Day 5 - Beneath the Queen of Volcanos 

Day 4 - Full steam over Etna

Day 3 - Rolling Home

Arancini for Bialek!

Day 3 - Etna Looms

Day 2 - Sicily A-Hoy

Day 2 - In the shadow of Cristo Redentore

Day 1 - All aboard the 2VS Train

Ercolano GO!!

Race Preview: Return of the Volcanos!

Adam Bialek

Laurens Van Gucht

Bruno Wicht

Philippe Béchet

Cristian Auriemma

Pawel Pulawski

Eduard Fuchs

Harry Lidgley

Andrea Eva Rösch

Niels Ihrman

Colin Smith

Hélène Fromenty

Julien Hamelin

Jules Muzard

Nicole Van Batenburg

Thomas Schriefer

Hashim Hassan

Ellen Scherr

Karl Somers

Henning Sydow

Jérémy Haller

John Barnes

Jack Wright

Andrea Boscolo

Per Arne Janssen

Lucas Meyer De Freitas

Francesco Corona

Samuel Charron

Jan-willem Bobbink

Irene Graf

Jack Smith

Sebastian Dannecker

Alexander Ebell

Tobias Schramm

Oliver Ball

Laurent Niederst

David Brohet

Daniel Berescu

Thomas Chateau

Michael Farbrace

Stefan Haehnel

Rolf Rauschenbach

Grant Fraser

Maria Johnson

Sjoerd Postma

Riccardo Kuhar

Nicolas Faure

Ray Dulieu

Tibor Rongen

Christian Holweck

Antonio Romeo

Tanja Hacker

Thomas Ceyrowsky

Andrew Phillips

Roberto Bianco

Sam Palmer

Tomas Kovacs

Thomas Wessling

Tadeas Mahel

Linda Farczadi

Daniele La Manna

Matteo Messina

Erik Price

Luisa Rische

Stefano Baldoni Riggio

Car 1

Car 2

Nahuel Passerat

Anatole Naimi

Valentino Gianluca

Mandaglio Giuseppe

Victor Eklund

Francesco Pizzo

Marguerite Muhlhaus

Rémi Mejean

Renato Caudullo

Jana Kesenheimer

Alexander Kopp Y

Tom Hanot

Norbert Münch Y

Heike Sturm

*Photos by Charlotte Gamus*

The beers are flowing and the arancini party is in full swing in Nicolosi as riders continue to fly down the final parcours into the town. There’s been a steady stream of riders on Etna since yesterday. Some like Karl Somers chose to wait till morning for the last climb so they could enjoy the views. Others enjoyed riding under the light of a full moon.  

This is the first year cyclists have been treated with spectacular weather the whole way to Sicily unlike past editions where Etna pelted riders with wind, rain and snow on the final challenging climb. Perhaps this is a reason for such low scratch rates; so far in the solo riders we have seen 30 finishers and just 5 DNFs. The pairs riders are a hardy bunch, with not a single DNF! Six pairs have now finished, with the lantern rouge pair of 71a & 71b Heike Sturm & Norbert Münch about to making the crossing over to Sicily. With the finisher's party set for tomorrow evening, the pair may have timed it to perfection if they can tick off the Sicily section tomorrow. They are also in the running to win the award for 'Most Interesting Route'. 

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Late last night, riders Nicole Van Batenburg (cap 7) and Jules Muzard (cap 60) made it into the finish. The two bonded over suffering the most mechanical issues throughout the ride and ended up riding the last stretch close together. Nicole waited to see Jules at the top of Etna, but the poor guy missed the turn when his garmin played up and came to the finish on the wrong route. An arancini washed down with a beer made the news go down a little easier. He’ll head back up the climb today to finish the parkour.

![Photo 17-10-2024 15 32 14](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2ic1pPbf4s2he8U0MPhXiC/80d9c656011b45d722acc510c93cb8e2/Photo_17-10-2024_15_32_14.jpg)
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Good evening dot watchers, the sun has risen and set on day four of the Two Volcano Sprint and the finishers have been rolling full steam into Nicolosi all day. From the ferry port Sicily is taking riders around 12 hours, it's not to be underestimated and knocks the strongest of riders. So far we have seen 20 finishers, Andrea Eva Rösch amongst them and securing a top ten finish as first woman home. Chapeau Andrea!

The French Bromance pair 77a & 77b Anatole & Nahuel pipped Andrea to the post by half an hour or so, clinching the title of first pair to finish. These two met on a previous edition of 2VS and decided to come back as a pair, showing a great display of teamwork and determination since having to play catch up from the very start after Nahuel's tyres exploded during the descent of Mt. Vesuvio. The pair arrived around 3am this morning, but the race wasn't yet over for poor Nahuel having to pack his bike right away and leave for an early morning flight at 5am. Nuts!!

![8a809358-dbff-42a2-b778-46dba913b7c6 2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1L3HToIC2UfyTzozFsbLpf/fda3127e9b8ba863783e47c012c0d001/8a809358-dbff-42a2-b778-46dba913b7c6_2.JPG)
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Four pairs have since arrived home, including 76a Victor Eklund & 76b Tom Hanot who has completed his first ultra distance race - nice one Tom! With Victor's experience and Tom's motivation the pair succesfully covered 1092km and 20,000m ascent in 3.5 days. Victor has mentioned that his phone died on Day 1, therefore he was unable to post anything. I wouldn't advise racing an ultra without a working phone, unless you're in a pair of course which makes it easier to share the essentials. In this case it clearly didn't slow the team down, great work guys!

![Photo 14-10-2024 13 36 18](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1LxUNhVZTNiGgeVheh8deX/a2ebd298b4175a8dc8af4e1bec42ef2a/Photo_14-10-2024_13_36_18.jpg)

*Photo credit: Charlotte Gamus*

Last night Nicole Van Batenburg (cap 7) and Henning Sydow (cap 17) struck up a roadmance (term founded by Juliana) when they met on the road then later bumped into each other at the same hotel and pizza restaurant. After a few hours kip Henning had an alarm call for 3.30am; Nicole heard it and went searching for his room before realising that it was in fact the emergency alarm sounding through the corridors of the hotel! It's funny how sleep deprivation can give you a distorted perception of things, though I guess this was their cue to leave. Nicole is now on the final Parcours, ascending Etna with perhaps a few hours between her and the finish line. Henning is on Sicily making his way towards Parcours 8; his dot has stopped in Montalbano Elicona probably to catch some rest before the final push in daylight. The roadmance isn't dead yet, Nicole and Henning will be reunited at the finish line.  


Earlier this evening we saw the first few riders make it to the finish line in Nicolosi to complete their 2VS adventure. Arriving within minutes of each other were Laurens Van Gucht and Bruno Wicht, in a time of 2d 10h 47m and 2d 11h 2m respectively. Another hour or so later Philippe Béchet arrived. Congratulations guys, enjoy those hard earned beers. 

The race is heating up between the french Bromance (77a & 77b) and first woman Andrea Eva Rösch. By this point Etna will be looming on the horizon, it's silhouette beckoning from miles and miles away. The brit Harry Lidgley (cap 23) is also close by, with all four cutting inland towards the start of Parcours 8. It's worth noting that the coastal road south of Messina is banned, so this is why everyone is tracing the same path towards the northern coast before cutting inland across the mountainous region of northern Sicily. In total 13 riders have now made it onto Sicily, and the majority of these will give a final push to finish this evening or the early hours of tomorrow morning. 

![Photo 15-10-2024 16 10 29](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2nJyBSplb6iMBdNrj1sEuo/19a72d2da69174171430a721fc7ca7d1/Photo_15-10-2024_16_10_29.jpg)

*Photo credit: Charlotte Gamus*

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*Photos by Laurent, 2VS crew*

Adam Bialek is the first rider to arrive in Nicolosi of the 2024 Two Volcano Sprint, covering 1081.18km since leaving Ercolano a few days ago. He was all smiles at the finish line in Nicolosi, enjoying a beer and the local arancini delicacy with the Major of the town Angelo Pulvirenti. Adam enjoyed Parcours 3, with many of the other mandatory sections completed at night aside from the traverse of Etna this morning. His execution was close to a masterclass of ultra distance racing which follows a strong performance at the VIA race earlier this year. Congratulations on a strong ride Adam, enjoy some down time!

__NB. This year prizes will be given for the 'Most Interesting Route' and 'Spirit of the Race' alongside the final leaderboard. The final rankings are pending, only confimed once all riders have finished and time penalties have been taken into account where applicable. We are aware that Adam did take some illegal/banned roads, so this will be reviewed and taken into account by the 2VS organisation.__

![d00ae793-ad93-4609-9e90-a285afd0fd76](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5nea6YqWwn8ptXiVRvnerX/b2136e9aa02920476572304b2079de32/ea5b5c26-29be-4646-82cf-dcd190cb9c1f.JPG)

*All photos by Charlotte Gamus*

Good Morning dot watchers! Day three is upon us, and with it brings the bulk of riders heading down through the stunning National Park of Sila following Parcour 6 for 58km through pine forests and up to the summit of an old ski slope. The third day is often the toughest mentally and physically; the mind starts to play tricks as sleep deprivation and fatigue really begins to take hold. Some brief respite is offered during the ferry crossing from Villa San Giovanni to Messina, this is only 20-30 minutes long so every minute counts! I recall just having enough time to use the facilities, plug in all my chargeables, cram some food in and enjoy 30 seconds of shut eye before the ferry was docking into port! 

![Photo 15-10-2024 06 56 08](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1riArwfjGJQ8H2cWVDEfnt/b465f3dcf09871ed4483c8a129c97f91/Photo_15-10-2024_06_56_08.jpg)

Back to the race focus, and all the front runners took the mandatory 4 hour stop during the night. Adam Bialek is now on Parcours 8; the final mandatory section taking in the ascent of Mt. Etna with its majestically barren landscape characterised by the blackish basalt of past eruptions. Parcours 8, the final beast: 88.8km with 2,160m vertical gain.

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The race for podium places has been tight from the start, I must give a special shoutout for Bruno Wicht (cap 21) who has been given the special 'Packman' award for a huge comeback following an early bout of illness. Bruno was neck and neck with Adam at the pointy end of the race on the first day before stopping to sleep for a solid eight hours suffering from stomach issues. From this point he found his wings, promptly flying from mid-pack back to the front. He is now on the final parcours, with Laurens Van Gucht (cap 67) not too far ahead. It's a mad dash for all three to the finish in Nicolosi, where the local Major has posted a welcome to all riders of the 2VS into his beautiful town at the foot of Etna. Philippe Béchet (cap 62) has just made a start on the final 88.8km parcours with fourth place well within grasp. 

Further back there's plenty of stories to be shared by those embracing the adventure as opposed to speediness. There was an exciting chase on Parcours 7 last night between the french bromance team (77a & 77b Anatole & Nahuel) and first woman Andrea Eva Rösch. Eventually Nahuel had to take a call from his kids and Anatole had to go 'mushroom hunting' (do a poo), and she took this opportunity to pass and drop them. Andrea is now in 8th place over all, with a top 10 well in sight. Team Bromance have taken a slight lead again, now storming down the coast to the ferry port with Andrea hot on their heels. A wait for the next crossing could well bring them all back together again. 

Check back later as we keep an eye on Adam's approach into the finish line, and we'll share more stories from the road. 

![Photo 15-10-2024 08 09 16](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5yTKuYR1EV8rNknWYFdrJR/c58bd90174c6d921cbebc1a31c985657/Photo_15-10-2024_08_09_16.jpg)

Good evening fine dot watchers! Thank you for joining us as we cast our eyes over the dots now scattered across southern Italy, seeking stories and adventures from the road. 

![2024-10-13 2vs jamesrobertson-129](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4jUpcOOkgrc2reGpgDztIE/0f145d23d1bb2db8a832315b43eaf6ce/2024-10-13_2vs_jamesrobertson-129.jpg)
*Photo credit: James Robertson*

It's been a long long day as now as we approach the end of day two and the 48H mark, this is a critical moment for those who haven't yet stopped to rest. When the clock ticks over to 44h elapsed, this is the longest time that riders are allowed to go without rest considering that 4h rest is required within a 48h period. Several riders within the top ten are yet to take their rest, including Adam Bialek who has powered down through Italy today, ticking off Parcours 7 en route to the ferry crossing at Villa San Giovanni. 

We suspect that Adam had in mind to complete the route within 48 hours without rest; if he were to take a kip in a bed then now would be the perfect opportunity in the town of Messina. This is what he appears to have done, the best choice in order to enjoy the finishing straight across Sicily in daylight hours. I know from experience how freezing cold a traverse of Mt. Etna can be at night at this time of year. With the summit around 1900m above sea level, it's not uncommon for temperatures to be below freezing at this altitude. In fact, the whole of 2VS is characterised by extreme temperature changes between day and night across varying altitudes, Mt. Etna at night takes this to another level.  

Further north where the mere mortals reside, Philippe Béchet (cap 62) and Laurens Van Gucht (cap 67) are the only chasers, riding so close together you could be forgiven for thinking that they are riding as a pair. They are both in the town of Melicucco, perhaps to rest for the night. Only these three riders have cleared Parcours 7; on that note, lets see what's in store for the rest.

![1e7dcf7bd067ea53d80bbb63cb3b38cf](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5nQpz7rh3zzPP6As5m7XGR/425832f735832feabd12664240a242ad/1e7dcf7bd067ea53d80bbb63cb3b38cf.jpg)

Parcours 7 takes in the Parco Nazionale della Serra with a 14.5km mandatory section. Starting from the fanciful medieval town of Serra San Bruno, the steady climb takes riders up a pristine winding road through pine forests to the Pietra del Boaro summit from where all roads lead to Sicily.

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With a focus on the women's race, dark horse Andrea Eva Rösch is enjoying a superb ride, currently sitting strong in 9th position having crept up quietly in the rankings todays. She is riding a sensible race having stopped to sleep last night and always caught smiling. One rider who maybe wasn't smiling so much last night was Rolf Rauschenbach, who managed to change the language settings on his Garmin to Finnish. There are many things you can learn during an ultra race, though I think a new language is a stretch.

The french woman Hélène Fromenty (cap 18) is another one showing us what the girls are made of. Hélène is sitting in 11th place having covered nearly 550km. She's taking time to share some very idillic photos over on her instagram, give her a follow - @hfrome

![IMG 6872](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5vYmcX5Oyqx1dN3jY3VTh0/3bc89ecb4aa4bfaa55fdd0cc058bb4e7/IMG_6872.PNG)

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A mechanicals club has formed; with Jules Muzard picking up two new tubes today to save him walking to Sicily, he bumped into Nicole Van Batenburg now rolling happy again after a visit to the bike shop after that horrendous first night. The pair bumped into each other at the Cristo Redentore di Maratea where they both thanked Jesus Christ to be back on the road, praying for no more eventualities. As far as good roads go, Jack Smith (cap 36) stumbled across one of the nicest bike paths he'd ever been on. A far cry from some of the busy roads riders have been dodging. Tobias Schramm (cap 10) even managed a lovely scenic detour off-road to avoid the traffic altogether. 

![7c12bbf5-3c94-4770-bb47-19181126ce62](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5LnJD8Xj0ZGpc2PkZdR98A/34610f13ed9e3939d9c098760b92b530/7c12bbf5-3c94-4770-bb47-19181126ce62.JPG)

*Jack's bike path*

Scratch Report: Maria Johnson (cap 32) has scratched earlier today due to mechanical issues with her SRAM brake. 

![Photo 14-10-2024 10 53 57](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4x6H20XLwdCvz28xMBPSnm/474ac6aa7152d2ca2210b8831c002e97/Photo_14-10-2024_10_53_57.jpg)
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*Photos credit: Charlotte Gamus*


*Photos by Charlotte Gamus and James Robertson*

Good Morning! The sun has risen on Day two of 2VS and there's been high drama through the night as riders have had to grapple with having to replot their planned routes on the fly in order to avoid the banned SS585 highway en route to the Cristo Redentore di Maratea atop Parcour 4. The road runs parallel to the motorway, it has been interesting to see the spread of dots and who was able to quickly re-route a safer option.

Rider focus: Nicole Van Batenburg (cap 7) struggled to re-route in the night, facing four hours of getting lost before suffering a puncture and a broken spoke! What sour luck, this gave her enough excuses to consider quitting. But as all experienced folk know, you should never scratch at night. Come morning and a new energy which has given her the motivation to continue; she's not quite ready to throw in the towel yet and has taken a train down to Praia a Mare to fix the bike. Chapeau Nicole! Irene Graf is another one who reported 5 trillion flats yesterday, which hasn't yet deterred her. The roads are southern Italy are unforgiving.

![Photo 13-10-2024 18 07 18](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/651yCOmJWNuqMge2WOOtm6/3f27add9842b6cdad1ebaf811e6cf548/Photo_13-10-2024_18_07_18.jpg)

Morning 2 sees Adam Bialek (cap 13, unlucky for some but not Adam) stretching his lead out front with a total stop time of 45 minutes and 627.76km covered. Having cleared Parcours 6(!) overnight he's pushing past Sila National Park with Philippe Béchet and Laurens Van Gucht on his tail both of who are now on Parcours 6; the highest and longest of all the mandatory sections. Neither of these three front runners have yet stopped for the 4h mandatory period, which they must do before 5am tomorrow morning. It's going to be an interesting day ahead. Bruno Wicht was showing strong competition for Adam yesterday, but unfortunately was forced to find a bed and rest due to stomach pain.

![IMG 6865](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2cm0DTQvdjmhxnYWppvvaJ/28558c1113b3abe7e6e2f6ed5b139367/IMG_6865.jpg)

But wait, let's just take a step back and look at Parcours 5 & 6 in more detail. With the shadow of the Cristo Redentore behind them, the 'peloton' are congregating at Parcours 5, many of these dots having stopped in the night to already bag the 4h rest. Parcours 5 takes in Pollino National Park, Basilicata. At 24.3km long the initial 12 kilometre ascent is riddled with sharp, steep gradients and riders will need to watch out for the packs of wild horses roaming the high plateau.

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Parcours 6 visits the depths of Sila National Park. The longest and highest of them all, this one features one ambling climb, passing through the stunning National Park of Sila, along scenic lakes and rivers, with the final ascent reaching nearly 2,000 meters altitude. The final 14km are unpaved; what that means in terms of road surface or hike a bike potential, we're not quite sure. It does mean higher potential for mechanicals of the tyre nature. 

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On that note, Mr Tyre Mishap Jules Muzard was surely feeling very smug after a late night rescue from the local gommista. However having woken up with the tyre flat again the bad luck continues. I'm not sure about you, but I think he'd be better off finding someone who specialised in bicycle wheels/tyres instead of car tyres. 

In the pairs race 77a and 77b Anatole Naimi and Nahuel Passerat have proven that the early tyre explosion on Vesuvio has planted a fire in their bellies to show the world what they're made of. The guys are now on Parcours 5, first pairs in the race. Chasing pair 75a & 75b are some 120km behind! 

![26fc7d1e-6465-4078-8bb5-c4d68e307982](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5EYKdXv2MWeZPuyMQAZ2P0/7d9150d6b2887e0dabe9125d6a49f76e/26fc7d1e-6465-4078-8bb5-c4d68e307982.JPG)

*Photos by Charlotte Gamus and James Robertson*

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*Photo credit: Charlotte Gamus*

Good evening dot watchers, it's time to check in as Day 1 draws to a close. Earlier we noticed that there were two routes being taken from the end of Parcours 2. Riders were actually advised to take the coastal road, not the inland one which is slightly shorter and less climbing but with crazy busy industrial roads. Those who followed the advice were treated to a big breakfast buffet at Il San Pietro di Positano which we mentioned earlier. San Pietro is a sponsor of the event. 

![2024-10-13 2VS JamesRobertson-37](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4W8301z8plOg4DnmAm2Pnb/10deac86ab6b6d0bb838dcdf35dc333f/2024-10-13_2VS_JamesRobertson-37.jpg)
*Photo credit: James Robertson*

Those who skipped the free buffet clearly sacrified some edible delights for a minor gain on others, time will tell who has excelled in route planning expertise and who hasn't bothered to plan in detail. Personally I love a free route; it gives another dimension to the race tactics and it is possible to give yourself an advantage with a well planned route even if you aren't the fastest rider out there. A well planned route on the whole can trump one that takes the most direct and busiest roads, not to mention it will be much more fun than breathing in car fumes for a few days. 

![2024-10-13 2VS JamesRobertson-22](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/n56M5KDhQ8y88jTxcypIu/2af743250c8f787c106a3c99c0cae6f7/2024-10-13_2VS_JamesRobertson-22.jpg)
*Photo credit: James Robertson*

At the pizza briefing only last night, a bombshell bit of news was dropped to disrupt those planning little to no sleep. Riders discovered that there is a 4h mandatory rest in a 48h period, this has to be 4h uninterrupted so those who have no sleep equipment will be forced to factor in hotel stops, lest they can find a corner of a bar to hide for four hours. 

Parcours 4 treats riders with a visit to the Cristo Redentore of Maratea. Completed in 1965 the statue of Jesus Christ is realised in Carrara marble on the top of the Mountain “St. Biagio". The sculpture was created by the Florentine sculptor Bruno Innocenti. It's an imposing figure on the landscape, and will evoke some emotions during the out and back visit. 

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At the head of the race Adam Bialek has already opened up a sizable gap to the chasers, with 380km under his belt. With an average moving speed of 22.24kmph this is the fastest of everyone, Adam has ticked off Parcours 4 and well on his way to Parcours 5. Adam is something of an enigma; having won practically every race he has started in the past few years, he tends to keep a low profile with no social media presence. His domination of the inaugural VIA race earlier this year was a testament to his astonishing abilities to keep the power high and stops efficient even after days of racing. On paper he is the man to beat, and this early display of prowess is cementing this fact. 

Bruno Wicht is around 15km behind Adam, with Philippe Béchet holding third place. It's early days and all to play for. At the head of the race riders are currently in the vicinity of the Cristo Redentore of Maratea. A visit to the statue at night with a clear sky above is an experience like no other. 

Caps 77a and 77b Anatole and Nahuel have made a storming re-start following the little wheel explosion, now sitting mid-pack on their way south to Parcours 4. Local mechanic Stanislao has been a 2VS real hero, volunteering his services to riders at the start line and helping Nahuel out with a new wheelset. With four functioning wheels between them, the duo caught a train back to the start and headed off once again. 

Tyre issues have been reported from Jules Muzard, who had a wonderful first day apart from two punctures that were too big to be patched. Both of his spare tubes are ruined, with Jules currently stuck in Sala Consilina this could be a long night ahead. 

... quick update, Italia gommista to the rescue! Apparenty everything can be found in the local pizzeria, even a spare tyre or two (the rubber kind on bike wheels). Things are looking up as they always do eventually, and Jules should hopefully be rolling again soon. 

![9bb8ca57-8d43-47f9-b228-75aec273d799](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/giFxaOTn9ST6r5yYxP0FW/045534f208188231852bcfc446fc4cd8/9bb8ca57-8d43-47f9-b228-75aec273d799.JPG)

With regards to road safety, Race Director Juliana Buhring has warned riders that the SS585 to Maratea is considered a highway and illegal to cycle on. It is a high speed bridge most of the way with no hard shoulder to safely cycle. The 2VS crew have been stopping riders to notify them, and the announcement has also been broadcast in the rider WhatsApp group. Anyone who has been notified but continues to take this route will be DQ'd. 

The crew are what make the wheels go around of these events; a shout out to Laurent who rescued the wallet of Jan-willem Bobbink and brought it to him - no ultra distance cyclist is going far without the means to pay for sustenance. A few riders have church associated sleeping plans tonight including Thomas Chateau and Daniel Berescu who was found by the team eating lasagna in Montella. He was especially animated by the thought of a bath on Day 4 regardless of where he is by then. 

![Photo 13-10-2024 22 29 18](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7fiFtjig40jxdQClfcrxmP/fcf8a258eec5558603728956687624aa/Photo_13-10-2024_22_29_18.jpg)
*Photo credit: Charlotte Gamus*

We have had our first scratch of the race: Sjoerd Postma is out of the race with a bad knee. Unfortunatley Sjoerd had a small crash while training last week, and his knee is in a worse state than he had hoped. Miracles are possible, but recovering from a knee injury within a week isn't one of them. Good call Sjoerd, rest that knee and you'll be back before you know it. 

![Photo 13-10-2024 16 34 10](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2e9LsqS8767MHQxwtMN06k/040d59ee23a481da8a1903ee835be87a/Photo_13-10-2024_16_34_10.jpg)
![Photo 13-10-2024 07 30 22](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5c9EbdRYd8wHBej8S8HsSU/66f1dc7f5c365451736ee476b0f89028/Photo_13-10-2024_07_30_22.jpg)
*Photo credits: Charlotte Gamus*

*Photos from the 2VS Crew*

This morning at 5am riders set off on their adventure across Southern Italy, starting with an immediate ascent of Mt. Vesuvio to warm the legs up. It was fireworks from the start, with an unfortunate case of exploding wheels for 77B Nahuel Passerat, during the descent of Vesuvio. How does this even happen!? Nahuel is riding in a pair with Anatole Naimi, in the past few hours they have travelled to a bike shop for a wheel swap and now on their way back to the start. It's best to get your bad luck out of the way nice and early, hey guys?

![38423b0e-121b-404f-8b07-3510ce3415d3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/43rB67cw47ed0TyAe5ygfq/0cd29c80a8eae40bf8d582c2430a4cc6/38423b0e-121b-404f-8b07-3510ce3415d3.JPG)

With Mt. Vesuvio under wraps, the beautiful Amalfi coastline and cute stray dogs are the next to feature. With Parcours 2 just a hop and skip away, most riders are congregating in the vicinity of Mt. Faito to tackle it's slopes. The mandatory section is 35.6km long with 1220m ascent; the initial 12km is a majestic forested climb with hairpins aplenty and delightful glimpses over the gulf of Naples. It's time to wave goodbye to Napoli and the coastline, next heading east inland to Parcours 3. 

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Positano has a special place in my heart from my own experiences with 2VS. Not only does it have the most incredible roads and views, it's also home to Il San Pietro di Positano where riders will find a warm welcome and home made sustenance to send them on their way. 

![68d1b035-9e92-45b6-9cc4-d11e43942329](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5CYVhANOeGpLK3VZrYhuQZ/5a9c0a4521f2c6a01c08bd4c57eddbd9/68d1b035-9e92-45b6-9cc4-d11e43942329.JPG)
![d833eb1a-3948-46c3-a99a-81080d70e7f0](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/KdJbunzytsCz2uCaZHEDQ/b3a208bc20513c94c127edce42e5cc88/d833eb1a-3948-46c3-a99a-81080d70e7f0.JPG)
![60232ce3-fb6a-4eae-b032-0994c3a17a82](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3gXtIMi1zrghJRGhq5e0YK/ce5fdb73cca1ca61222e16db252d7da9/60232ce3-fb6a-4eae-b032-0994c3a17a82.JPG)

As far as cute dogs go, 2VS are photographing as many dogs as riders at the moment and want to adopt every one they come across. How many dogs would they collect on their way to Mt. Etna!?

![d351a443-09a6-462a-a911-9b873c08175e](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7q4mhb0q5JZ4asvhF1J0ux/23bc70951eed13b7d25fe59208963a54/d351a443-09a6-462a-a911-9b873c08175e.JPG)

As far as the race goes, there are two trains of thought in terms of approaching Parcours 3. Either make use of the cake stop at Il San Pietro di Positano and hug the coast line down to Salerno, or make a more direct crossing inland. It's a 50:50 split, those opting for the latter seems like a more direct route but perhaps less scenic. It seems a shame to leave the Amalfi coastline behind so soon, but it's not goodbye for long. Adam Bialek, Bruno Wicht and Philippe Béchet have all made good progress at the head of the race in these early stages. Pairs 77a & 77b Anatole and Nahuel will be looking to make good progress after their wheel delays on Vesuvio.

Parcours 3 takes in the Monti Picentini Regional Park. It is 52.2km long with 1,655m elevation gain. We expect most to aim to clear the first three parcours by close of play today. There is a longer transfer to Parcours 4, which many will ride this evening and into the night. 

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*All photos by James Robertson*

Welcome to the Two Volcano Sprint! Here we are again, back in the luscious land of arancini and gelato, two key pieces of sustenance for all participants. After a year hiatus, 2VS will be held as a free-route for the first time ever since its inception in 2019. Your commentator for this edition will be DotWatcher team member Nicky Shaw. Having started and finished two editions in 2020 and 2021 she is well placed to bring the race alive for those dot watching at home. So, let's have it, what are we in for this year?!

![Screenshot 2024-10-12 at 22.37.06](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7Iricwmz4rFxkbllWmdbcI/a0babf5464ec3bdcc4828a39c151cf4b/Screenshot_2024-10-12_at_22.37.06.png)

__Two Volcano What?__

For those green to the concept, the Two Volcano Sprint does what it says on the tin: it is a single-stage, self-supported bicycle challenge starting and finishing at south Italy’s two iconic volcanoes, Mt. Vesuvio and Mt. Etna. It might be labelled as a 'challenge' but the word 'sprint' in the title suggests to me that this should be ridden as fast as possible. Heck, these warriors of Southern Italy are going to battle, many will look to race against themselves and one another. 

The route is sublime, crossing through National Parks, rural mountain villages, Calabrese forests, the panoramic Amalfi and Cilento coastline and the Appenine mountain range. The 2VS 2024 grand depart is at 5:00am on Sunday, October 13th at the foot of Mt. Vesuvio beside the iconic 'eye' statue. Two years ago in 2022 the route was approx 1,600km / 36,000m, with Pier Francesco Santin clinching the win. There's no doubt that this is one for the grimpeurs; the climbing is relentless and savage in between the two volcanos. Whether riders opt for the flattest route between parcours or not, the one sure thing is that everyone is in for the experience of a lifetime. 

![istvan-szitas-eCD1DRRaE44-unsplash](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2ILD2QbxT9emwk76761uAk/6adcd050c7c648d07a0d18698583032c/istvan-szitas-eCD1DRRaE44-unsplash.jpg)

__Pizza Hype__

As per 2VS tradition riders have attended a mandatory Pizza Party in Ercolano this evening, to meet one another and be updated on any last minute alerts. It's here that the hype starts to build of the adventure ahead; amidst delicious italian Pizza riders exchange thoughts on their goals and expectations of the race. In the early hours of the morning 80 riders will set off on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvio - 66 solo and 7 pairs. We've compiled a 'Bikes Of' to ogle over the rider kit and bike choices, which you can view [here](https://dotwatcher.cc/feature/bikes-of-two-volcano-sprint-2024). 

![Screenshot 2024-10-12 at 22.28.07](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2a8fqmMVQNCSEx6mWl4P8B/6992af9085a75de791473b6d76f1fdae/Screenshot_2024-10-12_at_22.28.07.png)
![Screenshot 2024-10-12 at 22.29.25](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5yzghh0hJo3n6h9eFZ18Rw/8f56991e4fbcce3d1c03140564a1d9a8/Screenshot_2024-10-12_at_22.29.25.png)
![Screenshot 2024-10-12 at 22.35.39](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3sE3XjWdL4oRfaqN4h3Dmv/0cccd7dbbd03b9b47cd2023e49ce21a9/Screenshot_2024-10-12_at_22.35.39.png)

With the finishers party taking place on the evening of Friday, October 18 in Nicolosi most riders will be targeting this. In my experience, the finishers party is the best going as far as ultra distance parties go. Even those who aren't able to finish the ride will be keen to make it to the party and be part of the class of 2024.  

__Rules__

The rules are simple in nature, the 2VS is a purity of ultra distance racing after all. All riders must follow the 8 mandatory GPX routes completely self-powered and unassisted, carrying their own gear and acquiring any food, water, resources or lodgings at commercially available services. Riders must carry a GPS tracker, that should be turned on at all times. Drafting is not permitted unless riding in a pair. There is no prize money or reward for participants except the satisfaction of having pushed their legs and limits, explored another part of this planet and contributed towards improving the lives of people living on it.

__Ercolano GO!__

In order to break things down and avoid overwhelm, we'll be going through the mandatory parcours as they arise during the course of the race. They can all be viewed comprehensively on the 2VS website [here](https://www.twovolcanosprint.com/#racemap). First up, we're going up. With the mandatory start at the base of Mt. Vesuvius all riders must reach the top of the volcano before turning around to descend then pick up their carefully planned route. It's a nice steady climb to warm the legs up, but not doubt excitment will get the better of most during the 8.1km ascent with 637m elevation gain. 

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Nicky Shaw

Two Volcano Sprint 2024 Tracking and Commentary: 

Two Volcano Sprint 2024 Tracking and Commentary

After a year hiatus, 2VS will be held as a free-route for the first time ever since its inception in 2019. Often used as a European season finale, this Southern Italian will take riders from Mount Vesuvio to Mount Etna via eight parcours and, undoubtedly, some steep climbs, excellent food and rough roads.

Two Volcano Sprint 2024

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Two Volcano Sprint 2024

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