couldn't track back the location of CP1 besides GPS coordinates on the Brevet card… which obviously were also incorrect. Only to figure out that I went pass by it, right in front 🤦 like 30min ago. After all this frustration I finally got to CP1, but with all this I probably lost all the gains in position I made throughout the day… efforts going to waste… story of my life lately. At least I made the cut-off and wasn't disqualified… imagine how that scenario would have been.
A bit behind schedule, I thought I wouldn't have time to climb the little bump in elevation on the route (which turned out to be the Stelvio!) before sunset. However, I did have time to reach an hotel on the other side of the valley, out of Livigno. So I climbed the Passo d’Eira to head towards Bormio and slept at a hotel in San Carlo, close to the foot of the Stelvio!
The Italian lady at the hotel reception prepared me a huge breakfast to go for the next morning. This way I could climb the Stelvio early 🌄
Day 6 - Italy / Austria / Slovenia [558km 6700m D+]
So it was time to climb that "little bump" in the elevation profile. I woke up and it was already sunny outside, no time to waste, the Stelvio is calling 🤙I cannot believe I am climbing this iconic climb and it is such a beautiful day. I can't get my eyes off the waterfall on the mountain ⛲👀
The views are so amazing that my legs don't even notice the elevation gain and hop I am already at the top. The laces on the other side are even nicer. After enjoying the descent and a nice ride along a river and orchards 🍏, I stop in Bolzano for an ice cream while I wait for a bike shop to open, so I could clean my chain properly and do a little tune-up. My Italian is not really on point, but we get to understand each other in some kind of fren-glish-italian.
Laces of the Stelvio (I was going down that way)
The Stelvio top (2758m of Altitude)
Riding through Orchards (I wonder if Komoot was trying to get me a shortcut or just sightseeing)
Nice ride by the river passing in Bolzano
The infamous Wurzenpass with it’s 2km above 18% gradient
As I was leaving the Swiss-italian territory it was starting to rain, and I got a little bit more wet than I wanted once I got to Lienz close to the Austrian border. I stopped under the roof of a small pub next to the cycling path for a quick nap letting the storm pass by. Obviously I wasn't the only TCR rider to think this way.
Parcours 2 with a really nice view on the Slovenian mountains (Kamnik-Savinja alps?). I could feel the Slovenian sun burning my calves. A few steep gravel sections later it is time for a long gravel descent (and then tarmac) to get to a few villages to find a place to eat and sleep.
On parcours 2 in Slovenia after CP2 on the Zgornje Jezersko
On parcours 2 in Slovenia after CP2 on the Zgornje Jezersko
However, the Slovenian national holiday was kind of not very practical with restaurants closing early and hotels also quite booked. So I settled for camping. But national holiday also means, music obviously… This prevented me from a good night sleep in my bivy. The next morning I woke up under some rain. As I was getting ready, I realized my passport and TCR brevet card were drenched. I was able to dry them up, but unfortunately the government would not let me keep my passport as a souvenir when I renewed my passport for another 10 years.
Riding out of Zagreb, attempting to escape a storm following up
The churches in Bosnia are quite special (to me that was mostly exposed to catholic churches in Canada)
I head to Zagreb (Croatia), but I don't stop for long (maybe I should have put some landmarks on my route). My goal for the day was to ride as far as I could into Bosnia before falling asleep on the bike. My first hours in Bosnia were cold, foggy and scary, but special. I couldn't see much, but I could hear howling dogs not too far. As I entered some villages I could see a different architecture, some special churches.
I had the chance to assist one of the most beautiful sunrise 🌄 of my trip with valleys filled with fog and a nice palette of colors 🎨. Some old lady was sharing that moment as I passed by her house in contemplation. Soon enough I wasn't able to pedal straight anymore so I stopped on the side of the road for a quick nap. Honk honk 📣 heavy traffic at 6-7am did not let me sleep that much.
First daylight in Bosnia with the fog in the valley
I finally pass by Banja Luka (maybe some hotel there would have been a better option but oh well). I keep pedaling with diesel fumes hindering my breathing as I climb mountains.
I cross a few riders on the long climb and after a long descent on a patchworked road with really nice views. I encounter TCR riders at the gas station. We all agree that if it wasn't from the @transcontinentalrace , we probably would have never seen these views! 🙏
We all head off the gas station separately as per TCR rules, with our own objectives for the day, mine was to get to Sarajevo for a good meal and good night sleep in a hotel 🛏️😴 Total distance that last 32h after 7 days of riding? : 524km 4800m D+
Day 8 - Bosnia / Montenegro / Albania [421km 5600m D+]
View from a climb in Bosnia
My goal for the day was to catch up on my schedule. I couldn't wait to reach Montenegro. The rough roads of ex-yougoslavia were getting a bit on my nerves… I was without network since the Bosnian border and I thought I would get the service back in Montenegro (which is part of the European Union). Eventually the landscape changed to something that looked like a desert 🏜️. Finally in Montenegro, the roads on the mountain cliffs were amazing. Although it was quite hot, the roads in Montenegro were so nice, it was quite refreshing. That, and the can of coke with ice at the restaurant 🧊.
My rear tire had quite some mileage and knowing that there was some harsh gravel sections coming up. I switched my road tires for gravel tires and did a quick tune-up of gear cables and chain in Podgorica. (Very good decision, especially considering the poor quality of the roads in Albania) Thanks Bajkeraj!
I wanted to get to CP3, which is also the start of Parcours 3. I still had some energy when I crossed the Montenegro - Albanian border. However, there was quite a long climb to do to get to CP3, and I was completely in the dark so I couldn't see much of the landscape around. Hence, with the accumulated fatigue, I was falling asleep on the bike. I was really looking forward to CP3 for a quick nap!
Day 9 - Albania / North Macedonia / Albania [165km 2800m D+]
View of the village in the backdrop on the steep climb of Parcours 3 in Albania
Part of the steep climb of Parcours 3 in Albania - gravel tires highly recommended
Lots of construction in parcours 3 (Albania)
So, after a quick breakfast at the hotel, I went out to head through Parcours 3. This was probably one of the hardest part of the race. The Parcours was a really harsh gravel section. As I was climbing, it was getting steeper and steeper and the path was even more misleading. At some point there wasn't even a trail or anything. I wasn't sure if it was construction or if I was on the right road. At some point, I encountered some guy putting in some pipes in the ground, I had to walk around.
The views were amazing, but it was so hot. I had to stop for to drink the can of coke I had on my back from Burrel. So I stopped under a tree and then I put some put on some sun screen on my burning forearms. Then, I saw @CharlotteGamus was taking pictures. I told her to give me a moment of intimacy so I could put on some chamy cream to reduce the chaffing I was enduring since the beginning of the Parcours.
The gravel was really harsh on the way down, I was braking so hard and it was so hot that my brakes wouldn't stop screeching. I couldn't wait for this terrible section to be over. Just like every other rider there, I guess. I did pass by a few riders on the way down, since I had gravel tires and the other riders were mainly on road tires I was going a bit faster, although it was quite bumpy.
Photo Credit - Charlotte Gamus
Photo Credit - Charlotte Gamus
Parcours 3 in Albania
Parcours 3 in Albania
Albanian cows threatening me - You shall not pass
It may seem smooth in the picture (this was after the rough section, obviously I could not take a nice picture in the sketchy descent section). However, this section was the first time in the race where I thought about quitting. Otherwise, I never thought I would quit the race. This was probably the roughest section. The section where 32mm road tires were not enough. Where I saw many riders walk. I was lucky I found a bike shop in Montenegro that was open and had 38mm Terreno Dry gravel tires so I could change my worn-out road tires for something that could handle the more chunky stuff that was coming up. Even though I had the new tires, this section was so rough, I barely had any energy left to take the climb on the asphalt on the way to Peshkopi (heading to Macedonia). I stopped at a gaz station for water and then a restaurant to make sure my fuel levels were good to continue further, because honestly I was destroyed. I was grateful for that moment that I had been looking for hours. I cannot even imagine the other riders on road tires. I heard some had punctures in this section, I was lucky to get none (for the whole Transcontinental, yes!). I was missing my ice cream walks with my girlfriend, even though we were fighting, it was still better than this section. At this point I was so dehydrated and tired, but I told myself, I'll just pedal to the next gas station. Find some water. Find some food. And then I'll make my decision. I got some water and found another service station with a small restaurant where I could eat some fries and sausages. So I gained some energy back and then I told myself, Okay, I'll get to Peshkopi at least and I'll see from there where I can go. From Peshkopi, I still had some energy and it was still very sunny. After refilling at the local market, I decided to head to North Macedonia to get to the south of Albania by avoiding banned roads. All I could see was some hydroelectric dams around the big lake, it was a really weird landscape and I was quite tired, but my way through North Macedonia was so short.
Parcours 3 in Albania - somewhere between Burrel and Peshkopi
I was really falling asleep halfway through North Macedonia. I was battling fatigue just to find a place to sleep. I finally got to the Albanian border after falling asleep on a long climb. I was a few pedal strokes away from Pogradec, where I finally found a hotel that was still open!
Day 10 - Albania / Greece [244km 3200m D+]
Lake shore in Pogradec - Albania
Out of the hotel I see a nice sunrise 🌄 on the beach. I couldn't wait to reach Greece, leaving behind all the broken roads, dust and lavazh stations. Stray dogs hanging around in the streets next to people setting fires in ditches or shooting guns on a stop sign.
I could smell the wildfires burning my lungs as I was approaching the Greek border. I stopped by a cafe that was slowly opening to get a freddo cappuccino. It was the last “few” kilometers before the last destination of TCR No9, Greece! The country I was really looking forward to for its food, beaches, landscapes, history and the finish line!
It would have been too easy to get straight to the finish line from North Macedonia obviously, so the TCR had a last checkpoint in Meteora, with 4 Parcours around before Thessaloniki!
Mountain descent for the first night in Greece
It was a beautiful day to finally reach the Greek border. A few hills later I finally reach a first Greek supermarket, time to fill myself up! On the descent there was a really nice homie Greek restaurant so I stopped by for the first tzatziki, YUMMYYY!!! Tradition in Greece is to give a small frozen dessert when you pay the bill. I am already in love with this country! 🍦
After a nice sunset on the Greek mountains, I find myself descending some laces of a mountain in the dark with only my dynamo light working. My frontal light had some problems charging. Close to the foot, I sleep on the side of the road in a hollow.
Day 11 - Greece [240km 6300m D+]
Sunrise in the Greek mountains
Sunrise on the top of the climb in Greece with Katahdin from Panorama cycles in the shot
I start my day with a climb to the sunrise 🌄. I did it on purpose for the view 😉 I stopped at a village, waiting for the bakery to open. I figure that there is a Post office in the village. I had a foldable backpack with only a few items left inside that I wanted to remove from my back for comfort. I thought it was time to ship the extra road tire, Garmin Varia radar and battery that have not been working or useful for the last few days. As I get my package prepared I encounter a duo of TCR racers that ask me what am I doing? Apparently, it is unclear whether this is within the rules or not. I double check the rules online, but still cannot find any clear information that this is forbidden (later on, the race director confirmed it was forbidden… 🤦♂️)
I was eager to see what the gravel shortcut between Parcours 4a and 4b looked like. It ended up being a very steep service road with broken slabs of asphalt that then transformed into big rocks. About halfway through the way up, it was difficult to find the proper route. Komoot, again, was pointing to a trail that didn't exist. So I went back and picked another trail that seemed to go around. I got to the beginning of long steep gravel laces reaching a pass. I was getting tired with the heat and all the climbing, I fell off the side of the bike a few times with the gradient. When I finally reached the top of the pass, I looked back and realized what I had accomplished. It was probably one of the most memorable views and achievements of the trip.
The famous shortcut between Parcours 4a and 4b in Greece. Ended up being not so much of a shortcut, but what a view!
Greece - “Shortcut” between Parcours 4a and 4b
Monastery on the big rocks around Meteora on Parcours 4c
After that I went through corn 🌽 fields between Trikala and CP4 in Meteora, it was steaming hot! I finally reach the last checkpoint in Meteora (before the finish line).
I get an interesting view on the monastery on the rocks with the sunset. I finish Parcours 4c in the middle of a gravel road. It was dark and after a few kilometers I realized I had some weird sandy gravel road for a good stretch. I couldn't wait to hit the tarmac back again. I finally reached the road, but I was quite tired so it was time to rest. After a long climb, I went to sleep behind a billboard in a village. The stray dogs barking kept me half awake. I probably got around 2h of rest/sleep.
View from the climb out of Meteora - on parcours 4c
Day 12-13 - Greece [356km 4777m D+]
A white horse on the road, somewhere in Greece
A wild boar on the roadside at dawn in Greece
Another beautiful and hot day in Greece, after crossing Theresa and another TCR rider at a bakery in a village early in the morning. I head off to the final parcours and the finish in Thessaloniki!
I pass by a few villages in the mountains looking to cool myself off with frozen treats and keep hydration and salt levels high to not fall from fatigue. I have such a nice view of the Polyfytos Reservoir Lake. On my way to Kilkis, I fill my bottles and candy reserves, plus I eat a few extra Greek desserts to fill up my energy. In Kilkis I try to find a frontal light quickly, since I had trouble charging mine lately, but without success.
The famous crack in the gravel section down the mountain in the final parcours in Greece
Leaving Kilkis behind, I could see a first storm ⛈️ since Slovenia ahead of me. I was wishing that I wouldn't get too wet. Luckily the worst part of the rain hit me where I could get some shelter from a tree. After approximately 10min I was back riding. I could see bright flashes around me. As I was climbing the final Parcours to the finish line, the storm was probably around the mountain and I got somehow lucky. My frontal light didn't charge anymore so I was riding in the dark only on the dynamo and emergency settings of the frontal. This wasn't very practical and safe. Going uphill I barely had light with the dynamo, and going downhill it was shaking a lot with the bumpy rocks, this is when the frontal light is usually very helpful to point a bright light directly where I want to see with my head 🔦. Unfortunately, as I was descending, with probably a little too much confidence, my front wheel got stuck in a crack that I didn't see on the right. My bike tilted forward and I flew straight over the handlebars with a front flip landing 🛬 on my back. After 30 seconds of self-assessing that I was O.K. 😵💫 I got back on my feet, put the bike back in order and continued my way out of this endless roller coaster 🎢
Tired but happy to be able to enjoy the views in Greece
I slept a quick 30-minute power nap on the side of the road next to Kerkini Lake. I had a nice view as the sun came up, but I think I slept on an ant's nest! As I was riding the ants were biting me everywhere. There was a group of dangerous stray dogs towards the end of the final parcours, but I was fortunate that they changed location by the time I reached that point. As I was going downhill pretty fast, enjoying the last long descent before the finish, I got stung by a wasp on the nose. The adrenaline kicked in!
I finally reach Thessaloniki, the TCR organizers really wanted us to do some sightseeing (and burn the last few muscle fibers we had left in our legs) so I climb my way up to see a Church. In the city, I pass through very steep alleyways… I really thought I was only a few minutes from the finish, but these minutes were stretching… I was getting more and more dehydrated so I stopped at a cafe to quickly grab a Coca. A few steep walks and minutes of sightseeing later, I was there, the FINISH by the sea!
The bike
Past the finish line in Thessaloniki showing the Panorama cycles Katahdin
I chose the Panorama Katahdin for many reasons. Since it is a carbon gravel bike, it has a more relaxed geometry and more compliance, therefore I could enjoy a neck pain free ride across Europe. While descending the mountain passes at high speed with the bikepacking rig, I felt as if it was almost like my carbon road bike without any extra weight. It was agile and very stable surprisingly.
It is the perfect bike for the adventure because it has clearance for very wide tires, I could easily fit the 32mm road and 38mm gravel tires. The Katahdin has a fork that can route the dynamo cabling for the front wheel hub internally, protecting the electric cable from getting damaged. On the bike, there is plenty of storage capacity with 2.7L in water bottles and my bikepacking bags (except a foldable backpack) ) and I still had the possibility to fit cages on the fork for more storage if needed.
I was able to fit a gear range of 11-42T in the back with 46-30T in the front. This allowed me to have a gear ratio of 0.71 for the very steep climbs such as the Wurzenpass, while also having big gears for the flat sections.
With the scarcity of parts during the pandemic, I kept an old gravel bike groupset which had post mount brakes. It turns out these felt as a more powerful braking (considering all the weight with the bikepacking bags) and seemed slightly more durable than the narrower road version of brake caliper and pads, possibly due to the larger heat dissipation area of the pads.
Maintenance
Chain
I waxed my brand-new Dura-Ace chain with Silca Super Secret hot wax. I used Squirt Wax (water-based emulsion) throughout the race to keep the chain lubricated. However, since these are mostly for dry conditions, the chain became quite stiff after a while in the rain and a bike shop lubed the chain with PTFE based spray, which kind of ruined the waxing process unfortunately. So I asked them to degrease and put my Squirt on the chain. After a while the chain got dirty again due to improper cleaning, so I degreased the chain again and since I was now in dry conditions the Squirt was keeping the chain cleaner.
Tires
Bajkeraj bike shop in Montenegro. Good service and a great selection of parts!
After approximately 2500km I saw the tread wear indicator (TWI) was starting to disappear on my rear tire and some cuts had tiny pieces of glass holding in. I thought it was about time to change the rear tire. I thought I would keep these road tires until I get closer to Albania to swap both for gravel tires, since I knew the Parcours were mostly gravel past Montenegro. So I found a bike shop that had gravel tires in Montenegro and I swapped my tires myself, because the bike shop was quite busy with other customers. What a wise decision, not only the Parcours were mostly gravel past this point, but also the roads in Albania are so rough that they end up in very harsh gravel sections most of the time. I didn’t experience any puncture with my Continental GP5000 32mm tubeless tires or with the Vittoria Terreno Dry 38mm I switched for in Montenegro for the whole duration of the trip (3800km+).
Brake pads
In Slovenia (approximately after 1700km), I realized my rear brake pads were pretty much done, so I bought a new pair as soon as I found a compatible one in a bike shop. I had a spare already with me, but I wanted to be sure I didn’t run out so I kept the spare for later. I think post mount disc brake calipers have larger pads, hence they build up heat a bit less and probably wear out less.
However, the metal disc brake pads I had got contaminated and everybody knows what happens with contaminated metal pads, they squeal like hell! On the descent of Parcours 3, I could not stand the noise, I was pouring water on the rotor and pads trying to clean them up so it would not squeal. It was so hot that the water was just evaporating straight as it touched the rotor. So in Greece I found a small pharmacy where they had isopropyl alcohol and a scrubber sponge so I could clean up the rear brakes a bit. It helped for the rest of the trip.
Derailleur
The TCR was one of the few occasions where I was riding my gravel bike in a road setup with a front derailleur. With all the rain in the first days of the race, the shifting cables eventually got stuck. When I stopped at the hotel in Oftringen, I cleaned everything and it helped. However, I had to put wax based spray lube in the cable path to clean and reduce the friction of the cable to shift properly the front derailleur as it would not shift most the time.
Another mishap with derailleurs is when I have bent the rear derailleur hanger in the last 200km when I flew over the bars in the final parcours. After bending it back in place, the alignment was sufficient to shift properly, I was lucky to not have snapped it right off!
Change of mindset
From competitive, to enjoying the trip. This definitely helped in many ways. Letting go a ranking and focusing on the adventure and learning from experience removed quite a lot of pressure and probably allowed me to perform even better in the long run. Allowing me to be me, more relaxed. Mistakes happen and are part of the game. Telling myself that my main goal was to visit these European countries on the bike and simply get to the finish line was a good relief.
Lessons Learned
Cold fountain at the end of the TCR no9 - 2023
Mechanics
I did not get any flats. It is somekind of an inverse Murphy’s law. When you bring an exhaustive repair kit, it always seems to reduce the risk of flatting (in my case at least). Having no major mechanicals, except for the front derailleur shifting friction problems maybe. I was quite lucky to be able to continuously ride the TCR.
Planning
I would say don’t trust Komoot. Although it was the sponsor for the TCR, I would suggest using another route planning option to connect the dots. Personally, if I would do it again I would export the Komoot collections and make sure the Parcours and CP remain verbatim unchanged. Think you have enough time to plan or ride the route? Plan an extra 20% at least! I was a bit ambitious in my planning for riding and also for my pre-race preparation.
Time lost
Finish of the TCR no9 - 2023
During the race I lost several hours. Especially in the first 2 days since I had to re-route everything by hand on my cell phone because Komoot was always leading me to “shortcuts” that were actually muddy sections, often hard to ride. Even though I had good 32mm road tires (Continental GP5000 STR). These sections were slowing me down. Especially when it was dark with sketchy rocky descents.
I’ve also wasted time during my prep, building a list of hotels which ended up being completely useless. I should of spent the time to figure out the Komoot gravel sections and remove them.
I also encountered a few unpleasant surprises along the way. Losing ≥1h dealing with Police in France, since the boulevard became the highway and I couldn't see the signage in the dark. Losing another precious ≥1h dealing with sim card switch in France since the Belgian sim card was not working right on the other side of the border although it said it was fully compatible in other European countries. I would highly recommend getting an ESim (my phone was not compatible with ESims back then). For the ex-soviet union countries, I would recommend buying the local physical sim card as the government appears to control the networks. In Bosnia and Albania, I did not have any network working. It came back in Greece.
Another mishap, is that I spent more than 1h looking for CP1 as my phone died and my GPS coordinates on the brevet card and in my GPS were wrong! Only the coordinates in the race manual saved my day. I have passed right in front of CP1 (but on a parallel street to avoid all the pedestrians) and I got lost just because Komoot moved the end point of my route during the route splitting.
Estimated time lost during the race including TCR race director penalties (total >17 hours)
I have also made a small detour to buy an extra jacket in Decathlon in France, since after all the rain in Belgium. I realized that my super lightweight packaging was maybe not sufficient to pass through a rainy day in the alps. So I needed extra jacket layer. I also regretted bringing my fragile, but fast, Velotoze as my only shoes covers. After a few days they were already destroyed, probably due to the walking in the muddy sections that Komoot made me go through. So I had to buy very expensive and oversized overshoes in Switzerland ($$$). The worst is that they were so big that water was still coming through from below, getting my feet soaking wet! The few minor chain and derailleur maintenance and mechanicals probably cost me another 2h (including a full tire swap in Montenegro). But hey that’s regular maintenance for such a long ride, you need to expect to spend some time on maintenance.
White tower in Thessaloniki Greece
Whatever happens to your equipment during the race. I would avoid at all costs packaging broken equipment to send it for warranty repair at home. This cost me 4h of penalty for shipment of broken equipment by the TCR race organization, that is in addition to the time it took me to find the post office and package the items.
I also got a 28-minute penalty for missing a turn in Parcours 2 and continuing in parallel to the official route for approximately 3km. The path I took was probably longer and harder as I had to hike a bike up a steep gravel section. So yeah, do your homework right, make sure the routing does not re-route any parts of the official parcours.
Conclusions
The end of the TCR no9 adventure in Thessaloniki Greece
Will I do the TCR again? If you asked me during the race, I would have answered no. If you ask me now, probably?
The difficulties of having enough time to plan and organize everything while keeping on training and testing the gear. All of this, while maintaining sanity in love and family relationships is hard! Especially when you have other hard events throughout the summer. Mix that with Parcours 3 and the Shortcut between Parcours 4a and 4b and you will cry and want to quit life forever.
However, the beauty of the trip, telling yourself you would never have visited these remote places if it hadn’t been for this race. Looking back at the top of the Shortcut and seeing this beautiful and harsh landscape, telling yourself I have come all this way up! I am so close to the finish, I need to make it whatever it takes, that’s my main goal!
That season I wanted to explore out of my comfort zone. I wanted to gain experience where it was not easy for me. I wanted to learn. This is why I think this season was a success. Not the success I was initially aiming for, but still a win in many ways.
The TCR can put a lot of strain on your relationships. I remember having several difficult conversations with my girlfriend arguing about how time should and can be spent to optimize time on the bike versus quality time together. It came to the point of us almost splitting up. We took some time apart and we are still together as of today. However, it was very fragile around the TCR. I don’t think someone should question whether or not they should participate in the TCR based on their current relationship status, but simply be more conscious and prepared for that part of the equation when subscribing to the TCR. That it may take more work for your relationship as well.
The TCR is not only about physical strength, but mostly mental strength. Again, this mental strength is not only about perseverance despite the harsh (weather, terrain, sleep deprivation) conditions, but mostly about keeping a positive attitude regardless if you mess up your route although you spent several hours checking every single corner before the race and even during the race. Plus, revised the race manual quite a few times. It is about forgiving yourself about mistakes that can happen even though you did everything in your power at every single moment to reduce these risks of mistakes to a minimum. All the training, all the preparation, organization can go to waste for one little mistake. You have to remind yourself that yes it is a race, however you are mainly there for an adventure to remember and that is what counts. No matter what ranking, no matter if you finish the entire route or not. You lived that moment.
Disclaimer
I am a Panorama cycles ambassador and if ever you are considering buying a gravel bike I would highly recommend this brand. Panorama Cycles is a local B-corp bike company in Quebec, Canada. The owner is a mechanical engineer, designing his own frame geometries with a sustainable and versatile “back-country” mindset. If ever you consider any purchase on the Panorama Cycles website please use my affiliate link here, this way you are supporting The Velocity Nerd webpage.
EXTRA
I have been interviewed by Le Journal de Montréal about the TCR you can read the article in french here.
