The fourth edition of the Transpyr ride was technically not classified as a “race”, but an adventure. From the moment the gun went off on the first day however, the race was most definitely on!! From the race numbers on the front of our bikes, the ultra competitive riding, the “results” posted at the end of […]
Transpyr Stage 8. The sting in the tail.
As we were each handed 2 dry pieces of toast and a cup of coffee for breakfast, I wondered how my tired legs would get me through the final stage of 86kms and 2300 metres of climbing. No one expected an easy last day, but the official timing was to stop at the 55km mark…perhaps […]
Transpyr penultimate stage.
One of the great pleasures of riding a stage race, particularly in a foreign country, is arriving in a new town and then finding the best café, bakery, bar or churreria. Stage 7 of the Transpyr ride was a vast contrast to the difficult and technical stage 6 that saw many riders finishing just in […]
Up and down the leaderboard @Transpyr Stage 6
Team marathonmtb.com @ Transpyr 2013 had a cracking ride over stage 5 to finish first mixed pair and take the title of “most improved performance” on the overall leaderboard. Stage 6 was a different story with a day marred by crashes, wrong turns and flat tyres. A very tough day on the bike for all […]
Transpyr Stages 4 and 5.
At the pre-race briefing for Day 4 riders were advised that today they would encounter some “funny trails”, and that perhaps today would be the hardest stage. An overnight storm gave riders their first taste of mud for the tour so far.. The British contingent revelled in the familiar conditions, but for many the slippery tracks […]
The Queen stage. Transpyr Day 3.
After a long and technically difficult stage from La Seu D’Urgell to El Pont de Suert travelling over 128km and with 3500metres of ascent, it came down to a sprint finish between Team Bici and Team Buff with Team Bici taking their first win in a time of 5hrs and 53 minutes. No rider seemed […]
Another day in the Transpyr saddle.
The second day of the Transpyr challenge saw riders tackle an imposing 115km with close to 3000 metres of climbing. Together with another day of intense heat, many riders suffered up the gruelling Collada Verda ,then the even lengthier climb up Collada de Toses., before traversing some difficult terrain and hike a bike to the […]
Brutal..just brutal.
There were a lot of words being spoken about the first stage of Transpyr 2013, but the most common was “brutal”. A mid 30’s temperature was an added bonus for the ride that took us from Roses on the sea, up to Camprodon at 1000 metres. A new route this year saw the riders endure […]
Riding Transpyr: Mediterranean to Atlantic via the odd mountain or two.
With the very generous support of MarathonMTB.com, Mike Blewitt and the organisers of the Transpyr, Kim and I are in Roses putting the finishing touches to our preparation for departure tomorrow. We have 9 days to pedal 820kms across the Pyrenees to our destination of San Sebastian on the Atlantic ocean. This evening, before our […]