The Last Riders of CP3

TCRNo9 Burrel, Albania

By James Robertson

October 4^th, 2023

The Transcontinental Race

Every post on the Transcontinental Race (TCR) needs to open with an introduction to the race itself, so while it is likely that you know at least something of the race if you don’t you can find more images and how I came to start documenting the race here, here & here.

The TCR is a 4000km, self-supported bike packing race across Europe. Starting in Geraardsbergen, Belgium - and for TCRNo9 - finishing in Thessaloniki, Greece, riders must pass through four control points (CPs) as well completing multiple parcours (fixed sections of route). The fastest riders will complete this in nine days and there is a cut-off of 17 days for the general classification.

Control Point 3

CPs are both destination and refuge, and yet each one is only a stepping stone on the long journey to the finish. As the race is self-supported the CPs offer little more than a friendly face and an opportunity to chat to fellow riders. Mostly based in hotels, there is no guarantee that rooms will be available or that the kitchen will still be serving food when riders arrive (we were fortunate that our CP3 host, Uesli, at Vila Bruçi did his absolute best to accommodate riders’ needs).

CPs are transient places. The constantly rotating shifts of volunteers manning the check-in mixed with the ebb and flow of riders arriving and leaving: some only stopping briefly, others lingering clinging to the sanctuary and community CPs provided, hoping that an enthusiasm for peddling will return to their legs.

As the days passed CP3 collected more and more riders as they arrived increasingly frequently and found it ever harder to leave. Only around half of the riders who started the race made it as far as CP3 and those arriving during the last day had already spent two weeks on the road and cycled 3000km. While the first riders had already spent several days at the finish in Greece these riders still had over 1000km and a gravel parcour left.

The following portraits are some of the last riders to pass through the control point during the final 24hrs that it was open.

Duncan Luke, this is the look you wear when your dermatologist has threatened to kill you themselves if you get anymore sun damage.

Lisa Nemetz, one the few riders to report no problems with any dogs along her whole route.

Erik Ringqvist, he tried to put his top back on before I took the portrait, I wouldn't let him.

Nicholas Barnard, a doctor who spent much of the first night of the race providing first aid to riders who had fallen on the wet and greasy roads of Belgium.

Eric Banh, enjoying a relaxed morning after arriving at CP3 shortly after midnight.

Byron Buck, he would later describe the section of parcour after CP3 as a horror show.

Footnotes

Having photographed every edition of the TCR since TCRNo3 I decided to take a step back this year and instead took the opportunity to watch the start in Geraardsbergen with my family (I highly recommend giving a 7yr old a flaming torch) and then I went to volunteer at CP3 in Albania.