13/08/2026
Congratulations to Dubbo Club member Simon H, who spent his offseason pedalling his way across Europe in the 2026 edition of the Transcontinental Bike Race.
On 20 July, 396 riders departed Trondheim, Norway, embarking on the epic journey to Kalamata, Greece.
The race sees riders plan and navigate their own routes, avoiding banned roads while managing when, where and for how long they slept, ate and recovered. Along the way, they were required to reach four checkpoints within the official cut-off times.
📍 CHECKPOINT 1 — Flåm, Norway
Simon tackled the demanding Rallarvegen gravel track high above the fjords, navigating the route in the middle of the night.
After a huge first 24 hours, he reached the checkpoint and managed just a couple of brief hours of sleep — in a boat as he tried to escape the very cold night air and find comfort on some cushions — before getting back on the bike.
📍 CHECKPOINT 2 — Tatra Mountains, Slovakia
Another brutal mountain ascent across a mixture of terrain, including cobblestones. At times, the course became less about cycling and more about a hike-a-bike exercise.
📍 CHECKPOINT 3 — Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Checkpoint 3 was located at the former Olympic bobsled track in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, before Simon continued south towards the final checkpoint at Leskovik, Albania.
From there came the final 28-hour push to Kalamata, including a very brief nap in a roadside bus shelter.
🏁 THE FINISH
After 19 days, 15 hours and 26 minutes, Simon crossed the finish line in Kalamata having covered an incredible 5,000 km and 60,000 m of elevation.
To put that into perspective, the Transcontinental added approximately 1,800 km and 6,000 m of elevation compared with the Tour de France — and Simon had to do it without the luxury of a team bus, support crew or his own personal chef.
Along the way, Simon visited 11 countries, including one 24-hour period in which he travelled through five countries.
🍫 FUEL
Nutrition was very much about survival and convenience, with chocolate bars, rice, potatoes, Coke and ice creams featuring heavily. At one point, after purchasing all the rice and potatoes available in a small family shop, Simon was given roast potatoes off the family dinner plate by the shop owners who could clearly see he needed something to keep him going.
📊 Because most people are interested in the stats, here are his numbers:
5,000 km total distance
60,000 m of elevation
255 km average cycling per day
13 hours average riding per day
19 days, 15 hours, 26 minutes finish time
11 countries visited
Simon was the last Australian standing, finishing with 12 hours to spare. Only 47% of the starting field finished within the official cut-off, with 172 riders failing to finish due to bike issues, body issue, and another 38 still completing the course outside the cut-off times.
Congratulations Simon — what an adventure! 👏
