The Bikes!

The countdown is on for the start of the fifth edition of the Three Peaks Bike Race! 
As before, it’ll be a self-planned route with mandatory parcours and checkpoints along the way. 

__The Route__

This year, the start of the race has remained unchanged from Schönbrunn Palace in the heart of Vienna, Austria. 

We’ll then be watching out for the route choices between:
Peak 1 – Tre Cime di Lavaredo // Passo Giau (Parcour)
![Tre Cime di Lavaredo](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4xKWHOmVrGeXMnHzpN9Glk/99099e002c4e49fe137bc5255ae71aca/Screenshot_2022-07-07_160922.png)

Peak 2 – Melchsee – Frutt // Tannalp
![Melchsee – Frutt](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5Cn6NcH3EaZwKcWCx2UpjT/0e3c3d559114e89aff3491ebdecd2fb6/frutt-family-lodge.jpg)

Peak 3 – Colle del Nivolet 
![Colle del Nivolet](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5wrs1k7AiV88PNAKubRWgp/7de56495129e0d3fb17db49eb197541d/Colle_del_Nivolet.jpg)

Finish parcour from Mt Ventoux to Nice
![mont ventoux](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/78UuCZEcfwRHOUxLzAk8ZA/cfadb736f259e89977497dd63b9da653/mont-ventoux.jpg)

Will riders go on some of the off-road short cuts? Will this impact any bike and rig choices? Will anyone opt for some hike-a-bike action? Or will the paved road be longer but quicker… From experience, this writer has had to hike up some steep sections of paved so will it make any difference? 

The scenery looks stunning along this route so hopefully the riders can enjoy it. As a proof of successful ride to and through the Checkpoints, the riders have to take a picture of their smiling faces indicating the summit of the pass; I hope we can share lots of them here too!

__The Riders__

It’s lovely to see some familiar faces on the start line, with many returning to the TPBR from previous editions. Notably, our second place (Bernhard Ritter) and third place (Carlos Mazón) riders from last year are back – hungry for more! We’ll be keenly watching their progress this year. 

We also have the first finishers of Race Round Rwanda 22 (Justinas Leveika) and the very recent first (Loic Marin-Lamellet)  and second (Axel Werner) finsihers for DEAD ENDS and cakes in our midst. We’ll also be keeping an eye on Danny Bellion (2nd in the Dales Divide).

This is set to be a race to remember and I look forward to sharing this with you! 


Race Preview

Ahead of tomorrow's start, spend a few minutes getting to know the riders' chosen bikes and browse their kit lists to explore how they've equipped themselves ahead of this European mountain adventure.

[Bikes of the Three Peaks Bike Race.](https://dotwatcher.cc/feature/bikes-of-tpbr-2022)

The bikes have been checked and the riders are ready!
![Race check in ](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2CS5kYkWbECacXIhO395pR/280f8886ad00fa67bd5319a853bfbe64/WhatsApp_Image_2022-07-09_at_7.51.49_AM.jpeg)

I feel like this is a much more civilised time to start a race than some other ultras! Will the daytime start encourage more to keep cycling through the night? 

The start will be staged from 11am - 12midday CET. The time the riders are setting off is included on the rider list, and so we should still be able to see how they are getting on vs the time started ok still. 

Looking at route options, I can see one main one leading to the first checkpoint. There may be some who choose to have some less climbing to CP1, but that would add 40km to the balance. 

The main route will also be going past the Austrian Grand Prix racetrack, with the race on today! Hopefully the riders don't get caught up in any additional traffic due to it. 

The hard work will really kick in once they reach the climb to Katschberg, probably aound the 330km mark. It's quite the climb with 5k at 12%! 

The climb up to Tre Cime di Lavardeo is also pretty brutal but not too long. It'll be interesting to see who gets to CP1 within 24 hours - they will have been flying!

******

8 hours into the race and the riders are speeding along! 

Justinas Leveika (cap 159) came flying out of the starting blocks and has gained some ground over the others. He posted some short updates himself, and appears to be loving it! 

It's great to see the pair Clément Clisson - Rémi Mejean (cap 21139) really holding their own as well. 

A special shout out has to be given to Guendalina Capone (cap 128) who has stormed along too, despite still recovering from the dreaded covid. Keep safe and look after yourself out there! 

It'll be interesting to see how the first night goes and how much everyone sleeps. 


Saturday 9th July

It's been less than 24 hours since the start and we have the top 10 to Checkpoint 1!

![Top 10 CP1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6gjd7t2PPiruHuJ1FJyyyJ/3e71e87dc81509bdc36ba9a8ad1b449f/Screenshot_2022-07-10_at_09.34.15.png)

And not to forget the sensational pair Clément Clisson - Rémi Mejean who got there in 20hr 12mins! 

What a brutal climb they had to make it up. From speaking to some of the riders, they are tired and it's been a tough ride, but all tend to be loving it! What a challenge. 

Here's our leader at the top!

![Leader ](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6rFesvANsHhBEzGpr5Iu0v/8dedcbe69604c42a1494278d02e66c93/IMG_3732.jpg)

Looking ahead to Checkpoint 2, we will encounter the first real route choice. Will the riders go shorter, with more climbing? 

Ferries aren’t allowed so they'll have to go around the lake. Once again, there is a very steep climb to the checkpoint!


Sunday 10th July

Another day, another checkpoint for our leader! What a ride Justinas is having, and he stills manages to look incredibly fresh and smiles away on his instagram video updates. 

We have a fair few riders in Switzerland now, and all have been incredible to get this far; riding throughout the night in many cases. One such rider is Marguerite Muhlhaus (174) and our first female rider to CP1. She has shared some bike trouble in this leg, but we hope that is now sorted and she can continue on the adventure!

Light also needs to be shone on the heroes still wending their way up to CP1. It's incredible the determination and grit they are all showing.

Lastly, it's always sad to see scratches, and we have had a few over the last day. The work involved to even get to the startline deserves so much recgonition and I know what a heavy decision it can be to take. We are sorry to see you stop, but always take care of yourself and have safe journeys home! 

Monday 11th July

What a day! The race leaders have made it to CP3 all with tales to tell. Justinas has warned others to not underestimate the hiking route, and shared that a bridge that would have made it marginally easier was no longer... more hike-a-bike had to follow! 

It's been great to see more and more riders make it up to CP2. Luisa Werner (167) was the first female rider to check it, but Marguerite Muhlhaus (174) is hot on her heels with only less than an hour and a half between them. That is shaping up to be quite the race! 

Unfortunately, we have seen some more scratches today which is tough when they have all been such heroes to make it as far as this! 

Tuesday 12th July

We are 5 days into the race and the fastest riders are on the home straight, riding along the final parcours! This is incredible to see; with Justinas reaching the top of Ventoux in under 100 hours.

So far the leaders have all stuck to a very similar route for this last leg - will any purists out there ascend Ventoux from Bedoin? I think they would have to be pretty crazy, but then whats a few extra km, when you are covering over 2100? 


Wednesday 13th July

126h31m later and our first rider, Justinas Leveika (cap 155) has crossed the finish line! What style he has completed this in - always smiling and happy to share his journey along the way! Chapeau!

![Winner TPBR 22](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7e4QV2e6yb80GinJKpXNt0/b89218375ce61e09b982366095564e82/WhatsApp_Image_2022-07-15_at_8.48.54_AM__1_.jpeg)

After the excitment of seeing Justinas finish, we then had the hotly contested 2nd and 3rd place finishers - huge congratulations to Bernhard Ritter (cap 51) who finished in 135h39m, maintaining his 2nd place from 2021, and Julien Roissard (cap 154) who completed the podium in 138h11m.

The scenery on the final parcours looks incredible; something to look forward to for those still going. Though maybe, more importantly, some downhill to the sea to finish! Or more importantly still, the finisher beer will be waiting! 
![TPBR 22 finisher beer](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3lsJIqLxKCFBLQbD53xf0A/50be946f4ce42b35cf2c5449d9921f9c/WhatsApp_Image_2022-07-15_at_8.48.54_AM.jpeg)

We look forward to welcoming the leader of the womens race tomorrow and seeing more people at the finish line!

As ever, it's sad to see more scratches today, especially when some have got so far. It goes to show just how brutal this race is but also how incredible it is to be a part of and the determination to get as far as they all did is incredible. 


Thursday 14th July

The first female rider is in! In just 154h13m, Luisa Werner crossed the finish line. She came in 7th in the overall solo rider leaderboard!  

And the first pair, Clément Clisson - Rémi Mejean (Cap 21139) have ridden an incredible ride too - finishing in 137hours. 

All riders have said just how hot the last couple of days have been; adding more difficulty to the ride. 


Friday 15th July

One for the grimpeurs. A free-route race between three notorious European climbs: Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Melchsee and Colle del Nivolet, featuring Mt Ventoux as the gateway to the final parcours and finish in Nice, France.

DotWatcher.cc

Three Peaks Bike Race

Distance — Elevation

Terrain

Last Year's Winner

Website

Key Events

Leaderboard

Events Feed