Day 7: Party time

Day 6 Recap

Day 5 Recap

Day 4 Recap

Adam Bialek wins the Race Through Poland

Day 3 Recap

The second night

Day 2 Recap

The first night

 Day 1 Recap

Adam Bialek

Björn Lenhard

Krystian Jakubek

Martin Haubold

Fiona Kolbinger

Paul Niehoff

Paweł Miłkowski

Andrew Phillips

Michał Wolff

Łukasz Tarnawski

Marcin Koseski

Joseph Dorsett

Stephen Haines

Felix Heine

Radosław Wierzbiński

Łukasz Jędrzejewski

Tomas Dvorak

Dawid Stanek

Valérie Dumangin

Krzysztof Wolański

Paweł Małagowski

Joanna Rumińska-Pietrzyk

Maciej Kasprzyk

Alexander Ebell

Adam Kałużny

Philipp Hanneck

Claudia Decker

Arno Burgi

Róża Szczucka

Dragomir Titei

Thorsten Naber

Krzysztof Miłosz

Marcin Zielkowski

Witold Bonnard

Marcin Kabała

Michał Stencel

Raphael Ottiger

Rafał Fałowski

Jakob Klaer

Wojciech Florek

Paweł Pesz

Rafał Wanat

Paweł Figiński

Maciej Łukawski

Florian Schmerlaib

Artur Kamczycki

Mateusz Kotowski

Marcel Falkiewicz

Mindaugas Kasieta

Gerold Lehmann

Jarosław Oglecki

Paweł Bielecki

Radu Cristian

Mariusz Niepsuj

Jakub Osadnik

Wojciech Jaguś

Adam Szczygieł

Brendan Cassidy

Karol Kamyczek

Wojciech Bystrzycki

Richard Bent

Piotr Skweres

Mariusz Cukierski

Bastian Schneider

Piotr Gdowski

Wiktor Naraziński

Michał Potępa

Peter Borko

Alexander Bosch

Grzegorz Kowal

Marcel Łukasiewicz

Peter Weiss

Waldemar Kędyś

Dimitriy Kumundzhiev

Bartek Wieczorek

Łukasz Piotrów

Anna Małecka

Michał Czubkowski

Pavel Klinov

Frank Scholler

Łukasz Sieczkowski

Bartłomiej Bińkowski

Patrick Doupe

Mateusz Gołąb

Paweł Gołaszewski

Krzysztof Iljuczonek

Ryszard Herc

Karl Krabbenhöft

Moritz Lemmermeier

Michał Makowski

Lukas Neubeck

Tomasz Zakolski

Piotr Tkaczynski

Łukasz Ugarenko

Jost Schumski

Sebastiaan Sijtstra

Mariusz Sobczak

Robert Huke

Małgorzata Szwaracka

Grzegorz Szamrowicz

Andrzej Binkowski

Kinga Budny

Kacper Kaczmarek

Tomasz Sieczkowski

Ewa Modrakowska

Magdalena Sobczak

Anastasiya Ankhim

Joanna Jopkiewicz

Błażej Komander

Tomasz Jędrzejewski

Rafał Jeleń

Ewelina Misztal

Bartosz Zalepiński

Bartosz Kaczmarek

Natalia Rudzka

Hannes Gruebner

Dariusz Świtała

Marcel Gawron

Stefanie Fritzen

Marie Beulig

Media 3

Media 1

Media 2

Magda Hasiak

Bicycles are very special in that they bring people together and enable us to do things that lie beyond imagination. The essence of self-supported long distance racing is that it truly brings out the best in all of us. It reminds us of what it means to be human. This week we’ve witnessed the most incredible efforts, indomitable tenacity and hope, painful injury, stories of grit, heroic achievements and crushing defeat. At the end of it all, every single rider that was brave enough to line up at the start line is a winner. That is completely regardless of how long it took them or how far they made it. 

![At the finish line](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2cGozjV0PLG8j5KFxOXz0i/d7bb4b49d697f3ceea9ffb08cea63f37/DSC08430.JPG)

Pair 116 Małgorzata Szwaracka and Grzegorz Szamrowicz kept riding all night to secure the win in the pairs competition. They arrived just after sunrise. 

![Well done](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4yKC0TMsNXw8EVuua5a47R/1e94439d23aa8e5588d4bceb555034bc/ADR09984-01.jpeg)

Kinga Budny and Andrzej Binkowski of pair 114 claimed the second place in this particular competition.

![Pair 114](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3QZ5yBmkBklhDZyd6zNPjA/c7bdd288d79b2ee37e22c1dd065b99ad/ADR00021-01.jpeg)

Cap 40 Wojciech Florek received a special prize from his kids at the finish. Best medal ever.

![Priceless](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2rujDfA2V3MxRnawSePBLd/43bdcc26b78e2899a8d0698f7276f428/Cap40medal.jpg)
Source: Piko Pulawski

Cap 59 Maciej Łukawski might have logged the most riding of all participants. His route was 1,609 kilometers long. For comparison, race winner Adam Bialek rode a measly 1,484 kilometers.

On the final two parcours of the race, riders are actually already very close to the finish, but the mandatory sections force them to do some more hilly detours. This was always going to be mentally challenging. Cap 21 Adam Kamczycki’s knees hurt so much that he couldn’t resist the lure of the shortcut. Of course this means that he scratched, but at least he can enjoy the party now. 

Same goes for Magda Hasiak of former pair 120. After her riding partner had to surrender to saddle sores, she switched to touring mode and kept us all entertained with posts of her alternative journey. Now in Ożary and ready to party, she is very happy with her trip and says it gave her a lot of confidence. Next year she wants to start as a solo rider. Go Magda.

![Cap 120](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2uYOD53u1sZhH6BHFyVP0W/e6c8d7413c661ecca367f502baa211b3/_DSC6682.JPG)

And so it’s time for the finisher party tonight.

![Kudos to all](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4d5odZrqCIG1xPMCg1jJ6G/d5fc935243b9a84b53fc591b8d97b770/DSC08386.JPG)

A big thank you to the riders for sharing their stories, to the many volunteers for making it all possible, to the photographers for capturing these moments and not least to Piko for bringing it to life and holding it all together. It’s been a real pleasure following this race. Until the next time, and never stop riding.

![Lonesome rider](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/55RQ98faVI8VlSkRWr3lCN/cc99154697ed40e1b9685441959fb72f/DSC02257.JPG)

Photos: [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/), [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/) and [Małgorzata Michalik](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/)

Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

![Joanna Rumińska-Pietrzyk](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4J1sZdIahTDEEiCm0L8q26/7eaed52dc6d4e214159f0027d270e040/DSC03555.JPG)

It looked like a done deal. As the sun was setting on day 5 of the Race Through Poland, Joanna Rumińska-Pietrzyk was approaching the finish line at a steady pace and had less than fifty kilometers to go. She wasn’t going to stop anymore. At that point, nobody doubted that she would take second woman and 19th overall. However, just before going to sleep, I started noticing that she was slowing down a bit, wondering if there was a problem. It turns out there was.

![Falling apart](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3qJGFYLPoYbcZtpyWxeeLi/599a893cb326532fd921ebf9a017992c/ADR09655-01.jpeg)

Shermer’s neck is a strange and somewhat terrifying condition where after sitting on a bike for days on end, your neck muscles simply give in from fatigue and refuse to support your head any longer. This means you cannot see what’s ahead of you, making it impossible to keep riding safely.

This is what happened to Joanna on the final stretch of Race Through Poland. First she tried holding her head up with her hands, but that led to losing balance on the bike. Valérie Dumangin overtook her. Joanna made it up the last climb of the race, but she couldn’t even ride downhill. Krzysztof Wolański overtook her. 10 kilometers from the finish, she laid down on a bench. Paweł Małagowski overtook her. After a while she got back on the road. Joanna kept fighting against all odds to make it to that finish line. It took her about eight hours to cover the last twenty kilometers. I’m honestly not sure if I’m impressed or appalled by this display of willpower and stubbornness. It’s actually both. Her body told her to stop, but she kept going. The sometimes loosely used phrase “Never give up” comes to mind. Isn’t it better to know when to stop? But how close to the finish is too close to give up? All interesting questions. After all, this is “just” a bike race. But for many, it is much more and that I can also understand. 

![Done](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1QRSQMAM90EQrKqcdLf2lO/407260133fd48490309b606087f225a9/DSC03574.JPG)

It’s almost incidental that she lost her position as second woman to Valérie Dumangin. The French rider was welcomed at the finish by her friend, who brought the sorely missed dog as a surprise.

![Reunited](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1wudvmzEW66BAG293PAGbh/3b8e9b302178073a789706576daa63ad/DSC03492.JPG)

All is good now, but Valérie’s ride was not without problems either. After descending from CP2 using a hiking trail, as you do in this race, she had already hiked her bike for a while until she realized that one of her pedals was missing. So she had to climb back up and after two hours of searching, found the pedal in the undergrowth. Happy days!

![Found it](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6pS7PCpGwaC8AQbDaefTZP/2502f48debe47287026a4f25a275fc4e/Valeriepedal.jpg)
Source: Piko Pulawski

After the dramatic events of the night and early morning, more and more riders kept rolling over that coveted finish line all day. A total of 36 riders have reached Ożary at the time of posting this. There’s still traffic on the finishing parcours, so that number will only increase over night.

![Przystanek Raj](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5sYTTaac5EplKHLeR8epnT/717efa39110531d2f00bcf2750c28078/_DSC9104.JPG)

I know from first hand experience that Przystanek Raj is a wonderful location to recover and share stories with other riders. If at times the race makes it feel like you’re going through hell, then reaching this place is definitely heaven.

![Przystanek Raj](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/a6lwhkP1graYsLZQGxMqL/7011e93205bb110b3ac0ba5c4bfe9a0a/Photo_6553799_DJI_199_jpg_28402994_0_2022526125958_photo_original.jpg)

Among these finishers is cap 83, [Dragomir Titei](https://www.instagram.com/dragomir_titei/). Last night at CP4 he decided to sit down “just for a moment”. Two minutes later he was fast asleep and didn’t wake up until breakfast the next morning. The volunteers let him sleep in peace. Only Miki, the resident cat, was slightly concerned about who occupied his sleeping spot. This cat has seen some things this week.

![Hey, you're in my spot](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4NJeZ582dfx6bQCU8SQELn/53416c57f7aa06e6b852e26fbc38a4c9/MikiandDragomir.jpg)
Source: [Małgorzata Kisielewska](https://www.instagram.com/gorzka/)

After Arno Bürgi bought 6 inner tubes and 20 patches, he didn’t have a single puncture anymore until the finish. Philipp Hanneck took no risks though and picked up another one just 20 kilometers from the finish, raising his total to 17 flats and two ripped tyres. That’s got to be a record I don’t think anyone will be eager to break.

![Arno Bürgi at the finish line](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2M6jWUZVVaJwoIE92lNztz/e8807da6b8b68820c131558ccc852a83/_DSC9239.JPG)

Only one scratch was reported today. Cap 5 Richard Bent was still searching Krakow’s bike shops for a thru-axle that fit his frame, but was unsuccessful, so eventually decided to end his race here, in the same city where it began. He said he had a great time and that he loved discovering Poland. 

![Enjoying the ride](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5HV83QOjsSdsHCwP9kJ3W7/f57e8fb1eef7a660fca9e548caedf780/ADR09673-01.jpeg)

Leading pair 116 Małgorzata Szwaracka and Grzegorz Szamrowicz have just passed CP4 and are now facing the last 100 kilometers to Ożary. I won’t repeat my mistake of saying that it’s a done deal, because as we all learned last night, the finish is at the finish line and not one meter earlier. Fingers crossed for the pair.

![Improvisation is key](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5vvcdl60Y8Xg78B6VBUw6v/27227fbdb9da7baea764f25b122122aa/ADR09846-01.jpeg)

CP4 at Masarykova chata will close tomorrow morning at 8 am. The finisher party will begin at 8 pm and will last until 10 am the following Saturday morning. I highly doubt that many of the party guests will be able to stay awake that long. 

Photos: [Małgorzata Michalik](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/), [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/) and [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/)

Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

The rain returned around midnight and didn’t stop until the late afternoon. As many brave riders were fighting to get to CP4 and the finish today, they had to endure not only wet roads in the mountains, but also much colder temperatures.

![Through the rain](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3CSFVkGvr9dCIIkgr7JQHH/f4dac11f28e36b07c29a2121e29ef90d/DSC08144.JPG)

![Drenched](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3pnNl2i9L2gHLpf6bPQxHL/c405be22f3d3923d1336206fba96c654/ADR09591-01.jpeg)

![Aftermath](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/DoqvYKpNo0IPbR0nEbovc/95569ece3273f209c5e3ff685bfd7d99/ADR09610-01.jpeg)

The two remaining positions in the top ten were claimed by Michał Wolff and Łukasz Tarnawski early in the morning. Łukasz Tarnawski had picked up a puncture 40 kilometers from the finish line, but pushed on to save his tenth place, somehow holding off the chasing Marcin Koseski.

![Cap 19 at the finish](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7AMSWPtsyfOPk1gXI0huV/d54987414768b92651fa76004472e059/Cap19_at_the_finish_line.jpg)
Source: Piko Pulawski

Joanna Rumińska-Pietrzyk is just about to finish her very strong ride as 2nd woman and 19th overall. She was reported to be a bit tired arriving at CP4, but with the power of knedlicky and a dessert, she was good to go and charged down the offroad section to Zieleniec and the final parcours.

![Joanna Rumińska-Pietrzyk at CP4](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4hc49QcjEAOBVMOv33TLpH/a95a8f5089948331c44c40526be7b9c2/DSC03241.JPG)

Not far behind Joanna is the French rider Valérie Dumangin, who looks set to claim the title of third woman home. While fueling her last push at CP4, she mentioned loving the roads and that she met many interesting animals on her journey, but now looks forward to coming home to her dog.

A growing number of riders seem to take advantage of the refuge at CP4 tonight before a hopefully enjoyable ride to the finish tomorrow, including Claudia Decker of Germany.

![Claudia Decker at CP4](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4AdVePYQLz6eXge6ivspYV/ba596ef434e213aa73048397397836f2/Claudia_by_Marys__2_.jpg)
Source: [@marys_marcepan](https://www.instagram.com/marys_marcepan/)

### Pairs competition
The pairs competition is still very much up for grabs. You might think pairs have it easier in this race, because they are allowed to draft and help each other. However, racing together as a pair brings its own, very unique set of challenges that are not to be underestimated. For starters, there is the coordination. One half might be feeling fresh while the other one needs some rest. The risk for mechanicals and other problems also doubles. In that sense, the pair is only moving as fast as the slower rider at any given time. Friendships will definitely be tested in situations where the nerves are thin. Communication is key. To tackle a race like this as a pair is definitely not always easier.

![Pair 114](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7wMufu3xiXXbJ23NYZyCGH/83f96e8049a86aade4709694b01196a8/_DSC7092.JPG)

After leading pair 119 fell apart on the way to CP2, a close race has developed in this category. Both pair 114 and 116 are closing in on CP4 fast. Excitingly, they each chose dramatically different routes, so whoever gets there first is completely open right now. If either of them hesitates too much, pairs 121 and 125 are close behind and ready to strike. This race within a race might be decided in the course of the night or it might last well into tomorrow. Anything could happen.

![Pair 116](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5aLvfBtgoUy6lKgsF8QYNH/9b52da2888e11c5a82b45ce6d3e8c2bc/_DSC7155.JPG)

What we do know is that pair 116 is fearlessly bushwhacking their way through the Czech Republic and never afraid to take any adventurous shortcut that might give them an advantage.

![Unstoppable](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2L9flADJjZ4vi1LpE3yQ6s/370fd7fd99995a3111f10e73911c5284/116routing.png)
Source: [Tomek Zatorski](https://www.instagram.com/bikechitect/)

### Puncture competition
The (admittedly involuntary) puncture competition between Philipp Hanneck and Arno Burgi stands at 16 to 15. It's a nailbiter. Will either rider still manage to add to his account on the remaining 100 kilometers?

![...](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4FTng44OD6uCTPHvUbU4lK/79d5ef2d69ab238a0f5343649f66736b/DSC03268.JPG)

### Scratch report
With 32 riders scratched so far, the rate of non-finishers has gone up to 26%.
Despite the atrocious weather, the list of new scratches is very short tonight.

Cap 82 Adam Szczygieł scratched at CP4. With just about 100 kilometers to the finish, that was definitely not an easy decision, but he was quoted as saying that he simply reached the end of his power. Lots of respect for knowing when to stop, especially when the finish line is already that close.

Magda Hasiak, remaining half of pair 120, is now cycling towards the finish line via a more direct route. Her tracker stays on so we can follow along. Clearly happy, she’s posting delightful updates on [her instagram](https://www.instagram.com/whenyouarehappy_/) stories. Have a good ride, Magda.

It’s not quite clear yet how cap 5 Richard Bent’s journey is going to continue. His rear thru-axle broke and he took a train to Krakow in order to find a replacement. He didn’t scratch, so he’s technically still in the race, but according to the rules, he must not take another train – he has to ride his bike back to the place where the problem occured and then continue from there. Seeing how he is now back in the city where the race started, I would be surprised if that happens. But it wouldn’t be the first surprise this week either, so let’s wait and see!

Photos: [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/), [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/) and [Małgorzata Michalik](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/)

Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)


From helicopter rescue missions to birthday celebrations with cake, today was a day of highs and lows on the Race Through Poland. Before we get to the fun part, I’d first like to talk about the scare of the day.

![Highs and lows](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1Y0Zbr8iQBaL4jyigvVJT3/6da3bdc4b645d3dd70776eef1578fec5/_DSC8789.JPG)

Natalia Rudzka of pair 124 crashed hard on a rocky downhill trail near CP2. According to her riding partner Bartosz, who is a doctor, Natalia hit her head and it did look quite serious, so emergency services were called and she was airlifted off the mountain by helicopter. Everybody was very much concerned until after some hours, there was finally news that she got away with only bruises. After having enjoyed the pair’s fun instagram stories for a few days, this was more than a harsh reminder that things can go wrong very fast. All the best wishes for a speedy recovery Natalia! The pair are planning to visit the finish line in a day or two. 

![Helicopter rescue](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5MOtt4DfdefBVmP5b9SPDG/78119f074c2e705e802bb8dd2edc428c/helicopter__1_.jpg)
Source: Bartosz Kaczmarek

Sometimes, it’s not only the riders that end up in dangerous situations. Race photographer Adrian Crapciu only narrowly avoided getting into a fistfight with a whole family in Slovakia, after using the clothes hanging to dry outside the family’s house as a frame for the below photo of a passing rider. The fact that the family didn’t speak any English escalated the situation into a misunderstanding that could have ended badly.

![Still got the shot](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2ic1wrYdr5V21f0t1wofQz/95bd15df9113ba70281ab2ab4efaea2e/ADR09409-01.jpeg)

So now to the more fun parts of the race.
As expected this morning, Krystian Jakubek took the third place behind Adam Bialek and Björn Lenhard, showing once again what a strong rider he is.

![Krystian Jakubek](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5PppE6QGSsSn7fp64fsyYB/c812d02c48d9e95ae3b7bf2f604fc9e3/DSC02848.JPG)

Fourth place Martin Haubold had enough time to share his breakfast with the resident cat of CP4 before riding to the finish and immediately jumping into the pool.

![Martin and the cat](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/lLcv9aWG7HorGVKXspAzv/483274d02507bd0e3b232d7d3c334a81/Martin_at_CP4__1_.jpg)
Source: [@marys_marcepan](https://www.instagram.com/marys_marcepan/)

![What a feeling](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1Echvd3WT0RVPQAaT6fKiu/298708c17f720236fb5f653624f64af3/DSC02880.JPG)

Fiona Kolbinger timed her finish perfectly with her own birthday. At CP4, she already started to celebrate with a double helping of french fries. 

![French fries for Fiona](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1SwCYtTN0BD6sttDlBTjgJ/d6841f0983521f38202360daff44b595/Fiona_at_CP4__3_.jpg)
Source: [@marys_marcepan](https://www.instagram.com/marys_marcepan/)

When she did get to the finish – as first woman and fifth overall! – there was nobody there to greet her, which must have been a bit of an anticlimax to such an amazing ride. Fiona started searching around the place, wondering where everybody was, when suddenly the race crew and previous finishers, which had been hiding on the balcony all along, started singing Happy Birthday. Piko had arranged for a cake and Björn Lenhard, just a few hours after his own finish, prepared a large fruit salad. How nice is that!

![Where is everybody?](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/hsQOIw771nhd6FfLWvB2d/2ab55f2c37c34bdb61c465a97faf1540/DSC02928.JPG)

![Happy Birthday!](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5IA0x5Zd8vhVLARIrIseny/c3db26807d04645cd1162f9fb1316cea/DSC02942.JPG)

![What a welcome](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3P5AEPGlmGNYZmymOxhY8c/1ed1d10c11420d959a21b41b9f042a38/DSC02948.JPG)

The next arrival was Paul Niehoff and the celebrations continued, because – what are the chances – it was also his birthday today! Congratulations all around!

![Happy Birthday](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/cHoUY5xTvxiZVmQzMJwfc/b392085159c7998c7497aa6c7832a0ec/DSC02981.JPG)

It looks likely that positions seven and eight will be claimed by Paweł Miłkowski and Andrew Philipps, respectively. Andrew is having one hell of a ride. Due to saddle sores and a chain that first broke and then kept slipping off, he was already struggling with a lot of problems early on, but still somehow managed to not only stay in the race, but near the front of it. As if all that wasn’t testing enough, today the side of his rear tyre blew out. He stuffed it with empty tubes and is now riding that towards the finish line. Because of his saddle sores, he is doing all that standing up, resulting in a painful achilles heel. I’m not making that stuff up. 

![Andrew Phillips](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4ILLicu4BAkGrvgQqB0EAD/d25f19ddaf0566b857a0acfc660abd70/DSC03022.JPG)

CP3 closed this afternoon at 2 PM. All night and day there were weary riders passing through. At one point there were at least 15 of them, sleeping all over the place.

![Sleepy](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1syZwEIO0KmKZgtnJNxBHE/4fadf722f82491eb7783abeeef103e1d/ADR09276-01.jpeg)

![Zzz](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6lT3ovm6mZs7iBFiYZPYEW/a34b6012670f90fc05d172171ce63977/ADR09268-01.jpeg)

![Bikes everywhere](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2WBzVzsYCBbsOwc90o9cAp/73719b192a8cc7e981c8a116ee5e99ec/ADR09260-01.jpeg)

![#12 Arno Burgi. Who else?](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2lfkdLVnbpxLWfybgigYGw/c1fb59692ee45ecc53fb951155dc8efd/_DSC8466.JPG)

### Scratch Report
Today’s scratch report is not a pleasant read. It brings home again through how much pain and adversity these riders are going through.
- Cap 4 Wojciech Bystrzycki is out with an achilles injury.
- Cap 8 Łukasz Piotrów reported under training.
- Cap 10 Peter Borko broke a wheel on the gravel section of Kráľova hoľa. He sends his thanks for the race and says even though he cannot finish it, it was a very nice experience. 
- Cap 14 Alexander Bosch has developed an issue with his right knee that was only getting worse to the point where it became impossible to keep going.
- Cap 15 Brendan Cassidy suffered from a bad case of food poisoning.
- Cap 39 Karol Kamyczek had to let his strong top ten position go due to knee pain and a strong cough.
- Cap 56 Grzegor Kowal, unknown reason.
- Cap 58 Dimitriy Kumundzhiev, unknown reason.
- Cap 72 Piotr Skweres suffered from the dreaded “Shermer's neck”.
- Cap 115 Wiktor Naraziński picked up an achilles injury.
- Cap 118 Rafał Jeleń was pushing on alone after his partner had tapped out yesterday. Rafał scratched at CP2. Quote: "If I see one more climb, I’ll probably vomit."
- Pair 124 is out due to the crash mentioned at the beginning of this post.

Everybody heal up swiftly and to all the riders out there: Stay strong, ride safe and keep on fighting.

![No way out but forward](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4FV84BZAPNHS7tSr0FToHO/ab99e0bdc57e5beaa61c7305f659b9c6/_DSC8665.JPG)

Photos: [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/), [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/) and [Małgorzata Michalik](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/)

Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)


The defending champion was quoted as saying that this edition was much more demanding than the previous one. Adam took the lead on day one and never gave it away. It took him only 2 days and 23 hours to complete his route of 1,484 kilometers with 21,210 meters of elevation – over some of the most demanding mountain roads of Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, including plenty of difficult off-road sections.

![Adam, first man.](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/CRoYx3DvvcnPN4FuJvt9W/d11d5c738c1ffce432c9bd7db29f281b/DSC02699.JPG)

Due to a daring route choice after CP2, where he descended the mountain via a risky hiking trail, he opened up a gap to his chasers that nobody was able to close anymore. He was later quoted as saying taking this detour was the worst decision at that time, as it could have easily gone wrong.

![Arrival in the rain](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1R42bmJEUnwMt8VGL98dEX/748646aaf5c6e209038b75d8a15203a6/DSC02685.JPG)

There was a bit of a scare last night when Adam first entered the finish parcours, but then backtracked onto a parallel route, rejoining the parcours further up the road. The crew went to investigate and found that the narrow cycle lane through the forest between the towns of Szczytna and Karłów was blocked by a lot of felled trees due to a recent storm. This was possibly the same storm that riders got caught in during the morning of day 1. Works to remove the trees had already begun, but not completed. As the rules of the race state, it is a rider’s duty to find a detour in case of a road blockage, so that’s what Adam did.

![Road block](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1EmXlWUpvH2ixZz4ACRWTQ/685ab5732b2c4c0f4be49851f51b4ac0/20220524_002905.jpg)
Source: Piko Pulawski

With only 15 minutes of sleep since the start in Krakow, it’s understood that Adam is now catching some well deserved rest in the wonderful Przystanek Raj, a small tourist pension in the Kłodzko Valley that serves as the race finish.

![Off to sleep](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5Zj8xqG3ljw1nLAirqb87/c0f05f0b50efda21782b99579f5b0d28/DSC02799.JPG)

Björn Lenhard takes second and Krystian Jakubek is expected to claim the third spot. Meanwhile, Fiona Kolbinger overtook Paul Niehoff during the night and is now riding in fifth position behind Martin Haubold. More on that later today.

The winner is home safe and sound, but that doesn’t mean the race is over – far from it! Every single rider will keep fighting to reach that finish line, so stay tuned.

![Przystanek Raj](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6ySBYfMCDDlvm0ZtX9yv9p/1053d76977c30edd65fa9bc92c53c9cf/DSC02768.JPG)

Photos: [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/)

Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

The unstoppable Adam Bialek almost beat the media car to CP4. I’m not even joking, it was actually close. Remarkably, he is still in good spirits and has energy left to joke around with the volunteers. Apparently he mentioned plans of a power nap, but nobody seems to believe him. Napping or not, Adam is confident that he can finish the race in under 3 days. That would mean a finish before 5 am tomorrow morning, so you better set an early alarm. 

![Adam Bialek at CP4](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/lUbhSyZ0bVY9dX4aL9EGY/31dd575178744bb455cc6a226e898c88/DSC07979.JPG)

In a somewhat spectacular maneuver, Krystian Jakubek took a northern route via Racibòrz towards the CP4 parcours. It might be slightly longer than other people’s routes, but it’s definitely less hilly. He has made up serious ground on Björn Lenhard as well as opening up a gap to Martin Haubold and Paul Niehoff in doing so. Judging by his morning shopping, I don’t think Krystian is planning on another stop before the finish line. Will he be able to catch Björn?

![Rocket Fuel](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4sbTpZ9OLW7hJehliwfoq/5e7d03d16679a4a010a453edf23693bf/ultratiggerfood.png)
Source: [Krystian Jakubek](https://www.instagram.com/ultratigger/)

Just behind these top 5, Fiona Kolbinger and Brendan Cassidy have been constantly leapfrogging each other for most of the morning. They were even seen riding side by side for a little bit. It wasn’t until the late afternoon that Fiona was able to put some distance into Brendan. She is now sitting in sixth position chasing Paul Niehoff. 

![Fiona Kolbinger](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3xkKaMWcGiWLRncte1RniO/c3551daa1117d55ed4cfa948980b0ab9/matbir05-4067.jpg)

![Brendan Cassidy](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1jMMFwEeES8pVEVAnZ6jTS/531459128ce0a14169f9d77d6127e54b/matbir05-3931.jpg)

![Side by side](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1dhneFhs2GeNZoFhKuyajy/3ccb893e796e59d136f14af3d212dfbe/matbir05-4003.jpg)

Karol Kamyczek is putting in an amazing ride, constantly making up positions as he goes along. He is breaking into the top ten tonight.

![Karol Kamyczek](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/9r0a3t1Twuk7Y28FVQCMy/e6860db314e4977dd1e4d30dd927eb6f/DSC02454.JPG)

Joanna Rumińska-Pietrzyk is consistently covering a whole lot of ground. She has already made short work of the feared CP3 parcours and is currently riding within the top twenty.

![Joanna Rumińska-Pietrzyk](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2lthRdpIAKYpHtvsGmh1zg/1dc274a6bb41fd99bcc801f1867a87e7/_DSC7911.JPG)

Both Claudia Decker and Valérie Dumangin reached the top of CP3 tonight. Claudia is now descending the mountain in the dark.

![Claudia Decker](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1GEhiB0Q9D3E8bWJNBGWUC/5a633c310c9effbe9f71c87fe476cfea/matbir05-4353.jpg)

![Valérie Dumangin](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2XKbbjz6yWgEJGQ5BGT58B/92387ed2220929e692803c22d477c597/matbir05-4386.jpg)

As Arno Burgi’s puncture count goes up to 15, the man is still smiling!
![Arno Burgi](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/66wezNx7DFM9pGkcz0HJv1/b868c01123901470b7f7dfbf29d73d29/arnoflat.jpg)
Source: Arno Burgi

Róża Szczucka wore her cleats down, but that doesn’t seem to stop her forward progress. Somehow she is still riding and attacking CP3.

![Worn out](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/Tf72TZymUxpAmlkOw4fTs/ceb66418afb489aaa32028e2df15235b/rozasztucnacleats.png)
Source: [@sztucznaroza](https://www.instagram.com/sztucznaroza/)

![Róża Szczucka](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5c2Rdh8u5p8PuS22S4HYzX/a40d2afd7ac198800ee4db76c580466b/matbir05-4423.jpg)

Pair 125 [Joanna Jopkiewicz](https://www.instagram.com/joanka_na_kole/) and [Anastasiya Ankhim](https://www.instagram.com/ankhlm/) were fighting their way up to CP2 in the early morning. It was reported that unlike most riders, they refused to get off and walk even in the steepest sections. The two seem unstoppable, as they are already storming up the next parcours to CP3 this evening.

![Pair 125](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4ZwSf5Nw1iUqQtyblQ8T7e/746c5df1e5124a504cf0a4a9cbba71bd/_DSC7113.JPG)

Pair 116, Małgorzata Szwaracka and Grzegorz Szamrowicz, got some good recovery sleep after a hard day yesterday. On the CP2 parcours this morning, they were full of energy and enjoying the landscape.

![Pair 116](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7KfqASCDg6qmEvyTa0DHMD/78a1e95e8e9ddb033d0d3b61ac6623bd/pair116by_MaciekKordas.jpg)
Source: Maciek Kordas

Just a few hours later, [this post](https://www.facebook.com/100006735398068/posts/3425195851048228/) surfaced… 

![Rocky...](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6Ey9UqBbWSXDzRkzRFPgyY/1ff447f7efa51f8f228b6f0c82515a17/routingfb.png)
Source: Grzegorz Szamrowicz on Facebook

### The chase for CP2
It was an emotional day on the CP2 parcours as many riders kept fighting to reach the top of Przehyba before the 2 pm cut-off time. Especially the quest of pair 122, [Ewa Modrakowska](https://www.instagram.com/odeszliodstolu/) and [Magdalena Sobczak](https://www.instagram.com/_madziastic_/), turned out to be a real thriller. Everybody was willing them on as their dots inched ever closer to the top, all while the clock was ticking without mercy. It was touch and go whether they would make it. With an unbelievable three minutes to spare, the heroic pair managed to bag the last official race stamp of CP2.

![Pair 122](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3FrpxWjIWwpNQX3BYJcAAW/098393ae0b742771c6b5347ad8526a61/_DSC8231.JPG)

![I'm not crying, you are!](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6Tmt7Zo8TmbVPYzpIYdfIo/4030ce4b3ee43886ae2532ea7cf8ca5e/_DSC8360.JPG)

The checkpoint is now closed, but riders can still self-validate. 

### Scratch report
As the fatigue and strain on the riders is accumulating, it’s to be expected that the list of non-finishers is only getting longer each day. Here we go.
- Cap 31 Piotr Gdowski has had one flat too many. His tyre is ripped and he doesn’t want to carry that risk into the Low Tatras.
- Cap 49 Waldemar Kędyś fell victim to punctures as well.
- Cap 61 Marcel Łukasiewicz is out with a knee injury.
- Cap 91 Bastian Schneider also suffered knee pain from all the steep climbing. He is now riding to the finish on a flatter route.
- Cap 54 [Anna Małecka](https://www.instagram.com/wspodnicynaszosie/)’s game is over, unfortunately. We will miss the photos of her nicely decorated handlebars. 

![Game over :(](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7ikihiyLv0enTzxhiW5CbK/e9a7028b93e73308354164d4bfa9bd68/annamaleckadnf.png)

![Handlebar decorations](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5UEKvi9OOMZKqbCzLYW4r5/57eddbeff0efe13ef2a1d3358d5febec/annamaleckacockpit1.png)

![Handlebar decorations 2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2BpfG2tNopmUjwxZkbjRjx/0ddf24aeb78704248ee95778e9fe18ab/annamaleckacockpit2.png)
Source: [Anna Małecka](https://www.instagram.com/wspodnicynaszosie/)

Like Bastian, she is going to ride to the finish regardless, just not on the race route.

- Pair 123 is out due to a mechanical problem.

Then we have the special case of the three split pairs: Hannes Gruebner of pair 119 scratched, but his partner Robert Huke keeps on riding. He will try to reach the finish alone. The same goes for pair 118: Dariusz Świtała scratched, Rafał Jeleń fights on alone.
Marcel Gawron of pair 120 had to succumb to saddle sores. Pair partner Magda intends to ride on alone. These riders cannot be classified in the solo category, because they started as a pair. But they can still become finishers!

![Keep pushing](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5leS23DYeYTUy6LPA0G1QF/30db9b8df329bd5c0ac79bf37dd41b35/matbir05-4614.jpg)

Finally, enjoy these classic route choices.

![Just lovely](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3FJF2vguRs15WLi9XwDgTS/10672f4771a24c895ac317e844a216dd/dragomirtiteirouting.png)
Source: [@dragomir_titei](https://www.instagram.com/dragomir_titei/)

![It's fine.](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7AxbLnQASNoL6plcKCtoDi/670f697a2407d1b4a2c23180e5b43ca4/sudokistrouting.png)
Source: [@sudokist](https://www.instagram.com/sudokist/)

!["Explorer of alternative paths" according to his instagram bio.](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/19fEyYfXxou2MYm0URvR8m/721bd0dc6fc58d2ed2d77b6a1a3655fa/todvorarouting1.png)

Photos: [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/), [Mateusz Birecki](https://www.instagram.com/birecki.photos/) and [Małgorzata Michalik](https://www.instagram.com/bite.of.me/)

Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

Good morning! We are now about 54 hours into the Race Through Poland.

![Rise and shine](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/H7r0BOtXbqswxlGIk7Ycf/f7f3b89343023cffbb1daf5e30a8b137/_DSC8048.JPG)

The difficulties of the race and not least the brutal CP3 parcours clearly take a big toll on the riders. Krystian Jakubek, Paul Niehoff and Martin Haubold all secured a room to get some much needed sleep at CP3. It looks like this was a wise decision, as all three are now charging towards the Czech border in pursuit of the two leaders.

![Krystian Jakubek](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1Qe8x454nr1C0wKK7LtBa2/1c2fa451caa0ddce394513af2cf76ce2/matbir05-3817.jpg)

All that Björn Lenhard wanted to do after completing the gruelling CP3 parcours was visit a fast food restaurant.

![Björn Lenhard at CP3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7tN0pLTsD5mW8dpgB7OGNw/adbdbb4a7bb366649c5ef33cbff40a5b/matbir05-3604.jpg)

However, he was slowed down by some more unexpected climbs before the town of Liptovský Mikuláš and the end of the parcours. The restaurant in question was just closing its doors as he arrived and wouldn’t serve him anymore. If they only knew just how much food Björn was going to order, I’m sure they would have made an exception. Your loss, McDonald’s! Instead of the greasy fast food he had craved so much, Björn had to do with another gas station dinner, followed by a couple hours of rough rest on a football pitch in Liptovský Trnovec. After such a hard night, he now has to watch his back, as the chasing trio are closing in quickly.

![Rocky road](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3LHqnnw7uaWSg7FBGZA4eT/76f0a7b67164715af5ba6aa60fdc07c1/_DSC8124.JPG)

When Adam Bialek looks over his shoulder, he sees nothing but empty road. The gap he created is pretty substantial now as he approaches CP4. It looks like he got the race firmly in his grasp, but it’s still a long way with no less than two parcours. We know that Piko likes to throw in a few surprises, so I’m sure it won’t be easy rolling. Adam must be pretty tired by now, so here’s hoping he can keep it together. 

![Adam Bialek at CP3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6U2oYdZprG7RS5amhN9jko/830c08187e595fa6e59f012ad50da67b/matbir05-3509.jpg)

The race website describes the CP4 parcours as follows:
“*The fourth control point is located in the hearth of Orlické hory, a mountain range laying on the border between Poland and the Chech Republic.
Riders will be traversing the whole range being on the height of over 1000 m.a.s.l. for quite a while. These roads are quiet, without any traffic. Nearly forgotten tarmac roads, with old and mysterious fortifications all over the place, makes this place pretty unique. It is here, on the top of these mountains, where you can actually hear the universe.*”

Wow! I wonder if Adam can hear the universe already.

![Mountain roads](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2F0ZRkW9jvyhquZaJHNL2o/9bb3a3f77a62544dea2a6269ef2d7920/ADR08085-01.jpeg)

On a lighter note, Arno Burgi only had two flat tires yesterday. He even managed to descend the now world famous Bialek route (aka the shoe-destroying gravel shortcut) from CP2 without picking up a single flat this morning!

Meanwhile, cap 44 Michał Wolff has climbed parts of the gruelling Kráľova hoľa twice. There were speculations whether he enjoyed the 10.6 average gradient a little bit too much, so he wanted to ride more of it. But no, the explanation is simply that he had lost his phone and went back to recover it. On what is possibly the hardest climb of the whole race, of all places.

Keep an eye on these dots!

![Enjoying the view](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1RzzYY9RMTtgjkEsiPRSlX/745e33f5edc2edd1d827d0d97b591023/_DSC8140.JPG)

Photos: [Mateusz Birecki](https://birecki.photos), [Małgorzata Michalik](https://www.biteofme.com/) and [Adrian Crapciu](http://adriancrapciu.com/)

Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

It’s been such an eventful day, I'm not even sure where to begin!

### Stories of the day
So, let's start at the back. I’m very happy to report that all remaining riders made it to CP1 before the afternoon cut-off. A special shout goes to pair 120, [Magda Hasiak](https://www.instagram.com/whenyouarehappy_/) and [Marcel Gawron](https://www.instagram.com/poltugalczyk/), who timed their arrival just about perfectly. 

![Happy faces at CP1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4ZLgUrLbW0K2PsE820vHIh/d0ae43b595e5d81f0195bfa398f19052/DSC02028.JPG)
Make sure to follow these two on Instagram, they seem to be having a lot of fun out there.

Cap 20 Joseph Dorsett was peacefully sleeping in the woods when he was woken up by a wild boar. Meanwhile, cap 87 [Andrew Philipps](https://www.instagram.com/thenight_train/) faced a lot of adversity in the form of saddle sores and a broken chain, but never lost his humour and isn't that what really counts?

![There is hope.](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2DWdgiRidj98Olau3zL5GY/8c824e62164496d5d80f367bffbb4518/nivea.png)
Source: [Andrew Philipps](https://www.instagram.com/thenight_train/)

Philipp Hanneck and Arno Burgi are still competing in the puncture department. While Arno was leading 8:5 last night, Philipp managed to pick up ten (!) more snakebites along the way today. He is currently pacing in circles around Nowy Sącz, looking for some fresh tubes.

![Give the man some tubes already](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4K0NBKMJVAVZrvKeGsueub/6416793dc0cf1717bec746c5e4830559/Philipp.png)
Source: followmychallenge.com

I didn’t hear anything from Arno today, but judging by his progress, he’s just fine and happy for Philipp to take the lead in that particular competition.

### Pave your own path
A great source of entertainment are the creative route choices by some riders. I do realize it's easy for me to be amused from the comfort of my desk, but see for yourself.

![The caption does it for me.](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3Ny0YFHtbkbLjHOi9E2scJ/ca5237e8bf33221b1524f54ca7b3b290/sudokistrouting.png)
Source: [@sudokist](https://www.instagram.com/sudokist/)

!["I chose a terrible shortcut"](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2KZ8JnWdL7zHE9zOjPs01M/960d17904662e60b102dbf5df79ccb3c/klarmess_routing.png)
Source: [Marcel Łukasiewicz](https://www.instagram.com/klarmess/)

![Race through grass](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4clnWJrDD7fDpnr2lQGjDR/250415b85735697d850bed0a93460601/bikechitectrouting.png)
Source: [Tomek Zatorski](https://www.instagram.com/bikechitect/)

It happens to even the most experienced racers. That’s just the thing with shortcuts – sometimes they work and sometimes they go wrong.

![Gravel shortcut gone wrong](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7xicPVpAcry7sWpzaGTTAE/dfb561cad4b2babe08b86108ec4ceae3/ultratiggergravel.png)
Source: [Krystian Jakubek](https://www.instagram.com/ultratigger/)

### Party in the front
Meanwhile at the pointy end of the race, the pace is still blistering high. After his daring stunt taking a hiking trail down from CP2, Adam has increased his lead on a furiously chasing Björn Lenhard.

![Adam Bialek](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4ApR8pLCMgLHFaFkb8e39R/829fc817327510308a32a1f47854284d/matbir05-3483.jpg)

![Björn Lenhard](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4B56efB8UGy7b6hYe8YIQg/8a3bb6c4e6776ce295b7fecfefaa0045/ADR08256-01.jpeg)

A number of other riders followed in Adam’s footsteps and took the risky shortcut. Even though it includes some walking and even carrying the bike, for most it is still faster than riding around. “Until something bad happens” (quote Piko Pulawski). Poor Mariusz Cukierski found out the hard way. He somehow managed to break his shoe on that trail. 

![Collateral damage](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/dYRu3MsGGjmbUsiGInQ22/c6c32817b8283b8db088aebeca56b874/Mariusz_Cukierski_shoe.jpg)
Source: Mariusz Cukierski

After trying to fix it with duct tape and riding a lengthy detour to look for replacements, Mariusz eventually had to admit defeat when he realized his pedals were also broken. 

Most of the afternoon, the leaders were busy with tackling the spectacular and difficult CP3 parcours towards Čertovica, the highest paved pass of Slovakia. The 12 kilometer climb to the actual checkpoint is not the hardest part of this section – that would be the mandatory detour to the summit of Kráľova hoľa at 1,946 meters above sea level. The scenery in these mighty mountains is simply too hard for me to describe with words, so just look at these fantastic shots by race photographer Adrian Crapciu. 

![Stunning](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4ojtcYPysVeHbPB0X7cJPr/b34ec08cdf6d94babf051b3228debe2f/ADR08582-01.jpeg)

![...](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6U1RWH2jO37wlAhlakjyWT/bfb24fb2abf8928cf43017cc314055dd/ADR08235-01.jpeg)

![I can't even](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3PfRsNDzADboMYFPaRFAIi/ee4e21ea6404bbcf1c67d36ea1b102dc/ADR08414-01.jpeg)

It was here that Björn Lenhard announced his plan of robbing a certain fast food restaurant in Liptovský Mikuláš. They won’t know what hit them!

![Hungry work](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3MsZtOkwJdZbjE1zz20K2A/45fc01a19e86f048321df5d71b70d4bb/_DSC7553.JPG)

It’s hard to believe that some riders are already heading towards the Czech Republic and CP4. As the sun sets for a second time since the start, it’s possible that we already have a winner tomorrow. In any case, this race is far from over. Except for the unlucky ones.

### Scratch report
Several riders had to call it quits today.

- As mentioned above: Mariusz Cukierski, broken shoe and pedal.
- Cap 56 Grzegorz Kowal suffered from the cold temperatures in Poloniny National Park. He was not prepared to take that risk another time in the Tatras mountains.
- Cap 94, Łukasz Sieczkowski experienced problems with the achilles heel, understandable given the amount of steep climbing on this course.
- Cap 76, Bartek Wieczorek suffered the same fate as Łukasz.
- Cap 75, Peter Weiss. I couldn’t find out the reason, but most importantly, he is okay and on his way home.

Chapeau for all your efforts!

### Fuel
Finally, let’s talk about the topic that is constantly on every riders' mind. Food!

![Double helping for Fiona](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4nWw5p1CD00GPEQkI1XvDa/4a60b77daa03f5c330eb26c3922f8ce8/_DSC7772.JPG)

With the insane amounts of calories burned, food is just so very important. Without energy, the riders wouldn’t be able to turn the pedals. Some people go as far as saying that ultra races are really just eating competitions with a bit of pedalling in between. 

![The (in)famous 7 days "croissant"](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/67OntQlMksWQcBkQ1cCISz/183ccdf3ca4c8f11a8b2a3b6f844db7b/coffeeriderfood4.png)
Source: [@coffeerider.cc](https://www.instagram.com/coffeerider.cc/)

You really cannot be a picky eater and just have to make do with whatever you can get your hands on. Often the options are limited.

![Snacks!](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/LDcg3SxC5Akap7laC2Crj/7bd163d066329efd9a9e14e81c5c6afd/DSC01824.JPG)

Two-time RTPL finisher Tomas Dvorak knows this very well.

![Carb up](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2klGGwJsE4BdZZACHX8Qi/0442bb33554de88093de4cd08fe8bce8/todvorafood.png)
Source: [Tomas Dvorak](https://www.instagram.com/todvora/)

![Eat everything](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6lAk6qNlCA65TRBaRHPlp4/268162af45bea1bd134944f207c8c443/sudokistfood.png)
Source: [@sudokist](https://www.instagram.com/sudokist/)

![Sit-down meal](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3IrNUWclNAllAqKUPlmoez/3a92ff4369f9d2ce4306c3174d06bc4e/foodfoodfood.png)
Source: [@ketorider](https://www.instagram.com/ketorider/)

![Obligatory gas station hot dog](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/rmIVlNpO0yF00HjFVmf9m/9df074c537c61338cd18afc2f08592c2/gas_station_hot_dog.png)
Source: [@ketorider](https://www.instagram.com/ketorider/?hl=de)

And after all that food, don't forget to take a little nap.

![Zzz](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3uXaOAr60wqvUZBd8G3dPP/7380f9d01eaab05d288f3eff64d86b8a/coffeeridernap.png)
Source: [@coffeerider.cc](https://www.instagram.com/coffeerider.cc/)

Photos: [Małgorzata Michalik](https://www.biteofme.com/), [Mateusz Birecki](https://birecki.photos), [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/) and [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/)

Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)


Not much more than 24 hours have passed since the start in Krakow, but the stories from the road could already fill a book. No worries, I’ll try to keep this update relatively short. While most of us were sleeping, the dots moved further across Slovakia and Poland.

Fiona Kolbinger seems to have taken about four hours of rest at what might be a chapel or possibly a cemetery. We hope she got some sleep and wasn’t just patching tyres, like so many other people. As the sun rises over the Tatras mountains, she is now closely followed by Joanna Rumińska-Pietrzyk. Joanna rode all night and isn’t showing signs of stopping anytime soon.

![Fiona Kolbinger](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7L28sv1S692Ug3eKEM8YVY/7deaf1d3dee2afd9e902c24af2cff6f1/DSC07577.JPG)

![Joanna Rumińska-Pietrzyk](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2bdzMIx3RSoOAQPJp2KZnd/a148b23111cceebb3607bac2436ad63a/ADR07658-01.jpeg)

Cap 14 Alexander Bosch had some tracker issues yesterday, but is still going strong. He slept in a ditch just 10 kilometers before CP1 despite having booked a room there earlier. Somewhat traumatized from the gravel section, he wasn’t sure if there would be more treacherous roads ahead and decided to play it safe. Though some might argue with this definition of safe, considering the Národný park Poloniny is home to brown bears, lynxes and wolves.

![Watch out for lurking photographers, too](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/0mhQ9GrXayUxqY3OI9E2K/6b724fa0608b5c594bae42d51c30b835/ADR07837-01.jpeg)

Due to his eight punctures yesterday, Arno Burgi is out of spare tubes. His dynamo isn’t working either and the navigation device suffered due to the heavy rain. After checking in at CP1 he decided to sleep there until sunrise and is now hoping for a better day. Almost any day would be better than his first. Good luck Arno! 

![Dangerous wild life](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2crkzSJMFjA9QG5DlSz1UJ/1102ed6038aadfab95ec54fef235c3da/goats.png)
Source: [Ewa Modrakowska](https://www.instagram.com/odeszliodstolu/)

Punctures remain the theme of this ride. I woke up to the news of cap 49 Waldemar Kędyś scratching. He left his spare inner tubes in Krakow. The patches don’t work and after a full night of riding without sleep, he just can not work his way out of this. In the Slovakian mountains near CP1, you won’t find shops or services, not even mobile signal – nothing to help a desperate rider with mechanical problems.

![Planning the next steps](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7xxkoWcRUzM4bPQlaBHn2l/33cc4c755ec3a2cf445303843f121617/ADR07956-01.jpeg)

![Yep, definitely a theme](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1K0tm0dAFVjsFVREXwArbn/96ebb6180e19dffc39dca28055b2d14d/puncture_Anna_Malecka.png)
Source: [Anna Malecka](https://www.instagram.com/wspodnicynaszosie/)

The night at CP1 was relatively quiet. Between midnight and 4 in the morning, the volunteers even got some well deserved rest. It was cap 40 Wojciech Florek who started what promises to be a steady stream of riders arriving throughout the day. Many riders have the checkpoint firmly in their sights now. It closes at 4 pm this afternoon.

![Sleep everywhere](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3p5f9jb6gGpBXGw7iIFzh3/e0088823af9989d961f8624af2454adf/ADR07942-01.jpeg)

### Plot twist
Meanwhile, Adam Bialek reached Checkpoint 2 in the Beskid Sadecki. Once again, he was back on the road in no time. No wait, that’s not even a road! He decided to take the direct way from CP2 south towards the Slovakian border. This is basically a hiking trail. His progress immediately slowed to walking speed. In an interesting turn of events, his chaser Björn Lenhard decided to take the safer, but longer way, turning back at the top of mountain and riding around it. This looks to be a deciding moment at the front.

![Watching these dots](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/52i3HmODG0SDHU2Hm9jK5Z/370af2934ad5a8d6b65c45f6e5a099c2/DSC01787.JPG)

With Paul Niehoff, Krystian Jakubek, Martin Haubold and Mariusz Cukierski, the first chasing group is now firmly establishing.

After scrambling down the hiking trail, Adam seems to have found a good rideable surface and picked up speed. If this daring gamble pays off (and it looks like it will), he could open a huge gap right here. His next target is the longest parcours of the race leading up to CP3, including some very cruel climbs and – you might have guessed it – a “quite difficult” gravel section. Oh boy. Stay tuned.

![The chase is on](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/oMTPnwI5HLg01LRg6mbow/03cf5e7d8df41a2467223117277b2ad6/ADR06932-01.jpeg)

Photos: [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/) and [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/)

Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)


The sun has set on the first day of the Race through Poland. And what a day it has been. The whole field is relentlessly moving forward, despite all kinds of unexpected obstacles.

![A different kind of roadblock](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2L7dIWsnHDyISdHT5FFZTS/14de5bb3868db5c9ace407f6608069cd/road_block.png)
Source: [@madziastic](https://www.instagram.com/_madziastic_/)

The many different routing choices of the early hours seem to have converged into something of a steady stream. Martin Haubold had a rather lonely day on his unconventional northern route, but this choice of path clearly wasn’t a bad one, as he is now comfortably sitting in a top ten position. Comfortably sitting is quite important. 

![Wet roads](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7E5FOGG93Wd8L9dvZ6vqC6/f5b4926372c6ad02eca0d354852af6e2/DSC01275.JPG)

We expected rain and rain is what we got. Just an hour after the start, the heavens opened up. Luckily it didn’t last very long, but it was heavy enough to soak some unlucky riders that happened to be at the wrong place at the right time.

![Grim weather conditions](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4OFaBbSX9ueOVD22jpcQpB/54292790ea8476967beb2474344fab4b/DSC01289.JPG)

Before I get into more details, I have to address the mix-up of the day. Remember these cheesy movies where two strangers switch bodies magically? That’s kind of what happened here. This morning I wrongly accused cap 124 [Bartosz Kaczmarek](https://www.instagram.com/toszbar/) of leaving his pair partner behind, when in reality he was just riding with a fake identity. Bartosz and Björn Lenhard had picked up each other’s tracker at registration, which obviously led to plenty of confusion. Luckily the wizard at Follow My Challenge was able to rectify the situation and gave both riders their true identities back. And so they are happily riding ever after.

Not all stories have a happy ending though.

### Mishaps and mechanicals
Just before noon, reports of a first scratch came in. Cap 51 [Pavel Klinov](https://www.instagram.com/pavel.klinov/) clipped a curb between the bike path and the road, resulting in an unfortunate crash. Luckily, he reports “only missing some skin”, but his bike was badly damaged and rendered unrideable. Pavel is understandably frustrated, though I’m sure he will be back to ride another day. Heal up well!

Not long after that, cap 17 [Michał Czubkowski](https://www.instagram.com/czupki/)’s derailleur broke. He didn’t want to continue on a single gear and decided to scratch as well. In the course of the afternoon, cap 92 Frank Scholler was stopped by a mechanical problem, too.

On Instagram, pair 124 rider [Natalia Rudzka](https://www.instagram.com/farbenka95/) has been seen pedalling with only one leg.

![One leg](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7ooLiFpj6PEhBq7ZCFKvIo/aff9b9e9d22f241c83d9cc5e7dd00f06/onelegged.png)
Source: [@toszbar](https://www.instagram.com/toszbar/)

The caption of the post roughly translates to “Sometimes something stops working, but you have to keep on going.” I have no further information about that situation, but it's is definitely the right spirit. As of now, she is definitely still going strong and on course for CP1 together with her partner.

During a rainy patch, cap 38 [Felix Heine](https://www.instagram.com/felixheine/) crashed on the wet road and cracked his handlebar. That didn’t stop him though. He somehow managed to ride to Gorlice and bought a new handlebar. In the meantime, he has already passed CP1 and is nearing the end of the parcours. 

![Felix's broken handlebar](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6h9jiGQuc1vKHDlVsv9F12/90362adc24ef9e1d473b68042267833d/Felix_Heine_handlebar.jpg)
Source: Pawel Pulawski

Bartek Wieczorek is enjoying his route choices. Who says you have to stick to tarmac?

![Creative route choices](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4hdYUtH93HNuWrzQx0XF8B/4a3c68a6208a561525eb4f0e7db29d94/bartekwieczorek.png)
Source: [@bartekwieczorek](https://www.instagram.com/bartekwieczorek/)

### Checkpoint stories
Speaking of rough stuff: Nobody on this race will be able to avoid it, even with the best route planning. That is because Piko has made sure that all the riders experience some Slovakian gravel on the mandatory CP1 parcours. The very first kilometers on Slovakian ground are unpaved, and that’s a downhill stretch, meaning riders have to be especially careful. Fiona Kolbinger and Brendan Cassidy both suffered punctures here. Only Krystian Jakubek was reportedly enjoying this section, probably because he was able to gain at least two positions.

![Krystian at the start](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/325y0VKSxarPp4GdEs05AS/ee54b3555365fdd5f63d7667eb54c1d7/ADR06775-01.jpeg)

To make things worse, there’s another gravel section waiting for the riders on this parcours, just before Ruska Volova. Piko calls that one “quite tough”, which can only be an understatement. 

![Adam Bialek](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/qDZ6AcfhujEiPWZ35sfm4/e103a0d325b9cf480e2a69fc530304c5/DSC01493.JPG)

Escaping the gravel unscathed, Adam Bialek reached the checkpoint first, after 10 hours and 28 minutes of riding. Hot on his heels were Björn Lenhard and Paul Niehoff. Both arrived within 10 minutes of the leader. But Adam was already out the door again. Björn enjoyed a quick Kofola and left swiftly, to make the most of the remaining daylight. Paul Niehoff stayed just a little bit longer. It was his first stop since leaving Krakow.

![Björn Lenhard](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1LHhzf89GgSV9OaRtJGvS0/7da2545e2568fb6786e38aadc1984f5e/ADR07505-01.jpeg)

The leading pair at the checkpoint was the German team of Hannes Gruebner and Robert Huke, cap 119. They managed to stay in a positive mood and are going to take it easy on the gravel sections. Which if you ask me, is a very good idea.

Philipp Hanneck suffered no less than 5 punctures, all on that first gravel section down from Ruske Sedlo into Slovakia. 

![Philipp Hanneck](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5NHPZJghFM7OGbJdhNrVLQ/0ee0c94d7e8eac6490c26f7fc69ae0cb/Philipp_Hanneck.jpg)
Source: Pawel Pulawski

This is Philipp at CP1 applying his very last patch. This one just has to hold, as there are really no possibilities to find any spares in these remote mountains. I’d say he deserves some good luck now. Thumbs up for still smiling! Update: Philipp made it through the second gravel section and successfully completed the CP1 parcours!

The king of punctures though (surely that’s a title no one actually wants) is Arno Burgi with the count of 8. He had to stop about every two kilometers and said he never was that frustrated. I did meet the man on last year’s race and find it quite difficult to imagine him being frustrated at all, so that’s really saying something.

![Into the night](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/445OBEwjM2bO26SuCua2T7/d0a09b5c1c3472caae6ec071b1409627/ADR07889-01.jpeg)

As we get ready to sleep in our warm beds, many of the riders are not even thinking of stopping anytime soon. The night will surely hold some surprises. Adam Bialek and Björn Lenhard seem to be opening a bit of a gap to their chasers right now, but a lot can, and will, still happen. Paul Niehoff and Krystian Jakubek are not far behind them, so is the chasing bunch of about 10 more riders including the current top three female riders Fiona Kolbinger, Joanna Rumińska-Pietrzyk and Claudia Decker. More on that tomorrow. Have a good night everybody!

![Sleep everywhere](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7cOmKNAejfv3YGs6EYowO/b307186d43f178b2c694bb8d8d4ee8b0/DSC01723.JPG)

Photos: [Adrian Crapciu](https://www.instagram.com/adriancrapciu/) and [Tadek Ciechanowski](https://www.instagram.com/tadekciechanowski/)

Text: [Jesko von Werthern](https://www.instagram.com/jesko_werthern/)

Jesko von Werthern

Race Through Poland 2022 Tracking and Commentary

Race Through Poland 2022 Tracking

The fourth edition of Race Through Poland returns to crossing borders once again with the start and finish in Poland and the 4 checkpoints and parcours in Slovakia, Poland and Czech Republic.

Race Through Poland 2022

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Race Through Poland 2022

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