🇮🇹 Correction: Phantom Ferry

🇮🇹 The Race to the Ferry: Who Will Make It?

🇮🇹 Through Tuscany, White Gravel Roads, and Ferry Strategy

The Women’s Battle at the Front Is Getting Tense!

🇮🇹 Into Italy!

To post or not to post...

🇫🇷 Still Time: What Idle Time Tells Us

Women’s Race Update: CP2, Strategy, and Speed

🇫🇷 Speed vs Recovery: What the Data Says at 2,000 km

🇫🇷 Nicolas Chatelet Builds A Gap, Strasser Cuts In

Martin Moritz

Nicolas Chatelet

Victor Bosoni

Christoph Strasser

David Tschan

Justinas Leveika

Rudaz Manuel

Jocelyn Roth

Pawel Pulawski

Peter Kronberger

Samuele Tonello

Jana Kesenheimer

Christoph Pernsteiner

Markus Zimmermann

Riccardo Mosconi

Nicholas Hulse

Cynthia Carson

Steven Davis

Paul Niehoff

Henning Fach

Pablo Villar Arribi

Oliver Schumann

Florian Kraschitzer

Florian Moreau

Jakob Schultz

Ricard Sörman

Lael Wilcox

Danny Green

Julian Klose

Mark Kowalski

Mike Fawcett

Jackson Long

Nico Schleippmann

Ulf Bannick

Etienne Hamon

Alexis Arthaud

Sebi Lehmann

Jake Turner

Raymond Dulieu

Riccardo Kuhar

Cristian Batista

Ahmet Karaoğlan

Thomas Ceyrowsky

David Mixell

Calum Harrington-Vogt

Jaimi Wilson

Laurent Garbolino

Joost van Roosmalen

Anna Richter

Mathias Ulrich

Erik Price

Hallvard Kolltveit

Christoph Tapken

Sarah Bosslet

Esther Lloyd

David Sanchez

Omar Martinello

Edgar Haldimann

Juergen Eckmann

Francis Marielle

Pierre-Yves Robert

Michael Ganz

Geert Bonnema

Claude Binchet

Andrea De Gruttola

Michal Wolff

Gwennaël Maffei

Matthew Spooner

Valentin Godrie

Kristian Buljan

André Bachmann

Jacob Bysted

Lucas Strittmatter

Jonathan Good

Manuel Feldbaumer

Viggo Vea

Kazuhiro Eguchi

Joel Struchen

David Sjogren

Andrew Brunton

Guillaume Raulhac

Russell Kesley

Stephen Haines

Tarbo Fukazawa

David Audebrand

Grzegorz Oszast

Sofie Mangertseder

Christian Höra

Thomas Manke

Ciaran Codling

Antoine Cessac

Andras C. Dombi

Ella Brown

Alexander Stojkovic

Mikke Luostarinen

Bernhard Kämmerer

Guillaume Rouquette

Dragomir Titei

Bennie Black

Antoine Meunier

Matthew Garthwaite

Oliver Hayward

Julien Gravaud

Simon Taulelle

Falk Döring

Manuel Dixken

Rémi Mejean

Marguerite Muhlhaus

Christian Dupraz

Dina Byland

Juan Pedro Moreno

Salvador Palomo

James Vernon

Peter Murphy

Devin Solleveld

Jarco de Jong

Ben Wormald

Chris Hunt

Barbara Willener

Francis Codron

Ewa Krawiec

Petro Albota

Lora Patteeuw

Klaus Demeire

Roberto Rubio Montalvo

Oscar Arias

Marta Gryczko

Rafał Mianowski

Elisabeth Gardner

Mylene Vicente

Bastien Sentubery

Sladana Friedl

Raphael Karrer

Cindy Hertach

Mariana Pazos

G Towers

Tom Butcher

Claus Knorz

Katja Werner

Lili Delannoy

Clémence Vandergheynst

Jur de Koning

Andries Van Leeuwen

Lawrence Cairns-Smith

Rob Dalby

Claire Sharpe

Emily Lamson

Bradley Lamson

Control Car 1

Control Car 2

Quick update from out on a ride.

Victor is riding strong and it looks close, but my calculations have him just missing it.

Assuming riders need to arrive ~23:00 for the last ferry at 23:59, here is how it's shaping out:

__Martin Moritz:__ Must average 29km/h with no stops

__Victor Bosini:__ Must average 33.5km/h with no stops

The road is flat, the winds are favourable, and they may be able to board later than 23:00 with favourable terminal staff, so Victor is down but not out.

Both riders are going to have to keep their heads down if they're to have any hope of catching it.

__Written by:__ [Conor McKenzie](https://www.instagram.com/conormckenzie)

🇮🇹 Update on the Ferry Race

There appears to be condradicting information out there. On further research, most sources suggest there is __not__ a 13:00 ferry on Monday from Bari to Durrës. This means riders will have to wait a huge 23 hours for the next one.

If Martin Moritz catches the last ferry today, and no one else does, it's very unlikely anyone will be able to catch him before the finish line in Romania.

There is a ferry Brindisi to Vlora at 13:00 on Monday, however that is unlikely to save riders any time.

__Written by:__ [Conor McKenzie](https://www.instagram.com/conormckenzie)


With the front of the race now deep into southern Italy, the strategic focus has narrowed to one simple question: Will they make tonight’s ferry?

The 23:59 sailing from Bari to Durrës is the last viable option of the day. Miss it, and riders must wait until 13:00 on Monday. That’s a 13 hour penalty, more than enough to ruin a carefully managed race.

## The Route
From the end of Parcours 4 near Sulmona to Bari, riders will need to cover approximately 329 km with 757 m elevation gain. The terrain is rolling to relatively flat, heading over to the east coast and all the way down to the port city.

We can assume 23:00 is the arrival deadline, with riders needing time to find their way in, check-in, and a 'last boarding' time before departure.

Let's take a look at where riders stand. To be safe, anyone aiming for 23:00 should assume they need to ride at least 1 km/h faster than the raw numbers suggest – to account for resupplies, traffic etc – if they're going to make it on time.

## Where the Riders Stand

### Martin Moritz
__Current status:__ Almost finished Parcours 4

__Required average speed:__ 27.5 km/h (with no stops). Realistically needs to ride at 28.5–29 km/h moving speed

__Can he do it?__ If anyone can, it’s Martin. A GranGuanche veteran, he knows how to pace against a ferry deadline. Expect full gas all day and minimal stops. Still, it’s right on the edge.

__Verdict:__ Just possible – depends how fresh he is.

### Nicolas Chatelet & Victor Bosoni
__Current status:__ Just starting the 31.5 km Parcour 4

__Likely ready to begin Bari push:__ ~12:00 at the earliest

__Required average speed from 12:00:__ 29.5 km/h with no stops. Realistically need 30.5–31 km/h moving average

__Can they do it?__ Unlikely. That’s incredibly fast over 300+ km – even on a route this flat – especially after days of racing and with so much fatigue in the legs.

__Verdict:__ Unlikely, but not impossible. Expect 13:00 Monday ferry instead.

### Christoph Strasser
__Current status:__ ~65 km before the Parcour

__Earliest start of the Bari push:__ ~15:00

__Required speed:__ At 15:00 – 33.9 km/h non-stop, realistically 35+ km/h

__Can he do it?__ No. Christoph Strasser would have to come close to breaking his own 24 hour time-trial record all over again, on far from fresh legs. His attention already seems to have turned to the Monday 13:00 ferry.

__Verdict:__ Out of contention for today.

## What’s Likely to Happen?
Right now, the most likely result is that Martin will make the ferry, while Nicolas and Victor just miss out. If that happens – baring any catestrophic incidents – we can assume that Martin will win Transcontinental No11.

Nicolas, Victor, and Christoph will be hoping that doesn't happen and the race comes back together, putting the Top ~11 back into contention.

For Martin, it's worth emptying the tank and making sure he catches that ferry, since he'll have 9 hours to recover and a further 13 hours before the others arrive into Albania.

Christoph is likely already looking to Monday 13:00. He's slowed his effort, conserving his strength and hoping that no one else manages to catch the last ferry of the day. If he's right, he may be the best placed rider going into Albania for the final push.

## Too Much Recovery
For those who do make the ferry tonight, the 8–9 hour crossing offers something rare in this race: meaningful recovery. It’s just enough time to eat properly, stretch out, lie flat, and sleep deeply – without dropping too far out of rhythm. Riders will arrive in Albania tired, but still in motion.

But for those who miss it?

That’s not just a delay. It’s a physiological reset. Thirteen hours of waiting, on top of the ferry itself, is enough for your body to begin fully exiting “ultra mode” – the wired, fuel-burning, numb-legged state you need to keep going.

And once you step out of that mode, re-entering is brutal.

Muscles tighten. Mental sharpness dulls. The cumulative fatigue, which had been background noise, hits you like a freight train. Riders who miss tonight’s boat won’t just be behind – they’ll be restarting, in the deepest sense of the word.

This is why tonight matters.

The ferry doesn’t just carry you across the sea. It carries your momentum all the way to the finish line.

__Written by:__ [Conor McKenzie](https://www.instagram.com/conormckenzie/)

The race has pushed deep into Italy, with the front group of riders taking similar lines via Pisa and into the heart of Tuscany. The white roads are behind them now – but the real shakeup may only just be beginning.

### Martin Makes His Move
Martin Moritz pulled decisively ahead of Nicolas Chatelet, after the latter took a long seven-hour stop in Massa. That opened the door for Christoph Strasser to pass as well, with Victor Bosoni not far behind.

Martin was the first to reach Siena and Parcours 4 – the white gravel roads that echo the Strade Bianche – arriving at 10:00am. Strasser followed 50 minutes later, with Nicolas close behind, and Victor arriving 25 minutes after that.

### Gravel Shakeups and the Orange Jersey Race
On the road, Nicolas looked visibly worn and deflated, but still rode with grit. Both he and Victor overtook Strasser on the gravel – no surprise given Christoph’s well-known distaste for the rough surfaces.

But it was Victor who made the biggest statement.

He flew through Parcours 4, gaining a full 25 minutes on Strasser – who fell on the parcour – despite starting 25 minutes behind. With Parcours times contributing to the Orange Jersey competition (for the lowest combined parcours time), Victor looks to be racing with more than just GC in mind.

### Gaps Begin to Form
As of now, there’s an estimated 5-hour gap between Martin and Nicolas – a major split given that the two were riding almost side-by-side as recently as this morning. Whether Nicolas can claw that back depends not just on legs, but also on logistics.

### The Ferry Problem
All eyes are now on Bari – the only really viable option – and its four ferry departures to Durrës, Albania on Sunday:
- 13:00 (likely out of reach)
- 23:00
- 23:58
- 23:59

With journey times ranging from 8 to 9 hours, riders will be doing everything they can to make one of the three night sailings from Bari to Durrës on Sunday. Missing them isn’t just a small delay – it’s a potential race-destroyer.

David Tschan, sitting just off the back of the lead group, ran the maths: to make the last Sunday ferry, he’d have to ride 24 km/h for 40 hours straight – without stopping. He’s already ruled it out.

Miss those Sunday night crossings, and you’re waiting until 13:00 on Monday. This would give others chance to catch back up.

But further back in the field – especially in the women’s race, where gaps are tight – the stakes are even higher. Miss the 23:59 ferry on Monday, and you're stuck in Bari until 23:00 on Tuesday. A full 23-hour wait.

That kind of delay could undo days of careful, exhausting racing – all because of a missed cut-off by minutes.

To make this more clear: If, say, Jana manages to get the 23:59 ferry on Monday – while Cynthia and Lael miss out – that will likely spell the end of the race for first placed woman.

Oh the irony of a ferry potentially being what decides the result of an unsupported bicycle race.

__Written by:__ [Conor McKenzie](https://www.instagram.com/conormckenzie/)

Jana reached the town of Sestriere, just before the start of the parcours, at 22:51. Cynthia arrived at 2:37.

Jana, after a 5-hour sleep, hit the parcours at 4:15, and reached Col Basset by 5:06.
Cynthia got back on the road and started the parcours at 5:30, reaching the Col at 6:14. That means she was stopped for less than 3 hours.

At CP3, Jana arrived at 9:27, in 12th place overall.
Cynthia arrived at 10:49, currently in 17th.

So the question is - will that short sleep catch up with Cynthia?
Or has she done the maths and decided to push now to reach the earliest ferry, then rest there?
The tactic of going all in because you know rest is coming makes a lot of sense to me.
Let’s just hope the fatigue doesn’t hit her too soon, it's still a long way to the ferry. 

She’s been one to take more sleep so far, so this definitely feels like a shift in strategy.

Jana stays consistent, as always. She told me yesterday she’s stayed in Airbnbs each night, and that she’s stretched and had clean kit each day, which has made her more efficient during the day, and she’s experienced no pain or discomfort. She says, “The body is doing the thing and I’m grateful for that.”

I’m VERY curious to see what sleep strategies tonight will bring.

I'm Millie, and I'm bringing you updates from the Women's field throughout the Race. [@milliegibbons](https://www.instagram.com/milliegibbons/?hl=en)

All six lead riders have now entered Italy, with four having already passed Control Point 3 and completed Parcours 3 – a major milestone in this year’s edition.

At the front, it’s a familiar quartet: Nicolas Chatelet, Martin Moritz, Christoph Strasser and Victor Bosini, all through Control Point 3. David Tschan is currently riding the parcoura, while Justinas Leveika, who opted for a northern detour via Grenoble, is yet to reach its start – a gamble that appears to have cost him hours.

### Chasing Pack Forms
Justinas now finds himself leading a strong chasing group, including:

- Pawel Pulawski – a TCR veteran on his fifth edition, and a 2022 podium finisher

- Manuel Rudaz and Jocelyn Roth – both top-4 finishers at last year's Trans Pyrenees, TCR’s mountainous sister race

They may be behind, but these riders know how to pace deep into the race – and they've been riding a strong race. They're not out of it yet.

### Strategic Shifts in the Lead Group
Christoph made a move last night, cutting rest time and waking early to reel in Martin and Nicolas. It worked – briefly. But by this afternoon, he’d slipped again behind the front two, although still managing to edge ahead of Victor, who took a longer break last night.

We're seeing a strategic divergence: those riding hard and sleeping short, and those who’ve banked rest with the steep Tuscan terrain and the ferry to Albania still looming large.

### Route Choice: Hills or Highways?
The road from CP3 to Parcours 4 – the white gravel roads near Siena – offers two main options:

- Cutting south earlier, through the rugged hills inland from Genoa – shorter, but punchier, with a harsh elevation profile.

- Or continue eastwards on flatter roads toward Bologna, keeping the average speed before swinging south on faster terrain – a longer route which may pay dividends.

With wind levels currently low for the rest of today and through the night, the latter option could look mighty tempting.

This decision will shape their progress to Tuscany – and crucially, how they arrive at the next ferry terminal. Because from here on out, the ferry begins to matter.

### The Ferry to Albania – Hours That Could Decide the Race
We’re not quite at full ferry focus yet, but whoever makes the first crossing will have a colossal advantage.

With razor tight margins up to this point, that sort of difference could prove insurmountable. Closing it is nearly impossible on tired legs with 1,500 km still to go. It will make or break many riders' races.

What happens in the next 48 hours may decide who sails ahead – and who watches as the ferry disappears into the horizon, their hopes drifting with it.

---

We’re seeing new names in the mix, and signs of movement behind the front. Riders who’ve conserved energy are beginning to surface. Those who’ve ridden too hard, too soon, may begin to fade.

It's clear that the race is far from over. But it’s about to get a lot harder to come back.

__Written by:__ [Conor McKenzie](https://www.instagram.com/conormckenzie/)

*Image generated with AI to not implicate any specific riders*

Riders have been posting provisions ahead for collection throughout the race. This begs the question, is it within the rules? Will we hear from Lost Dot? 

Scenario 1: *Ah dang, I've broken my mech hanger for my niche bike, I'll make do and order one to a post office for two days from now*

Seems pretty straightforward and sensible, within the rules? 

Scenario 2: *I'll send key kit, nutrition and supplies to post offices along the route for collection throughout the race.*

Is this ok? Only Lost Dot can decide for their own race. We haven't heard from Lost Dot yet, we'd love to know how they will choose to deal with this scenario. However we have a few things to consider:

Like with all sports, as self-supported ultracycling becomes more mainstream we're going to see more and more riders pushing the spirit of the event for a win. Be it spending sponsor money to spend and hour sleeping in a hotel, sending care packages to multiple locations knowing you may not collect them all, having a team coordinating for you at home sorting out road closures and your night's stay.

All of these scenarios are real-life examples of the grey area being prodded and pushed. Some races have specific rules about these - earlier in the year a rider was DQed from a race after having a Virtual Basecamp at home sorting everything out for them. 

Do we want to see bikepacking becoming another sport of affluence, all about who can spend the most money and time on races? This makes it exciting, pushes the limits of human endurance as riders no longer need to worry about the minutia. Or, do we want to see a world where the rules put everyone on an even playing field, strip out the spending and see what the world throws at the riders?

We'll keep an eye out, but let us know what you think via our Instagram DMs or the info@dotwatcher.cc.

The Lost Dot rule:

*__Sending myself a package to a hotel__
In many unsupported races sending yourself an equipment drop is seen to be OK, but the condition is usually that you should only send it to an official post office. Sending a package to a hotel means you must have already pre-arranged accommodation, or at least an arrangement to pick it up, even if you weren't going to stay there. Forward booking of such services is generally frowned upon as, if a racer were to have an inexhaustible budget, then they could send many packages to many hotels and have the pick and choose of what they pick up. This would change the landscape of the challenge significantly and be the preserve of the very well financed. As we puts the accessibility of the race as one of its priorities it is important to us that there is not a means by which the race can become a war of resources. Also the Transcontinental/Trans Pyrenees is not the longest or remotest race out there, you should be able to find what you need most places. If you have a bespoke 'thingy-ma-bob' that needs special parts, maybe think about if you really need it or can you make do with what everyone else has access to. If you can't live without it, is the race really for you? Most bike related things are readily available until you leave Italy and sending packages to any places further East can be a bit hit and miss in terms of delivery and often incur large duties. Race organisers makes the judgement that shipping of supplies is not within the rules. Temporary storage or jettison of major equipment and supplies is also prohibited. Any exceptions to this are at the express permission of the race director.*

- Kitty

In TCR, speed alone doesn’t win. Sure, average moving speed matters – but what often separates the top riders from the rest is the time they spend not moving.

Every time you pull into a roadside patisserie or lay your head on a pillow. Every minute spent sorting your bags, hesitating over food, fixing a mechanical, changing socks, or just staring into space trying to remember what country you’re in – it all adds up. And that’s idle time.

At the sharp end of ultra-distance racing, success often comes down to who manages stoppage time best. And not necessarily who has the least of it.

### What’s Normal?
Looking at last year’s edition, most of the top riders finished with idle times between 13% and 20%. These are racers who, over the course of 8 to 11 days, spent anywhere from 30 to 50 hours off the bike.

A few outliers dipped as low as 11%, while others pushed up to 22–23% without losing too much ground.

And of course, idle time tends to increase as the race wears on. Fatigue creeps in. Stop durations grow. Focus slips. Experienced racers know this all too well – they front-load efficiency, banking time early before the mind and body start to wear down.

### What We’re Seeing in TCRNo.11
This year, the front of the race is showing two clear trends.

Most of the lead riders are pacing within that familiar zone: around 13–15% idle time after three days – solid numbers, especially if they can hold it.

But a few are trending well below that – most notably Martin Moritz, currently sitting at just 7% idle time. That’s hyper-efficient, but he may be burning matches too early.

If history is any guide, riders who open with ultra-low stoppage time tend to pay for it later – with longer breaks and slower average speeds. Some may be trying to hold out until the ferry to Albania, but we’re days away from that yet. If they don’t build in recovery soon, we might see those gaps start to close or extend the opposite way entirely.

### Idle Time Isn’t Just Stopping – It’s Strategy
This isn’t about never stopping. It’s about stopping with purpose. The best ultra racers don’t just move fast – they’re ruthless about what every minute off the bike is doing for them.

Fuel. Fix. Rest. Go again.

There’s no single strategy that works for everyone – it’s all about what your body, mind, and pacing can handle. Last year’s winner, Robin Gemperle, is very much a hare: he rides fast, rests well, and then rides fast again. His stop time was relatively high at 18%, but it let him recover and keep his speed high – and he still finished with almost a five-hour lead. It's a strategy that works for him, and he uses it to win.

Speed is flashy. But sometimes, the winner is the one who also closes their eyes the longest.

### So What Does This Mean?
Frankly, not much – yet. But it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Deficits need to be paid back eventually. If someone’s riding with barely any rest now, that bill will come due – whether in the Alps, the Tuscan Roads, or on some desolate Balkan climb.

And with such a long way still to go, the race remains wide open. What matters isn’t just who’s leading now – it’s who still has something left when the road turns steep, the heat cranks up, and the ferry to Albania is still a day too far.

Idle time isn’t the whole story. But it’s always part of the plot.

__Written by:__ [Conor McKenzie](https://www.instagram.com/conormckenzie/)

Jana is storming across France, she is somewhere near the middle now, close to Montpellier. She reached CP2 at 11 last night in 22nd place overall. 

Cynthia climbed the Aubisque last night as the sun was setting, but couldn’t find a hotel open on the Tourmalet, so had to backtrack to find somewhere to sleep.
Even though she set herself loads of alarms, she somehow managed to mute them all and overslept by an hour, but she’s staying positive. She’s making the most of the extra rest and says she feels incredible today. She climbed the Tourmalet as the sun was rising and said it was “really cool.” and rolled into CP2 at 8 this morning.
Cynthia’s happy to be in France, she reckons the food’s better here.

As for Lael, that eyebrow-raising route she took earlier?
Turned out to be nowhere near as wild as people thought. When people were questioning it, I had full faith she knew what she was doing, there’s a reason she holds the record for riding around the world!
She reached CP2 at 9:27.

Lael posted on Instagram saying “It’s going great”. She waited for a bakery to open and shared the morning with an older man, two German hikers, and a local woman - who she let go ahead of her in the queue, even though she’d been there first.

A good reminder to all of us: even in a race like this, it’s the human moments that matter most.

[Lael’s post](https://www.instagram.com/p/DMxQkQrAq8u/)

Although CP2 is a good gauge of race positions, it does cross a night - so a better indicator might actually be when riders entered the parcours. Thanks to Rob at Follow My Challenge for this one. 

![4db772a0-b9be-4182-be3b-913be09642a7](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3kT1CQ3Qr6h6tu7ULMQw0o/0ad3010b18ad18d00fa99d5cfbb60e67/4db772a0-b9be-4182-be3b-913be09642a7.JPG)

Inspired by Conor's speed vs strategy post - here’s a look at their moving speed and average speed:

Jana – moving: 18.9 km/h | average: 17.6 km/h

Cynthia – moving: 19.1 km/h | average: 16.4 km/h

Lael – moving: 20.9 km/h | average: 16.3 km/h

Jana although at the front, has the slowest moving speed. That tells us she’s stopping the least and riding efficiently. 

Cynthia’s moving speed is just slightly faster, but her lower average speed shows she’s taken more rest - which we know some was slightly unplanned. It will be interesting to see if that changes over the days if can wake up for her alarm.

Lael is moving the fastest on the bike, but with the lowest average. So it’s clear she’s taking more breaks which lines up with what we’ve seen - that she's making time to enjoy the small moments along the way.  Also in today’s post, she said this is the best she’s ever felt this far into a race - and that’s because she’s been sleeping a lot. 

This doesn’t take into account route choices, but it gives us a good glimpse into their different strategies. 

And some good news - Jaimi’s tracker is back on!
In fact, she now has two trackers, so we should be able to keep tabs on her properly now.
She arrived at CP2 at 11:50.

I'm Millie and I'm bringing you updates from the Women's field throughout the Race. [@milliegibbons](https://www.instagram.com/milliegibbons/?hl=en)

As the front of the race pushes through the 2,000 km mark, let's take a closer key metrics and what they reveal about the race dynamics.

High speed isn't everything. And longer stops doesn't necessarily mean falling behind.

Here’s what the data shows, and what it suggests about who’s over-performing, who’s efficiency-driven, and who might be leaving time on the table.

## Patient Predator: Christoph Strasser
Despite relatively long stops, [Christoph Strasser](https://www.instagram.com/straps_377) is over-performing his position.

His moving speed is very similar to Nicolas Chatelet’s, and higher than every other rider. The distance deficit he faces is not from riding speed – it’s from recovery time. In a race this long, this extra recovery could prove critical. He’s climbing fast and executing a smart risk/reward strategy.

__Possible strategy:__ Rest-heavy. Move fast.

## Most Efficient: Nicolas Chatelet
[Nicolas Chatelet](https://www.instagram.com/nicolas.chatelet) is combining top-tier riding speed with low downtime, which is why he has a full 100 km lead. He’s not riding dramatically faster than others – he’s just doing everything a bit quicker, all the time.

He took a long rest after CP1, although has since stopped very little. It appears he likes to build a cushion to the riders behind before stopping, so as to maintain a constant lead.

Will this low-downtime strategy last the test of time though, or will it come back to bite him later on?

__Possible strategy:__ Ride fast. Stop less. Hold the gap.

## Climbing With Heart: Victor Bosoni
[Victor Bosoni](https://www.instagram.com/victorbozo)’s stoppage time is almost identical to Nicolas Chatelet’s, yet he’s 100 km behind mostly due to a moving time that's 1km/h slower.

Is he riding closer to his limit, something which may help him down the road? Regardless, the underlying numbers suggest he’s delivering an excellent ride. If he can continue at this pace while others fade or take risks, he could gain ground.

Although there was been only one relevant Parcour so far, Victor is leading the Points Classification by an incredible 41 minutes – on a parcour that only took 294 minutes to complete. Is he just climbing extraordinarily fast – something that could serve him well as we get into the Alps – or has he got duel ambitions in mind?

__Possible strategy:__ Climb fast. Ride steady. Stop little.

## Powerful, But Near The Ceiling? Martin Moritz
[Martin Moritz](https://www.instagram.com/_martin.mo) looks outstanding – fast, low idle time, high mileage. But he’s losing time to Nicolas Chatelet. That suggests a potential pacing ceiling: he may be close to maxing out his current strategy, whereas others (like Strasser or Bosoni) have more left in the tank. He’s delivering consistency, but gains may get harder from here.

The data suggests a slow-down, but he could just be managing his effort better than Nicolas Chatalet. Time will tell.

__Possible strategy:__ Start fast and settle in.

## Fatigue Catching Up? Justinas Leveika
[Justinas Leveika](https://www.instagram.com/justin.and.bikes/) has a strong moving speed, but is suffering from significant stoppage time – and now finds himself at the back of this lead riders in both distance and average pace. Whether this is tactical pacing or fatigue catching up is unclear, but the data suggests he’s leaving a lot of time out on the road.

__Possible strategy:__ Ride to feel, don't chase arbitrary numbers. Experience will win out in the end.

## Split The Difference: David Tschan
[David Tschan](https://www.instagram.com/t_s_d) is the most "average" performer in this set – but that is far from being a criticism. He's consistent, effective, and steadily maintaining position.

His ride isn’t particularly flashy, but he’s not bleeding time either. If others falter, his steadiness could pay off. Afterall, there is a long way to go and we've only just got started.

__Possible strategy:__ No fireworks, just dogged determination and ruthless consistency. He's been here before, he knows what it takes.

---

This phase of the race is where efficiency and endurance wins out. The ones riding just under their limit may be the ones climbing into the lead.

__Written by:__ [Conor McKenzie](https://www.instagram.com/conormckenzie/)

Conor McKenzie

Millie Gibbons

Beccy Waters

Kitty Dennis

Amanda Wishart

Robin Gemperle

The eleventh edition of the race marks a new chapter in TCR history with five control points, an approximate 5,000km route and a new start location in Northern Spain. Lost Dot's 100 Women campaign has attracted a record 92 to the startline.

Transcontinental Race No11 2025 Tracking and Commentary

The eleventh edition of the race marks a new chapter in TCR history with five control points and parcours, a ~5,000km route and a new start location in North Spain. Lost Dot's 100Women campaign has attracted a record 79 to the startline.

Transcontinental Race No11 2025

DotWatcher.cc

Transcontinental Race No11 2025

Total Racers

Distance — Elevation

Website

Last Year's Male Winner

Last Year's Female Winner

Covered By:

Leaderboard

Solo

Pair

Events Feed