TCRNo10 Day 5: Thrill of the Chase

Words by Emma Cole

‍

Thrill of the chase

As the riders cross borders and absorb new landscapes, some cherish the physical and mental challenge of the Race while others relent. Amidst the effects of five days of riding, rider choices continue to pay dividends, the balance of time, wise decision making and maintaining mental fortitude are all crucial for their onward journey. 

At the front, the chase is picking up speed. Race leader Robin Gemperle (002) reached CP3 in Kosovo at 21:54CEST, behind him, Abdullah Zeinab (021) and Christoph Strasser (001) arrived at CP3 at 01:27CEST and 05:54CEST respectively, only stopping briefly before heading back onto the road.

‍

Robin continues his aggressive racing strategy towards Greece and is currently 40 km in front of Abdullah and 80 km ahead of Christoph. 

At the back of the Race, as the sun set on CP1, some riders made the cut-off while others found their race evolve into the aim of a Race Finish rather than a General Classification result. 

‍

Tree roots

As riders continued to journey across the Balkans towards Istanbul a plethora of routes revealed themselves at the front of the Race, like tree roots searching for the most fertile ground. 

There appear to be three main route options to reach CP3 in Prevallë, Kosovo. 

Race leader Robin Gemperle (002) and chaser Andre Bachmann (005) chose a central and direct route through Montenegro and Kosovo, promising some faster rolling upon reaching Kosovan roads. 

‍

Before then, though, both experienced off-road racers, took a similar cross country route through Montenegro, taking in several relentless steep gravel inclines on their way. Robin hoped to gain time with the straight-line approach, however, this did not go to plan. 

“I thought it would be easier,” said Robin. "It was super steep, super technical, and my knee was a bit painful.” 

Behind him, Abdullah Zeinab (021), Christophe Strasser (001) and Tim de Witte (003) chose a relatively flat northern route through Serbia, riding through the majestic Uvac Canyon, which boasts a labyrinth of magnificent caves and is known for its preservation of the griffon vulture. 

‍

This flatter route paid dividends as Abdullah closed the gap considerably on Robin, and for a brief moment, as the pair headed into Northern Macedonia, Abdullah was in front of Robin as the Swiss rider rested in Skopje.

‍

Leading Pair Sherry Cardona (295b) and Gereon Tewes (295a) are also taking the Serbian route, as well as leading woman Jana Kesenheimer (010), Riccardo Kuhar (247) and Mikko Kainu (43).

‍

Further behind, Omar de Felice (016), Tobias Fuchs (132) and Adrien Liechti (007) headed for the Durmitor National Park, a location enshrined in TCR history. Durmitor was a Control point in TCRNo4 and TCRNo8 and also featured in The Accursed Race this year. 

‍

‍

Unfortunately, Omar scratched at 08:14CEST, writing on social media that despite his first TCR being over, and his disappointment, the Race has taught him something which he is sure will be useful in the future. 

Sticking to strategy 

During TCRNo9, Robin Gemperle (002) was chasing Christoph Strasser (001) for most of the Race but this year he is the one being chased.

 “I noticed that I am a bit more addicted to the tracker and I would even say that maybe this ended up with me having problems with my knee because I was moving so much with my arms and upper body, because of looking at the phone,” said Robin. “That could be a bit of a problem, but otherwise I feel comfortable.”

‍

On arrival at CP3, Abdullah Zeinab (021) was desperately trying to warm up and get back on the road to close the gap on Robin, admitting he was tempted to buy pyjamas, or even tracksuit bottoms. However, Abdullah’s motivations were helping him dig deep, encapsulated by the Palestinian flag stitched into his jersey. 

‍

“My mum’s Palestinian so I thought it was the right time to put it on my jersey with what’s going on,” said Abdullah. “It makes me feel indestructible, it makes me feel like I can’t complain, even when I’m shivering, I’m like stop complaining about it. It’s empowering.”

‍

Christoph was feeling motivated as well, determined to catch the leading rider. “The only thing I know is that I have to push for 20 hours, and rest for three hours, and keep the stoppage time at about one hour,” said Christoph.

New and old paths

Five days into the Race and many riders are relishing the opportunity to explore new ventures, while others are savouring the chance to return to trodden paths. 

Pawel Pulawski (008) chose a hilly gravel route towards Foča in Bosnia to ride a route he took two years ago. A slightly downhill tarmac road which ducks through tunnels, Pawel had been dreaming about the route and cherished the chance to ride it once more. 

Further back, Nick Duggan (241) was enjoying the fruits of the Balkans. Nick and his wife Caroline volunteered at the Finish Line at TCRNo9, and Caroline is returning to volunteer at the Finish Line again this year. 

“I really enjoyed volunteering last year, and got a lot out of that,’ said Nick. “It’s tough, you’ve got to give anybody who gets to the end full credit because it is a tough thing to do. This first part of Slovenia is just gorgeous. You’ve got to continue because there are so many great places to see, the scenery is fantastic.”

Pushing on

In the mid pack, riders spilled into Croatia and Bosnia in search of CP2 and the notorious gravel road to Bjelašnica. 

‍

‍

Mike Hall Bursary rider Joschka Völkel (291) is within touching distance of Banja Luka in Bosnia and just a few kilometres ahead of him are Victor Bosoni (232), Fredi Maeder (155) and Dragomir Titei (249).

Further ahead, leading woman Jana Kesenheimer (010) arrived at CP2 at 15:41CEST continuing to hold 16^th place. The German rider was making steady progress with a tenacious ride and by mid-morning Jana was riding through Serbia towards CP3. 

Behind her, Jaimi Wilson (004) continues to try and close the gap of about 16 hours. She reached CP2 at 07:40, and now heads towards Montenegro, alongside Matthew Garthwaite (172), Alexandre Bourgeonnier (237), Davis Pazars (257) and Mark Kowalski (243). 

‍

Further back, the race is on between Auri Teiniliä (022) and Anna Carlqvist (223), both arriving in Banja Luka in Bosnia and resting there overnight. Anna is currently 10 km in front of Auri, while Jessica Wood has also made great strides and is currently just 10 km behind Auri.  

With CP1 having closed at 23:59CEST, those that made the cut-off continue to ride in GC while those that didn’t still push on towards Istanbul, the fruits of a Race Finish now the aim. One of those riders is Mike Hall Bursary rider Mersedeh Chegini (292) who is currently heading up Mangartsko Sedlo to tackle the Parcours, a commendable display of willpower. 

With CP1 now closed, the journey to CP2 will continue to test riders, as the gruelling mountains and gravel roads of Bosnia will show no mercy on tired legs and fragile minds. For the mid pack CP3 now comes into view along with the great plains of Kosovo, nestled between towering peaks, and tough gradients. 

‍

At the front of the Race, and as the gap closes on Robin, the focus turns to which rider is best placed to take on the challenges which lie ahead. As the leaders head for the fortifications of Çanakkale, could we see a changing of the guard?

Scratch report

‍

Several riders have scratched due to injury and illness. 

‍

016 Omar Di Felice

024 Mark Budrewicz 

027 Dario Demarco

061 Torsten Reda

073 Kerry Rochester

076 Lars Uhlemann 

081 Mathias Väärsi

095 Matteo Castella

133 Oliver Springate-Baginski

145 Matthias Stütz 

152 David Atkin

154 Matt Seward

157 Nick Langdon 

165 Ailish Green

176 Richard Bent 

186 Burak Akin

200 Peter van Endert 

203 Christoph Schade 

205 Kristof Standaert

219 Alexander Vahl 

253 Matthew Falconer

255 Stefanie Niederberger  

256 Andy Connelly 

260 Marco Sega

266 André Telge

277 Marco Boschi 

299a Kinga Perzyńska

299b Witold Winiarczyk 

306a Can Kaniöz 

308a Luca Mari

308b Michele Stellatelli 

311a Annelies van der Zwart

311b Hans van Delft

‍