I must have missed one of them then
Amazing, congratulations 
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Superb work. Well done for handling all the challenges that were thrown at you. I just cannot fathom doing such a thing. Bravo.
Well done, Spoons, will read that in more detail later.
Well done Spooner! Enjoyed tracking you & the video updates. Itās crazy how much goes off in your own life & then you remember Spooner is still peddling his way access Europe. Love how not doing the TCR again has quickly turned to: can be faster 
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Good work Matt, totally mad but good work. 
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I think that it really depends on the route next year. I didnāt enjoy this year as much as the past 2 years. What I can really see this year is all those marginal gains I let slip. I am also inspired by Mark Kowalski, who I raced really closely with last year, he came 14th this year 2 days ahead of me - He really focused on marginal gains and time efficiency.
Whether I do TCR or another event is also a good question. Part of the reason that I enjoyed this year less is that the route was so boring, I want some adventure, which just wasnt there.
Criteria
- Hot and Dry - not interested in cold, wet races
- Not in Italy - I hated riding in Italy
- Adventure, but not danger - I lover the Balkans, Greece, Turkey etc, Spain, France, Germany etc are OK, maybe fun bike packing, but racing you just take fast roads, which are great but dull
I also want to work on developing a better social media setup - this yearās was pretty terrible
I am also considering racing as a pair - I like the idea of this as a different sort of challenge
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Wow. I cannot even imagine cycling this distance and climbing all those meters, without anything strapped to my bike. It would probably take me a good 3 months! Well done Spooner. Super strong, super resilient and super brave, surviving the mad, impatient drivers. Remarkable.
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Chapeau, super impressive to come back for a third time. Echo the comments about cycling in Italy, always worried whether youāll get hit.
Is there anywhere youād recommend for a cycling holiday? How was Northern Spain?
Your heat map must look impressive after 3 TCRs and other epic riding!
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NW Spain the roads are fantastic and drivers so bike friendly, however, youāve got to like hills and be prepared for rain - it rained on and off the whole time I was in Spain. I have never ridden anywhere so hilly (I live in Switzerland) - at least in mountains there are valleys and lakes, in NW Spain it is constant up and down, and the hills arenāt small, however, of all the European countries I have ridden, I think I would go back to Spain. Santiago De Compostella is a pain to get to but is an amazing and lovely city
I love riding in Albania, Greece and Turkey. I have only ridden a little in Romania and Serbia, but got an excellent vibe, and English was widely spoken. If I was planning an epic cycling trip these would be some of my ideas
- Santander to Santiago De Compostella to Porto/Lisbon may be a fun route
- Santander to Santiago De Compostella to Vitoria Gasgais to Pamplona to Bilbao would also be an amazing loop - take ferry from UK to Sandander and return Bilbao to UK on the Ferry. The North side of the Picos is likely to be wet, the south side (Pamplona, Vitoria Gasgais etc is extremely dry)
- Athens to Istanbul, but come into Istanbul from the Asian side
- Thesolniki to Istanbul
- Tirana to Thesoloniki Via Preskopi rather than Albanian coast
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Very low rent for you distance wise but Iāve been watching some Race Across Austria films. That looks pretty amazing.
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Two club mates flew to Montenegro with gravel bikes & rode back over 2 weeks, had an amazing time making it up as they went. Definitely got wet though.
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Yeah that puts me off Northern Spain, got 8/10 days rain in the Pyrenees last year.
Always get put off by the dog stories in Eastern Europe but glad to hear you had a better time of it this year!
The dogs in Eastern Europe are not a problem at all during the day - I have never been chased, its in the evening about 1 hour before sunset that dogs will chase, and generally after midnight/1am they tend not to be active. For some reason in the early morning itās rare to be chased, and certainly by 8am they are not active. I am not a dog person at all, however, with 3 TCRs, riding in Slovenia, Bosnia, Croatia, Montengro, Serbia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, North Macedonia, Greece and Turkey I have become pretty confident with Dogs.
There has also been a huge dog neutering program accross the Balkans, its really rare to see puppies now - I only saw a couple this year. I suspect that there has been a culling program as well, however, I donāt think that anyone will admit to this
When I speak to other TCR riders who did the race 10 years ago, they say that the issue with dogs has been massively reduced
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Perhaps they could neuter the Italian drivers? 
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Ah cool, thatās reassuring as Iām not a dog person either, but sounds like it would be fine for the riding I do on cycling holidays. Unsurprisingly donāt tend to be out cycling for 16 hours a day 
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Well done thats brilliant.
Transcontinental Race (TCR) Performance Analysis
A comparison of TCRNo09, TCRNo10, and TCRNo11 highlights key improvements, challenges, and opportunities for future races.
Overview
The Transcontinental Race (TCR) is a self-supported ultra-distance cycling event across Europe. Over three editions, Iāve refined my strategy, improved efficiency, and identified areas for further growth. Below is an analysis of my performance in TCRNo09, TCRNo10, and TCRNo11, focusing on key metrics and lessons learned.
Key Takeaways
- Time Efficiency: TCRNo11 saw significant improvementsā30 minutes less sleep per day and 20 minutes saved from reduced hotel faffing.
- Power Output: Average power dropped by 8.5% (11W) due to early knee issues, but the gap narrowed to just 3W in the second half compared to TCRNo10.
- Speed: Despite higher elevation (+14%) and lower power, my average speed (21.5 kph) remained competitive, likely due to better aerobar usage.
- Future Focus: Further reduce faffing time, optimize rest stops, and increase power output to 130W.
Performance Metrics
| Metric | TCRNo09 | TCRNo10 | TCRNo11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days | 14 | 13 | 15 |
| Distance (km) | 3,730 | 4,198 | 4,811 |
| Elevation (m) | 45,418 | 38,576 | 52,370 |
| Avg Speed (kph) | 21.7 | 23.3 | 21.5 |
| Normalised Power (W) | 156 | 159 | 146 |
| Avg Power (W) | 122 | 128 | 117 |
Daily Efficiency (HH:MM)
| Time Allocation | TCRNo09 | TCRNo10 | TCRNo11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moving Time | 12:11 | 13:48 | 14:50 |
| Elapsed Time | 15:27 | 16:38 | 17:27* |
| Rest Stops | 03:16 | 02:50 | 02:36 |
| Sleep Time | 05:24 | 05:12 | 04:42 |
| Hotel/Bivvy Faff Time | 03:08 | 02:09 | 01:50 |
| % Moving Time | 79% | 83% | 85% |
*Note: TCRNo11 elapsed time includes a 13-hour ferry delay (Bari-Durres).
Detailed Analysis
1. Time Efficiency Improvements
In TCRNo11, I prioritized reducing non-riding time:
- Slept 30 minutes less/day than TCRNo10, though this may have impacted performance.
- Saved 20 minutes/day by streamlining hotel routines (e.g., faster charging with USB-C, minimizing social media).
- Cut rest stops by 15 minutes/day with pre-planned food strategies.
Room for Improvement: Another 60 minutes/day could be saved by optimizing shopping and reducing faffing further.
2. Power and Speed Trends
- Lower Avg Power (-11W): Primarily due to knee issues early in TCRNo11. By the second half, the deficit shrank to just 3W vs. TCRNo10.
- Speed vs. Elevation: Despite 500m more climbing and lower power, my speed (21.5 kph) was surprisingly close to TCRNo10ās 23.3 kph. This suggests:
- Aerobars helped maintain speed despite challenges.
- Gravel tire impact may have been overstatedādata doesnāt show a significant penalty.
3. Comfort and Setup
- TCRNo11 felt more comfortable due to better bike fit and aerobar usage.
- Lighter kit could further improve speed and reduce fatigue.
Future Goals for TCR 2026
- Reduce Daily Faffing by 30 Minutes
- Use only USB-C devices for faster charging.
- Time all hotel/bivvy tasks; increase bivvying.
- Optimize Rest Stops
- Pre-plan food to minimize shopping time.
- Improve on-bike storage for quicker access.
- Increase Average Power to 130W
- Address knee resilience in training.
- Reduce bike weight for better power-to-speed ratio.
- Target 22.5+ kph Avg Speed
- Refine aerodynamics and kit selection.
Conclusion
TCRNo11 demonstrated incremental gains in efficiency and resilience, though without a major performance leap. By focusing on time management, power consistency, and kit optimization, TCR 2026 could deliver the step change Iām aiming for.
Final Notes
- Data-Driven Adjustments: Every minute and watt saved compounds over 4,000+ km.
- Mindset: Proud of progress, but hungry for moreāefficiency is the next frontier.
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Bloody Hell Spoons you are a nutter!!!
Edit: what Iām really trying to say is congratulations; that is seriously impressive and way way beyond anything I would ever consider
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@Hammerer your physio mate is a pretty strong cyclist, looks like he had a solid GC finish in 17 Days
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