André Alves came seventh in 12D 15H 34M
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ZmCXvIV8p/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Kim Heikkinen came eighth in 12D 22H 19M
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2cPTgyFBrb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Brian Mitchell came ninth in 14D 7H 45M
Boris Pupic came tenth in 14D 8H 48M
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If you tuned in yesterday for what could be the closest finish in recent ultra-racing history, you'll have seen the showdown between Sami and Bruno as they were just metres apart coming into Bilbao.
Sami Martiskainen came second in 11D 20H 34M
Bruno Ferraro came third in 11D 20H 37M
As day turned into night we watched on as some of the riders extended their race into day 12.
Luís Carvalho came fourth in 12D 11H 15M
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2YmulnohPU
Hippy came fifth in 12D 12H 18M
Javier García came sixth in 12D 13H 40M
Bruno and Sami are neck and neck as they traverse the last bit of northern Spain to reach Bilbao. We're told that while Sami sits in third position around 20 mins behind Bruno, his route has 900m less climbing for 20km more distance. Can he make it to Bilbao ahead of the Italian?
Luís Carvalho ascended CP8 Cain de Valdeón this morning while the trio of André, Hippy and Javíer keep pushing forward towards the checkpoint. Hippy looks to be in a world of pain with saddlesore as he announced his remedy on Twitter earlier.
https://twitter.com/firsthippy/status/1172379695658127360
Our lanterne rouge, Jack Peterson, was having a very nice time up until recently. He's nearing the Albufeira checkpoint and while the view might be nice, his opinion of Portuguese cycling is the opposite.
After Ulrich's finish line celebrations last night (she said yes!), the riders chasing his tail continued into the night.
CP7 was a hive of activity yesterday as five riders summitted Monte Farinha in northern Portugal. Headwinds continue to test the riders' strength throughout this country but most have breathed a sigh of relief as they crossed the border into Spain again not least because road shoulders have returned 🙌
A round of applause for your 2019 TransIbérica winner...
Follow him on Strava to catch up on his incredible race.
For those of you in cooler climes, you may believe the Iberian Peninsula to be a safe haven from low temperatures and damp weather but you'd be wrong, today especially! Keep reading.
PROBLEMS AT THE POINTY END
Ulrich has reported knee issues due to the cooler weather and he's having to rest more than he'd like. He stopped for 13 hours yesterday and didn't begin riding until 8 this morning. He's making his way up CP8 as we speak but among thick rain making the climb even more difficult.
Bruno Ferraro, currently in second place, has been bitten by a dog at a petrol station. 5km after the incident, he found a fan who wanted to cheer him and it turned out he was a doctor! After seeing the bite, he called an ambulance to bring him to a hospital for vaccines and once he was given the all clear, he restarted the route from the point he was picked up. He missed around five hours in total.
Get your rabies jabs, kids.
Sami Martiskainen has made up ground that Bruno had previously gained on the other riders and is homing in on him as we type. Will he be able to claim second place or will Bruno recover well enough to defend his position?
ROUTE DILEMMAS
A few riders have managed to plot their rides in Portugal along roads that forbid bicycles. This has meant some on-the-fly rerouting but with the absence of Google bike directions, it's not been easy for some.
https://twitter.com/firsthippy/status/1171296420277751809
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