Day 6 - A beautiful finish on a beautiful island

Day 5 -  290 happy legs are now resting at the end

Day 4 - Celebrations abound

Day 3 - Solo Podium is ‘completto’

Day 3 morning - the end is in sight

 Day 2 evening - Focus, focus, focus

Day 2 - Things look different in the morning light

Day 1 - evening report

Biking Man Corsica 2024 - a treat for the eyes, but a pain cave for the legs

Starting at the end, __Caroline Lapique__ was the final rider to claim her finisher medal today after a very fulfilling 111hours and 3minutes. I am curious to see what else she had to say to the organiser, now she has made it back in time for the finisher meal.

![Caroline Lapique](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4h5LIwX9FdeGYg0GKtIwQZ/c34400782b827e83a84456f61121d6b9/445756162_18326530318133614_7720793864994860704_n.jpg)

Before her was the last pair to register a finish in GC, __Robin GAHERY (279) & Adrien GALIZIA (280)__ just 33minutes earlier after 110hours and 30minutes of racing.

![Final pair biking man corsica 2024](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4LxzLw6fmt4g2FnO4CaUHe/7e7aeffcff03757c8cff5149b91d3980/447061778_18326530351133614_8106627156400154360_n.jpg)

Jumping in the time machine to head back to just after we published last night, it was a Pairs’ Happy hour at the finisher enclosure, with  __Nicolas DE TOFFOLI (275) & Alexandre FLORY (276)__ arriving only 1 minute before __Aurélie LE MORVAN (254) & Anthony CARON (253)__ claiming 106hours and 5minutes on the finisher clock.

The next big cluster included 5 riders in the solo men’s field (all from France) arriving between 106hour 14minutes lead by __Michel SALETZKI__ through to __Julien DAVIDOU__ 3 minutes later.

Shout out to __Joanie Lamire__ who made it home with a time of 107hours and 47minutes as the next women’s rider since publishing last night.

And the resilience award goes to __Jean-Michel MEDORI__ who arrived at 109hours and 45minutes, just over an hour within the cut-off time, after having dropped 13 places in GC since CP3. The final kilometers must have been hell, but he stuck at it and made it home in time - definitely a fighter!

### Scratch Report
It is always very pleasing to only have to add 1 additional name to the scratch list on a final day’s report:

__Mathieu MINARD__

This brings the final __#scratchcoun__t to 25

175 of the 200 riders who started the race made it to the finish line which is a very impressive finish rate and higher than we normally see. Congratulations to everyone involved in the organisation, the riders who made it to the start, and to their loved ones for putting up with them while they chose to do this crazy thing called a bikepacking race!

If you are curious about the uniqueness of Corsica and looking for a book to take with you on your travels this summer, check out Peaks and Bandits by Alf Bonnevie Bryn. 
And if I haven’t fully convinced you that Corsica should be your next biking destination, listen to what Sofiane and Fanny have to say:

[Fanny and Sofiane in Corsica](https://youtu.be/HUhqx2ju8So "Fanny and Sofiane in Corsica")

Avvedeci from BikingMan Corsica 2024.

(all images from BikingMan Instagram)


Let’s start with the Women’s field:
As we left the report yesterday, __Fiona Sharp__ had claimed 1st place in the women’s field very convincingly. 20 hours later, the 2nd place woman rolled under the finisher archway, and it is another Brit, __Hazel Friend__! Having put in a very strong effort after CP3, she climbed her way up 16 (SIXTEEN!!!) places in the GC and finished after 90hours and 36minutes. A big congratulations to Hazel!

The remaining podium vacancy was taken by __Amelie Plennevaux__ 5 hours later who worked hard to pass the rest of the field, and dig deep to stay in front to the __Genevieve Healey__. The race between the two continued until the end as Genevieve came to halt only 2 hours after Amelie following a really strong ride since the beginning of the race.

![Genevieve Healey](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5VsvJ4SazOhMvP94KlP7Ha/df6b1e4523f38c7fc6b8cb6eb0365acd/446916345_18326444152133614_2078118832433144113_n.jpg)

But that’s not all - Amelie has been having piston issues in her rear brake since yesterday and not able to find a shop with a fix within the last 150km (Corsica is as beautiful as it is remote). Thankfully she seems to have arrived safely at the finish line despite the mechanical.

__Aurelie Desdier__ rocked up next after a very close 101 hours of total riding, meaning all these women finished within 11 hours of each other - incredible effort from the group and many celebrations from us to them!

__Joanie Lemire__ and __Caroline Lapique__ are still plugging away at the crank rotations, and have 40km and 70km to go respectively. A finish today is still possible for Joanie who is now into the chestnut forests, and if Caroline has gotten her hands on some of the ‘creme de marrons’ in tube form, she may have an energy boost to get her to the finish line around midnight. 

An interview with Caroline on the Biking Man youtube shows she is having a great time, enjoying the 2am wake-up and night riding, with enough energy left to scold the organizers for obligatory kit that she isn’t using. We love a bit of sass :)

Fingers crossed for them both to have a safe and successful last push.

![Corsica road side lunch](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7xoTVP447MTSUoaDgvHx0o/b769737b884fe246f98c0db01893a435/446788853_18326444173133614_7019708164250715359_n.jpg)

105hours after this craziness started, 145 riders made it to the finish. 

__Cedric BLAIN__ who arrived at his finish after 82hours and 37minutes tapped into the philosophical for the last stretch up the Col de verde. With the physical pain increasing as the kilometres roll under the rubber, at the top of the col he found the positive in the journey, remarking that this is really just a deep discovery into your self. We hope he enjoyed what he found, and it was definitely good enough to celebrate a great finish.

__Simeon Garcia__ chose the opposite outlook, recognizing that this stuff is just a bit silly, and was happy the climb was done. Time to get back on it, and do it with a smile. His philosophy transported him back to the the end after a total of 87hours and 51 minutes.

Goes to show, whatever your reason to ride a bike, its a good one.

### Scratch report
A few more fearless riders have called it quits since publishing with neck and knee pains showing up as causes, as well as couple of crashes (no further details on severity).

We hope the following riders are enjoying a ice-cold Pietra despite their respective race-ending incidents:

- Pairs riders Annabelle PAGANO-PAOLI (252) & Jean-Luc CASINI (251)
- Nicolas HENARD
- Stephane CHABANNE
- Vincent PERRIN
- Joan-Carles LEON

__#Scratchcount__ is now 24 as of close of play tonight. A little over 10% of participants is a relatively low scratch rate, and something the organisers and riders can be proud of.

Tomorrow is the last day, and only 14 hours remain before the end of GC. 

Cap 165 - Valentin LANÇON is proudly carrying the lanterne rouge at 813km into the route. 
We'll be back tomorrow for a last check in to see how the final fighters make their way to the end, and for us to say good bye to the beautiful landscapes of a very unique island.

![Rider bikingman corsica](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/40pQappZNPo7YXjHsDdPPg/c56662f80000c842b8d6d9fbad1e58b9/447028090_18326444149133614_7978873060399462227_n.jpg)


It has been a busy ol’ 24 hours at the finishing hut, since we last published. With 57 riders now officially the other side of the end of a magnificent race, the trail angels have been busy at the finishline.

Amongst the finishers are the first pair __Anthony DURIANI__ and __Nicolas FILIPPI__ with a finishing time of 54hours and 20minutes. In my unofficial capacity as nominal prize awarding, I also give them the prize for best-dressed. 

Looking immaculate as they rolled into the finish arena, I have a sneaking feeling a costume change may have happened before the Biking Man cameras captured their arrival. If so, I tip my hat to their dedication to sartorial elegance at the expense of a few minutes on the clock:

![1st pair biking man corsica 2024](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5dRZQLNCnHKB5sWQ6hyzya/f28c414157ffa61e012be6b650401e32/Capture_d__cran_2024-05-29_181546.png)
(screengrab from Biking Man Youtube)

With too many finishers to list here, I invite you to pop over to the [website](https://bikingman.com/race-times/?racekey=corsica2024 "Biking Man website") to see the full list, and just how close the riders were in the their final pedal strokes. For the top 10 here is the final list (although the first pairs is mislabeled…)

![top 10 bikingman corsica](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3bWMwrp8Oj16HRq4jhi52l/b26816cf98312ab9887b54e7ff2242ea/Capture_d__cran_2024-05-29_181731.png)
(screengrab from BikingMan site)

In other celebratory news, 1 hour ago the first Women’s finisher has unclipped for the last time: Congratulations __Fiona Sharp__! A very very consistent ride, and clearly claiming the 1st place position from the get-go, she still had plenty of gas in the tank for the last leg and actually climbed 10 places from CP3 to the finish!

In the meantime __Genevieve Healey__ has snatched back the 2nd place and is about to start the final slog through the Chestnut forests. With 140km still to go a finish today is possible - and the lure of a massage at the finishline may be the extra motivation she needs.

The battle for 3rd place is where it is at, though. Cap 209 - __Amélie PLENNEVAUX__ has rolled her way into the last podium spot, by only 5km ahead of __Hazel Friend__! (She was also only 3 hours behind Florent PLENNEVAUX at CP3 who is a fellow belgian so I assume must be a relation). 

Hazel has stuck to the front of the pack, and is putting a bit of distance (approx 50km) between her and __Aurelie Disdier__. The night’s pedalling will be definitive in the final placement of the Women’s field,  which we will probably only see by dawn tomorrow.

### Scratch report
The scratch rate has gone exponential as of Day 4. Nobody comes to one of these events with a goal to scratch, so no matter how evident or not it might be, the decisions are not taken lightly. Equally, making it this far through an event is an accomplishment in itself, as is just getting to the startline.

With that being said, take a moment to be grateful that when you sit down there is no pain, as I am sure saddle sores will be rampant amongst this new group of scratchers:

- 134 - Franck FAUCHEUX
- 193 - Laurent MOREAU
- 085 - Romain BENET
- 125 - Elodie DEROOSE
- 189 - Stéphane MILLIANCOURT
- 255&256 - Aurélien BOUSQUET (255) & Yann MADELAINE (256)

This takes out __#scratchcount__ total to 18.

Tomorrow is the last day full day for the remaining riders to travel along the final big bumps and sinuous roads. We are sending many energy filled and lactic-acid releasing thoughts to the hardy riders still out there.

While we wait for tomorrow's results, here is a picture of some goats in a beautiful place. You're welcome :)

![Goats Bikibg Man Corsica](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7eOiBBnekcmt9w7ZZnK747/07040ab314d0fe38b68fb7a416728423/446951707_18326254393133614_7030667558478481817_n.jpg)

(all images from Biking Man Instagram)


11.45am CET - the time the tracker signal registered __Remi Borrion__ as arriving at the finish line and taking first placed finisher for Biking Man Corsica 2024 - __a huge congratulations to Remi for a consistent and powerful effort around this hard but beautiful course!__

Finishing within 2 days of starting, his final time on the clock is 47hours and 45 minutes having travelled 1000km and over 19,500m climbing in this time. As one of the top 5 arrivals at CP1, he was always a contender but really came into his own after CP2, where his riding and persistence made strong strides to push him up the pack, stay at the front and pull away to take a conclusive win at the end.

Spotlight on the grit of __Jonathan Chassain__ who has claimed 2nd finisher with a time of 49hours and 07minutes, and also takes the (non-existent) prize for greatest improvement in the lead pack. The stage from CP2 to CP3 he took for his own, making the most progress and jumping up 7 places to occupy 2nd place and not release it until the end. Congrats Jonathan - enjoy the end of race massage!

And taking up the last step on the podium is __Gregory Cassini__ with 50hours 7minutes. Gregory had a great start to the race, arriving at CP1 as the first rider, but stumbled a little in the middle section sliding down the rankings by 6 places at CP2. A fighter to the core, he clawed his way back up bit-by-bit as he approached CP3 in 4th place. With the sight of a podium place in his vision, the last leg was his for the taking which he did with gusto. Congrats on a great performance and an exciting ride to watch!

The remaining podium is still working hard, and the provisional rankings have shifted since publishing this morning. 

What hasn’t changed is pair __Anthony DURIANI (132) & Nicolas FILIPPI (136)__ still taking up space in the top 10 riders. 

The Women’s field is also seeing a little shake up as __Fiona Sharp__ starts the final climb towards CP3 for a potential stamp this afternoon, followed by __Hazel Friend__. She has pipped into 2nd place passing __Genevieve Healey__ only a few minutes ago. This did happen close to civilization, so a potential refuel stop by Genevieve maybe replicated by the Hazel later this afternoon, and the podium spots reversed. To be continued...

This afternoon we can all raise a glass in shared celebration with the 3 finishing athletes in their success, but the race continues strongly over the cols of Corsica for us to see who will claim the podium for the pair’s and women’s races.

Tomorrow morning will be the next report - and we expect to see the unexpected.

(image from Biking Man)


As envisioned, the night was long and break-free for the head of the pack. What we didn't see coming was how close leader __Remi Borrion__ would be to the finish as we get ready for work!

Riding along the east coast at 910km into the route, he only has one small bump left to overcome and approx. 70km to be able to claim first finisher. It is not impossible that he could make it to the finish line in less than 48hours since leaving the same spot less than 2 days ago. 

Cap 107 - __Jonathan CHASSAIN__ has been pedalling through the night to reach second this morning, but not by a long distance. Cap 102 - __Grégory CASSINI__ is a meagre 8km behind him as I write. These two are committed to the race, and watching their dots to see how it falls out over the last few kilometres is going to be exhilarating!

Cap 187 - Alexandre MEURILLON only dropped one place during the night and is currently in 4th position, with cap 158 - __Mickael JUIGNET__ having ascending the rankings during the night to make it to 5th place - a whisker behind Alexandre. Holding onto 6th place is cap 131 - Thomas DUPIN on the move behind the leading 5 towards a celebratory finish.

The 3rd morning on the route looks to require an extra boost of caffeine for the remaining front pack with a  cluster of 4 leaders currently stopped at CP3. 

![biking man corsica 2024 pairs](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3M69SuptUq3miKbyQJTSaB/7babff9682c842fff3e45dae89a625f9/446872437_18326118001133614_2100267249974380273_n.jpg)

The pair’s race has been solid through the night and __Anthony DURIANI__ (132) & __Nicolas FILIPPI__ (136) are still in 1st pace - and still keeping up with the solo riders currently tucked in behind the 6th place solo rider.

__Romain DE CASTRO VIEIRA__ (283) & __Adrien FOIX__ (284) have held onto the second place and are just about to join the other solo riders in Zivaco at CP3.

A new duo has popped up into 3rd place - 257&258 - __Benoit COUDERC__(257) & __Julien VAISSIERE__ (258). They are making their way back from the easterly loop and crossing riders in the section where outbound and return riders cross between sections 585km-605km and 715km-735km of the route.

This is currently a busy section of the route and I am sure the sight of other tired but happy faces is giving the riders a bit of a boost to keep the pedals revolving as they start the 3rd day.

![biking man corsica 2024 checkin ](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5ft5GxJIoR8WQDEnV2qXAi/90a13f3833b2ae93d0e2b32d4820c9f5/445588463_18326118028133614_3126438557538314461_n.jpg)

In the women’s race __Fiona Sharp__ has kept up the strong lead and pedalled through some of the night. Still over 150km away from the friendly faces of CP3 we can expect her to arrive later today.

She has put a significant lead between her and __Genevieve Healey__ who is currently stopped in Ocana along with the 3rd placed woman __Hazel Friend__ who has kept her podium spot during the night.

4th and 5th place has also stayed the same throughout the night with 209 - __Amélie PLENNEVAUX__ just ahead of 129 - __Aurelie DISDIER__ - but both are moving at good speeds and a new day can bring many changes.

### Scratch report
Three more brave cyclists pulled the plug during the night: 

- 153 - __Nicolas HENARD__
- 226 - __Florent SENIA__
- 205 - __Patrick PHILIPPE__

Congratulations to last night’s scratchers on a tremendous effort and knowing when its time to say stop.

__#Scratchcount__ is now in double figures at 11.

Day three is always touted as the mentally hardest. This morning’s dot design is definitely showing the effects of the physical exertion with clusters of dots stopped in villages for longer. Saddles sores, creaking bottom brackets, haribo mouth and all manner of niggles will now be showing their head. The leading pack may be tearing towards a finish line, but the troopers further back are about to start to dig deep and really show us what endurance in this sport means.

Back tonight with a potential podium announcement for the solo field - and maybe the pairs.

*(all images from Biking Man)*

Today is all about one thing, and one thing only for the pointy-end: reaching CP3 - Zivaco at 767km along the route. Since publishing this morning the leading pack of solo riders has been relentless in moving towards this target. 

The leader __Remi Borrion__ has reached 683km after 45hours of cycling. Between his current position and CP3 stand 2 highpoints passing over 1100m and 80+km in distance. Understandably his average speed has slowed since this morning, and these next challenges mean an arrival during the early hours of tomorrow is most likely.

Despite what lies ahead, the day has been successful for him putting a lead of 35km between himself and __Alex Meurillon__, who is currently in 2nd place. The Solo leader board has seen a lot of change today between the check-in at CP2 and the current dot formation.

Here is a crude excel table that shows how things have shifted since writing this morning:

![leaderboard change](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7fnDzsi8wHaxJ7kF6ULHIP/f9d8e6d26345c22789f3e3ccbc92b9c9/Capture_d__cran_2024-05-27_201818.png)

__Thomas Verin__ has seen the worst result throughout the day, slipping 7 places down, while __Jonathan Chassain__ takes the ‘most improved’ award jumping up four places to a potential podium spot. 

With the distance and (more importantly) the high passes as night time temps drop still to be surpassed, this ranking is very susceptible to change. It will be another night of suspense as we wait to see who does what to make it to a warm cup of coffee at CP3 as soon as possible. 

### Pair’s race
Keeping things tight the leading pair,  __Anthony DURIANI__ (132) & __Nicolas FILIPPI__ (136) are still in 1st place as the sun moves towards the horizon, and are still giving the solo riders good chase by arriving within the first 10 riders at CP2. This doesn’t look to be changing as they head towards CP3, all being well tonight.

Keeping on their tails throughout the day are __Romain DE CASTRO VIEIRA__ (283) & __Adrien FOIX__ (284), by not taking their foot off the gas and gripping on to second place pair's position. 

In 3rd place of the pair's field are __Damien BOIX__ (259) & __Pierre-Louis BOIX__ (260) having just left CP2 and a good 80km behind 2nd place. 

### Women’s solo field

__Fiona Sharp__ has retained her 1st place position throughout the day and seems to be riding very constantly and without issue - today, that is. Yesterday she did take a small wrong turn and clocked up a few extra kilometres. We’ll blame this on adapting to riding on the other side of the role.

__Genevieve Healey__ is also having a wonderfully consistent day and firmly keeping her 2nd place position. Approaching CP2 as I write, she has closed the gap on Fiona with only 15km between the two. Fiona has just left CP2 and enjoying the downhill which might put some distance between them as the evening approaches.

3rd place woman is __Hazel Friend__ who has steadily pedalled her way up to a potential podium position. Approx 50km behind Genevieve she has a couple more hours of crank revolutions before arriving at CP2. Over this distance she will have to keep moving if she wants to keep her 3rd place as __Aurelie Desdier__
is only 5km behind her, and currently stationary in Vico, presumably refuelling for the next leg. 

Aurelie’s progress up the pack has been strong today, and as we approach the second night it will be interesting to see how she plans for the next overnight to keep rolling towards CP3.

In addition, cap 209 - __Amélie PLENNEVAUX__ is in the same vicinity and about to arrive in Vico. Amélie has been clawing her way her up the pack and may give Aurelie a run for her money through the moonlit hours.

It will be exciting to see what the final rankings are at CP2 and who decides to use the inflatable mattresses in a safe location before moving on. 

### Scratch Report
Alas, the day’s riding has brought with it four more scratches: 
__Annabelle PAGANO-PAOLI__ (252) & __Jean-Luc CASINI__ (251), a local couple riding as a pair are now enjoying the off bike life along with 141 - __Andras FURTOS__, who we featured this morning, aswell as 178 - __Alexis LIBLANC__.

This brings our total __#scratchcount__ to 8 at publishing.

There are worst places to have to stop riding your bike though, as evidenced by this drone capture from the BikingMan team:

![corsica coastline](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/47OGSMaLHVSCKenP1Eo4Zc/f1e6714655d25ed3894e89df4136a1bd/445029251_18325992829133614_2258655971078360966_n.jpg)

Tonight may be the decisive night for the leading pack. With limited stopping and rest time amongst the top 10, tomorrow morning will show us who knows their body the best, who has made smart decisions for fuelling and rest, and who will have it in them for the last leg.

I am already excited to wake-up and see what formation the dots will greet us with at dawn…

*(Header Image from BikingMan team)*


The pointy end of the pack is not the same as when we tucked ourselves in last night.

![Remi Bourrion](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/10nDN1owZzZDIqKLLIg54f/6b3ab5f879f284373a2013cc6cec93ed/Capture_d__cran_2024-05-27_093817.png)
(image from Biking Man of Remi at CP2)

Less than 21 hours in and the new leader cap 094 - __Rémi BORRION__ has just reached CP2 (at time of writing), an impressive 461km into the race. Almost halfway to the finish, he has made incredible time and this is to be expected: he finished 1st place solo in 2021 at Biking Man France and 1st at Aura 2022, and taking places 2nd and 4th in the solo category last year at Portugal and Euskadi, respectively. A local to Dijon, France, Corsica is not his typical terrain, however his rack of achievements is showing he knows what he is doing.

Chasing (very) close behind is our new 2nd placed rider cap 239 - __Thomas VERIN__. Native to Geneva, Switzerland, he finished 1st place at the ‘Cinglés de Léman’ this year - climbing seems to be in his blood. 

3rd place is cap  187 - __Alexandre MEURILLON__. Hailing from Valence in the sunny Rhône valley of France, he only has one record in the Biking man history - but it is to his credit. Finishing 5th last year in the solo category of Aura 2023, its clear the bug bit him hard. Only 10km behind the 2nd placed rider approaching CP2, the front of the pack is tightly knit. I am sure the coffee is being enjoyed as the three riders plan their strategies for the next section.

It is not only the front of the pack that are keeping close to one another. Sunrise this morning has brought with it a slightly longer line of dots along the route, yet a steady procession despite the night hours.  

The pairs leaderboard has shuffled slightly during the night with __Anthony DURIANI__ (132) & __Nicolas FILIPPI__ (136) now in the lead, and easily approaching CP2 only 15km away (at time of writing). Last night's leading pair __Romain DE CASTRO VIEIRA__ (283) & __Adrien FOIX__ (284) are now in second place with a cool 30km to reach the warm glow of coffee at CP2.

3rd placed pair __Mathieu BADANO__ (271) & __Alexandre CODDEVILLE__ (272) have a bit more a of monday morning grind to cover - 60km away from CP2 they are also starting the climb and are currently only 80m above sea level. Hopefully they can smell the coffee to keep them going.

The women’s field has shuffled and ruffled a lot during the night. Out in front is __Fiona Sharp__ by a  long shot. 346km into the race she has almost reached the most westerly point, and is 60km in front of __Genevieve Healey__ who has moved into 2nd place during the night. 

The owaka tracking system doesn't display stopping times, so it is hard to know what exactly happened during the night, however their progress indicates minimal stopping and a dedication to movement we like to see.

Yesterday’s leading woman, __Aurelie Disdier__, is back at 262km mark towards the last 20% of the pack. Assumption is that she stopped for some well earned rest. As an experienced athlete, she knows her body and a good night's rest can be what some people need to go strong through the day. Eyes will be watching her dot to see how this Monday works out for her.

Lanterne rouge has changed hands from the pair __Aurélien BOUSQUET__ (255) & __Yann MADELAINE__ (256) last night (although they are only 30km ahead of being the owners the shiny object again). 

Currently trailing the end of peloton light is cap  141 - __Andras FURTOS__ at 186km. A hungarian rider, he is new to BikingMan but not to ultracycling. Andras lined-up for TURno2 this year under cap 111, and was in the Canaries for Gran Guaranche in February this year. With that level of experience we can expect that he won’t be holding on to the Lanterne rouge for very long.

![Andras Futuro](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4EHInmLuSMUbwsF8vxrKK0/bc1f87c2f32189cc3c8f9a233bc2a54b/425209505_1519122361998394_6481146482880097910_n.webp)
(Image from Andras with other Ultracycling royalty at Gran Guaranche)

### Scratch report
As there has been movement up front of the pack, there has been new additions to the Scratch List overnight:

Three new members are now resting and enjoying the beauty of the island: caps 216 - __Bernard REYNAUD__, 085 - __Romain BENET__,  and 191 - __Frédéric MONET__ take the total #scratchcount to 4 as of publishing.

After only 21 hours of riding, the front of the pack has covered a whopping 460km - meaning an average of 21 km/h. That is an incredible pace when considering the elevation profile the leaders have overcome. With these speeds, we will certainly see the leading pack reach CP3 before the end of day - and a first finisher arrival tomorrow morning is not impossible.

As the riders settle in for day 2, hopefully we’ll learn some more about them on the socials so we can get a look into what its like to ride around this incredible island. Until tonight!


If you’re not following Biking Man on instagram you are missing out on a regular dose of images like this:

![image from Biking Man Corsica 2024](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3wTwgPqjgTc7FkA5sF0dRW/0ed8283334dbc364fc57e7aa57781eb8/445095289_18325893106133614_8290967865690606392_n__3_.jpg)
[Biking Man Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/bikingman_ultra?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== "Biking Man Instagram")

No photoshop, these are the landscapes the 156 solo riders and 22 pairs that started this morning are travelling through. Not jealous, much. 

And it's been a busy one. We have our first arrival at CP1 by cap 102 - __Grégory CASSINI__. 

![Cassini 1st arrival CP1 Biking Man Corsica 2024](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4HZ31zjQFisO2bK6HGMAiE/d932ae368d89252e56f56df4f1b56fcc/441491885_18325929241133614_8657202515303193341_n.jpg)
*(image Biking Man Corsica)*

Not too far behind as second arrivals to CP1 is a pair. As the years creep by, the pairs advantage is starting to play out - we’ll be keeping our eyes on __Romain DE CASTRO VIEIRA (283) & Adrien FOIX (284)__. 

Adrien is a veteran finishing the 2021 Corsica edition in 4th place as a solo rider. The transfer to working as a pair seems to be functioning well as they both approach CP1 at time of writing.

This is a good moment to talk about CheckPoint facilities at Biking Man Corsica. I preface the following information with ‘the sport is evolving’ and this isn’t going to please the grizzled, hardcore contingent. So let's see what is on offer at the safe spaces for the riders:

- Race Angels present for the riders’ comfort 24 hours a day
- Rest area with self-service mattress for micro-naps <1h
- Power supply to recharge your equipment (gps, lights etc.)
- Water supplies and energy bars
- Hot coffee by FastClub Café

It’s good to see another approach from the organisers to manage the sleep deprivation, and the other listed facilities are not too far from any other race, with the exception of power bars and good coffee being made available. It will be interesting to see how riders chose to use these facilities and if the increased services actually results in longer stopping time or not. To be continued.

Leaving CP1 in first place and leading the journey into the night is cap 216 - __Bernard REYNAUD__. As a social media recluse, no updates are to be found so we will be doing some classic dot watching through the night to see where he might stop and his strategy to make it to dawn.

While perusing the rider list, cap 139 - __Damien FREYTAG__ jumped out as someone who lives local to me in Alsace, France. A lover of mountain climbs, his strava shows regular 6 hour efforts with 3000m+ elevation to keep him interested. Snowy weather doesn’t seem to slow him down either, although that shouldn't be a problem in Corsica, unlike allergy season which does seem to be an issue for him.

![Damien FREYTAG winter cycling](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5i1SmKF4I0QkUzVTytnPw6/9262bd23b172c1e0f9cbe7219c4c84e1/274620535_137347352113923_3015599359301635039_n.jpg)
(image [Damien Freytag](https://www.instagram.com/damien.freytag?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==))

At just 27, he has youth on his physiology side - let’s see if it translates to helping him gradually move up from mid-pack and towards a successful finish.

Cap 227 - __Ludovic SGARIGLIO__ is the first rider to have gone rogue and off-track. An internet search hasn’t shown any socials for him, so my sleuthing is limited to try and understand what might have happened. It might be a wrong turn, or maybe he is heading to Nessa to pick something up. Or he just really wanted to add some more climbing into the route because the 18,000+ was a little on the slim side. We will try to keep a look out for extra information.

Mechanical reports are very much on the silent side, except for this one picture. With views like this, is a mechanical really a bad thing?

![Mechanical with a view ](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3tEIk4K6h0gHOPbbJCXzns/c6c8441b35d3901ab3676ad7b1ff12dc/445077151_18325894480133614_5960299761411635315_n__1_.jpg)

### Women's field
Leading the women’s field is __Aurelie Disdier__. Having rummaged around the internet a bit, it seems she is a very accomplished triathlete for team TEAM NISSA TRIATHLON. Her results show she finished 1st place at the TriGames de Mandelieu, and 17th at IronMan Nice last year. She clearly has the grit and endurance needed, and a local to the Nice region will be familiar with the terrain. A possible rider to add to your starred list.

Keeping with the women’s field in second place is __Genevieve Healey__, hailing from the cool climbs of Quebec City, currently on her way up the Battaglia climb. 

![Genevieve Healy](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/zEqLD8tf48FLVGsNBsIsZ/33f66be73cf4768ed704b52dee8f277d/446226010_466786202669707_4694723665896114503_n.jpg)
*(Image [Genevieve Healey Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/geneeeh?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==))*

Normally a quebec winter is only for the hardiest of cyclists, with frequent -40 C days, however this year’s winter was unusually mild. Lets see how the extra outside time around her journalism career is going to pay off over the next few days.

She is closely followed by __Fiona Sharp__ from the UK. Her instagram shows evidence of another successful triathlete background, and a love for sunshine. Looks like Corsica is a nice alternative to yorkshire, and maybe she’ll tag on a swim and a run at the beach in a few days time.

With 8 women solo riders, we’ll be keeping tabs on them as the days progress.

Lantern rouge is in the ownership of pair __Aurélien BOUSQUET (255) & Yann MADELAINE (256)__. Having made it around the northern tip they are passing the 130km mark with an average 14kmh so far. This speed will just allow them to make it to the finish within the 130 hour time limit for GC, so expect to see some acceleration from the experienced pair. This is there 4th Biking Man event as a pair, having scratched at Aura in 2021, 12th in Corsica in 2020, and 2nd placed pair in Portugal in 2021. 

### Scratch report
It looks like we have one scratch as the sun sets on the island, __130 - Sebastien DOCHE__. His Strava profile indicates that he is a local, but there are limited details on today’s fateful events. We hope all is well and that he is still happy to have rolled out under the startline arch on his home island.

The race is still in its early hours as we move into the first night. Overnight temps in Corte are forecast at 13C with no precipitation making for a very nice nighttime ride for those inclined. The lack of daylight doesn’t reduce the elevation profile, and we can expect to wake up to a longer line of dots to check out with a Monday morning coffee, as we procrastinate at the start of the week.

Back here tomorrow morning to see what the rising sun brings with it.

At 11.30am CET today, instead of finding a terrace with beautiful views and supping on a cool *Pietra* (a very easy task in Corsica), 160 solo and 22 pairs’ trackers started blinking their way around the 2024 edition of Biking Man Corsica.

Back for its 7th edition (and part of the bigger Biking Man multi-event series) this year’s field has the pleasure of exploring a whole new route. About 1000km in length and over 20,000m climbing, this is a race for those with a desire to look at their stem for hours on end and see what their thighs can achieve. 

If you’re not familiar with Corsica, or only know it for its incredible sandy beaches and horses in the sea, prepare to read about a route that requires a good gear ratio to make it to the finish:

- __Startline to CP1__: Starting at Cap Corse travelling anti-clockwise towards Barcaggio  on the northern tip of the island, riders will be getting hot and dry in the *desert des Agriates* and then take on the hardest climb of Corsica: Battaglia pass. A beautiful 17km climb with a max gradient of 9.9%, the serpentine roads will raise the riders from almost sea-level to 1101m altitude, and their first CheckPoint.
- __CP1 to CP2__: Leaving CP1 with their climbing legs warmed-up, it will be time to enjoy the longest climb of Corsica (35km) to reach Vergio pass (1,477m high) after approx. 300km of the route. This pass also marks the transfer between the 2 administrative departments in Corsica, crosses the infamous GR20 hiking route, and the opportunity to really take in the views. With ‘only’ a max 7.9% gradient, this paved pass is the highest in Corsica, and is mostly free of vegetation allowing for spectacular views. Sunset is at 8.49pm CET, so we may be lucky to see some golden hour pictures from the riders. After wizzing their way down to Evisa, the next passage is through the stunning UNESCO Calanques de Piana and into the Ajaccio countryside for a welcome rest at CP2.
- __CP2 to CP3__: The ‘My Cols’ app is going to be working hard with this group as the next pass on the menu is Col de Scalella. Iconic on the Corsican cyclist’s climb list, it will make the riders work hard over its 11.7km ascension with a spicy 14.6% gradient for a 100m section. Ouch. The compensation is more chef’s kiss views and Tolla lake - a fair trade, I think. After a quick self-massage to get the lactic acid out of the legs  two more classic climbs await under the names of Ospedale and Bavella to take the now very tired pedalers into Natural regional park of Corsica and towards their final CheckPoint.
- __CP3 to finish__: For those still in the game, and with enough for the last section, the beautiful Verde pass and reaching 1289m in altitude awaits. This will be a good time to see how the brake pads are doing before continuing down to the Ghisoni canyon. The last 130 km is along the coastal Corniche road, but in Corsica coastal roads do not equal flat-Sunday-coffee ride meanderings. Heading north to the place where they started (in what will feel like a lifetime ago,) the Castagniccia region has reserved a never-ending rollercoaster of ups and downs for the proud riders to claim their right as a finisher on this beautifully tough event.

Pictures more your thing than words? Here’s the elevation profile which looks a lot my heart rate while I try to do my taxes today:

![BikingMan Corsica elevation Profile](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2agwfSpJRTgTVwJqeQ5lrs/f1fa08c50e2e4a006ec949f647b819e5/Screenshot_2024-05-26_at_12.25.24.png)

Corsica is justifiably known as the ‘Ile de beauté’, and as you can see is also a climbing paradise. What this leaves hidden is the wild landscapes that these lucky riders will pass through, that only ever comes hand-in-hand with remoteness. Resupply will be important to think through to make it up the climbs, but for those riders lacking in fuel, they can count on the incredible friendliness of the Coriscan people to boost their morale and help them around this unique and breathtaking island.

If this has whet your appetite to see what is on the cards, check out the official video from 2020 when we were all wearing masks and sanitising our food. 
[video](https://youtu.be/tcMHol8dF5w "2020 BikingMan Corsica")

The startlist is very french-strong, yet none of last year’s winners are to be found (solo men, women or pairs included). As we go through the race over the next 5 days, we’ll be picking through the new field to see which courageous and crazy people decided that this was a fun way to spend a week in May - and get to know them a little more in the only way we know how: though their food and sleeping choices.

I am happy to be back at my keyboard to watch some dots and will be updating the page with the day’s activity later tonight. __à prestu__!


Wendy Ellis

BikingMan Corsica #7 2024 Tracking + Commentary: Corsica is a mountain emerging from the sea and this mythical island is a jewel of the Mediterranean Sea. Riders will ride past enchanting beaches, the Balagne region and through the desert of Agriates

BikingMan Corsica #7 2024 Tracking

Corsica is a mountain emerging from the sea and this mythical island is a jewel of the Mediterranean Sea. Riders will ride past enchanting beaches, the Balagne region and through the desert of Agriates to finish with the final bouquet the Cap Corse.

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BikingMan Corsica #7 2024

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