Cynthia vs Jana: The Battle Continues

🏆 Victor Bosoni Finishes First

Cynthia Takes The Lead 

🇷🇴 Survive to the line

🇷🇴 The Danube Drama Deepens

Jana and Cynthia - Just 1km Apart!

🇷🇴 Thought the ferry drama was over? Think again.

Could This Be a Record Year for Women in the Top 20?

Jana, Cynthia, and Lael Make the Ferry!

🇧🇬 Victor Enters Bulgaria as the Race Splinters Behind

Victor Bosoni

Martin Moritz

David Tschan

Rudaz Manuel

Christoph Strasser

Jocelyn Roth

Nicolas Chatelet

Justinas Leveika

Nicholas Hulse

Danny Green

Paul Niehoff

Jana Kesenheimer

Markus Zimmermann

Steven Davis

Cynthia Carson

Mark Kowalski

Samuele Tonello

Christoph Pernsteiner

Riccardo Mosconi

Lael Wilcox

Peter Kronberger

Henning Fach

Jackson Long

Nico Schleippmann

Ricard Sörman

Joost van Roosmalen

Etienne Hamon

Mike Fawcett

Riccardo Kuhar

Florian Kraschitzer

Ulf Bannick

Sebi Lehmann

Ahmet Karaoğlan

Alexis Arthaud

Julian Klose

Jake Turner

Jakob Schultz

Thomas Ceyrowsky

Florian Moreau

Calum Harrington-Vogt

Mathias Ulrich

Cristian Batista

Raymond Dulieu

Anna Richter

Jaimi Wilson

Omar Martinello

David Mixell

Erik Price

Oliver Schumann

Hallvard Kolltveit

Francis Marielle

Esther Lloyd

Sarah Bosslet

Geert Bonnema

Christoph Tapken

Kristian Buljan

David Sanchez

Laurent Garbolino

Juergen Eckmann

Pierre-Yves Robert

Claude Binchet

Andrea De Gruttola

Matthew Spooner

Michael Ganz

Michal Wolff

Sofie Mangertseder

Valentin Godrie

Bernhard Kämmerer

Andrew Brunton

Guillaume Rouquette

Guillaume Raulhac

Mark Courtier

Tarbo Fukazawa

Jessica Wood

Russell Kesley

Thomas Groenewegen

Jonathan Good

Andras C. Dombi

Ross Gray

Domas Dranginis

Riccardo Del Re

Allison Felley Jacquemont

Aleksei Konev

Dragomir Titei

Ekrem Ekicigil

Martin Zettel

Sarah Cinquini

Mikke Luostarinen

Mathias Gottet

Bennie Black

Joel Struchen

Ingvild Ødegaard Tangen

Edward Pini

Remy Verheyen

Kazuhiro Eguchi

Bram van Engelen

Viggo Vea

Naomi Mederlet

Christian Höra

Benjamin Kuehner

Matthew Garthwaite

Oliver Hayward

Marguerite Muhlhaus

Rémi Mejean

Simon Taulelle

Julien Gravaud

Manuel Dixken

Falk Döring

Christian Dupraz

Dina Byland

James Vernon

Peter Murphy

Ben Wormald

Chris Hunt

Francis Codron

Mariana Pazos

Ewa Krawiec

Petro Albota

Devin Solleveld

Jarco de Jong

Marta Gryczko

Rafał Mianowski

Klaus Demeire

Lora Patteeuw

Juan Pedro Moreno

Salvador Palomo

Barbara Willener

Roberto Rubio Montalvo

Oscar Arias

Mylene Vicente

Bastien Sentubery

Sladana Friedl

Raphael Karrer

Cindy Hertach

G Towers

Tom Butcher

Claus Knorz

Katja Werner

Lili Delannoy

Clémence Vandergheynst

Elisabeth Gardner

Jur de Koning

Andries Van Leeuwen

Lawrence Cairns-Smith

Rob Dalby

Claire Sharpe

Emily Lamson

Bradley Lamson

Control Car 1

Control Car 2

Control Car 3

Cynthia has been holding a consistent 20-minute lead on Jana today.
They’ve followed pretty much the same route. Theres been a fair amount of gravel, so it’s no surprise Cynthia has held her lead here.

I'm interested to see how much each of them sleep tonight...
Cynthia might need the rest, after her short sleep last night, but being in the lead could be all the motivation she needs to just keep pushing on.

Of the group of riders who got off the ferry, these women are ahead!
If this continues, we could have two women in the top 10!

__I wanted to share this story from [Steven Davis](https://www.instagram.com/chef_estebano/), who I've been in touch with here and there throughout the race, and who is currently riding in the Top 10 on the roads of Bulgaria.__

It's stories like these that give depth to the dots we see moving on the screen, and show that it's the experiences along the way that make ultra races so compelling to ride and follow.

---

Out on a remote plateau, Steven found himself in need of shelter. It was 2 AM, cold, dark, and empty. There was no accommodation. No options. Just the stillness of night and the grind of fatigue.

Then he spotted it: a digger parked at a construction site, claw dug into the earth. “Ah,” he thought, “I can lay there.”

He wrapped himself in his emergency blanket, put on all the warm clothes he had, and used a pair of bib shorts – freshly washed the day before – as a pillow. Makeshift, but it would do. He drifted off, exhausted.

Some time later, he was stirred from his sleep by the glare of a flashlight.

A man was approaching. Steven braced himself, still barely lucid.

"Security. Here.", the man said in broken english. Then, with remarkable tenderness, he bent down, gently lifted Steven – still wrapped up like a burrito in his emergency blanket – cradling him like a child, and slid a flattened cardboard box beneath him. Then he placed a thick, warm blanket over him.

And like that, Steven drifted back to sleep, not waking again again until around 5:20 AM, feeling surprisingly rested.

As he gathered his things, wandered into the woods to wee, and returned, the man came out of his camper once more – this time holding a small cup of thick, sweet coffee. Unsure exactly what he was drinking, in Steven’s words, “it was the best thing I’ve ever had in my life.”

They sat quietly under the pink hue of dawn, watching as the sun rose over the Balkan horizon.

Steven mentioned that it was his first time in Albania and North Macedonia. The man smiled, paused, and gently corrected him: “You mean… Macedonia.”

Often, in the middle of a brutal ultra-distance race, the moments that stay with you aren't the climbs or the stats or the views. It's the interactions with others, where humanity sneaks through the cracks, that you come away remembering most.

A digger. A blanket. A cardboard mat. A stranger's kindness. And a coffee that, for just a moment after a week and a half on the road, made everything feel warm again.

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

From Steven's Aerobars: A Stranger, a Blanket, and the Best Coffee in the World

After ten and a half days on the road, marked by bold moves, mechanical setbacks, and high-stakes ferry gambles, [Victor Bosoni](https://www.instagram.com/victorbozo/) is the first to reach the finish line in Constanța at Transcontinental Race No.11.

Barely 100km behind, [Martin Moritz](https://www.instagram.com/_martin.mo/) entered the Finish Parcours just a few hours after Victor and is almost certain to finish second – an extraordinary ride in its own right.

But the final move never came. After Victor missed yesterday's last ferry and was forced into a late-night wait at Călărași, the door was briefly open. Martin, deep into the red and riding on fumes, made the call not to push through the night. The fatigue was simply too much.

In the end, it was a race of decisions as much as legs, and Victor’s were just enough.

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

*Photo credit: [@jennifernguyen.p](https://www.instagram.com/jennifernguyen.p/) from Victor's win at Desertus Bikus earlier this year.*

Cynthia is currently leading by about 20k.

Although, Jana slept for 3 hours in a hotel last night and it looks like Cynthia stopped for just an hour at a petrol station at 7:30 this morning.

Will that lack of sleep catch up with her?
Or is she still riding the recovery from the ferry?

It looks like they are both taking the more southern route.

Lael told the TCR reporter that she is “back in the game" after a 5 hour sleep and is on the hunt to find more tubes to get her across the Balkans.

Jaimi Wilson and Anna Richter are off the ferry and into Albania.

As the final stretch of TCRNo11 awaits, Victor Bosoni still looks poised to take a hard-fought and well-earned win. But should Martin Moritz been push through tonight, we might wake up to a very different race.

Victor failed to reach the Călărași–Silistra ferry  on time for the 22;15 crossing, but with plenty of time for the 2:00. But instead of boarding, he stopped for a night of sleep. Whether by choice or circumstance, Victor likely will now wait until the 06:00 ferry to cross the Danube and re-enter Bulgaria.

That moment could have been an opening for Martin Moritz.

Martin, who had chased relentlessly for days, is just 100km behind Victor. He's expressed doubts about whether he could ride through the night – and perhaps, as he’s hinted, he hopes to see Victor win anyway. 

But the reality is that this is the narrowest of window. Victor is stationary, vulnerable, and within striking distance.

Should Martin push on, he may still catch him. Althouth that looks increasingly unlikely as his dot has faded snd the idle time ticks upward.

As I prepare to sleep, and as a neutral following the race, I hope to wake up in the morning to both riders level once again – a showdown for the win on the roads into Constanța.

Unfortunarely, it appears the gap is likely to remain. Victor will board the 06:00 ferry and set off toward the Black Sea with just 150km remaining.

After so long on the road – with both riders around the 4,700km mark – it's little wonder its ending with such fatigue and both riders just looking to survive their way to the finish.

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

Just when it seemed the Danube drama had reached its peak, the race has thrown up another twist.

Victor Bosoni, leader throughout this Balkans phase of the race, attempted to cross back into Bulgaria via the Friendship Bridge at Giurgiu – a move that was blocked. With the bridge crossing declared unsafe and illegal due to sheer drops, missing railings, and poor pedestrian access, Control Car 1 intercepted him. To his credit, Victor immediately turned back, rerouting along the north bank of the Danube in search of a legal crossing.

Having missed the final ferry from Călărași to Silistra at 22:15, Victor now waits, likely camped out until 02:00, for the first available crossing back into Bulgaria. It’s a nail-biting delay at the sharp end of the race – especially with Martin Moritz only 110km behind. If for whatever reason he's not able ti catch the 02:00 ferry, he will have to wait until 06:00, where he could find himself behind and sprinting for the line.

Martin, still on the south side of the Danube, is racing east to find his own path to the Finish Parcours. Although the ferry wait gives Victor some breathing room, the gap is shrinking fast.

## Further Back: Tactical Deadlock and Risky Border Moves
The battle behind the front two is no less dramatic.

There’s a tactical stalemate among Christoph Strasser, David Tschan, Manuel Rudaz, and Jocelyn Roth, all roughly similar distances from the finish line. The former two on the north side of the Danube, the latter two on the south side.

But another controversy has emerged: Nicolas Chatelet has crossed from Kosovo into Serbia – a move explicitly warned against in the Race Manual.

Serbia does not recognise the existence of Kosovo, and therefore doesn’t acknowledge Kosovan passport stamps. Riders entering Serbia via Kosovo risk being refused exit later – potentially getting stuck or penalised. It’s a high-stakes gamble from Nicolas, who appears to be too far behind the others to make it worthwhile.

## Balkan Roads Bite Hard
As if route choices weren’t enough, the Balkan backroads are exacting their own toll.

Reports of sidewall tears are widespread, with Lael Wilcox and Christoph Strasser both struggling to keep momentum. Huge, sharp rocks are shredding tyres and sapping morale. Riders have been relying on boot patches, tube hacks, and prayer – anything to hold the bike together across the Balkans.

---

Brains are fried, but this still remains a race of border logic, ferry timetables, and sheer resilience. The Danube might be the last great barrier, but with ferry crossings, banned bridges, and border tensions in play, the final stretch of TCRNo11 is shaping up to be just as exciting.

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

All three took the gravel route earlier today. 
Lael, having swapped to what look gravel tyres, still had to deal with a puncture, and now is riding with a tube in. What do we make of Laels new tyre choice?

![IMG 2615](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/y5ykuqDiNYiTSKJJSkJ5R/5f30c0193ff157c9598312cfafcb8491/IMG_2615.jpg)

Was this a needed switch or a tactical one to be more prepared for the off road section? 

I’ve had no update from either Jana or Cynthia today… which can only mean one thing: they are focused and rightly so

At the time of writing, they’re within 1 km of each other!

Cynthia and Lael seemed to get off the boat quite a bit after Jana - we assumed border control delays. But Cynthia’s made that gap back already, so I reckon that ferry sleep has properly recharged her batteries.

Is this where we see Jana lose the lead for the first time in the race?

![Screenshot 2025-08-06 at 22.23.18](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1pRnyDIOsb9gM8eWmNZX7K/bb2ee49fd6b307c150c75eca6b1414da/Screenshot_2025-08-06_at_22.23.18.png)


Victor Bosoni has met fresh challenges on the road, with an aborted attempt over the Bridge of Friendship in Giurgiu, Romania – trying to get back into Bulgaria across the Danube. Potentially by one-lane roadworks, he turned back, continuing instead along the wrong side of the Danube toward the Finish Parcours.

Meanwhile, Martin remains on the correct side, planning to navigating around banned roads and plotting a seemingly cleaner route to the finish.

The last ferry today from Călărași is at 22:15. Although the ferries are relitively regular, with the next at 02:00, meaning he won't need to wait long if he misses it and ruling out making any huge detours or looking for alternatives.

Martin will be making progress, but the gap still looks too great to close before the finish line.

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

The ferry has arrived in Albania!
That’s now 21 riders who’ve made the crossing, including our three leading women!

Thanks to more of Beccy’s stats:
Only five solo women have ever finished in the top 20 overall at TCR:
Jana Kesenheimer, Fiona Kolbinger (twice!), Amrei Kühne, Pippa Handley, and Juliana Buhring.

And only two women have ever made the top 10 - Fiona and Juliana.

TCRNo8 was the only year that more that two women made the top 20 together. 

Could this year not only be a record for women on the start line, but also the most women ever in the top 20 - or even the top 10?

It’s looking good for now, but anything can happen in the Balkans...

Jana was in her ferry cabin just after 19:00, with her “looooooooads of food.”

![a039fccc-bbe2-418e-9907-ae00280fa703](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7tHr7XeOjYKwFSxbg7JHgt/c4f8d69670eaa2657c9e52baf215be1b/a039fccc-bbe2-418e-9907-ae00280fa703.JPG)

Cynthia, who’s had even more tyre problems, seemed to be looking for something around Bari as she didn’t head straight to the ferry. No bike shops were open that late, so we’re all a bit intrigued about what she was after.

Lael made the ferry too after riding through the night and closing a 100k gap.

I wonder how it must feel…
For Jana, to see her lead disappear.
For Lael, to be right back in the mix.
And for Cynthia, she is probably just relieved to have made it without another puncture.

I’m sure all three are grateful for the forced rest and the chance to reset.

Will they spend the ferry crossing looking at trackers of those ahead and change their route choices?

Given Lael reccyd this section and with her setup I’m sure she’ll go for the gravel.
I’d usually expect Cynthia to do the same, but after all the tyre trouble, will she choose the safer road option instead?
That’s the one I think Jana will take.

Alongside our three leading women, 12 other riders are also on this ferry.
Will they see each other and chat? Or stay focused? Or maybe just be asleep. 

This is where the real race begins!

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)

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

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