The TransAtlanticWay 2018: In Pictures

That's a Wrap

The Race that Was: TransAtlantic Way 2018

Live Update: Day 8

TransAtlantic Way Race 2018: The Winners!

Day 6: Live Update from the ferry terminal in Kilimer

Bjorn's arrival

Björn To Win

The final straight

ICYMI: The Mike Hall KOM Challenge 

__TransAtlantic Way official race photographers Rich Marshall and Adrian Crapciu have taken the time to pick out some of their favourite images from this year's race. In no particular order, here is a taste of the TransAtlantic Way 2018...__

## Rich Marshall

[richmarshallphotography.com](http://www.richmarshallphotography.com/)

 ![TAW RMarshall1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5fJTJurvWEQKqO4wqmsiYc/7d2256e06a64097248d421a2260072c8/TAW_RMarshall1.jpg)

"Mamore Gap is an incredibly long, brutal road. I waited perched high on a rock. Persistence paid off when a rider emphasised the difficulty by zig-zagging from side to side. The race has many photogenic view points of dramatic roads, but this one stretches out to the Atlantic on an unforgettable hill climb."


 ![TAW RMarshall2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/27CRRuDSVGMUSqAeM2wmgE/201b2c0345b0fcebf3e86d5fae33a93c/TAW_RMarshall2.jpg)

"I had been chatting to Chris Herbert before he went inside this restroom to freshen up, change some clothes and fill his water bottles. I knew I'd have a good composition in a shot once he reappeared. As a photographer, you are constantly seeking moments where a rider is actually off the bike to reveal other aspects of the race. Chris was swiftly reorganising his kit, knowing the clock never stops ticking. Some riders set alarms to time their stops."

 

 ![TAW RMarshall3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/42Q5FWOETmOoaascQkY8AO/da374fe7c66d5800ce0132bcac15ba1d/TAW_RMarshall3.jpg)

"David Tomlinson arrived at the ferry crossing more visibly exhausted than anyone else I saw at any stage in the race. Capturing a rider's suffering reveals the extremes of endurance."

 

 ![TAW RMarshall4](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/63b2jrjIfm2eYgaU2QMSQ4/7e5bc691adebb9737f3e2bdafd633470/TAW_RMarshall4.jpg)

"Slea Head contains a stunning stretch of road that hugs the cliff edge. It was a calm, warm evening with a sunset approaching and the rider had a slight tail wind."



 ![TAW RMarshall5](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3axez6g4NyoG2yWiqgMC6g/4b8ffaa6e6518398fd05212b5db4fc43/TAW_RMarshall5.jpg)

"Isobel Filor was climbing the Ballaghbeama Gap in the torrential rain of Storm Hector. She saw our car, stopped beside us and simply laughed. It was a great moment to see her defiance in what could have been demoralising conditions for any rider."

## Adrian Crapciu
[adriancrapciu.com](http://adriancrapciu.com/)

"What images can tell the story of an ultra-endurance self-supported bicycle race? The key is to find images that provide a glimpse into the rider's experience. In many ways riding is the easy part of the race - whereas finding food or shelter, fixing mechanical problems seems to be the hardest part, but such pivotal moments are unpredictable and hard to find. It is relatively easy to find an interesting section of road or a particularly steep climb, but much more difficult to be there when the rider is fixing his bike or takes a power nap."

![5](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/14WyR2CTWQmMmO88eAu8I0/c0d6a74e61df3de666e0d6df7bf9800d/5.jpg)

![12](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3CAlADf2c0aeQcOCu48MYG/00468cb17960d2a3ac508c8ca0cc2ec7/12.jpg)

![2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2VQYPY9nwI6I2WYG8ymsAY/d2a006f3b5ca6c4e72d1f435d9ec112a/2.jpg)

![11](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2kSDaRvWJaySW6oycMK2KO/005aff58a508578085d0d54af9e7b356/11.jpg)

![6](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1vbXBkDp7acAeguwIUaIE8/786cb94901833a374651a7ecdb42bc57/6.jpg)
 

__As the last of the TransAtlantic Way Race riders edge closer to the finish line in Kinsale, we take a few minutes to look back at 11 days of racing that have provided an experience for riders and dotwatchers alike. __

The race got underway on Thursday 7th June, [with riders leaving in waves from the outskirts of Dublin](https://dotwatcher.cc/post/6gvahQesucmWWW6WyyaIA4?slug=live-from-the-start) to embark on the first leg of the race, a self-navigated stretch to checkpoint 1 in Derry.

It was Chris Herbert, a newbie to the ultra-racing scene but a very experienced audax rider, who was first to arrive, closely followed by 2017 winner Bjorn Lenhard, and 2016 winner Bernd Paul. [Most of the field arrived in quick succession over the course of the evening and early hours](https://dotwatcher.cc/post/oVWs3LL0FUKcAoiMaak0o?slug=live-from-cp1-at-peace-bridge%2C-derry), with most choosing to bivvy on the coast of Derry, and some hardened souls choosing to take advantage of [the 48-hour slot free from stoppage quotas](https://dotwatcher.cc/post/gdSIPjxbMcE4CyoKSQKCQ?slug=icymi-transatlantic-way-race-preview).

[[ continue ]]

In stark contrast to conditions of previous years, the race developed under skies of blue and amid fields of green, with Bjorn Lenhard moving into the race lead, and Karen Tostee - 3rd place finisher at last year's Transcontinental Race - at the head of the women's field in 10th overall. 

The first tests of [the Mike Hall KOM Challenge](https://dotwatcher.cc/post/2dfEwtnjNesq0qscUssYIs?slug=race-within-a-race-the-mike-hall-kom-challenge) came and went, and the social media updates from riders throughout the field provided a constant flavour of the sights and sounds of the road...

[[ instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjwguX6gaIt/" ]]

[Cracked frames dashed the chances of some](https://dotwatcher.cc/post/4lEiJQMYG4Wqe04W2kyciw?slug=dan-roughwithout-the-smooth), and for a moment it looked as though a wrong turn could spell the end for race leader Bjorn Lenhard, with the German heading north instead of south after emerging from Achill Island. 

![bjorn wrong turn](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2Hp7p0KdvaCYKuc0aEqIoI/06439d36c22e757149a2accdfa2dc573/bjorn_wrong_turn.gif)

It later materialised that he'd left his wallet somewhere though, and was merely returning to fetch it, before making a rapid comeback to arrive at Checkpoint 2 with Bernd Paul.

![20180609-TAW Race Day 3-0045](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6fhyRV8ldCA8oECkuwoQYU/29e7a518e73679fdc57af51170590eb9/20180609-TAW_Race_Day_3-0045.jpg)
*Photo: Rich Marshall*

[As this mini gallery from official race photographer Adrian Crapciu shows](https://dotwatcher.cc/post/6k9P55HlYsos22kQ2CcMey?slug=the-emerald-isle), the eternally beautiful nature of the Irish landscape provided a magical backdrop to the race as it progressed ever-further south. "It's a bike ride. However you dress it up, it's just fun to get on your bike and ride it, and be completely free," [racer Colin Woollard told the TAW media team](https://dotwatcher.cc/post/eEOxHvmMtqgYsEukwk0eq?slug=high-on-racing-life).

There was drama for women's leader Karen Tostee, with the Londoner receiving hospital treatment for (not a strained muscle, or DVT, as was first thought, but) a mosquito bite, and then suffering a snapped gear cable later the same night. But despite such setbacks, she still managed to retain her place in the top 10 as she neared ever-closer to the finish in Kinsale. 

Eventually, after 5 days, 3 hours, and 38 minutes, Bjorn Lenhard rolled home to successfully defend his crown as TAW winner. "I'm done," he said after [clambering off his bike and collapsing on the grass at the finish](https://dotwatcher.cc/post/4YPbCBMs0UKw4kSOMUooq8?slug=bjorns-arrival).

Bernd Paul arrived to take second just 3 hours later, before a battle for 3rd was won by Brendan Cassidy, ahead of Aidan Allcock, in the early hours that night. The top ten filled up fast the following day, with Karen Tostee taking the last spot in it, and with it the women's race. 

[[ tweet id="1006948719500120064" ]]

The early race leader, Chris Herbert, [gave us all an insight into just how much of a toll - on the mind and body - that riding such distances can have](https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj7MXb0hrM8/?taken-by=chrs_hrbrt), with his scratching, [just as the women's podium filled out](https://dotwatcher.cc/post/3TQ38yTudiIoy6ue4060ES?slug=cheers-to-the-womens-podium), with Jenny Tough in 2nd and Megan Pugh in 3rd, and Americans Matt Roy and Bradford Smith [winning the pairs competition](https://dotwatcher.cc/post/2Dp3B0JcVicacm2AekKsE2?slug=the-happy-couple). 

[[ tweet id="1008322355742019585" ]]

The majority of the field soon began to arrive, [and as cans of coke and chocolate bars were replaced with pints of Guinness and pub grub](https://www.instagram.com/p/BkGGwodhEJR/?tagged=taw2018), riders began to reflect on their rides. These were some of the hardest, fastest, most relenteless days they will have experienced - and for that very reason, also some of the most rewarding too. The TransAtlantic Way may be represented by four stamps on a bit of soggy, crumpled card, but the memories stamped into the pages of each rider's life will linger on...

...until the next one. 

[[ instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkKAXzahaEp/" ]]







We got an update from race organiser Adrian O'Sullivan in the early hours of Monday morning, 24 hours after the finisher's party, with news of Australian siblings, Lochie and Josh Kavanagh. 

Older brother Lochie is a veteran of the Indian Pacific Wheel Race in Australia, having ridden the race just 3 months after he started cycling, back in 2017. Fast forward 18 months, and younger brother Lochie followed suit by picking up a bike just a few weeks before the start of the TransAtlantic Way. 

Lochie finished a few days ago, but with Josh's tracker showing him to be inactive for a number of days, it was assumed he'd scratched. What good news then, to read this news from Adrian: 

*"Midnight here, and the Kavanghs have arrived. We finally found Josh, who’s been flying under the radar for half the race, and dropped him out a new tracker - along with his brother Lochie. Lochie looked after his brother and rode the last 400km back with him. Brotherly love. Is it within the rules ? Probably not. Is it a good thing to do. You decide."*

Brotherly Love 

There was plenty to celebrate at the TransAtlantic Way Race finishers' party last night, including this gem pointed out by women's winner Karen Tostee and the Adventure Syndicate.

[[ tweet id="1008322355742019585" ]]


Something To Celebrate

One of the riders in the TransAtlantic Way this year is a former world record holder - for being the fastest person to ride around the world (back in 2010).

For many people who take on these epic challenges, adapting to life after them can be a difficult experience, as Vin touches upon here, but it's great to see him in good spirits at the finish line in Kinsale, and getting back into his groove. 

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Catching up with Vin Cox

It's Saturday 16th June, and as such, the day of the TransAtlantic Way finisher's party. Riders have been arriving at the finish line in Kinsale all week, since the first - Bjorn Lenhard - rolled over in a time of 5 days, 3 hours, and 3 minutes. 

We're now 9 days into the race, and counting down the clock to the finisher's party this evening, which although isn't a hook from which success and failure at the race are hung, is nonetheless a big target for many. 

Lots of riders are safely home, and waiting to crack open a beer tonight (if they haven't already), but there are still lots more out on course too. Join us in wishing them well on the roads today, and help put the wind in their sails to arrive in time to join the party.

![Screen Shot 2018-06-16 at 08.42.59](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2w5eWW1Rh2kAcegosY6UoG/3490ba2082414ecafa32470116ea33e8/Screen_Shot_2018-06-16_at_08.42.59.png)

The Finisher's Party Awaits

Some news from Adrian O'Sullivan, the man behind the TransAtlantic Way Race, as he mans the finish line in Kinsale.

It appears that Lochie Kavanagh, who arrived in Kinsale a couple of hours ago, has pulled off a top bit of bodging. Can't make your internal cable routing work on the roadside? Simply craft an external cable stop from zip ties and hope. 

![Image from iOS (1)](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7GIrEh7zRSyAkMMoagUCwM/710778c3f89027bd3010185fb2796d92/Image_from_iOS__1_.jpg)

*"First of the hugely talented Australian Kavanagh brothers, Lochie. You need to be able to keep the wheels rolling with a gear cable rerouted from inside to outside. Chapeau, Lochie."* – Adrian o'Sullivan. Get more from Adrian and the TransAtlantic Way Race [on Twitter](https://twitter.com/TransAtlanticWa).

What's Going On Here Then?

Americans Matt Roy and Bradford Smith became the winners of the pairs competition during the night, arriving at the finish in the early hours with a completion time of 7 days, 15 hours, and 42 minutes. Photo: TAW.

![35375777 1709403565780690 843065753371410432 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7uMrFoBP684sWQM4uC2AGA/b167109ba122b8b98d4f223521807f8e/35375777_1709403565780690_843065753371410432_n.jpg)

There are now around 54 riders that have made it to the finish line, but if the bar is to be filled at the finisher's party tomorrow evening, there are still a lot of riders out on course that will need to keep their heads down.

The Happy Couple

__Karen Tostee, Jenny Tough, and Megan Pugh (L to R)__

The women's podium toasted completion of the 2018 TransAtlantic Way yesterday evening, after Jenny Tough and Megan Pugh (who, as the video below reveals, was also celebrating her birthday) joined winner Karen Tostee in Kinsale. 

Happy birthday, Meg, from everyone at DotWatcher, and congratulations both for such strong rides.

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Cheers to the Women's Podium!

The TransAtlanticWay Race is a 2500 km one stage, self-supported road bike race between Dublin and Cork - via The Wild Atlantic Way. With the pounding swell of the Atlantic as your constant companion, you follow the blue zig-zag signposts through seven of Ireland’s westernmost counties.

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