Lucas Becker

Fynn Graf

Laurens Van Gucht

Rafael Wyss

Manuel Rudaz

Samuel Thompson

Jens Volkersdorfer

Jamie Lowden

Victor Eklund

Charlie McFadzean

Philipp Baumann

Riccardo Kuhar

Alex McCormack

Florian Klein

Tom Fitton

Robert Reinecke

Andrew Brunton

Mike Smith

Thomas Jacquelinet

Josh Murphy

Nicolas Emmenegger

Julien Gravaud

Markus Kraft

Millie Gibbons

Gendron Florent

Valentin Robe

Molly Weaver

Marco Hoeksema

Rob Gardiner

Wim Verheyen

Ruben Platte

Jesse Roels

Kaspars Paulins

Calum Fisher

Florent De Boisvilliers

Simon Goddard

Alex Creak

Joost Klarenbeek

Josep Maria Cabanas Coma

Ben Chuilon

Keven-Matthew Larrivee-Fontaine

Rob Hyde

Allison Felley Jacquemont

Adrian Lai

James Page

Tim Zimmer

Paul Nelson

Russell Kesley

Tobias Johansson

Joe Le Sage

Wojciech Florek

Oliver Ball

Christian van Rens

Adam Bialek

Nahuel Passerat

Nicolas Julien

Niall Deans

David Sealey

Caroline Buckland

Jon Regler

Daniel Hesse

Ayoub Sahli

Richard Sidney

Micha Mayer

Stephane Legras

Christian Müller

Jacob Fahrenkrug

Sam Doody

Oscar Shortt

Mark Agar

Kirsten Cluley

Francois Lugand

Samuel Rosport

Patrick Peritz

Andrea Della Rosa

Ragnar Wirths

Sebastien Jacquemont

Bjorn Devogelaere

Koen de Weerdt

Ben Milpas

Frédéric Rudant

Matthew Saitch

Richard Guinness

Laurent Tual

Vincent Gauvin

Juan Miri

Sara Symington

Jean Guihéneuf

Dean Ansell

Moustafa Fawzy

Nikki Ray

Bastian Zwack

Chris Jagau

Jenny Newbery

Andrew Garrison

Mikhail Kamentsev

Niall Cooling

Joel Mackay

Vaughan Allison

William Parker

Tristan Janmart

Clement Janmart

Julian Catherine

Tristan Beaufils

Jasper Veeckman

Noortje Hagemeijer

Frank Peters

Julia Altrup

Mike Sheldrake

Frederic De Pizzol

Sophia Attwood Apperley

Sergey Shulubin

Mike and Frédéric reached Saint Jean de Luz today at approximately 19:00 and 19:20 respectively, both completing the course in full (all CPs and all parcours) after 10 days in the saddle. Solo. Unsupported. 

Congratulations to both, and to all who started this race. It was a joy to follow your dots, and a privilege to provide this commentary. 

With that, I’ll leave you with this beauty - 
![IMG 2976](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6SoDtYxPCztjugR0JBdWDc/7708db14ec2781e11fe9230197db51d8/IMG_2976.jpeg) 
*Credit: Josh Murphy - @joshfmurphy*


C’est tout.

With the Finishers’ Party marking the end of this year’s TPR, there’s still heat in the embers of the race. Mike Sheldrake, Frédéric Rudant, and Laurence Snowden are all on the final parcours - Mike  posting today that he’s “really enjoying the steady ride to last place”. 

He’ll need to squeeze the brakes harder, as he’s currently third from last.
![IMG 2940](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/33ZKZmpvVUiFa6phY5Ok6q/dcd3e3fc0c6c040dad2a4c167a15a17d/IMG_2940.jpeg)*Photo credit: Mike Sheldrake*

![IMG 2939](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/72w8Tbowad0df1OHIOk0BC/05dbdd66a3571d1ed1646a98cfd774f6/IMG_2939.jpeg)
*Frédéric Rudant. Photo credit: Tomás Montes - @arrieredupeloton - Lost Dot media team*

Looking back, *- dotwatcher.cc contributor, TCR vet, and Further Pyrenees finisher -* Michal Serafin shares some observations as a volunteer at CP2 during this year’s TPR.

“Port de Rat - we saw some riders coming down from Andorra that way, with some arriving already during the night. First one to reach the CP via that route was Samuel Thompson who I missed as I went on a ride during my break.”

“It was *disappointing* not to see anyone taking the climb up Port de Rat on their way to Parcours 3 that day.”

“First one to mention going via that col was Allison (cap 136), she tackled it early AM on Sunday after some sleep in Auzat. We saw a couple or more heading up there on Sunday morning, with only one rider doing it twice to get down to CP2 and then going up via Andorra.”

![PHOTO-2023-10-07-04-19-57](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/oR23bZEGY9yYcWrrdEg4b/d5bf5f9fba88f40d74c0f425062b58ae/PHOTO-2023-10-07-04-19-57.jpeg)

![PHOTO-2023-10-07-04-19-59](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2Jm1lmPAYikcNHcgVxSKTb/ddb2a1e3fe7acb72d850065c20b32c1e/PHOTO-2023-10-07-04-19-59.jpeg)

“Top Jersey Award went to Manuel Rudaz. Upon arrival at CP2 he advised that his knee exploded and he switched from racing to touring mode. Clearly he did better touring than racing as we saw him arriving in a great position over all to the finish (5th place).”
![PHOTO-2023-10-07-04-33-04](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/XnrkLwo0teMcZRRA3Sn3r/38c0833ed38bcf5faa437076f2f793c7/PHOTO-2023-10-07-04-33-04.jpeg)

“Alex McCormack fuel: chocolate doughnuts and tortilla wraps. He arrived and said as he was not feeling well the entire day his race was over and it was all about surviving from that moment to the finish for him. Clearly that food must have helped!”
![PHOTO-2023-10-07-04-38-12](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/wVQYXm4kVzx02zhV0dn9k/770fed2e55d395e72493cfdaf6a3834b/PHOTO-2023-10-07-04-38-12.jpeg)

Video compilation
![CP2](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/21WDkTiyEh7jF3cqQKvOtH/95c443fce1e8817936a64911b216176a/TPRNo3_CP2.mp4)
- “Millie and Molly were really entertaining with Millie taking some time to engage with the film crew and analysing her position in the lead - at first not believing it, and then realising that she was going to race from that moment for the 1st woman spot at the finish. Molly was full of beans and displayed her strong theatrical skills about the hike-a-bike over the Bielsa tunnel.”
- "Hike-a-bike shoe classic."
- “Shermer’s Neck prevention hack by Sebastien, Allison’s husband. He went up Port de Rat following his wife on Sunday morning. He scratched later on in the race sadly, and we saw Allison arriving in Saint Jean de Luz. He was openly telling us that Allison is stronger in the race and on a bike, hence they race individually and not as a pair.”

“Pedaling à la Française - smoking is allowed among sportsmen here! *The Janmart twins.* As I crossed paths with Tristan for the third time - 2 prior instances at the Desertus Bikus - I have a collection of his smoking portraits in my library. One to continue as the cigarets in riders’ mouths are simply captivating for me since I moved to live in France. During my 15 years in the UK, I never saw a smoking cyclist!” 
![PHOTO-2023-10-07-04-42-34](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2wcnYH3vihZ5AQvZrpAHBo/f85cfa29ac9856adff73f562690cf989/PHOTO-2023-10-07-04-42-34.jpeg)

*Photos, videos, and words: Michal Serafin*

We’ll check-in again soon, within updates on the tenacious trio as they continue back to Saint Jean de Luz.

L’encore

With the Finishers’ Party now underway, a quick update on some of today’s events.

The Janmart twins win the pairs category, finishing with flares and flair, as they powerslide to a halt to family, friends, and newfound fans.

![IMG 2913](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4naVbVAHF6UIcOgvWQHOeu/103850f26f36794084b11a2796c79dd2/IMG_2913.jpeg)
*Photo credit: Robin Caturla*

Allison Felley Jacquemont finished in third place in the women’s category, completing the race in just under seven and a half days. She’s well acquainted with the podium this year, as the 2nd solo female to finish the Atlas Mountain Race in February.  

![IMG 2917](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5C3ckGbnxb4Z0kVy3PVIle/cc94f4e2f9a0ff4b4a7e2b6ac2608b58/IMG_2917.jpeg)
*Photo credit: unknown - Lost Dot media team / Instagram @transpyrenees*

Tim Zimmer, Paul Nelson, Adrian Lai and James Page are the final riders who appear to have ridden all parcours in full, and reached all control points in time, thereby, remaining eligible for General Classification - their rides perfectly paced for the Finishers’ Party. Looking back over the timings, at first glance, Tim appears to have missed the cut-off for CP3 having arrived after midnight on 2nd October. However, the riders set off from the start in waves - Tim in wave 5, departing 25 minutes after the first wave. Taking this into account, he appears to have reached CP3 with 9 minutes to spare!

The current, provisional standings are -

![IMG 2916](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2J4MHJAYVQkcsk0Pb23NN8/63ab7a23ced2f65ed1d44b739fdd908f/IMG_2916.jpeg)
*https://transpyrenees.cc/ - Race Buddy*

10 riders remain on the final parcours, with most on track to finish during the weekend. 

Sergey Shulubin is amongst them. His day:

- 2:40am - Col du Tourmalet
- 8:00am - Col du Soulor
- 9:00am - Col d’Aubisque
- 11:40am - Col du Porteigt
- 12:10pm - Col de Marie-Blanque 
- 5:00pm - Col de Labays
- 5:30pm - Col du Soudet

That’s 15 hours. 7 cols. 2 gears. 1 Sergey.

![IMG 2918](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/47MLl0UuaZ0g2qx0jwpzJf/45dc52cc36a84cb8b5e0353435ca19e3/IMG_2918.jpeg)
*Photo credit: Michal Serafin*

As the race draws to a close, the journey continues.

Day 8

Another fine day in the Pyrenees. First up: Millie Gibbons held her lead as she and Molly Weaver raced through the night. Molly closed the gap to within 20km in the early hours of Thursday, but with neither rider relenting, Millie ultimately went on to become the winner of the women’s category, finishing in 24th position overall after 6 days, 12 hours, and 50 minutes.

![IMG 2894](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7jo3dwWb7JpnpzNvraImFJ/b953345d50ab94630658b998e4e5c893/IMG_2894.jpeg)
*Photo credit: Charlotte Gamos / Lost Dot media team*

![IMG 2895](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5ATz0me8HqaBzbY2f9Cqwi/2add3c7dce75e15713d52452dab6daf1/IMG_2895.jpeg)
*Molly Weaver. Photo Credit: Tomás Montes - @arrieredupeloton*

Over the course of the day, 18 riders arrived back to the sunny shores of Saint Jean de Luz, shaping the leader board as follows - 

![IMG 2897](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/Q4WkP7Trog7SUoZQGjNdm/d7831488ee0d0fc6936651c18720a6e2/IMG_2897.jpeg)
*https://transpyrenees.cc/ / Race Buddy*

A scene from the finish. A heady mix of satisfaction, relief, exuberance, exhaustion, and creaky knees, synonymous with the completion of this type of endeavour.

![IMG 2889](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/46rjSpPLYIsPWNBioYHk1K/a6b4ba4211bc639f2948ea6f9da3bc45/IMG_2889.jpeg)
*Photo credit: Mike Smith*

Meanwhile, to sum-up the field to date: of the 119 riders who started, 29 have finished, 53 have scratched, and most of the remaining 37 riders are dotted between the Col d’Aspin and the finish.

The Janmart twins are still in the race, and need to cover the remaining 160km within the next 23 hours order to win the pairs General Classification.

Paul Nelson is roughly 220km from the finish. With a daily average of just over 250km, a GC finish is within reach if he’s able to maintain that pace, to arrive at the Finishers’ Party before the time cut-off.

![IMG 2896](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3eG5F9NA9823AOpEmrLw8r/ed9a9a83cd074c49ec0a8f76e6961e16/IMG_2896.jpeg)
*Paul Nelson. Photo Credit: Tomás Montes - @arrieredupeloton - Lost Dot media team*

The race continues…


Day 7

7 hours after Lucas reached the finish, Fynn à fin, followed soon after by Nahuel.

Today saw the arrival of 7 riders:

- Lucas Becker 03:21
- Fynn Graf 10:18
- Nahuel Passerat 10:22 
- Laurens van Gucht 13:31
- Rafael Wyss 16:24
- Manuel Rudaz 19:54
- Samuel Thompson 22:26

Actually, we know of one more rider who arrived today. Adam Bialek got there before everyone else, albeit partly by train, to greet and congratulate Lucas. 

![IMG 2885](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/o980ykpTuYkEwSNSdLPYP/9359605628869d047d181e4ba791ad59/IMG_2885.jpeg)
*Image credit: Lost Dot media team - Instagram @transpyrenees*

Almost all the other riders on the road have passed the Costa Brava and are heading west. 

Paul Nelson, currently around 55th position, is almost half way into the return leg across the Pyrenees. While Paul is by no means the lantern rouge, he seems to be the last rider who remains eligible for General Classification, having reached all of the control points before the time cut-offs, and having completed all of the parcours in full. According to the tracker data, he reached CP2 1 hour before the cut-off, CP3 2 hours before the cut-off, and CP5 30 minutes before the cut-off. So, for a GC finish, he needs to reach Saint Jean de Luz on Friday, before the end of the Finishers’ Party at 23:59 CEST. For some, the race has now become a time trial, with a 48 hour window to go the distance. 

Meanwhile, further ahead, Millie Gibbons continues to lead, and is approaching the Col du Soulor. It’s Tourmalet time for Molly Weaver, approx. 50km behind Millie. 

__GO TPR RiDeRs!__

![IMG 2884](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5zN0Y65BhehzW86oU5SmR8/f04d9380e67b7d1ff4186a8d17f61747/IMG_2884.jpeg)
*Photo credit: Molly Weaver*


Day 6

In the very early hours, Lucas rode into Saint Jean de Luz, reaching the finish after 4 days, 20 hours, and 51 minutes - winning this year’s race.

Fynn Graf is currently around 3 hours from the finish, and appears to be in 2nd place. However,  Nahuel Passerat’s tracker has not updated for the past 2 hours, so his position relative to Fynn’s is currently unknown. The exciting race to the finish continues.

*Photo credit: Tomás Montes / @arrieredupeloton - Lost Dot media team*

Lucas Becker wins TPR No3

![IMG 2871](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2voTY5A1ePj4HMGcquxRZi/067c46966915ecf2844037568cec82a7/IMG_2871.jpeg)
*Photo credit: Lucas Becker*

As I write this, Lucas continues to lead the race, with just under 100km remaining between him and the finish. Nahuel and Fynn are in pursuit roughly 60km behind him. Fynn is racing for a GC, and Nahuel is racing for beer at the beach - his sportsmanship, commitment, and mutual respect evident in the update from Lost Dot.

![IMG 2875](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2Sz2kiORiSbX7J5P5pjEWE/7cc4a2b00ea1716376b40069717dca98/IMG_2875.jpeg)
*Lost Dot media team*

A little farther behind, Laurens van Gucht is approaching the Col de Marie-Blanque. With a few more hours of racing to go for those at the front of the pack, there’s still opportunity for change in the rankings over night.

Unfortunately, after leading for much of the race, Adam scratched today after five days (and nights) of relentless racing. While there are few details, this happened late morning, soon after the suspected mechanical issues, when he travelled to Gare de Montréjeau-Gourdan-Polignan to board a train.

Millie has maintained her leading position throughout the day, and is currently ascending the Col d’Agnes on the parcours 6 (the final parcours). 5 hours separate her from Molly, currently at Transcon-sur-Ariège. Allison appears to be taking a break from the parcours this evening, with a small detour into Artigues.

![IMG 2874](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6Yut61IvHfu1R9ma0QEAEf/9cac37e48edd2f4dfebb55a8fc76bd71/IMG_2874.jpeg)
*Millie Gibbons. Photo credit: JP Robertson*

Meanwhile, Shell has been demonstrating his levitation skills.

![IMG 2873](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5egHjT28xYRmY016ejfnfd/f1367c3e487045a48bdaa8ec37aa10ac/IMG_2873.jpeg)
*Photo credit: Mike Sheldrake*

So, back to Lucas. If you’re wondering what he’s riding, take a look at DotWatcher.cc’s feature - [Bikes of the Trans Pyrenees Race 2023](https://dotwatcher.cc/feature/bikes-of-trans-pyrenees-race-2023 "Bikes of the Trans Pyrenees Race 2023")

Lucas modestly gives little away, describing his bike simply as a “Focus Izalco Max”. Judging by the photo, it’s the “8.7” model from 2020, with the stock Shimano 105 groupset replaced with SRAM Red mechanical, and the stock 105 hydraulic brakes replaced with Spyre callipers (also cable/mechanical). So, a simple, low weight, mechanical set-up, which is relatively easy to maintain and repair on the road, without the need for special tools. Seems to be serving him well.

![IMG 2876](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6nF2ypnTvL7CyDxViGqMc/452de9e2fad24a00be4a5d9febf28192/IMG_2876.webp)
*Photo credit: Lucas Becker*

Day 5 - home straight / straight home

As the morning breaks on day 5, Lucas Becker leads the race as he begins his ascent of the Tourmalet. Nahuel follows roughly 4 hours behind, winding his way up Col d’Aspin. 

Adam has dropped down to 5th place, possibly due to mechanical issues. His tracker positions this morning suggest that he may have paid a visit to a tiny bike shop on the banks of the Garonne, in Saint-Béat-Lez. 

![IMG 2863](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7m8wnd8OPH27SusbMFlfSq/28ab0660b8fa68946bf5dd431e21288a/IMG_2863.jpeg)

He’s now back on the road, chasing Fynn Graf and Laurens Van Gucht.

Millie Gibbons has cemented her lead, now around 2 hours ahead of Molly Weaver. Molly lost around 30 minutes to puncture repairs in the rock garden between CP5 and Py.

![IMG 2864](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3hQ1D2B1HDPWs1zZWKxVdS/bfeeebfbe6e97774b03cb7b5b320cc0b/IMG_2864.jpeg)*Photo credit: Molly Weaver*

09:00 local time marked the cutoff for CP5, with several riders pushing through night to get there in time. Daniel Hesse might have just made it …or perhaps just missed it by a few minutes. To be confirmed. 

The Janmarts, now the only pair left in the race, reached CP5 in the early hours.

![IMG 2856](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3vYqIUfP86kL7Qy3BL5ImK/730ed1bba0cc1b3cdf9dc0cc7c46a58e/IMG_2856.jpeg)
*Photo credit: Tristan Janmart*


Day 5 (morning)

__Starting with the positive news...__

Adam Bialek and Lucas Becker are still battling it out at the front, with Lucas currently in first place after closing in on Adam during the ascent of Col de Portet d’Aspet.

Millie Gibbons is also leading, and 30th overall. She’s currently on the off-road descent to Py, roughly four hours ahead of Molly and Alison, both of whom are at CP5. 

So far, most riders have opted for direct route between CP5 to Py, riding and hiking though the nature reserves which surround the Puig de la Collada Verde.  Thomas Jacquelinet, Florian Klein, and Gendon Florent opted for variants of the asphalt alternative taken by Adam yesterday, however, this option is proving to be around 90 minutes slower.

Those who have recently reached the end of the parcours 4 on the Costa Brava will be on the cusp of reaching CP5 before it closes. To remain within General Classification, they will need to continue through the night tonight, in order to meet tomorrow’s 09:00 cut-off.

![IMG 2848](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5IM9IV8qllyTTj0rNPQnOb/fea34c349fdff224c17b12ec9138877b/IMG_2848.jpeg)
*Photo credit: Christian van Rens*

__Now, the bad news...__

While some of the rules of the Transcontinental and Trans Pyrenees are a little ambiguous, this cannot be said for the first rule: *ride from start to finish via controls listed here* - as is common to most endurance races. 

Nahuel Passerat appears to have missed a turn on the final parcours - continuing on the D118 instead of turning left onto the D17 after Axat, thereby missing a 25km section of the parcours.

![IMG 2845](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5oufJEYL1btQgkP0TVgCdQ/49f6794593fdf1fe6b88c1799d30a894/IMG_2845.jpeg)
*Source: Google StreetView*

I think most, if not all, would perceive this to be a mistake, rather than a deliberate attempt to get an advantage over another rider. Perhaps a mistake in Nahuel’s GPX file. Perhaps an unfortunately timed GPS crash/freeze. Perhaps he simply missed the “turn left” cue from his GPS unit’s display, though this seems unlikely, as he would have had “off route” warnings for the next hour while he continued on the D17. 

However, irrespective of the cause, completion of each parcours in full is a key requirement for a General Classification finish. It pains me to write this, but given the precedent which has been set in previous editions of the race, Nahuel is unlikely to qualify for a GC finish unless he returns to the junction, and completes the section of parcours which he appears to have missed. 

A similar incident occurred in the first edition of this race, four years ago, when, upon reaching the finish, Samuel Thompson was informed that he’d not completed the final parcours in full. He rode back out to the parcours to correct the error. Upon returning to the finish for the second time, he was awarded 2nd place in the General Classification.  

It was/is permissible for Nahuel to back-track to the junction, to correct the situation. However, he continued to head west throughout the day, seemingly unaware. So, he is now more than 200km / 15 hours away from the missing section.

As it currently stands, Nahuel is in third place, giving it everything, but will not be eligible for a GC finish. TCR déjà vu?

Further - the trackers appear to show one of Lost Dot’s crew cars passing Nahuel around the time that Nahuel missed the turn. The car also missed the turn, but then U-turned a few minutes later, to head back to the parcours. 

![IMG 2846](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/uZZ89k2VJUvriDAWAKcKB/4ddc19fab5309dc33999636d0f48c8a0/IMG_2846.jpeg)

![IMG 2847](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4mq072OLufIkkNHWf6xpS6/a755e22e5c8592316ec3c6c074e87ec2/IMG_2847.jpeg)

An unfortunate coincidence at a critical moment in Nahuel’s race.


Day 4 - A Road Not Taken

As day 4 progresses, Adam, Lucas, and Nahuel continue to lead the race, however a quick glance at their dots on the map does not show the full picture.

Unfortunatly, Nahuel has missed a ~25km section of the final parcours. Presumably a simple routing error. 

![IMG 2836](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4nPR9txMuabKxog6Bple15/6011cebb63af21f73a0fd320443378bd/IMG_2836.png)

In order to qualify for a GC finish, Nahuel will need to return and complete the missing section. However, at the moment he's continuing west - adding distance to this apparent mistake.

News flash

David Sherrington

Trans Pyrenees Race Tracking: With 4 control points, two parcours and some set route, riders take on 1500km of the most spectacular and remote scenery in the Pyrenees from the Bay of Biscay to the Balearic Sea and back again.

Trans Pyrenees Race Tracking 2023

With four control points and two parcours, riders take on approximately 1,700km of the most spectacular and remote scenery in the Pyrenees from the Bay of Biscay on France's south west coast to the Balearic Sea on the south east and back again.


Trans Pyrenees Race 2023

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