All in all this had been the craziest thing I have done on a bicycle, so far.

About a week before the race started I decided not to follow the weather forecast anymore, in general. I’d say this made my life a lot easier during the ride. I had my route planned and I did not intend to change this routing plan. Actually there is no bad weather, there are only wrong clothes.

For my ride and my timing there have only been three or four times of rain, more or less heavy.

• Getting up to Grimselpass
• Getting down from Furkapass
• Getting down from the alps over to Trieste
• Crossing Istria at night

The first days in France and Switzerland had all just been about getting used to climbing, with more or less fun. Having a huge mountain to be conquered or having several smaller ones that are just in the way, for mentally this makes a difference, a big difference. You wanna get forward but there is another climb that slows you down, again. The significant temperature differences also made me kind of sensitive, as I was only wearing the cycling shorts, and no knee or leg warmers. This might lead to a minor change in selection of equipment for a potential next ride.

For getting out of Italy and Croatia this had been a combination with heavy thunderstorms and I did stopp over for several hours, as I have some special connection to thunderstorms, which I did not want to meet again during this ride.

Wind in Croatia had been a bigger issue that finally cost me at least half a day, therefore we prepare buffers.

With entering Macedonia in the early morning heat came up. To be honest I expected the heat way earlier and I had the greatest respect. Finally I only had two days of real heat, nevertheless on the second day, due to a un-careful planning of one route, I had to suffer in the heat, as I had to correct my routing by climbing up an unattractive mountain west of Alexandroupolis. It was just too much and I had to recover from that activity for some hours.

Weather was the big thing to be discussed to influence the race in advance.

Border crossing was my big uncertainty, so I spent some more time on that. Everything went smooth, others had to return from their prepared route to another border checkpoint. As I already had that experience, I really wanted to avoid that situation.

My biggest point, I was looking forward to the most, had been all the people. Before the race I might have said, all the different people. Now, after the race I have to admit they are not different at all. They are individual as we have them around everyone of us, every day.

Friendly

• Belgium
• French
• Swiss
• Italian
• Slovenian
• Croatian
• Bosnian
• Montenegrin
• Kosovarian
• Macedonian
• Bulgarian
• Greek and
• Turkish.

Stopping and asking for help anywhere you got help. The people are more than willing to help, if it was the directon, water, food or also some food. The more I headed towards the East, the arms were open, even though language had been a classical hurdle, but only for the first few seconds. Everything could be solved anywhere. People are nice to us riders, open and helpful. Looking into the past, they have not been so nice to their neighbours.

It just took time to get through Switzerland, with their special way of treating their guests, I always had the feeling of not being welcome, from entering the country until getting out of it to Italy, with one exception. After descending from Grimselpass, I met with James and we stopped in a nice hotel in Gletsch, for having some hot teas and soups before getting up to Furkapass during the night. These guys had been really pleasant and helpful. Also in Andermatt we jumped into a small bar, after midnight, and they still offered us some ovomaltine and tea. After the night in Andermatt I promised myself to make it to Italy for a nice and warm breakfast on the next morning.

One other thing, they all had in common:

Nobody that wanted to know about what we were doing there, could believe what we were doing.

As I had to find a way out of my situation yesterday just before entering Alexandroupolis, I lost my mind and a lot of time.

The sun really shot me down yesterday while I tried to get out of this hot pot.

After I finally found my way to Alexandoupolis I laid down on the street and fell asleep immediately for about two hours. The sun was just dawning and the clock was ticking. It was almost 2100, Nico and I had plans for next day 0900. 12 hrs left for a little more than 200kms. It got clear that this is going to be a chase as I would need some shorter rests in between.

After only three hours of hard pedaling, 2357, I reached the border to Turkey. Polite officers proceeded quickly although the Turkish border crossing contains five check points.

On the ride to the border I met Dario, Frank and also Emily. I pushed forward as Nico was waiting. So literally the last two nights had been sleepless.

After my second rest I started my chase to Canakkale. Nico let me know that there were no re-booking options for the evening or next day, so no alternatives available. Preconditions had been not so bad, slight tailwind and not too many cars. The Turkish dogs -that are pretty big- had been relatively lazy at night, but well organized. The lazy one barks, the others can be prepared. Longer legs means higher max. speed.

The motorway from Ipsala towards Canakkale was desgined in cooperation with my navigation planning skills; it took every peak in sight. As the battery for my front derailleur dropped pretty early after the border, means no good climbing ratio.

So the chase began when the sun came up. A disgusting nescafe was basis for my staying awake. Still tired from the second almost sleepless night, I slowly raised my bpm with help of my cadence. Some parts of the roads were in an amazing shape, others the direct opposite. I was really astonished that I still had reasonable reserves. I shouted a rhytm to myself and paced me up to velocities I did not ride during the entire race before, only downhill.

Getting to the border and the chase to the ferry at 0800 had been the fastest section of my race; the last passages of the race.

Just got on the ferry at 0755, with breakfast. Arrived in Canakkale at 0820, welcome committee  (Kristof showed me the direction, standing in the middle of the roundabout, thank you) and a huge kiss from Nico.

Quick shower and then directly back onto the ferry. Our transfer bus to Istanbul was waiting on that exact same ferry.

It is some kind of unfortunate as it would have been great to talk to the riders, again. As we do so during riding it is not so bad, not being present! Enjoy your party tomorrow. We have just landed in Frankfurt. The plan worked out 100%!

I gonna update the last days here, as in between riding had the major focus and feeding the blog is not just some work for seconds. It requires your concentration, either less on the road, less for eating or less for sleeping. That is the choice you have to make. Sometimes typing things into the blog is an equal to talking to people, for example if you are lying anywhere outside at night!

Good morning from Macedonia. After cycling through Kosovo hills and mountains for hours my achillies went on strike, although I wanted to pedal through the night.

I had a rest at an UCK memorial. Around six I got up, as I had to walk down some stairs, I was really afraid to fall as my feet are able to walk anymore, bicycle only.

I took about a rough hour until my feet accepted me as their boss, again. Then we went into the hills between Kosovo and Macedonia, crossed the border and headed into Skopje. Although I would love to see something of this town, I decided to find the shortest way through, as traffice was getting more and more and warmer as well.

Now, 0900 I am having breakfast with Börek, espresso and water. Rebecome a börek fan!

After breakfast I gonna head towards the border. Not pushing too hard, find a good/ acceptable flow.

Picture follow, even if I did not take a lot!

These guys deserve a separate story.

I tried the shortest way to Alexandropolis, along the coast line, failed. Suddenly it turned into really rough gravel. As I wasn’t willing to take this risk, I started climbing. Slow, good breathing and what else is important not to fall off.

Having a rest in a mini shadow place and figure out how to proceed.

is my god for today.

He fixed my frontbreak. For the last to days I could only use one of the two brakes. Not real fun for getting down from the mountains we crossed.

I am happy again, my brakes can be as noisy as they want, as long as they work!
Thanks man, you made my day!

Cycling many smaller hills in Kosovo and assuming to take a shortcut, I went up a longer hill, in the beginning of dawn.

The surprising thing on that day was that each village had on house with open gates and loud music. I did not investigate into this one, it looked as if there was a special festival day going on. As I learnt from another rider, yes special day: Saturday.

I came up to that lonely peak and there was a place looking like a restaurant, as I was looking for one, I could not resist in entering this place. The waiter came out immediately to help me with my bike and showing me the way in.

Having a seat, the guys inside – inside was room for max. 8 people- tried to get me involved in their round. There were already pretty drunk what made them really nice people, probably. As each one of them looked like a bear for himself.

As one guy spent some time in Germany and I remembered some Russian, we could have a rather good conversation. Here one of my basic rules for conversation in the US came in place! No talks about politics and religion. This would make sure that I leave this place as welcomed as I came into it.

One of the guys, he seems to be the head of something, offered me to stay in his house over night. I told him that I only sleep every second night, which was a little lie. They told me that it is not safe riding through the night out here. As I told them for how long time I was already riding through the night, they asked me where my pistol was to protect myself against wild animals. I told them that I do not own a pistol and that I do not need one. At that moment all of the present guys, lifted their shirts and showed me their guns. Hu, this was a really strange moment.

As it is impossible for me to look through these influences of the military onto the people, it is definitely a difficult thing. Each village has big painted walls with their army heroes that protected the villagers. I cannot say anything about the separation of executive and legislative levels in such areas or even countries. Old bosses also remain bosses in the new organisation.

Shortly before I left my dinner place, an escort of three big cars rushed to that restaurant and the guys walked through the restaurant, saying hello to everyone by kissing left and right. Also I got involved in that ceremony, the stinking foreigner. Led out by the guy that I called Boss,  these guys went outside to a separate table to discuss whatever. This was a special moment during my ride and I cannot be certain that these guys were always nice. This is the moment when history and ethnies come into place. For example, if I was a Serbian, definitely I would not have been welcomed at that place, the way I was.

Some picture uploads failed, follow later.
If you weren’t already blown away on the way to Durmitor, then it gonna happen just there.

I chose a pretty particular way to get there, called r432a. With the help of Ivan I could figure out that this path can be used for border crossing even there was no border control. Before this walk I charged coffeine and carbs in Gacko, full of Börek, I crossed the border. 

The parcours at check point 04 was the longest of all, 40kms with a final pass to be crossed at almost 2000m of elevation.

Dinner in freezing cold Zabeljak, saying goodbye to Camille and John the photographer and leaving. Crazy night ride, only climbing. I think climbing shall really be over now. Endless roads to be climbing, water on the roads and dogs!

I did not plan to stop, but I had to. Really this climbing sucks. It really sucks!

It sounds strange, until now I do not change my route due to the Skopje things. I put on my all terrain wheels, this shall not sound disrespectful.