Race Preview

The warm up. Or should that be cool down?

Welcome to WORSELANDS

Day 1 and its a quick one!

No rest for the front of the race.

High Profile scratches and some absolutely lit racing.

Badlands Winner - Rob did it!

Cynthia Frazier is our first woman!

A pair of pairs.

The Women's Podium is FULL!

[https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=34025456&metricUnits=true&sampleGraph=true](https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=34025456&metricUnits=true&sampleGraph=true)

The Route

__Intro to your Commentator__

Hi All, My name is Liz Hughes and I'll be your commentator for the duration of this normally hot, and hotly contested race. I managed to scrape myself through the 2021 super spicy edition as 3rd woman (mainly due to the high scratch rate) but this year I believe racers might be in for a treat with some slightly more accommodating temperatures. Fingers crossed that everyone is ready for changable weather. 

__Intro to the Race__

Whilst this is only the 4th Edition of Badlands the race has already become one of most widely known and hotly contested events in the ultra distance calendar. In 2020 the event shot into the spotlight with incredible teaser drone footage of the Gorafe desert and Lachlan Morton finishing the event in only 43 hours and 50 minutes.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3DIwWqtQSk>

2021 had even more coverage due to the ‘star studded’ start list and temperatures reaching the high 40’s (My Garmin topped out at 48℃). Last year entries themselves became as hotly contested as the event, Seb Breuer beat Lachlans time and Lael WIlcox finished as first woman in just under 58 hours with a talented field of women pushing on from behind. This year sees another high quality field with a huge array of diversity. There are 43 women taking part this year, a huge growth but with the overall total of 342 riders still only 12.5% of the total. Riders come from 34 countries among them Kenya, Colombia, Indonesia, Philippines, South Africa and Japan plus the usual European contingent and local riders. There are 25 pro and ex pro riders, many big names in ultra cycling, olympic athletes from other sports as well as many returning riders with an ambition to better themselves this time around.

__The Route Lowdown__

In the unlikely event that you don’t already know much about the route, it covers 750km of gravel roads and [“ramblas”](https://badlands.cc/into-the-ramblas/ "Whats a Rambla then?") in the arid south of Spain and has a meaty 15,000m of climbing. Despite the fast times mentioned, the long climbs, shifting surfaces and heat of the deserts all come into play to make this an anything but straightforward event. Whilst Adalucia as a whole is a popular tourist destination the route takes riders through sparsely populated rural areas where the feeling of isolation and space can be overwhelming at times.

The riders will set off from Granada at 8am on Sunday morning heading into the Sierra de Huétor Natural Park. There is 850m of climbing within the first 20km so dotwatchers can expect the riders to become strung out quickly as they ride through the mountains surrounding Granada to the East. These forested mountains can offer some shade from the sun however once through into the La Hoya de Guadix, the plains between Granada and the famous Gorafe Desert the temperatures can start to increase and the terrain is full of strange rock formations and gullies. We can expect to see a few riders experiencing their first real hike a bike up to The Mirador del Fin del Mundo due to the consistent steep gradients and pinches of 25% over the 700m!

![Badlands Preview 1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6BqvXAlu7P5Xqzae2Vmv3N/eb877b92655d9c39c51ed9e82e7aafe6/Baldlands__peterofthespoon-3.jpg)

Photo credit: [Peter of the Spoon](https://www.instagram.com/peterofthespoon/)

The terrain will now look more familiar to dotwatchers and riders as they now enter the “Badlands'' heading towards the Gorafe Desert. We will see riders congregate in the town of Gorafe which is a major resupply before another steep climb and the terrain becomes dryer and more sandy under-tyre with gravel roads giving way to ramblas.

![Badlands preview 2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5H4j7VhHQGrDviIZTRQ8dp/610aaa814ccba04df9cfbad040d8dc54/Badlands2021-564.jpg)

Photo credit: [juananfotografia](https://www.instagram.com/juananfotografia/)

When out of this Desert there is some respite with Gor being the next town and with a huge fountain is sure to be another point that riders will take advantage of. During 2021 it was the sight of some full body dunkings to escape the heat and many siestas.

![Badlands preview 3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1riWRNBFNNvzaD7pUmykAK/7df5c4da673c917c5489e83187c63f63/20210906_143251.jpg)

Photo credit: [Bikepixi](https://www.instagram.com/bikepixi/)

Past Gor The Sierra de los Filabres provides some truly spectacular and Isolated scenery, there is little chance for water and no resupply until you descend from the highest point at 2,168m, the Calar Alto Observatory. This is the routes highest point, that is if you don’t count the Pico de Valeta, the optional way back to Granada. This section of 117km could be the undoing of many riders if they time their stops poorly and run low on supplies whilst climbing through these mountains. 

There is a welcome and long descent to the Village of Gérgal signalling the start of the Tabernas desert. This section has changed from previous years with new Ramblas being added in place of the technical hike a bike. I’m sure that there will still be enough sand to wreak havoc on riders' chains and test their riding abilities. The descent from the Sierra de Alhamilla has also changed and a new village, Lucainena de las Torres (in place of Níjar) is there to be explored. This route change also avoids some of the greenhouses close to the E-15 and follows a more scenic route past fruit trees and rolling hills before heading into the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.

Apparently the area is characterised by volcanic rock formations, fossil beaches, abandoned villages and a windswept and barren landscape. Since my ride took me through the park during the night, all I can tell you is that the Faro de Cabo de Gata lighthouse provides some very strange moving shadows and as I’d been followed by strange packs of dogs made up of disparate breeds for most of the night (think Whippet, Alsation and Spaniel, with a Dachshund as the boss) it was really creepy. Past the lighthouse the riders are treated to 35km of flat and could even treat themselves to a shower along the beach, that is if they are not hating life pushing their bike through ankle deep sand and miss the amenities. Do not be fooled that flat = easy on this route.

After the soul destroying beaches riders can take the opportunity to resupply in Almería before tackling the final 200km of the route. Climbing away from the town riders will have to negotiate a climb littered with baby heads however they will be treated to wonderful 360 views if they can manage to look around. Once at the highest point of this mountain range they will be able to see the Sea of Plastic as well as the sight of 3000m high peaks descending down to the Tabernas desert. The climbing continues through La Alpujarra where the average elevation is 1200m.  The last 80km has 2600m of climbing however with the end in sight I’m sure even the sight of the “Risky Pass” between Trevélez and the finish at Capileira will not stop any of our riders.

__Conditions__

So whilst my own experience of Badlands was a very hot one, this year may be a very different story. Currently with thunderstorms forecast in many of the areas over the weekend and rain into next week we could be looking at a very different race. Through the Gorafe and Tabernas deserts the main thoroughfares are dried up riverbeds and with large amounts of rain can be prone to flash floods. Even if there are no floods, areas of soft silty sand can quickly turn to peanut butter mud so riders need to be aware of changing conditions to protect their equipment. The Badlands team do have contingency routes in place should areas become flood risks but high passes may be cold and stormy. I planned my sleep spots on high points to avoid the heat in ‘21 however this year that could be a very bad idea. Hopefully the dots have been checking the weather and are equipped for cold and rain.

[Graham Baxter](https://www.instagram.com/p/CszJ4t3sPVF/)

Graham Baxter managed to tour some of the Badlands route earlier this year and was treated to some interesting conditions after overnight rain in Gorafe. Check his post for more pictures! He’s not looking forward to bad weather but at least knows what to expect!

__Riders__

Again we have a roster that is jam packed with talent all gunning for the top positions.

In the womens race __Cynthia Frazier__ is back and after coming second to Lael last year is going for the win. She has had a strong showing this year with 1st Women and 6th overall at Memory Bike.  

__Jana Kesenheimer__ is ready to race Badlands, with 2 second woman as Memory Bike and Dead Ends and Cake she’s having a strong year. This backed up with 1st woman at Lost Dot TRanspyrenees, Dead ends and Cake plus GranGuanche Gravel in '22 she’s definately a contender. Looking at her instagram she has been following the previous years races and is prepared for dehydration, heat, dust, but also cold nights. Is she ready for rain and mud with what looks like a lightweight setup?

__Lydia Iglesias__ could prove competition however and has been formidable over short distance coming first woman at the Traka 200km in ‘22. Her previous life as a pro’ cross country skier means she has an engine. Will she perform over a longer distance? 

__Linda Farczadi__ is a familiar face to ultra racing with strong performances this year. She hard a hard fought 2nd placed woman at the Bright Midnight and first pair at the Unknown Race with a time that would have put her in the top 10. She does admit to liking a little comfort during events however this will be hard to find at Badlands!

__Cara Dixon__ is another one to watch this year, She came first woman at Dirty Reiver and 4th on the Transatlantic Way showing speed and endurance.

We also have a smattering of ex pro riders in the women’s field with __Lydia Gurley__, an Irish track cyclist qualifying for the olympics in Madison, now interested in gravel racing. __Ally Murphy__ (Nee Stacher) who rode professionally from 2009 to 2014 and has ridden the Giro Donne, Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche and La Route de France, will this stage race pedigree transfer over to one stage events? She certainly has the bike handling skills having also raced top level cyclocross in the US in the off season. These two are joined by pro-triathlete __Caroline Livesey__ who has a slew of XTRI wins, is an experienced long distance athlete and has started racing the UCI gravel series this year, easily qualifiying for the gravel worlds.

Even with all this talent the biggest story in the women’s race may be the comeback of Canadian prodigy __Genevieve Jeanson__ and her make up with team mate __Lyne Bessette__. Genevieve was caught doping in 2005 and revealed years of use of EPO administered by her Coach. She was coerced into taking the banned substance as a 16 year old hitting the world stage and is now speaking out about the abuse and lack of decision making and bodily autonomy she was afforded in those years. She was also accused of chasing down her team mate, Lyne, in the 2000 Olympics Road race but the pair have now made up over their rivalry and are both appearing at Badlands. Genevieve is now in the process of rediscovering her love of the bike and in gravel racing.

__On the Mens side…..__ (boring I know)

We have familiar faces in __Nils Correvon__, __Ulrich Bartholomoes__, __Robin Gemperle__ and __Oscar Pujol__. Uba, Oscar and Nils have all graced the Podium in different years but with Robin winning Hope 1000 (and course record) plus AMR win this year he looks in a very strong position. Oscar recently finished Basajaun in 83rd position (just behind me) which for him is nothing to write home about however he started the race 24 hours after everyone and rode easy the whole way! Gereon Tewes has also had recent strong outings winning the pairs at TCR ‘23, Transiberica '22 and B-Hard '22 so could he do the same on his own?

Both __Ken Karaya__ and __Geoff Langat__ from __Team Amani__ are riding this year. Sule Kangangi's ride and stories from the 2021 edition have reached legendary status within the team and are a constant inspiration to them all. Both riders are looking to reach the podium (which slipped from Sule's grasp in '21 following a mechanical) and given their recent results are definite contenders. In '22 as a pair they were first at Atlas Mountain Race and this year Ken narrowly pipped Geoff to 2nd at Race Around Rwanda. Whilst proving themselves a formidable team they both believed the other to be holding them back at Atlas so this will definitely spur them on.

__I have a few outsiders and newer faces for this year, all worth a watch.__ 

__Toni Calderon__ races for the Enough Cycling collective alongside Mattia de Marchi and is “the Alejandro Valverde of the Ultracycling world”. With this description alone I’m expecting big things however he won Kromvojoj this year and was 3rd in '22 plus was 6th at Transpyrenees in '22 so maybe he can back that claim up.

__Ramon Comulada__ is a rider with a lot of mountain bike racing photos on his instagram feed but not many helpful captions. He scratched from Basajaun ‘23 3583km which might not sound that impressive however he reached that distance in only 22 hours! I’ve no idea why he scratched but possibly the MTB stage race in British Columbia he completed weeks before made him a bit tired?

__Simen Nordhal Svendsen__ has won the Rift this year, a relative newcomer to ‘ultra has been racing gravel for the past 2 years. He fell out of love with road after racing U23 in Belgium and is already racing at the top level after just a year.

Another newcomer is __Robert Farken__. A middle distance runner qualifying for the Tokoyo Olympics in the 1500m has always been keen on bikes. He is prone to injury from running so uses cycling for cross training (smart decision) but is he as farken fast on a bike?

__Marius Karteusch__ has nearly proved himself several times. He started off hard at Badlands in ‘21 making the front of the race but pushing too hard and giving himself heat exhaustion in the process. In Basajaun and Gravel worlds ‘22 he crashed and had to scratch from both. His claim to fame so far is 2nd at Unbound XL in ‘22 so he has an engine, just can he reign it in and finish well here?

Finally __Tristan Cardew__ could be another one to watch. A strong rider, he finished well at AMR this year. If he’s racing hard he could do well, if he’s not we may be treated to some great photography on his socials.

Apologies to all those I have not mentioned, with 350 riders to look up I couldn't possibly fit them all on here.

Badlands 2023 kicked off yesterday with two days of warm-up events and social rides ahead of this year's ultra. There's been a big turnout and fantastic atmosphere as riders old and new come together to share previous experiences and tips for the forthcoming big event. There are plenty of riders returning from previous years with unfinished business or wanting to better their previous time. David and the team have really thought about it and with help from the event Sponsors have put on [pre-rides](https://www.komoot.com/collection/2314359/-warm-up-granada?utm_campaign=collection_embed&utm_medium=embed&utm_source=badlands.cc "Check out the social rides here."), drinks and mechanical help ahead of the main event to bring the riders together and to showcase the best of the area.

![Warm up Badlands-017](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4A2i2XiMihiaHKiHTpyaCV/d89141ab29e11434369f7998183220ad/Warm_up_Badlands-017.jpg)

![WArm up Badlands-030](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4dbEWUJx52wT5MaplPWeTG/8c4285b133c953f165aaf88d42a05a2f/WArm_up_Badlands-030.jpg)

Riders have been arriving over the past week by various mean so it's really nice to see them able to meet and socialise before an event. It can be intimidating turning up to your first few events so to have some organised fun beforehand really helps settle nerves and make new friends. Speaking of journeys to the race it's been interesting to look in on riders early and see how they have been travelling. [Marcus](https://www.instagram.com/bikesutras/) had a roundabout route. First up he's casually ridden the Transcontinental before a quick family holiday in Greece. Then flown over to a festival in Valencia before riding over from there, arriving in Granada a few days ago. He's even managed to sneak in the route over the Pico de Valeta in case he's not up to it immediately after. Apparently he's cycling to Mallorca afterwards too! 

There have been a fair few people driving across Spain, [Torsten Frank](https://www.instagram.com/torsten_frank/) has arrived in time for the social events despite stopping many times for rides on the way over. He's currently comparing drop bar hard tails (the bike of the times?) with Chris Hall, sampling the local Coffee speciality and checking out Granadas thriving Ice cream scene. There's even something for the vegan and lactose intolerant.

Plenty of people are flying in as you would expect but [Chris](https://www.instagram.com/chrishallrides/) had more trouble than most, his first flight was cancelled leaving him to do a mad dash from Up North to London to make a new flight. It's good to see him making it and his bike arriving intact after that drama. Hopefully no other riders have had and flight drama and everyone makes it to the start line.

One topic that's been on everyone's lips is the weather forecast which looks really stormy for the start on Sunday. The team are currently watching the forecast and discussing if they need to change the route around Gorafe and Tabernas to the safe version. The ramblas used for the race route were created by run off over 100,000s of years and have remained wilderness due to the difficulty of farming and the remote locations. As they are undisturbed they are still form the main drainage for heavy rains and can quickly go from dry and sandy to flooded with a thick clay underfoot. This landscape was sculpted by the infrequent yet heavy rains and may shape a different race this year. 

![Warm up Badlands-060](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1ZDkM36buj53zeqfHGPvdk/bbff19f097a8ef8df94c2e7538c7ec59/Warm_up_Badlands-060.jpg)

The team have contingency routes planned which they will be reviewing and deciding on before the riders briefing. It would be shame not to see so much of these beautiful areas but rider safety and the preservation of the land is paramount. The race organisation work with local businesses, have a deep respect for this area and preservation of the lands, its great to see this mindset being applied.

![Warm Up Badlands-049 (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2lIB284xhQnvhmWMr0jJaA/ffe8b7809052c758e2dc7e5aec0d9e6a/Warm_Up_Badlands-049__1_.jpg)

All Photo credits: [juananfotografia](https://www.instagram.com/juananfotografia/)



BREAKING NEWS! With ALL of the areas monthly rainfall forecast for tonight the riders of Badlands will be using the amended "safe track". Riders have been warned that whilst the route is safe and will be avoiding areas prone to deep floods they can still expect rain, mud and difficult riding.

![AccreditationDay-162](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5jwnmvni6kgQwKZNjBEYAB/c7c9808a5732a613f8775fbfa9de32d1/AccreditationDay-162.jpg)

The riders have had their briefing, will have added the safe tracks to their computers and the tracker has been updated but with so few hours remaining before the start are the riders ready for these conditions? How much rain will really fall? How bad will the mud be? How many mechanicals will there be? Will this be the hardest edition yet? So many questions and so much to unfold over the next few days!

![AccreditationDay-145](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2im5kE1863LIEENfG9v6EV/b28d74836d2b3d5e2675ccbbe6be9e68/AccreditationDay-145.jpg)

Photo Credits: [Juananfotografia](https://www.instagram.com/juananfotografia/)

The riders have been going for 12 hours now and have covered some huge distances already. The lead riders have passed through Gor and look like they have managed to get through the Gorafe desert in good condition. However with the bad weather continuing overnight the riders further back may encounter more trouble.

Watching the first few hours via the tracker was confusing as hell. The front riders were moving with such high speeds through the Sierra de Huétor Natural Park that when there were tracker update delays riders looked like they had managed to get 4-5km leads over the chasing pack! For a while Lyne Bessette looked like she had a solo lead then Marius Karteusch had a 5km on the next riders and conversely Ulrich was far back in 94th. Riders energy has now decreased and the gaps increased which is making proceedings a little easier to follow.

The start from Granada, whilst moody looking was mostly dry with temperatures in the mid teens. Cool, pleasant temperatures meant fast racing at the front and the first 24 riders through the Gorafe checkpoint were faster than last years eventual winner Seb Breuer. This also includes the 1st and 2nd women and 3rd is only a few minutes off that pace! Enrique Morcillo, Alex Martínez and Rob Britton where the first three to make if up the steep inclines of the Mirador del Fin del Mundo (making it look super easy), and have managed to push on throughout the afternoon. With the addition of Mike Mono have made it through Gor and look like they have a 8km gap on the next riders on the road, Marius Karteusch and Lyne Bessette (1st Woman).
![Fin del Mundo](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1SHPIPTSbN7keMxpIYoEuP/945dfca247f5c3ee1491b3af987f5d5b/fin_del_mundo.mp4)
You can see from this video from [David](https://www.instagram.com/davidfuhgawz/?hl=en) that conditions for the leaders have been damp but the route surface is packed down quite hard. Looking through rider stories it looks like this is the case for the leaders with the first through Gorafe only having to deal with showers. Word from these riders themselves is that conditions on the track are currently fast and perfect and their bikes and kit are looking pretty clean. This shows the difference in the route conditions between the Mirador del Fin del Mundo and Gorafe, with 2021 conditions on the left (soft slow sand and 45 degrees) and this year's packed down surface with a few channels starting to be cut by water flow. 
![wet sand](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5CZaxvQulduzOWT0Wt7ZZn/28ec9060fdbdaceea2b33d991b866099/Gorafe_cara.jpg)

Photo credits : [Bikepixi](https://www.instagram.com/bikepixi/?hl=en) (left) and [Cara Dixon](https://www.instagram.com/_caradixon/?hl=en) (middle and right)

Our Top 20 have now all reached Gor which is incredible and our third placed woman is nearly there at time of writing. Whilst Lyne looks like she has had a phenomenal ride, rarely being out of the top 10 and simply riding her own race. Cara and Cynthia have been very close to each other all day with Cara looking to have the edge to start with. They rode riding together briefly before Cynthia looking like she has got a small lead coming into Gor despite having a slip in some mud.
![gor 3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5zL0KSDNpmCYiTbBduqt7l/4cf9b9d07230733e863caf0f9bf83a66/gor_3.jpg)
The residents of Gor really are putting on  a party for the riders with music and decorations and dancing in the streets. It looks like Cynthia is feeling the vibes at the fountain too and joining in with the Macarena. I'm not sure if she knows all the dance moves though so I think we need to help her out there. That would be one of my least favourite tunes to get stuck in my head till the next resupply! The Kids at the school in Gor have also been involved with making the decorated bicycles found all over town, apparently the knitted wheels are good for the sandy conditions.
![Gor - cynthia](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5gOcCuV4LMhGHicwOZpjUj/cc8f6a9a79af265c70e2cd7d84e0d6c3/gor_cynthia.mp4)
Further back it looks like the majority of the riders are now though to Gorafe and will be facing tough decisions. The weather further back doesn't look as good and the riders have been dealing with more rain and wetter trails. There is still more rainfall forecast in Gorafe through the night so the trail conditions will worsen and it could make it hard for anyone further back in the pack planning to sleep out with minimal kit.
If you want to check out some of the conditions going on today, and some of the scenery these riders have all been able to post a few pieces on their stories today so check them out:

[Cara Dixon](https://www.instagram.com/_caradixon/?hl=en)

[Marcos de Paiva Bueno](https://www.instagram.com/bikesutras/?hl=en)

[Thérèse Sundström](https://www.instagram.com/3therese/?hl=en)

[Torsten Frank](https://www.instagram.com/torsten_frank/?hl=en) has also been rating meals today to given you an idea whats out there!

Lastly we HAVE had a couple of riders scratch so far. I do not speak good enough Spanish to understand Oscar Pujols however he does explain in his socials. Maybe he's cold as he is very small. Also the tracker is reporting Jonathan Gale and José Padilla dnf. This is a super low rate so far, fingers cross that Gorafe remains good riding for all the riders currently out there.

Morning all! Just Kitty here dropping in your early morning update. 

Last night we saw some moves and shakes in the top, Rob Britton overtook Enrique Morcillo in the Tabernas region after Enrique suffered with knee pain through the night. There was some leapfrogging back and forth but they’ve now opened a reasonable gap on Mike Mono after no one stopping all night. The front two reached CP3 just before 5am as Mike dropped a few spaces stopping in Venta del Pobre.

Cynthia Fraser is now in the lead of the women’s race after continuing through. She’s 12th overall, just behind Ulrich Bartholmes. She stopped in at Gor after a crash as third woman by making it past Cara Dixon and Lyne Bessette in the night with Lyne picking a nice bivvy spot in the woods for a sleep. This has allowed Jana Kessenheimer to swoop into 3rd.

Excitingly the pairs category is very competitive this year. Simon Hahnenbruch & Philippe Béchet are leading well but the top 3 are all around 30km of each other having not stopped overnight. 

![IMG 0788](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/37EyjDdTHzDBczlIl91Fbh/385f466da37667ab660e86c39ed450c8/IMG_0788.jpeg)

Our new [Fara](https://faracycling.com/bike-fara-gravel.php) friends are pushing on strong, with plenty of content on their [Instagram story](https://www.instagram.com/faracycling/) as they're out there live! Jeff Webb is well worth a follow, updating regularly he’s given quite a full rundown of his race! He’s provided some good videos of quite how rainy it is yet included some stunning views. Marie Rydne is doing well as well, in the top 1/3 of the race she's pressing on and provided the fantastic feature pic.

Ulrich hasn’t provided many of his classic to the camera videos, but he’s moving well despite his earlier technical issues. 

Keep an eye out as Liz provides more Badlands info throughout the day! 

Scratch Report:

168 Jaime Palou has scratched due to mechanical problems.

138 Nils Correvon has suffered badly with stomach problem and fever. He tried to push through but couldn’t recover overnight. 


Kitty’s Early Morning Update 

In addition to Kittys earlier update!

Predictable the front of the race has continued overnight and has not slowed down. Right now our race leader Rob Britton has covered 550km and looking like he will complete in another 9 hours. He currently has a 10km gap on the next ride Enrique Morcillo (who was overtaken as Tabernas who has a further 22km on Alex Martínez. And now since writing this we have just had breaking news that Morcillo has been forced to scratch. His knee problems have got worse and coupled with some saddle sores the call of Almeria has been too much and he has stopped there, he also epressed huge admiration for Robs ride and strength. Its still very close at the front and none of the riders will be able to rest considering this with other riders pressing from behind. Robin Gemperle has been making steady progress overnight and has overtaken Mike Mono to now be 3rd, only just behind Alex. We may well see 3rd place on the podium switch place. 6th Place Fara rider [Simen Nordahl](https://www.instagram.com/nordahlsvendsen/) got through the night in the company of Metalica and is looking for haribos as a main breakfast meal. [Morcillo](https://www.instagram.com/morcillo_e/?hl=en-gb) has also put up a morning update on his instagram covering how he felt and his decisions.

![Ramon](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/Ctx8GRC8KTjYLbFT4lo2T/ab8298b65b57f916bc5aca30c28a8aef/ramon_tabernas.jpg)

[Ramon](https://www.instagram.com/ramon_comulada/) shared his evening repas with some others at the head of the race showing that the front of the race may well be decided by the speed at which you can eat a dry bocadillo, not the pace that you can turn the pedals. Only Miko Mono is showing any real stopping time having 1 hour 33 at 2.30am, Ulrich who had bike problems at the start is also showing an hours stopping time at 4am.

The womens race has changed overnight. Lyne, riding so strongly all day with an empathic lead took nearly a 4 hour 40 min rest from 10pm dropping her out of the top 10 down to 61st overall and 6th placed Woman. This means Cynthia is now in the lead but Cara is hot on her heels, both with minimal stopping it will be interesting to see if they leapfrog at stops. The gap on the ground is around 10km so it could yet change and with the eta for both sometime early in the morning I doubt either will stop. Jana is now 3rd places and had a small stop at midnight for 2 and a half hours so may be able to carry on through. 4th Placed Caroline Livesay (a pro off road triathlete) has also had a small stop overnight and with a 10km gap between these two will also be spurring each other on. At least if they are looking at the tracker. They may all be riding in fear of a refreshed Lyne coming from behind, its going to be exiting to see if she can make any time up on the riders with fresh legs.
![Sonny](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/79G7BYD1et2WbuUmLXwaAb/7fc530cda233085998dc3de3886e46bd/bad_gorafe.jpg)
Fara cycling have got some great covereage in their stories of the conditions and riders coming though. Race sponsor fulcrum also have some great coverage. Its great to see a lot of riders considering some storytelling and social media as part of the race now, these riders have documented some of the bad weather of yesterday with the track conditions getting worse in Gorafe at the end of the day.
[Sonny Chamand](https://www.instagram.com/sonny_not_sorry/) is attempting to carry on despite not being able to charge his things due to wet waether and his tracker going wrong. As well as the whole town of Gor opening their doors to tired cyclists, the bar in Villanueva De Las Torres also put on a welcome spread
as documented by [David Molina](https://www.instagram.com/davidmolinagrande/) in his stories. 
![molino](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2YrJyveM9cjwRZUIJ259GY/772678fc93f7b79f1c4cfcda8c5e8f93/molino.jpg)

Other riders with some good recaps of yesterdays riding include [Sylwia Kuropatwa](https://www.instagram.com/sylwia.qropatwa/) , [Cycling Mary](https://www.instagram.com/cycling_mary/) , also being documented by Fara and [Chloe Geoghegan](https://www.instagram.com/chloegeoghegan/).


This morning we saw a few high profile riders scratch from the Race. We have already mentioned Enrique Morcillo, scratching due to his knee issues whilst in 2nd place.

Nils Correvon, another highly placed rider had been suffering from stomach problems and a fever on the first day. He tried to get a good rest overnight but couldn't carry on this morning. The pace is so high in these short races, if you want to race them there is no recovery time like you can sometimes get in longer events.

Sadly we also saw Lyne Bessette leave the race this morning. Like the current leader Rob, another rider with a professional stage racing background she lead the womens race for the first 14 hours. She was neck and neck with the top men (we love to see it) but had a wet, cold and just not particularly restful nights sleep in a forest and despite climbing back on the bike for a while she abandoned this morning because of the cold.

Ulrich has also pulled out this afternoon. He made it as far as the beach before deciding his head was not in it this time race. The mechnical troubles at the beginning of the race and again last night meant he couldn't race as he wanted to. When you have already podiumed, seen the course before and are in it for the win it can be tough to carry on.

Team Amani riders Ken and Geoff have not fared so well. Ken had broken his rear mech and after single speeding it to try and get help has had to pull out of the race. Geoff had a crash last night and is injured with sore ribs but is still riding incredibly and is in 39th currently. Fingers crossed that it's not serious and he can keep pedalling.

David Pons, Toni Calderón, Kike Molares, Tommy Jägmo, Jaime Palou, Andrew Michel have all had to make that tough decision today that carrying on is not possible for them and have all scratched. Considering the effect we thought the weather would have on the race the number of racers still out there is very high! 

The weather has now improved for the riders and some of them are now feeling the heat. Matt Ringrow has reported he was struggling but has just consumed a box (thats a whole 6) of Calippos so feels refreshed and ready to go. He's just leaving Tabernas so hopefully that's not all he's relying on to be him over La sierra de los Filabres! Maybe that's what Ulrich really needed?

![Rob](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6v7i5w1Z2bk785pvhNzQ2O/02465b2ab68051bbed005b4e54f1f84b/Badlands23_Day1-Nils_Laengner-4938.jpg)

Rob Britton at the front of the race is maintaining his lead but its a slim 12km. There is a "group" behind him of 5 riders, all capable of finishing fast so he can't let up. With a group like that all so close to each other and all still close to the win no one is going to want to stop now. We are expecting riders to come in this side of Midnight!

![Robin](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6HHZgBQtTjHkObjyMt4d83/4b41a0d8067ed8bcf167993a650dfb32/Badlands23_Day1-Nils_Laengner-0323.jpg)

The womens race is also on fire. Cara is so close to Cynthia and neither rider can let up in these closes stages of the race. Cara is 6km behind Cynthia but actually riding slightly faster (by 0.6 kmph), so their ETA is within 5 mins of one another with just over 100km to go! Cara has 'enjoyed' more stoppage time, compared to Cynthia's super efficient ride, having kept total stopped time to under an hour so far and maintaining a 98% moving average. 

![Cara](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/AeuH2SYVPohz8Rm798Nvm/8ac56307343daa34cb2470bb38d14ddb/Badlands23_Day1-Nils_Laengner-4608.jpg)

Jana Kesenheimer is a further 40km off and Caroline Livesay is just over 32 km behind her. Is Jana planning another overnight rest, Caroline also had a short rest on night one but she may be motivated to push on. They may be completely ignoring the tracking riding their own rides. Neither are putting any information out there so we will have to see how that plays out. Given Cara and Cynthia have been riding in sight of each other at times they are aware of each others presence and so this is going to come right down to the wire.

![Cynthia](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2Mrg6n7MT6IpC6FBlNMAvR/2d04c50231be85e6560b16d0e000431c/Badlands23_Day2-Nils_Laengner-5462.jpg)

So far I have been remiss and neglected to mention the pairs race. This category has been no less hard fought at the front end with 3 pairs fighting tooth and nail till earlier today when the gaps started to appear. Simon Hahnenbruch & Philippe Béchet, David Coma & Dani Talavera and Sam William Andrews & Jesse Yates where all in the lead pack early doors racing hard an Eduardo Talavera & Jorge Losada chasing in 4th. Simon and his partner lead through checkpoints 1 to 3 but this afternoon Sam and Jesse made the catch and passed them heading up the rocky climb from Almeria first. David and Dani whilst coming through 3rd through the checkpoints have been in Almeria a while now and 4th place chasers Eduardo and Jorge have now passed them and now have a 13km gap. 5th place David Rovira & Jordi Bernatallada have been riding steadily and there are in the same area so we could see a scrap for the podium here too. The gaps a little bigger than the front 6 riders but they could all come together again now its getting dark. Eduardo and Jorge are the only riders in this front bunch that have had a much downtime with a few hours rest early this morning. 

![gor the party town](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/73JZSThhwGvMUzLcqaFC6l/8a1d432e8149606c43a35f2229549ba9/sonny.jpg)

For riders further back in the field its still a party in Gor. [Yuliana Casas](https://www.instagram.com/yulscc/) #181 and [Sonny Chamand](https://www.instagram.com/sonny_not_sorry/) #180 (recovered from his electronics problems) looks like they have been dining with locals. This town now beats any club in Malaga for vibes.

He's done it! Rob Britton Has made it to the end of the track in Capileira in a crazy time of __38 hrs 20 mins.__ His pro stage-race pedigree quickly saw him take change at the head of the race and barely leave the 1st place position. Despite being his longest single stage to date his results this year in the American gravel and MTB races have been outstanding and good practice for riding this kind of event. With many of this year's field having Traka 360 and other similar distance races under their belt these do seem to be providing a springboard into the sprint distance ultra. I'm sure the feeling of this being over beats any Tour of the Gila GC Win!

![Badlands23 Day2-Nils Laengner-5762](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6n546tEIKUQ1rk9r1RSKCl/026b7d5f671e563f68779f91fbb13bee/Badlands23_Day2-Nils_Laengner-5762.jpg)

*Above image and header image: Nils Laengner*

![Rib Vid](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1qpxXP1r3bdLWY5UNprtTK/916aec8349194c33c5529e1a8afc3212/rob_win.mp4)

The finishers banner in Capileira is another testament to how the local area is supporting the race. The town council has put up this banner to guide riders in with no prompting from the race organisation. It's heartwarming to see the riders being welcomed as (slightly mad) heroes wherever they go with the race gathering more local following year on year.

![finish](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3yoed6Zz4YUnKLptT0MmnU/03154f67be92b60d09dc3be45e4f443f/finish.jpg)


The podium is complete!

Behind Rob, Robin Gemperle took second step on the podium to cement a tremendous and busy year of racing for Robin. His early season win at the Atlas Mountain Race was backed up with his second win of the season at the HOPE 1000 and a second place finish on GC at the Transcontinental Race. He’s claimed that he was riding so hard, his phone stayed in his backpacks so we’re hoping to learn of all the good stories over the coming days. Congratulations Robin for a stellar ride!

Mike Mono completed the podium and bettered last year’s result from 10th position, we love to see it! He shared that on the first night of the race he was struck by stomach issues which caused him to vomit and forced him to take an hour’s race. He was able to overcome this early setback to finish 40 minutes ahead of fourth place, Simen Nordahl Svendsen. Simen was 3rd coming through Trevelez but was struggling with mechanical issues and his bike was locked in one of the easiest gears. He lost a lot of ground to Mike on the approach to Trevelez and was overtaken by Mike after the climb out of the town. Both riders had problems but overcame them and show that you don't have to have a perfect ride to finish high up the rankings, having the mental flexibility to overcome them is key. Mike has clearly been moved by his time at Badlands and claims that “you always grow when riding Badlands”, also learnt on this edition that if you keep going, you might surprise yourself. Chapeau Mike!

The Podium is Complete

Liz Hughes

Fara Cycling

Badlands is a true test of gravel skill. At 750km, this race is a difficult balance between non-stop riding or adventuring through the Spanish wilderness. With difficult terrain, sharp climbs and deserts to cross it'll be exciting from start to finish. 

Badlands 2023 tracking and commentary

Badlands is a true test of gravel skill. At 750km, this race is a difficult balance between non-stop riding or adventuring through the Spanish wilderness. With difficult terrain, sharp climbs and deserts to cross it'll be exciting from start to finish.

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