Welcome to the Transcontinental Race; the definitive self-supported bicycle race across Europe. At the sharp end it is a beautifully hard bicycle race, simple in design but complex in execution. Factors of self reliance, logistics, navigation and judgement burden racers’ minds as well as their physiques. The strongest excel and redefine what we think possible, while many experienced riders target only a finish.

In this Race Day episode, Race Reporters Sophie and Jake are roaming around registration, meeting new faces and catching up with returning riders. While Sophie chats to riders about the road ahead, Jake explores the huge diversity of bikes and mods. Race Director Andrew Phillips briefs the 394 riders before they set off on their journey across the continent.

Caps 376a and 376b, Tom and Gavin, are riding a tandem due to Gavin’s severe sight impairment. They share their aims, expectations, love of cheese and wine, and how they arrived at the startline. Race Coordinator Hannah Larbalestier makes a big announcement off the back of the #100TCRWomen campaign. The riders gather in Santiago’s historic square with a buzz, and the race is on. 

This year's podcast host is the legendary, Jenny Tough. 

We invite you to follow along with our race coverage through this daily podcast, our daily race reports, and on TCR Instagram. 

TCRNo11 tracking and race reports here: https://www.lostdot.cc/tcr

Hosted and produced by Jenny Tough.