50h in the race, who is knocking on the meta door

36 Hours Into The Race

Day 0 Recap: Social Ride - Accreditation - and finally The Basajaun Challenge Begins!

Anatole Naimi

Prieur Maxime

Michael Mayer

Sofiane Sehili

Andoni Guridi Santos

Joaquin Calderon

Xavi Calvo

Amrei Kuhne

Domas Dranginis

Julien Morret

Luca Maria Caparco

Tom West

Oscar Brun Urzaiz

Nils Opgenorth

Simon Matthys

Andre Siefert

Mikel Biain

Unai Mateos

Diego Martinez Penades

Darío Ayllón

Pablo Gonzalo Dueñas

Iker Agirrebalzategi

José Vicente Antelo Román

Diego Garcia Mellen

Iñaki Nieto Zahino

Toni Gaitan Sanchez

Gontzal Ayerdi Arza

Miguel Losada

Jose Antonio Arenzana Padilla

Juanma Echevarria Barandica

Josep Serra Mateu

William Hatilip

Alexander Holhut

Xavi Martil Cotano

Franco Ashenhurst

Louis Duclaux

Francesco Garrassino

Damian Huba

Sam Vaes

Daguerre Ximun

Stefaan De Croock

Juan Francisco Garamendi

Tommy Catteeuw

Frederik Derycke

Ander Aguiriano

Gonzalo Alzueta

Peter Clifton

Jordan Mcloughlin

Ollie Haworth

Eva De Vos

Florent Bischoff

Aline Barre

Till Schneider

Daniel Rey Del Hoyo

Nicolas Boyer

Gorka Zabala

Mikel Sudupe

Kaiet Lopez De Etxezarreta

Piotr Skweres

Alberto Santamaria Crespo

Eduardo Martin

Filip Hoste

Ricardo Cuende Isuskiza

Ricardo Flores

David Montero De La Torre

Jesse Zarate

Jorge Agustin García

Kike Azpilicueta

Carlos Amaro

Luis Chiang

Carlos Boví Felipe

Carlos Todo Navarro

Fabio Doerries

Andrew Hatton

Diego Torres Navarro

Emiliu Soler

Johannes Reiker

Bart Lauwers

Tijn Van Eil

Niels Van Der Aa

Andoni Oyarbide

Anna Lindell

Soenke Hoffmann

Philip Drechsel

Sophie De Boer

Rutger Gilles

Antonio Quero España

Andrius Zukas

Lars Gebbeken

Matthias Friedel

Mari Carmen Arjo

Jürgen Brömmer

Marcos Ferreiro

Pau Lopez Mesquida

Sergi Pujabet Solanich

Patricia Rueda Garcia

Xabier Gainza

Claudio Vannini

Manuel Perez

Daniel Gosling

Oriol Chias & Santi Armero Sanchez

Andraz Hostnik & Ziga Marolt

Jose Luis Ramirez Montesdeoca & Samuel Rodriguez Lujan

Victor Martinez Hernandez OUT GC

Riccardo Argenta & Alassan Farah

Clement Duraffourg & Simon Duraffourg

Alexandre Jardon & Leopold Van Den Abeele

Xabier Canton Castaño & Asier Montoya Larrea

Gregor Mahringer & Erik Kiessling

Jaime Campoamor & Joan Bosch

Jeremy Fouilloux & Sebastien Labarre

Tobias Maute & Niko Dangel

David Mateo Prado & Luis Óscar Rodríguez Bartolomé

Alvaro De Las Heras Pardo & Filipe Ribeir0 Da Cunha

 Urko Olaiz OUT GC

Simon Bungart & Ingo Bungart

Pedro Fernandez-Setien & Sergio Recoder Ferrer

Mike Baldwin & Kurt Achtenhagen

Raul Lopez Grañeda & Nacho Linares Sierra

Valeriano Martinez Gonzalez & Jorge Baranda Ferrera

Wiemer Viet OUT GC

Fabian Marino & Sergej Bosnak

Bikentzi Intxausti & Alfredo Etxeberria Murua

Andoni Etxeberria & Iker Etxeberria

Jaime Agudo & Borja Rivera Mendizabal

Stefan Schneider & Ben Rothermund

Matthias Ernst-Reus & Julian Ferencak

Ian Phipps & Ryan Holleywood

Pascal Sautter & Miriam Sautter

Erika Alvarado & Yasna Hidalgo Samaniego

Benjamin Joseph Lenihan & Jonathan Gregory

Mijoler Lluis & Juandi Zapata

Marcus Littlejohn

Crew 3

Crew 2

Crew 1

Anatoli has already arrived at the finish line, which makes the first to arrive just over 40km behind Pierre is moving, while Erik has some flat tires drama. and he is over 100km behind. 

The first pair Oriol and santi still leading, from the start of the race.
![Screenshot 2024-08-01 at 10.43.39](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5WYBNViFnq5PUVH4bWhd9H/7b008ef7939aee79a8f1521da1480d1b/Screenshot_2024-08-01_at_10.43.39.png)

Leading female still on he lead, and 6th overall.

![Screenshot 2024-08-01 at 10.43.49](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3mbfjz6PvTK2b6rIGDKyUj/6e8bd2778fca19c498143cb2e6319259/Screenshot_2024-08-01_at_10.43.49.png)

## When to stop, when to quit?

Sofiane was Contemplating in his hotel room to weather contine or just call it a race, looks like the heat and the have taken their toll on him, but just after midnight, he is fully recharged to be back at it, we think giving up the race was not that he would wanted to do, 
was wise to take a break when the body is asked for, no matter how hard that would hit later, it is for sure less hard than ignoring the signs,
racing mode has switched to ¨chill mode¨ so sit back, relax and enjoy the race. 

![Screenshot 2024-08-01 at 10.44.06](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/57YXGsOqqtX4gCVdpt84D2/f0ccc472c94f3705d9e8e2bf6465bd07/Screenshot_2024-08-01_at_10.44.06.png)

## Bardenas; Basajaun Hell gate 
![Screenshot 2024-08-01 at 10.44.16](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6ETGB5nmwaU4JcBpkNoxKn/6f3c17adcac877d3d7c640be997db7d1/Screenshot_2024-08-01_at_10.44.16.png)

moving back 300+ km we can find the mid group about 71 riders just passed the hazardous desert riding through the night.

Bardenas desert in BJ 2024 edition, have been the hell gate, at least for the first 2 days. 

and the majority of the rider between green and yellow, irati and bardenas. 

![Screenshot 2024-08-01 at 10.48.22](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4siimSIkkyZHgwErqryOW5/36b93ffd4617c773de0cd047d9e4c016/Screenshot_2024-08-01_at_10.48.22.png)

## Reversed sleeping is a good plan
we caught riders during the day in the swimming pool, napping hard, but rehydrating harder, 
so they can continue during the night with max temperature of 22.
Heat will not be all in the magician hat for the riders, as there is an alert from thunderstorms.

![Screenshot 2024-08-01 at 10.49.44](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/56n0s2dEGLa5gfIuIcGCNK/9a9bd8b33cc3144e7e9171889090d12f/Screenshot_2024-08-01_at_10.49.44.png)

![Screenshot 2024-08-01 at 10.49.53](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3VCSYxmaRPRQYQwKTZBn25/d4d0c7e727caef2dcdd62096ed600727/Screenshot_2024-08-01_at_10.49.53.png)

![Screenshot 2024-08-01 at 10.50.01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7ybMaP2J24LTyERlhJUbHC/0f963751aeb0bde886eb33577c2d9e55/Screenshot_2024-08-01_at_10.50.01.png)


Photos by (Carlos Mazon) + (Jakub Kopecký)

It’s been an intense 36 hours into the race, with frequent changes in the leader position among The Expro, Carlos Cobos, Anatoli, and Maxime. After covering 513 km through heat and dust, Carlos led for a significant stretch but eventually had to scratch due to a challenging weather.

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.12.34](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4wCpBLVNQno8F0JEbxpk2j/205c0ff9310b7003708af7b737a4a37a/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.12.34.png)
![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.12.55](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5n2jBowCw1VmkfNvHHa6XI/f56b55fb7605a90f908575a13ecedca6/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.12.55.png)

All riders have passed through CP1 and are now almost past CP2, situated in the dense jungle of Irati. As they pushed forward, the leaders reached CP3, with eight riders moving into the scorching desert of Bardenas. Unfortunately, two riders had to be rescued, and a third was forced to abandon due to heat stroke. #131 Mikel Roldan Ugarte scratched from the 7th position, and #143 Peru, who was among the top ten and the winner of the 24-hour challenge last May, also scratched, unmerciful heat wave.

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.13.03](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/bvWEgNo1scCFh4GCZCpqk/e2df82b268098cab96994eaa01a703b3/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.13.03.png)

So far, 27 riders have had to drop out of the race, mainly due to the oppressive heat wave. Some participants opted to take a break at a pool and resume their journey at night when temperatures are more bearable. Soufian, dealing with technical issues and extreme heat, has treated himself for a worthy nap in a hotel.

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.13.13](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/603gt2rMddOi9sDLrFThFw/56060a0607843fa68edd1e875585109c/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.13.13.png)
![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.13.21](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1RXalKYT2exNRrFNLKDtsX/6e5861934a8e20b09584128e9d792c45/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.13.21.png)

On the female side, Ameri is still leading, we caught her this early morning at 1 am, with a contagious smile. little behind #29 Carole Pique  will #139  Ollie Haworth closes the gap soon?

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.13.29](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7eRWKfydySRI5sgS8orquO/ecab2ca58d104a509992d8f92382be43/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.13.29.png)
![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.13.36](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5cpRUDbNdLaJQ8YwbGBYjY/12a9d60964fe595144f583f7000bf0b8/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.13.36.png)
![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.13.43](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/ETXnWE2B1CXWazc2dtvC5/b9d8b89b47a815ae282883be860d4a8c/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.13.43.png)
![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.13.52](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1SomKr7MnHPOlbKmTrk7qH/10c08fd5a85725bd9000525fa5ec9dd5/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.13.52.png)
![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.14.01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/75axmCWqobpZ4oBCxC6IVA/68be6b4be06582deaa1b27d73ea48bbf/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.14.01.png)

Anatoli #10 has moved from 4th position to the lead, closely followed by Prieur Maxime.
with short to no proper sleep for both riders, Distance To Go: 196.22 KM for Anatoli will his energy keep him up and kicking till the finish line?
Some modifications had to be made due to safety concerns and temperatures exceeding 44 degrees, a detour was created between km 420 and 440,

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.14.11](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1brmCPWGiMjTqF2Nwj284u/72f31a823064332f9c2fa02f2c529cf6/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.14.11.png)

Despite the challenges, some riders managed to smile along the way, maintaining their spirits high.

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.14.22](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2uGxQNdgNK5WuQrOHQxaiM/8008ee9dac58d579d8aca73417fb03e4/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.14.22.png)
![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.14.32](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2bwTU2cywm75WViLKqYpJl/79d8bd47db870f08de31ddaa90ee36cd/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.14.32.png)
![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.14.44](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6gjRh3lygur1g5kjouDGLu/498d73c0d22add9ba47a0d4fbaa6ddaf/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.14.44.png)
![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.14.53](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2XTa5DfW6JUXxDIxiw0xW3/9cd41e3b1a0417a39f756e6e5642187b/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.14.53.png)
![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.15.01](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5lAzgYNmcD0wN2YcKIyE6z/3fccd73feb022b1b275f070713592fb8/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.15.01.png)
![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 21.15.08](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/75fzbkaoERtH21BnKtV42E/25e3957e44b967b9977a18ee2ca9db83/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_21.15.08.png)

The race continues to test the endurance and resilience of all participants, Bardenas is cooling down, and waiting, Lets see how the night holds up! 


The Hype was real as Basajaun Challenge kicked off its epic 800km journey of gravel, dust, and fun at 08:00 sharp. The event commenced with the enchanting sounds of Txalaparta, a traditional northern music that set a vibrant cultural tone for the race.

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 10.09.15](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1ZrqhgzWvaoOCprFSQsGZt/602d2d82e8aabb909661c0bab682e56c/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_10.09.15.png)

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 10.09.26](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3VmdcZx8NaZ7l7VQuLCJMm/95b0d47ed80a43b0b3159064baabc422/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_10.09.26.png)

Beside the Txalaparta we introduced a unique touch to the riders' experience by including environmental trivia in the riders' book. Participants will learn about the various tree species they’ll encounter along the route,
providing them with a little piece of nature and culture to take home.

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 10.09.40](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2bzgzcEep4moWUnoapUP9I/073da67c0b7a9c0495001ae728a79832/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_10.09.40.png)

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 10.09.49](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/64sgUB3DqTBtR1Ck9uno6N/353d633d3b7bd6781bf6ca2eb5116af6/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_10.09.49.png)

A total of 240 riders lined up at the start, ready to tackle the challenge ahead. Among them was Sofiane Sehili, who, despite having just won a race two weeks prior, decided to jump back into the fray. He humorously admitted that it might not be the smartest decision, but he’s always up for a challenge! We were also thrilled to welcome 15 incredible female riders, including Sophie De Boer, who made a remarkable return to racing just four months after giving birth.

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 10.09.57](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5e1LDQpG4SkuSErOs1Hjju/d4f315d36032d52b3d3095966132564e/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_10.09.57.png)

As the riders gathered for accreditation on Saturday, we were treated to a fascinating array of bicycles—everything from rugged gravel bikes to unique, custom-built "Frankenstein" creations. Each rider received a goodie bag filled with thoughtful and handy goodies.
Jumping to the briefing, we emphasized the importance of safety, highlighting potential hazards, hiking points, and bike maintenance tips. With a heatwave looming, we reminded everyone to stay hydrated and take longer rest breaks to avoid the sweltering conditions of Bardenas.

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 10.10.05](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3nEyq0kdclQm7VnyOh3VzE/3d88602e6c0bf5a79ca2d07546955f3b/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_10.10.05.png)

![Screenshot 2024-07-29 at 10.10.19](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/16Wx8w5ZX238FmNhcoV8x9/33d41f7910ed9589a23d2b1e00ae29b3/Screenshot_2024-07-29_at_10.10.19.png)

As the race begins, we’re eager to see how each rider strategizes their approach to this grueling challenge. The adventure has just begun, and we can’t wait to share more updates as the Basajaun Challenge unfolds!

To Be Continued, 


Basajaun 2024 Race Tracking + Commentary:  From the organisers of TransIbérica, riders through some of the Basque Country's undiscovered paths and its vastly diverse surrounds. With the greenery and lush landscapes, this will be a majestic race.

Basajaun 2024 Race Tracking

Basajaun passes through some of the Basque Country's undiscovered paths and its vastly diverse surrounds. With the greenery and lush landscapes of Urbasa and the Irati Forest before the starkly contrasting arid lands of the Bardenas Reales semi-desert and Sierra de la Demands.

Basajaun 2024

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