Who are the audax pacers?

Mattia de Marchi

Manuel Truccolo

Toni Calderon Guillen

Jens Van Roost

Janosch Wintermantel

André Jonsson

Jana Kesenheimer

Ingo Albrecht

Stephen Kennedy

Sjoerd van ‘t Hul

Emilio Castro Crecente

James Oldroyd

Kristoffer Ringler

Asja Paladin

Annika Vossen

Luis Galguera Villa

Alexander Kopp

Tomas Labanc

Tomasz Sawka

Ángel Moncayo Jiménez

Simon Taulelle

Denis Lucie

Jakob Engberg Petersen

Mark van Ham

Paul Pawelzyk

Pascal Vanhove

Martin Aylward

Claire Frecknall

Hari Milburn

Joachim Marquardt

Connor Needham

Tommaso Bon

Brittany Scrugham

Ray Wood

Henna Palosaari

Daniela Kirchner

Federico Damiani

Tommaso Bovi

Jose Carlos Muñoz Perez

Adrian Gehri

Christopher Hall

Matthew Sowter

Gregor Lah

Nelia Puhze

Adrian O’sullivan

Cento Canesio

Paul Voss - Henning Bommel

Federico bassis - Francesco Bettini

Linda Farczadi - Philippe Béchet

Oisin Sands - Peter Nedelcev

Alberto Sagrado Suárez - Jose Botía Sempere

Robert Michal - Michal Cholasta

Pius kazimiearitis - Tautvydas Kalvaitis

Matt Holden - Nichola Roberts

Burkhard Waldeck - Finn Schlesiger

Fabrizio Balliano

From podium ultra cyclist, ex-pro gone ultra, seasoned bikepacker, party pacer to rookie, the GranGuanche Gravel Audax saw it all. As the saying goes, the hardest part is getting to the start line. So let these short spotlights on the 10 solos (46 solo riders in total) and the two women in mixed pairs inspire you to take that first step: Sign up to the event you're thinking is too big for you! 

After over two years of thinking about ultra cycling races, [Linda Farczadi](https://instagram.com/lindafarczadi/) signed up for GG. She was excited to finally give it a go as a pair with her partner and see what this ultra world is all about. As a roadie racer gone gravel, she had tested the different components of her bikepacking setup and knew the legs and fitness were there. But she had neither ridden during a full night nor on little sleep. Linda loved the experience and can’t wait for the next. The best part for her was sharing the adventure with all the other riders, supporting and cheering each other on. The friendships that formed on the ferries and the shared moments: "It’s great to be part of such a crazy crowd."
![Linda F.](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/XLamIMD5rQqeYWa7iPiPV/247384a95bb6fdf465ece2fb96b6ba5c/Linda_62.jpeg)

It was the 50/50 shout out that got [Brittany Scrugham](https://instagram.com/bscrugs/) to sign up, as well as the idea of discovering the Canary islands. She got into road biking back in San Francisco, moved to Berlin in 2019 where she discovered gravel. 2020 she got laid off and ended up bikepacking for 8 months: Madeira, Germany as well as parts of the Italy Divide route. GG is her first ultra event. As she hadn't trained through the Berlin winter she decided to party pace the audax in 6 days. 
![Britt](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/IzezpujCysMJlW0620h9Y/5824617531cec5563e14efc124b72907/Britt.jpeg)

[Claire Frecknall](https://instagram.com/clairefrecknall/) (title picture on the right) got into gravel cycling a while ago as a way to explore new places and new cultures by bike. She’s done two ultras before and signed up for GG as it looked more sociable with the ferry stops and drafting being allowed. Claire decided to minimise her sleeping setup with a down jacket and an emergency blanket so she could sleep at sea level, but was planning on staying in B&Bs mostly. She loved the experience, even though it involved some swearing whilst pushing up the bike those steep sections at the end.

[Daniela Kirchner](https://instagram.com/miss.biking.viking/) came back for the gravel as she enjoyed the GG trail so much. Dani was also keen on the after race hang out with fellow Three Peaks veterans planned for el Hierro. She got hooked on ultra when she signed up for the Three Peaks Bike Race in 2020, without any prior experience and not much of a cycling background. Her race strategy, is to not have a strategy. She loves cycling at night, pushing the limits, and always takes her sleeping bag (no mat) so she can stop anywhere, any time. For Dani, the experience of ultra cycling has changed her life. “You can really learn so much about your body and how your body reacts to different situations. It helps me in everyday life, because I know I will be able to handle all the situations I come across. The limits just exist in my head. My body is not the limit, it's my mind."

![Dani and Nelia](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1GIz8eyJUIojre4abmUNVS/a66a35f4a85558fd20f502491e88af63/DSCF4747.jpeg)

[Asja Paladin](https://instagram.com/asjapaladin/) signed up to experience the Canaries by bike and enjoy the impressive landscape. She started cycling aged 6 and was a pro until 2 years ago. She tackled Badlands last year, but had to scratch because of a heat stroke. But she loved it anyways and got hooked on ultra. For her, it's a way of rekindling her love for cycling, to have fun and express herself in ways that were just not possible while competing as a professional.
![Asja](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/oErDKqsfWrTWXNKzifwKp/daaa0badd43e50e3ba5dbc9074c08a48/Asja.jpeg)

It was also the 50/50 shout out that got [Lucie Denis](https://instagram.com/lucie__denis/) to register, as well as her friend Julien's recommendation who rode the GG trail in November. It's her 2nd ultra and the first time to fly with a bike. Lucie has been road cycling for 5 years and got into gravel 2 years ago. Her plan was to ride the audax in 4 days and she made it  in time. She loves biviying, at home in France usually in a hammock. To GG she took a sleeping mattress and her sleeping bag, happy to sleep wherever when she got tired.
![Lucie](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6OI1MO6b6DvFV02tp6NNJx/275a91d08bba041d80c40cd0178781a0/Lucie.jpeg)

[Hari Milburn](https://instagram.com/hariannealice/) (title picture on the left) signed up because she's never done anything like this before. She was also keen to check out the ultra cycling community and explore the Canary Islands, escaping the winter back home. Hari started riding at the beginning of the first lockdown because the marathons and running ultras she had trained for got cancelled. She ended up riding everyday for 7 months, as she also lost her job, and got hooked very quickly. Hari loved the crew culture in the marathon scene, but didn't actually enjoy running! So now, she's really happy to have found a sport she loves and also enjoys as a way of travelling. When she arrived in El Hierro, she was absolutely overwhelmed with the experience and we'll probably see her dot on many ultras to come.

[Henna Palosaari ](https://instagram.com/hennapalosaari/)had originally signed up for the GG trail with the Shimano gravel alliance, but felt quite happy that she had to reschedule and do the less technical gravel audax instead. She got into bikepacking in 2020, when she lost her job and had plenty of time to explore her home Finnland on those long summer days. She loves the simple life of just being on the bike. This is her first ultra and her first time riding through the night. She rode the four days pace until El Hierro, where she had to scratch because she fell really badly getting off the ferry and was also struggling with another injury.
![Henna](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3Tsi6XjAIVkOp2ddoHceEm/9b0175049c7801a7e6b4910af6b6774b/Henna.jpeg)

[Jana Kesenheimer](https://instagram.com/jananas.banjana/) saw so many beautiful pictures of friends who had ridden the GG trail and road, that she signed up to her first off-road ultra. She's always been into endurance sports, did triathlons before discovering she's a fast climber on the bike when she moved to Innsbruck. In 2020, she signed up for her first road ultra, the Three Peaks Bike Race (watch the film here) and got hooked. A year later, she was the first woman to cross the finish line of Three Peaks 2021 in Barcelona, in 5th position overall. For the GG her strategy was to cycle as long as her legs would take her. She did want to push the limits, but wasn't sure whether to skip the night rides apart from Lanzarote to see the landscape. She ended up cycling 3 of the 5 islands by night, keeping up with the leaders until Tenerife at an incredible pace. Jana was really happy to meet more women at the start than usual and also to see a much younger crowd than expected.
![Jana Kesenheimer](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3fT9x4wecbOeBwZLkBrj5k/d208feeafa2724674e0829e355ef1d78/Jana_Kesenheimer.jpeg)

__Nichola Roberts__ loves where the adventure of gravel riding takes you. She's been cycling for 10 years, including road multi stage events and recently got into gravel. It's her first ultra, it’s a holiday with her partner and they decided to ditch the ditch for hotels. They thought the GG audax would be a cool way to ride through the Canary Islands as a pair: sharing kit and problems, as well as the highs and lows of a long distance adventure. 

[Annika Vossen ](https://instagram.com/annika_vossen/)started cycling last autumn but grew up training in acrobatics until she was 17. She got hooked really quickly and with a seasoned adventure cyclist as partner, she's got a lot of experience to draw on. She signed up again because she loved the GG road audax, where she was the fastest woman. Her sleeping strategy: go minimal with an emergency bivy only and look for accommodation. It worked out well, except for the last night, as you might remember from the women's race post.
![Annika](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3IxnOd3xpYCnbQgDWgqm98/1d11eee5675ccacf71d33067208321e6/Annika_Reifen.jpeg)

I, [Nelia](https://instagram.com/neliaowl/), signed up for the GG gravel a year ago, but it got cancelled. Last autumn I took time off work to bikepack the GG route in 2 weeks and volunteer at the first GG trail in November. I loved the route, the audax and the crowd so much, that I signed up again to my first off-road ultra. I got hooked on ultra cycling watching Fiona Kolbinger's dot move across Europe at the TCR 2019. Two years later with some racing and plenty of bikepacking under my belt, I signed up for the Three Peaks Bike Race to find out what long distance ultras feel like. I was prepared for GG and really looked forward to cycling this amazing route again, but this time much faster and with lots of other people. I had to scratch two days prior to the start as I realised my chest infection wasn't getting any better. At the very last minute, the organiser Matt asked me whether I would do some race reporting to which I agreed. Tough job, but I got to follow the audax closely, which I wouldn't have done riding it. And I do like to tell stories.

Ok, so you've made it this far down the page. I hope all these different approaches and backgrounds to riding the GG have convinced you to sign up to that race!

The Women of the first GranGuanche Gravel Audax

> __You're never late, only early for the next one.__

Brittany Scrugham's "wise ferry words to live by" after misreading the ferry schedule and missing the last ferry on Fuerteventura on Monday. She's enjoying the route in party pace and will finish El Hierro tomorrow.

> __Missed ferries aren't always bad news.__

![no ferry food](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5oB3TlbRjgxDCt3SQtlIVk/284234d453fd20dc6d29f525b9e99ad9/4f7d5f0b-c897-4010-bbc0-090656ec5862.jpg)

James Oldroyd after missing the ferry from Gran Canaria to Tenerife by 2 minutes. The extra two hours gave him plenty of time to enjoy a proper meal.

Wise ferry words

After 3D 07H 11M [Jana Kesenheimer](https://www.instagram.com/jananas.banjana/) rode across the finish line at 5.11am. She is 7th overall and winner of the Women's Race, just like at the Three Peaks Bike Race 2021, where she finished 5th overall. Jana was incredibly fast and kept up with the audax pace until Tenerife. When she started the first climb up into the Anaga forest - exhausted after a cold, tough night across Gan Canaria - she realised, it was time to book the ferry for Tuesday night. Time to slow down, take Tenerife all in and recover to push into the final night on El Hierro. The last island turned out to be the toughest nights out of the three, with high winds, stretches of 1.5m visibility in the clouds and rain. Jana arrived soaking wet, shivering and incredibly happy to finish after a night of type 2 fun, shared with the Italian enough cycling collective pair who claimed the 2nd pair title.

Ex-pro [Asja Paladin](https://www.instagram.com/asjapaladin/) of the [enough cycling collective](https://enoughcycling.cc/collective/asja-paladin/) decided to take a rest after the long day across Tenerife on Tuesday and set off at 4am for the final loop on El Hierro. She finished after 3D 15H 35M, just in time to race to the harbour and catch the only ferry at 2pm back to Tenerife. Asja loved cycling the GranGuanche and is excited about her move into the world of ultra cycling and adventuring. For her, it's a way to rekindle her love for cycling, to have fun and express herself in ways that were just not possible while competing as a professional. 
![Asja Paladin](//downloads.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4W9gVbgiYRkKFH9B3qNbfm/93c8098a3df8404a2d4fa349b7079e5e/image00002.jpeg)

[Annika Vossen](https://instagram.com/annika_vossen), the first woman to finish the GranGuanche Road Audax, arrived 45 minutes after Asja, after an adventurous night and a long day of steep climbing and a crash. She got off the ferry really tired after the long ride across Tenerife, but decided to push into the night. Soon she realised she was too exhausted and too cold so she hunkered down in her emergency bivy next to some sheep. It turned out to be a bit of an adventure when it started to rain. As she was considering her options - call a taxi and/or scratch, ride back down to sea level, try to find a hotel in the middle of nowhere - a car came by. She was taken in by strangers - three djs- on their way home to party in their barn. A roof, a sofa including an additional light show and dance music: nothing a hat and earplugs can't sort out.

![Annika Vossen](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6z87YWXRhO28AmIePt40Pb/a37dc55d161b05fe0ab14c0f081a746f/image00003.jpeg)

Out of the 10 solo women who signed up, 4 have completed the audax, 3 had to scratch and the other 3 are still riding at the 5 or 6 days pace.

Come back tomorrow for the Women of the GranGuanche Gravel Audax report to find out more about why they love ultra cycling  and bikepacking.

Photos by [Sami Sauri](https://schmartcollective.com/)

The Women's Race

Badlands 2021 winner and ex-pro [Mattia de Marchi](https://enoughcycling.cc/collective/mattia-de-marchi/)took the final win in 2D 12H 40M. The strategy to save his energy for the long climb in Tenerife and final battle in El Hierro worked out well. He signed up for the social experience of the audax, the ferry race format and to discover the beautiful landscape of the Canaries. Another aspect he really enjoyed was riding with his fellow cycling collective [enough cycling](https://enoughcycling.cc/collective/) friends.
![Mattia](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1lwzZQgJi1KJo9HGZnKQC2/59d06ba069728a25ebb2bc396e8af096/MMXT3704.jpeg)

Fellow rider Manuel Truccolo rode together with Mattia for most of the audax, except for the final day on el Hierro. His second place now, a 3rd in last year's Italy Divide and top ten positions in The Bohemian Border Bash and the Two Volcano Sprint, he's definitely someone to watch out for.
![Manuel Truccolo](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/30XqNlPtNLYoCWcy5bkPYS/64dd68ca7f6299515b13c2845c2430f4/MMXT4735.jpeg)

A well known face at GranGuanche and the only Spanish audax pacer is Toni Calderon. Great news to see him in third place again like at the trail audax in November. The only difference: this time he made the audax pace! An old hand at the ultra game, he signed up again for the ferry race experience and the joy of sharing the ride with fellow audaxers. Toni kept up an incredibly speed across the first two islands and always rides with a smile and friendly words for everyone!
![Toni Calderon](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5uTTQKLF1xqjC9RAm3as8S/575bbf5152ebbec16750681b342cdd5f/MMXT4608.jpeg)

Janosch Wintermantel, organiser of [Octopus Gravel](https://gravelraceseries.com/gravel-bike-event/), is new to the ultra game and was a real podium surprise (3rd) at last years' Badlands. He flew across the finish line one minute after Mattia in an epic final battle on El Hierro, that was more like a time trial than the finish of an ultra audax. Janosch was shocked, when we told him about the wrong turn he took - which so many of you spotted - that saved him some time of the final gravel climb up to Teide in Tenerife. He received a time penalty and sits in 4th position. This guy had many mishaps during the audax, one of them with his navigation device at that point, a broken shoe, a leaking tyre, several flats and the list goes on.
![Janosch Wintermantel](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6t4CrxSTVPMgNsxcBwOxKm/d792dc21da158dea8e15a9c2502a3ed4/Janosch_FV.jpeg)

Jens Van Roost rides bikes daily: to work, to travel or sometimes just to relax on a 200km loop. He was the only one riding with flat bars, testing his kit and stamina for this years Great Divide. He spends about 700 hours on the bike per year and was well prepared for this adventure, with a fair amount of bike packing as well as ultra experiences such as the Hope 1000.
![Jens Van Roost ](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5JQox2q6utsH4XoyhFldXp/87d0ff88c7af6071225dc5c580689642/Jens.jpeg)

German pros [Paul Voss](https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/paul-voss/) and [Henning Bommel](https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/henning-bommel) teamed up for GranGuanche and were the only pair to make it to the El Hierro ferry. With no competitors on the final day, they had plenty of time to enjoy take El Hierro all in.

![Paul Voss and Henning Bommel](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4t0DE5bp976XM3TwjjGp8V/49f3386795aa1a2beb7c5f3a1ce6e90f/Paul_Voss_u_Henning_Bommel.JPG)


At 10.40am, in 2D 12H 40M, Mattia de Marchi shot across the finish just one minute before Janosch Wintermantel, followed by Manuel Truccolo, Toni Calderon, Jens Van Roost and the pair Paul Voss and Henning Bommel.
![IMG 0198](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/178pBFyx9oCHwYgZ0ecqdG/3c03fafeb8c56d0c4c19388616a7b216/IMG_0198.jpg)

After the organiser and the riders agreed to have a 9 hour pit stop to ride beautiful El Hierro by day, the pace today was incredibly high. It was like a different race altogether. 
Mattia took only 5:37 to cover the 120 km | 3.900m+. And that includes the 15 minutes it took him to fix the two flats on the first gravel descent!

The final ranking is not out yet, as one of the leaders accidentally missed a turn and will face a time penalty. Updates will follow soon!

Mattia de Marchi wins first gravel edition


No last minute ferry action today. With another 10 minutes to go, 24 solo riders and 3 pairs are boarding Armas to El Hierro as I write.

Some riders like Jana Kesenheimer, André Jonsson and Ingo Albrecht are incredibly well rested and probably more than ready to push on into the night on El Hierro. 

For the Women's Race it's all still open, with Jana Kesenheimer, Asja Paladin, Henna Palosaari, Lucie Denis, Annika Vossen and Daniela Kirchner all onboard!

Who will push on into the night and claim that victory? 

Follow on [insta for some live stories](https://www.instagram.com/granguanche.route/)

The Tuesday ferry mid-pack

[https://instagram.com/stories/granguanche.route/2799330150878036197](https://instagram.com/stories/granguanche.route/2799330150878036197)

5am start, El Hierro

As the idea of the GranGuanche audax is to make it to the last ferry, everyone in el Hierro now has done it! 

Collectively the organiser and the riders agreed to call it a day for now and ride el Hierro tomorrow.

__Start at 5am from the ferry port. __

Night stop at el Hierro

Most of our audax pacers are still on the epic climb to Teide completing a long stretch of gravel forest road. With less than 2.5h hours to go, the ferry is starting to look very tight, if not impossible for the back of the group.

Seams like a safe bet for the leaders Mattia de Marchi, winner of Baldands 2021, and Manuel Truccolo, who are already beginning the 2000m descent on tarmac. Toni Calderon and Jens Van Roost should also be on the safe side, if nothing goes wrong. German road cycling pros Paul Voss and Henning Bommel will surely make up for any coffee breaks with some fierce speed descend.  

Let's see who we'll find on that ferry at 5.30pm. For the rest it'll be a spa and beach day recovering at Los Cristianos, as the next ferry is 24 hours later.
![gravel to Teide](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1VQNPeGmUoXscQob8NukqM/5b0c80f4877d58aff1644de1738e09d2/Climb_to_Teide.jpg)

Just a reminder: they've already got 1 day and 17 hours of cycling across 3.5 islands and something like 520km 12000m in their legs with very little sleep. Ok, some ferry breaks and a couple of hours sleep in Lanzarote I hear you say, but actually if the sea is rough it's probably preferable to not have these breaks... 

Teneriffe 170 km | 4.500m+

The epic climb

This is looking super tight! I hope it's just the tracker not having updated fast enough on the descent!
![Ingo Albrecht](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4V3vuDpTyP8EqjHdFGUK6D/c63fb521eaca4cb945e026133554d803/Ingo_Albrecht.jpeg)
Jana Kesenheimer and Ingo Albrecht are battling hard to catch that 6am ferry, Janosch Wintermantel just made it and is joining the other 6 solo and  the 2 pair audax pacers. 
![Jana Kesenheimer](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1NAXW9xqTL1dYgGf3hn3bp/3040a2561fd2bb12edf049d0e3e5b11f/Jana_Kesenheimer.jpeg)

Go Jana and Ingo!

GranGuanche Audax Gravel 2022 Tracking: The first edition of GranGuanche's Gravel audax takes in five of the Canary Islands with four ferry journeys. In true audax spirit, riders must be self-supported but are allowed to ride together and draft one another.

GranGuanche Audax Gravel 2022 Tracking

The first edition of GranGuanche's Gravel audax takes in five of the Canary Islands with four ferry journeys. In true audax spirit, riders must be self-supported but are allowed to ride together and draft one another.

GranGuanche Audax Gravel 2022

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