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

The third edition of Lost Dot’s Trans Pyrenees starts tomorrow (29th Sept) with the first wave of riders departing from San Jean de Luz at 6am local time. Having ridden the first edition of the race in 2019, I’ve been invited by dotwatcher.cc to provide commentary for this year’s race, so I’ll give it my best, with the help of experienced riders behind the scenes.

__First up: the route.__ 

The race is a ~1,700km loop from the Atlantic Coast to the Mediterranean and back, via the plains, foothills, and cols of the Pyrénées. This year, riders will start and finish at San Jean de Luz, with the turning point at Cap de Sant Sebastià. 

The eastbound journey is almost entirely free-route - each rider decides the route for themselves, albeit, they are required to pass through three mandatory control points (Ainsa, Auzat, and Baga), and complete three parcours: one at the start; Col de la Trava la Seu d’Urgell; and the Costa Brava. 

In contrast, the westbound journey (back to the start) is dominated by a 620km parcours which generally follows the Raid Pyrénéen. This encompasses, amongst many others, the Col de Marie-Blanque, Col d’Aspin, and the Tourmalet - all featured in this year’s Tour de France. 

While the overall routes of each rider will differ, the total ascent is estimated to be around 40,000m - similar to this years’ Transcontinental, but around half the distance and without any mandatory gravel/off-road parcours.  So, this race lends itself to fast, light road bikes without any need to compromise with regard to tyre choice.  The absence of gravel might seem at odds with Lost Dot’s normal recipe. A few days prior to the first edition of the race, the main gravel section was ditched in favour of a tarmac alternative. As it’s hunting season in the Pyrenees at this time of year, it was deemed inappropriate to have riders riding densely forested, off-road sections, owing to the risk of a rider being mistaken for wildlife, as they grunt their way through the terrain. Akin to last year's race, this year's edition is primarily on-road.

Full details of the parcours and control points are available in [Komoot](https://www.komoot.com/collection/1925696/-trans-pyrenees-race-no3-tprno3)

For those who have an urge to stray from the tarmac, there is scope to do so between CP1 and CP3, but time will tell whether this will serve any advantage, and to what extent anyone will opt for this.

__The rules.__

Without raking over old coals, those who followed this years’ Transcontinental Race (TCR) will no doubt be aware of the controversy surrounding suspected rule infringements, and how they were dealt with.

In case you missed it - Anatole Naimi finished in 3rd place, however the Race Director deemed that he had not met the requirements for General Classification, and as such Anatole’s achievements would be recorded only as a “finish”, with the official recognition for 3rd place going to the next rider. While this was not a disqualification, I think most could empathise that this would feel about as bad.

To try to make sense of it, I’ve viewed the statement from the Lost Dot, then the statement from Anatole, and thought about how this relates to the ethos of the race, as described by Mike Hall in his videos from 2016.

[Lost Dot's announcement](https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cvcrpn0oWWX/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)

[Anatole's statement](https://www.instagram.com/p/CvjvHBcsQMC/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)

[Race ethos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgvNQ97Zpfw)

Why does this matter? Well in the grand scheme of things, I suppose it doesn’t. However, in the context of the Trans Pyrenees Race, the 10 rules which apply to the TCR also apply to the TPR, so we can anticipate that the riders will face similar scrutiny.

On that note, with reference to rule no.5, kudos to anyone who manages to incorporate a Pyrenean ferry crossing into their route.

![IMG 2785](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1V944XC5L3MBjloQqnGtS4/08ef2edb0373ee630f163f4d8e218db8/IMG_2785.jpeg)

__The riders.__

Around 140 riders are taking part, some of whom I’ve have the pleasure of meeting and racing amongst. So, a few names to begin with, with more to follow as the race progresses.

Again, Anatole Naimi. 3rd across the finish line on this years’ TCR, and 2nd on last year’s Trans Iberica, Anatole was due to be racing the Trans Pyrenees paired with Nahuel Passerat, after having met each other during the Two Volcano Sprint in 2021. Unfortunately, news emerged this week via Anatole’s Instagram account that he has a broken foot, and he’ll not be starting. However, all is not lost. Nahuel will start, having transferred into the solo category. Nahuel is an endurance athlete, trail runner, and local to the Pyrenees. Wishing Anatole a speedy recovery, and Nahuel a successful race despite the change in circumstances.

The Janmart twins (Tristan & Clement). Tristan finished last year’s race, and is back for more - this time with his brother. I have it on good authority that these two will be strong contenders in the pairs category, and entertaining to match.

Thomas Jaquelinet also returns. Winner of the first edition of the race in 2019, and fresh from the inaugural editions of the Unknown Race and the Hellenic Mountain Race earlier this year.

Similarly, Samuel Thompson is back, having finished the 2019 race in 2nd place. Samuel is an experienced rider, with several single digit finishes, including 2nd in GBDuro 2022. Last year’s TPR unravelled after 500km, as described in his detailed blog post - [https://samuel88thompson.wixsite.com/mysite/post/tprno2-part-1](https://samuel88thompson.wixsite.com/mysite/post/tprno2-part-1 "Blog post - TPR No2 Part 1") 

Adam Bialek is also a strong rider with consistent results. 2nd in last year’s TCR, winner of last year’s Transpyrenees (Transibérica), twice winner of Race Through Poland and twice winner of the Three Peaks Bike Race. 

Caz Buckland’s 4th place in the 1,700km Trans Atlantic Way in June bodes well, particularly as this was her second ultra race - her first being Race Across Rwanda in February. 

Nikki Ray returns after a bout of Shermer’s neck curtailed her race last year. An unpleasant affliction at the best of times, but particularly terrifying on mountain descents in the dark. Before it took hold, Nikki’s race was going well.

Sophia Attwood Apperly has built-up considerable amount of touring experience across Europe, Morocco, India, and Northumberland. Never underestimate the tenacity of an Audaxer. 

Well, that’s just a small sample of the field for starters. More to follow as the race unfolds.


Race Preview

We're now around 4 hours into the race, after a moonlit start before sunrise. The weather has been much kinder to the riders this year, with clear skies and calm air in contrast to the drizzle and rain of the previous editions.

![IMG 2798](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5v8L3k2LZJ756SCtmJeinU/77b30e4a362d399c88df724da341a32b/IMG_2798.jpeg)

*Photo credit: Christian van Rens*

Now that the race is underway we can confirm 111 solo riders are on the road, together with 4 pairs.  

While it's far too early for the rider's positions to have any real meaning, the current front runners include Adam Bialek, Riccardo Kuhar, Rafael Wyss, followed by Molly Weaver as the leading woman, and Julian Catherine & Tristan Beaufils leading the pairs category. Those at the front are fast approaching the final col of the Start Parcours, which takes all riders via a 110km route from Saint Jean de Luz to Col d'Irau, with a cummulative 2,800m ascent to warm-up thier legs. Soon, the riders will diverge on their chosen routes towards the first control point at Ainsa.


They’re off!

After a hot day in those mountains, it's the end of day one for some, while others have opted to push on into the night. 

After completing the first parcours, snippets of each rider's strategies emerged as they made their own ways to CP1. A few riders opted for northern route travelling entirely on-road, but the majority of the field so far have opted for a southern route which necessitated various amounts of off-road and hike-a-bike, ultimately leading to convergence of the northern and southern routes at Jaca.

![IMG 2805](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2HB0pFDsfraEhGSeaLyV94/6af2a942684df623dddc825b956e2390/IMG_2805.jpeg)

Diving deeper into this, running some routes through Ride With GPS reveals that the length of both options was roughly 130km, however, the northern option featured an additional 1,100m of climbing. When route planning, the southern route appears to be the faster of the two options, albiet, as some of this is off-road, it carries  the risk of plotting a route via particularly difficult terrain or unrideable surfaces. As the northern route was entirely on-road it presented the less risky option of the two.  However, it transpired today that the additional climbing of the northern route outweighed the releatively short off-road sections of southern route. While riders' routes varied, in general, those who took the southern route were able to span the distance from the end of the parcours to Jaca around one hour faster than those who took the northern route. *Note, Jaca is not a control point, it's simply where riders' routes naturally converged.*

Northern route - 

![IMG 2803](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1T9YsEJBdvY5vfZNyRxLRT/8f3f2a5acfe0ed49822dad92ce4271c2/IMG_2803.png)

Southern route - 

![IMG 2802](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7HXhAUtPI5T1Q2WrX83BX8/3f49f7cf2c0da7414dda3df51a9109dd/IMG_2802.png)

Mike Sheldrake opted for the southern approach, and gives us a flavour of terrain which he negotiated along the way - 

![IMG 2806](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1fM4vm2wnOhFYtIZT3nyqa/2baf75c94d1664c48211fc012ee72ae3/IMG_2806.jpeg)

Laurens van Gucht was first to pass through CP1 at Aínsa, with Lucas Becker, Thomas Jacquelinet, and Adam Bialek hot on his wheels. Lucas Becker is no stranger to swift endurance racing, having won the Mittelgebirge Classique in 2022 and 2023, and has previously traversed the Pyrenees as part of a 2,800km tour around France. 

It's way past my bedtime, and Lucas, Adam, and Tom Fitton are still on the move while most others appear to stopped for some sleep. Tom has headed south, getting out of the mountains and into the flatter plains of Cataluña. He's the only one to do this so far, while others appear to be opting for more direct routes to CP2, the northernmost control point of this race. Looking forward to seeing how that approach works-out, and whether many others follow suit.


Day 1

Good morning and welcome to day two of the TPR, with a quick update on last night's activities. 

Continuing where I left with Tom Fiddon's route - Tom rode through the night, opting to travel via Balaguer, saving 1000m of climbing but adding 35km when compared to a more popular route taken by Laurens Van Gucht.

Tom and Laurens passed la Seu d'Urgell within 15 minutes of each other, Laurens having had the benefit of 4 - 5 hours' rest vs Tom's all nighter.

![IMG 2811](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/uEnCFPmpIyFslhI7vWZbw/1ad22882adda9a248bbb6836a9c48fdc/IMG_2811.jpeg)

Meanwhile, Adam Bialek leads the race, having reached CP2 about an hour ago and soon to be followed by Nahuel Passerat. This is despite Adam opting for a route from CP1 which was 80km longer and more than 2000m spikier than Nahuel's.

![IMG 2815](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4sjeFmscQVuYlPvzgXYTIL/c77e60a7d6a536b81bd2fbb108f60eba/IMG_2815.png)

Adam's route - 

![IMG 2816](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4jGIO7WTWTMgZETuyQhaZv/4c52da89afb23cc7e16f81a52edb8476/IMG_2816.png)

Nahuel's route - 

![IMG 2817](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4521NqtS6HikoOajaYjkNJ/554af44d11fd0705bb378f1ba27a8091/IMG_2817.jpeg)

As Adam's routing appears to have been entirely on-road, and given his speed, his set-up appears fast, light, and optimised for efficiency.

![IMG 2819](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/iPMMBauez9WopbHXQADqQ/782068438d104d5c1e0181e4239c8c6c/IMG_2819.jpeg)

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

In the women's category, the leaders have all opted for very different routes, making the identification of the leader a challenging task. Millie Gibbons is currrently 32nd overall, followed closely by Molly Weaver on the off-road ascent on Tuco d'Endure. However, Allison Felley Jacquemont has opted for alterntive route, which on the basis of riders ahead of her, appears to be the faster option. Nikki Ray and Sara Symington are taking more direct alternatives to CP2, which may turnout to be even faster. Sara's capitalising on 6 hours' rest at CP1, 3 breakfasts, and what looks to be a very light set-up.

![IMG 2818](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/39hKOc8EBafcknRVMVXCDp/f6d85828137341f5f2f5e919d3a40298/IMG_2818.jpeg)

*Photo credit: Sara Symington*


Sleepless in the saddle

The riders have been blessed with another fine day to race their bikes in the mountains. Autumnal sunshine, without the searing heat which has become synonymous with it’s sibling, the Transcontinental Race. 

Consequently, it has been another fast one. Adam Bialek remains the overall leader, having covered 940km in 32 hours, with only 2 hours stoppage. Tonight, sleep is allegedly on the cards.

Adam reached CP3 at 20:46 local time taking a primarily asphalt route. Lucas Becker followed just over 2 hours later via a similar but more direct route, which featured more rough stuff. Nahuel is currently 3rd, and appears to have stopped a short distance before CP3 - if correct, this will be his first *proper* rest since the start of the race. In contrast, Lucas might be in the strongest position of the thee, having covered the shortest distance and having accumulated 6 hours of stoppage along the way. It’s not immediately clear how much of this was rest, resupply, or other essential admin, but I suspect he’s had a semi-decent power nap as part of this. However, word from CP3 was that Adam was still looking fresh. I anticipate that the front runners take a longer break tonight, with some leap-frogging ensuing as a consequence.

As the riders’ routes converge at the CPs, we’re getting a much clearer picture of the current standings across the board. Millie Gibbons is currently the leading woman, with Molly Weaver and Allison Felley Jacquemont in close pursuit. All three are en route to parcours 3, opting for the route via Ax-les-Thermes, which is emerging as the popular choice.

Today revealed a wide variation of routes between CP1 and CP2. The organisers’ choice for the locations of these controls was fiendishly brilliant. It’s not simply a case of plotting A to B, and tweaking the line to quickly find the optimal balance of distance, vertical ascent, and road surface; as is so often the case. Heat maps on RWGPS and Strava show so many potential routes between these two points - many shortcuts over cols, and convoluted detours to avoid restricted tunnels. When planning their routes, riders would have needed to drill-down into the various alternatives, in order to discern whether or not a short cut is actually a false economy. Adam Bialek’s apparent strategy to opt for as much tarmac as possible appears to be paying off, despite paying for it with a route which was both longer and significantly hillier than many of the more “adventurous” shortcuts which connect CP1 to CP2. This strategy should put him in good stead for the 600km+ tarmac of final parcours, when the time comes.

Unfortunately, today saw the first scratches - Andy Booth, Juan Miri, Dean Ansell, and Sara Symington have retired from the race.

Tomorrow, a more in-depth review from me, including news on the pairs - which I’ve neglected so far. *Apologies for the brevity. I’m currently on a ferry, publishing this via a connection which evokes memories of dial-up.*


Day 2

Today marks the turning point for the front runners who reached parcours 4 which skirts the Mediterranean Sea along the Costa Brava.  Most riders rested in the early hours of Sunday morning, including the front runners who took between 2 - 4 hours.

Farther back, it was a race against the clock for other riders to reach Control Point 2 before its cut-off at mid-day today. Laurent Tual was the last rider to reach CP2 in time to remain within General Classification, with Sergey Shulubin also making it just in time despite riding fixed gear. Sergey has made great progress today, and is now a mere 45km from CP3.

__Current leaders__

Adam Bialek, Lucas Becker, and Nahuel Passerat continue to lead and have started the final parcours.  However, they have demonstrated two distinct routes from CP5 at La Preste to the start of the parcours at Py.

![IMG 2831](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7lQJeM4N0GY13BhSu7NDGK/e9a1b8fd5d10de1f72eb549559944526/IMG_2831.jpeg)

![IMG 2834](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2cUmjP1H0hT943RPsYH2ui/9c9c766541aecd91a61221f0877be3d9/IMG_2834.png)

Adam’s route: 120km, 1,360m ascent, entirely on-road, with re-supply opportunities within several towns en route. Time elapsed: 5 hours, 30 minutes.

![IMG 2832](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7dhwLushOd0LSO1cKc9e3o/cb4d0d3663497cdc7661201b980c33e3/IMG_2832.jpeg)

![IMG 2833](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7hSYB40hPUGQkafbqSZlY2/f381cf25dcfc07af90f25a427543b20e/IMG_2833.png)

Nahuel & Lucas’ route: 40km, 1,316m ascent, 56% off-road, no obvious re-supply opportunities. Time elapsed: 4 hours, 10 minutes.

This split in routes is likely to play-out over and over again as the rest of the field approaches CP5 during the next couple of days.

Millie Gibbons and Molly Weaver have been yo-yoing throughout the day, but Millie is currently in the lead and has taken a short detour into Girona on her way to the start of parcours 4.

__Scratches__

Solo riders Vincent Gauvin, Bastian Zwack, Chris Jagau, Jenny Newbury, Andrew Garrison, Joel Mackay, and Matthew Saitch scratched from the race today. Matthew appeared to be making good progress this morning as he travelled towards CP2, and ultimately reached it in time for General Classification. However, unfortunately he subsequently scratched later in the afternoon.

Pairs Jasper Veeckman & Noortje Hagemeijer, and Julia Altrup & Frank Peters have also scratched from the race, leaving only two pairs in contention for this category.

The Janmart twins are currently around 10km ahead of Julian Catherine & Tristan Beaufils - both pairs having reached CP3 this evening, well within the time limit. 

![IMG 2835](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4WcCuyRZBI8uPveN0cvQJE/8b801103e4c1ba06741e826aa62c48ee/IMG_2835.jpeg)
*Photo credit: Tristan Janmart*

__Big Brother is watching you.__

Thomas Jacquelinet’s Reel from yesterday shows the moment the barriers came down in the Tunnel du Puymorens, possibly in response to his (or another cyclist’s) presence near the entrance of the tunnel. *The tracker indicates that Thomas actually took a legal alternative to the tunnel.*

![IMG 2825](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4CI3XD5LKjsykChQ7Z30Dt/533565919677b3c110bc4361b4e01f55/IMG_2825.jpeg)
*Photo credit: Thomas Jacquelinet*

The many tunnels in this region, *some passable, others prohibited*, add an extra challenge during route planning. 

Behind the scenes, there is a team of Lost Dot volunteers which monitors the trackers. Each Race Monitor is assigned several riders to follow, and they regularly check for potential rule infringements and safety concerns. The riders may be unsupported, but they are never alone in this respect.


Day 3

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

__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 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)

![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

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

DotWatcher.cc

Trans Pyrenees Race 2023

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