Matti Ainasoja has less then 150km to the finish. I met him today on the route from Pico del Veleta to Tarifa. He is in good spirit and will not stop anymore till Tarifa. In the downhill from Col de la Cayolle he had a crash with a fox and landed hard on the road. A day in Nice and then he continued to finish this adventure. Since Nice he keeps and eye on the dot of Irena. Since leaving Nice he tries to keep a distance of 80km to Irena. Yesterday they almost met each other at Pico del Veleta.
In the 1st edition of the NorthCape-Tarifa bike race Steffen Streich arrived 21 days and 57 minutes after leaving the NorthCape. Till today this time is not beaten. Kai Edel needed 12 hours 55 minutes more then Steffen. Also Samuli Makinen time of 23 days 15 hours and 9 minutes is till today the 3th fastest time on this route.
4th fastest time is from Michelangelo Pacifico in 2019, 24 days 1 hour and 53 minutes and Tanja Hacker holds the 5th fastest time with 24 days 19 hours and 37 minutes.
Also very impressive: Steffen’s last stage started in Algaraz, 757km and 12’512vm to the finish.
Daniel Polman has 130km to Tarifa and should arrive this evening at the finish. If Daniel arrives before midnight, he will finish in 24 days.
Less then 300km to the finish Tarifa for Daniel Polman.
4 days ago Daniel had a crash near Lleida, in a corner with sand on the road. Some bruises, he went to a doctor for cleaning it, and a broken handlebar. Luckely Daniel is okay and could continue his ride.
Today Daniel reached the highest route point, check point Pico del Veleat with 3400m at route km 7000. Pico del Veleta is also the highest paved road in Europe.
photos: the landscape before the Sierra Nevada at Gorafe desert and Daniel climbing Pico del Veleta
Irena is in 4th position and climbed yesterday the first 2 mountain passes Oberalppass and Gotthardpass. Most of the climb Irena had to cycle in heavy rain and thunderstorms. After her rain shoe covers are gone, she organized plastic bags and waterprooof kitchen cloves. At Gotthardpass she got finally again nice sunny weather. But alread from Bellinzona to Luino she got challenged again by heavy thunderstorms and missed her goal to reach Dario’s bicycle shop in Borgomanero. She then decided to stop in Laverno at the Lago Maggiore. Finding a room was then not that easy. She learned since Covid hotels and guesthouses are still shutdown and never reopened. This early morning she got her bike cleaned and serviced at Dario and Nico Valsesia’s shop in Borgomanero. They are both both very experienced long distance cyclists too.
Meanhwile she is back on the route and wrote:
“I’m back to the route now. Thank you so much for sorting out the bike! It’s a beast now š Surly will be much easier to get to the finish in Tarifa š “
From Bregenz to the Oberalppass (2044m) is the first mountain pass on the route. Daniel had a strong tailwind from Bregenz coming but also rain. On the 180km the route follows the river Rhein till to the source of the river.
After a 10km downhill to Andermatt, the next climb to the Gotthardpass brings the riders to the south of the Alpes. Different culture and Italian speaking.
Peter Felten from Germany is with almost 65 years our oldest rider this year:
His experience:
ca. 60 Brevets 200 – 600km
4x PBP
3x 1001 Mille Miglia
2x Superbrevet ( Hamburg-Belin-Kƶln-Hamburg)
2x TransGermany (MTB)
ACT3 + ACT5
YukonArcticUltra (FAtbike)
2x Iditarod Trail Invitational
ca. 15 24h Rennen
etc. …
His goal for the NorthCape-Tarifa: “finishen” Peter is traveling with a tent and we ar enot sure he ever booked a room so far. He is actually in position 13 and we are sure, he will finish in Tarifa.
photos: a few km after the start at the NorthCape and after 200km before Alta.
After 7 days on the route, 10 riders reached checkpoint 1 Helsinki and are currently in the Baltic states or already in Poland.
Just about some of all the riders…
Daniel is in the lead since the start. After already 5km from the start his electronic shifting started making problems. Anyway 780km was his first stage, to much what he told me in the middle of Finland. And riding the route is a bit different as planing the route on the computer.
Matti Ainasoja from Finland is in the second position.
Jasmijn Muller is doing well in 3th position. In the north of Finland she struggled with the temperature and the headwind. Jasmijn also was ready for the 2020 start and had to wait 2 more years now.
Tony Fabry Crisafi from Italy in 4th position had problems with his front wheel just near Helsinki. Something with the dynamo. Luckely he could solf it and is now also in the Baltic.
Irena Sosinska in 5th position struggled the last 3 days with fewer and looks finally recovered and having fun on here bike again.
Roberto de Osti was also waiting since 3 years for this adventure.
He had big expectations, wrote once trying a new record. Sadly short after the start in the remoteness of Lapland, his freewheel started to make problems. When i met him a few km before the border to Finland, he told me, that he hopes to make it to Rovaniemi where he could find a bicycle shop to solve the issue. Sadly he got stock at Enontekiƶ, 450km after the start and 300km before Rovaniemi. We are happy that Roberto could solve the problem and is since trying to catch up with riders in the front.
Marianne Thissen-Smits is since day 2 ill and stays still in Rovaniemi. She hopes to continue on Tuesday her journey on the route.
Lawrence from Singapore came not for racing, he will just see Europe and enjoy the route. He has enough memory for his camera to take a lot of photos.
Roberto di Osti just before the border to Finland.Daniel Polman in central Finland where on the long stretches trough the endless forest only reindeer say hello you to the riders.EduGonzalo before the border to Finland. This is the most less populated region in Europe.Marianne and Remi, first stop at SkaidiBernd Paul at the exit of the Nordkapp tunnel that brings the riders 212m under the sea.Jasmijn Muller and Tony Fabry Crisafi on the way to Alta.Remi Tarras from BelgiumMax from Bormio living in Lugano
