TCR START – We were kings

I had hardly slept that night. Images of the race were playing in my head. On the way to Geraardsbergen there was no way to relax either. We arrived at the Transcontinental registration hall with my whole family. Both my parents, my wife and my daughter were with me that day, and followed me through the registration process. It’s funny to see that they appear on the background of several GCN videos.

Entering the sports hall was a very special experience. I’d been following the activities of many participants for years, without ever meeting them. They felt familiar but also virtual. Talking to ultracycling legend Kristof Allegaert was such a moment. He was very down to earth and took the time for a long-time fan like me. We sorted out a solution to attach my frame bag, and he wished me a safe trip, which I’m sure helped! (I don’t believe in God, but I do believe in Kristof Allegaert…)

Registration went smoothly. I passed the insurance and identity check, the bike check, installed a satellite tracker and queued for an official photo by Kinesis UK. After that, I tried to lay down in a corner, but that didn’t work out. The best thing I could do was socialise and enjoy the moment.

Belgian ultracyclist Kelly Vander Haeghen (aka @k_karnemelk) had come over to get something of the TCR atmosphere. My uncle and sister arrived to encourage me, and most family members were probably a bit worried that something would happen to me. That gave the whole moment a solemnous touch.

Meanwhile, the market square of Geraardsbergen filled up with high-viz wearing cyclists. The stress steadily grew and I took my place amid the other participants whom I had talked to: François Laperche, Ryan Le Garrec and Bruno Ferraro. Our last looks said « good luck ». After a few words from the organisers, the countdown and traditional clock sound announced the start of Transcontinental Race n°6. The whole group started moving. A movement that wouldn’t stop for two weeks.

Our first pedal strokes were accompanied by the TCR anthem « Be More Mike », written in memory of adventure cyclist and TCR founder Mike Hall. The song popped up in my head days later and helped me pedal on. « One foot in front of the other now, day after day. »

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TCR DAY 5 – The day I defeated the two-headed CP2 monster.

I left Hotel Sonne with dry shoes thanks to a very helpful Dutch employee. The first 40 kms were flat and easy. I met Meg Pugh whom I confused with Ala MaKota. A short mountain pass took me to the next Slovenia-bound valley. The legs were tired, so I bought some local dairy products. While I was resting I saw Loïc Nys Taymans pedaling by. He looked remarkably fresh, and was calling home on his headset. We had a pleasant Brusseleer reunion a bit further, before he stopped to buy a new cassette for the mountains. I stopped by a magnificent water fountain and had a chat with Antonio Baños, Jakob Dieckman and I think Roger Chuchard/Thomas Chateau. Then we all climbed to Tarvisio and Slovenia. Before the huge climb up the Mangart, I needed calories. A big trout in a Tarvisio restaurant did the job.

Mangart was a tough cardio exercise on a 28, but the VIEWS from the 2070m top were worth it! The many tunnels and sheep gave the needed diversion. On the way down I spoke to Anna. The road to CP2 in Bovec was fast. I met a Finnish veteran and dotwatcher, and spoke to my Murcian neighbours the Cycling Bros (Daniel Nicolás Muñoz & Guillermo NM) for the first time. Without losing time I climbed up the second leg of the parcours, the much underestimated Vrsič pass (1600m). I was proud to reach the top without walking, having passed 3 other riders.

On the way down, I caught Loïc Nys Taymans and Jamie Saunders but they had the legs to ride into the night. I stopped in Kranjska Gora, a city with only ONE room left, lost 1 hour finding that room, and had a quick midnight kebab before sleeping.

203km540 – 10h53 – 18,7km – 3713m up

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TCR DAY 6 – Northbound, trying to escape the Alps.

I started pedaling, angry at myself for having stopped in such expensive place (hotel asked 110€) and lost so much precious time (left at 9h30). I swiftly climbed the last pass separating me from Austria, entered Villach where I got lost on the same bike path as Roberto Baldassi before following quiet roads along the Ossiacher See. I tried to get food and drinks in regularly to make this a long day. Following the advice of @thetranscontinental team, I avoided the 317 and took another valley where most shops were closed. Ive Weygers and Charles Billau followed the same logics. Hours later, the end of the Alps was in sight, but not quite. I lay down in a beautiful field, my body crying for rest! Did I need to sleep there, at 6PM?

Encouraged by my followers, I went on and grabbed a pizza at the next restaurant. I shared the table with Dario Demarco, from whom I was expecting pizza advice. But when he started talking with a deep Scottish accent, I couldn’t help singing that 80s song « I would walk foive hondrrred moyles ». It became our running joke and gave me energy for the evening ride across the Tauern massif. At 10PM many TCR riders were still going. In Trieben I met a very focused Hakan Höglin and in Admont I saw the eternal Cycling Bros (Guillermo NM & Daniel Nicolás Muñoz) quietly resting in front of the church. I was hoping to catch Loïc Nys Taymans overnight so I pushed on to Weyer, resisting to every «Zimmer» sign along the way. Then came the strange moment where I had to lay down in a public space and switch into sleep mode.

256km990 – 11h32 – 22,3km/h – 2901m up

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TCR DAY 10 – Hot days, long nights: when routine takes over.

The city of Brno came to life in the morning sun. Market squares and shopping streets. I left Brno following a busy road where I met Matthieu Lifschitz again. We talked for a few minutes, then got funnily separated by our GPS tracks. He went right, I went left. The Slovakian border was not far now. I entered my 12th country and got scared by the heavy and dangerous traffic on national road number 2. Trucks passed me very closely and there was no shoulder to escape. After 5km of near misses, I decided to leave Slovakia and reroute through nearby Austria. But hunger brought me back to the main road that became safer as I approached Bratislava. The Slovakian capital looked like a pleasant place and reminded me of Liège. I met Andrea Polo who needed to stop for a meal.

Like every day lately, my daylight kms were insufficient because of the constant head winds and scorching heat. I started my daily routine: booked a hotel 80km away, and shifted into night mode. The Hungarian border was soon crossed and I discovered a tidy and well organised rural country. The first bike paths were excellent, until I crossed my first bike restriction sign. Luckily the alternative was easy to find. Against my likes, I followed the Danube to Györ in complete darkness. The nature smelled nice. After three hours of night riding I was happy to plunge into the light of Györ. Generously lit bridges and buildings welcomed me home. At Hotel Baross, I drank a beer with three German engineers traveling for work.

227km990 – 09h59 – 22,8km/h – 483m up

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TCR DAY 14 – Three days to finish: beast mode on.

A gruppetto of riders was planning an early ascent of Bjelasniča at dawn. In a mix of fatigue and nervousness, we gathered silently in front of CP4 hotel. The first three to leave were Isobel Jobling, Ive Weygers and myself. We discovered heavy wet gravel paths that let us no choice: move faster or dismount. This parcours was nothing for our skinny road tires. I was focused on saving my 25’’ Conti GP4000 from a puncture until we got passed by a speedy Charles Billau. With ultra light body and setup, he fought his way up the mountain. We were impressed, but I decided to go and catch him. 😁 Months of D+ in Spain paid off and I beat him on pure cardio. We took misty photos of each other at the top before descending at good speed. I still couldn’t believe my tires were resisting. During coffee at the hotel, the big discussion was about reaching Meteora before the party. Some thought it was impossible, others wanted to try. 800km in less than 3 days? Let’s go!

Without losing any time, I reached the main road to Montenegro and rode up the few passes at high tempo. I shared a meal with Christopher Teasdale down the road. When Meg Pugh and Isobel Jobling zoomed by, we left off. These two were definitely going for it! The valley snaked down to the Montenegrine border, overlooking the emerald river Tara. The border crossing was the most chaotic I had ever seen. All traffic had to pass a single-track wooden bridge. I however passed the queues and took a picture on the bridge. Then followed a jaw-dropping series of tunnels and bridges in Pivo canyon before the climb of Pluzine. Dark clouds gathered and I was soon cycling in heavy rain. I went on and descended to places where it was dry. In Niksič I passed Douglas Migden resting at a terrace (I think I called him Dog instead of Doug). Then followed a very nice present: 40km of smooth descent until Podgorica. Free miles. Daniel & Guillermo were resting in a field nearby. I went on to cross the Albanian border and pedaled until Shkodra, hungry and helpless in a dark emptiness. The first hotel got me.

302km080 – 13h53 – 21,8km/h – 2935m up

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TCR STATS – My first participation in numbers

• 3998,88 km cycled in 15d 19h 59m (that’s 253km per day)
• 36.044 vertical meters according to Wahoo, or 54.032 according to Strava.
• 20 countries visited, including 3 funny detours to Liechtenstein, Serbia and Macedonia.
• Average temperature of 26°C, with three days above 30°C (AVERAGE!!)
• Average riding speed: 22,6 km/h. Number of hours slept per night: 8 (breakfast and checkout included).
• Potatoe hearts drawn on the map: 1.
• Naked selfies taken for wife’s birthdays: 1.
• Animals seen on the way: deer, frogs, hares, badgers, lizzards, foxes, eagles, turtles, sticky swarms of flies, many dogs…
• Number of punctures, mechanicals, tracker issues: 0.
• End position: 82nd single rider, 98th human crossing the finish line.
• Items lost: sleeping bag (went back 10km to get it), helmet (another rider brought it), lock (stayed at CP3), flipflops (somewhere in Greece).
• Best musical mix: « Wild boys » pronounced « Wild boars » mixed with the jingle of « Who’s gonna drive you home tonight ».
• Finisher’s Parties made: 1.
• Inspirational people met on the way: countless

START OF THE RACE >

START OF THE RACE >

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TCR DAY 1 – Ardennes to Lorraine, first encounter with my limits.

My first Transcontinental Race started weirdly with cycling 10km upstream to retrieve my lost sleeping bag. Entering Geraardsbergen again, I heard a familiar voice with a local Flemish accent « That’s verrry strange: a Jaegher riding down the Muur. » Kristof Allegaert himself accompanied me while I was searching my belongings. Finally @cycling_bear had it. After a quick chat with the organisers and Instagram friend Thijs Ligt, I finally started my race… in pursuit mode.

The first unfortunate riders (with a puncture) were met in Enghien. On the long dark roads I caught up with the little flickering red lights one by one. None of the riders were very talkative at this point. Namur was the last possibility to buy drinks. Jan Trouvé had the same idea. We had our first live chat before we both followed the Meuse valley to Dinant, a road I’ve done about 10x already, before climbing the brutal massif of Famenne to Celles and Wellin. At 4am it was time for a short nap. This had been a long and stressful day.

I woke up after 2 hours in race mode, thinking that everything was still possible, and started riding right away. Behind every bush there was a TCR rider sleeping. Quite a funny sight that reminded me of Monty Python’s marathon for incontinents (Incontinental Race?). At the end of the Ardennes @thetranscontinental crew was parked at a gas station. I met race organiser Juliana Buhring and got podcasted. After that, the heat started to ask its toll. I moved on in bits of 20km.

Dotwatchers at home were discovering the joys of tracking my every gesture. « Sebi is stopping at Deli Traiteur now. » After crossing Luxembourg in 35+ temperatures, the North of France saw me hitting a physical wall. Where I usually enjoy to climb, I was now watching every hill with fear. First I took a nap, then a break to eat, but it didn’t help. This was the moment to sleep correctly. End of my illusions. I took a room in Saint-Avold and slept almost 10h.

336km470 – 14h10 – 23,7km/h – 4367m up

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TCR DAY 2 – Alsace, Schwarzwald, Konstanz. Finding a race rhythm.

After an indecently long night of 10 hours (!), I felt guilty of sleeping so much during a race. Today HAD to be a massive day, or I’d better register for an ultrasleeping race next time! The hills rolled gently towards Strasbourg, and I hydrated and fed my body properly (in Vescheim, I had one of the best peach tarts I ever ate). I knew I needed to have FUN to stay focused, so I treated myself to a touristical visit of La Petite France, the ancient centre of Strasbourg.

Entering Germany, the temperatures were ridiculously high again and I kept drinking (probably 12 litres that day). The climate became bearable in the approach of the Schwarzwald and the tail wind was helping. I met quite a lot of riders on the way up, among who Ive Weygers, Svenja Schrade and people whose name I can’t remember. Once at the top, I kept my breaks short and managed to reach Konstanz Lake minutes after midnight. There I found a city park with lake view and lay down for a very inefficient night. But I was within schedule.

302km010 – 12h01 – 25,8km/h – 2343m up

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TCR DAY 3 – Back in the race, reaching the Alps and CP1.

After a poor night, with a view on Konstanz lake, I took off in the misty morning. Dozens of cycling commuters were joining me on the scenic route to the German-Swiss border city of Konstanz. I crossed into Switzerland on a complicated web of flyovers and bike paths. From there on, it was easy: following the South bank of the lake until there was no lake. I met the impressive Anna Petters again and had my first chat with Douglas Migden, whom I didn’t suspect would become one of my strongest competitors. When I saw a sign to Liechtenstein, I couldn’t resist, and the #ultratourist in me woke up: I rode a detour of 8km to « check the box ».

One more country in, I started climbing the long valley leading to CP1. 50km into Austria, I took a long ice cream break where I met friendly co-racer Clement Venus and forgot my helmet. He brought it up. Big stress: what did I have to do to respect the spirit of the race aka Rule number 10? I warned the race direction and waited for my friend Clement to come by. (THANK YOU!) We both reached CP1 and took a break from the scorching heat outside.

A pizza later I took on the mandatory Parcours over 2000m high Silvretta Pass. The skies became very dark and near the peaks, lightning started striking. I remembered that I was riding a steel frame. But the storm stayed 1 or 2km away so I pushed on to the top. No welcome committee there. I added an extra layer and rode down to Ischgl, shivering from the wind. The banned tunnels were an extra difficulty, since I was chasing down at 40kph. I avoided the three first tunnels, but missed the little road in the middle of the 4th. Actually, I’m still looking for the middle of the tunnel now.

The road descended further to Landeck, where many riders were taking shelter. Berk Okyay and Ghirtoi Daniel decided to pedal further. But a storm was coming and I preferred to stay at friendly Hotel Schrofenstein who were prepared to welcome tired riders. A pleasant night in a dry room, when it was raining outside.

231km580 – 10h34 – 21,9km/h – 2392m up

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TCR DAY 4 – A long mountain ride on familiar roads.

The morning sky was beautiful. I had done well to take a room. A few bowls of excellent muesli later I was on the road again. The bike paths to Innsbruck were very pleasant. I was amazed to meet Anna Petters again. She had done the Silvrettapass at night and got stuck in a storm up there with ten other riders. I somehow made the vow that I’d be unreachable by tonight. So I pushed on up the Brenner, into Italy and up the Val Pustina. 130km of roads I had already followed on my way to Dubrovnik in 2014. On my lunch break I had a pleasant chat with Simon Hayward and Douglas Migden.

The broader area of Brunico was tricky because we were strongly encouraged to take the gravel bike paths for the whole 60km. That took a lot of patience because of the many detours, but I strictly followed the rules and enjoyed jaw-dropping views over the Dolomites. Please remind me to live there if I don’t move by myself. Once in Austria again I went down the 40km to the next big city of Lienz. A very fine rain started to fall and I ended up soaked. Once in Lienz, the traditional race for shelter, food and hygiene started. It became: Hotel Sonne, good pizza and a warm shower.

264km530 – 11h16 – 23,5km/h – 1879m up

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