http://www.transbalkanrace.com/

Trans Balkan Race, Royse City, TX (2026)

06/18/2026

“Conflict is gonna find you”

I skipped this mentoring ad on IG before the start of the Trans Balkan Race, without paying much attention. Then I saw it again after the race, and it suddenly felt painfully fitting.

What happened during this 5th edition was not on our cards. Not in a million years. But no matter how much you try to avoid it, conflict is gonna find you. And when it does, you have two choices: say nothing and stay safe, or say something and risk everything.

Maybe it’s my Swiss side, or the way I was raised, but I’ve always struggled with shortcuts. As a child, I couldn’t understand why someone would want to win a game without playing it fairly. An academic career in Italy probably didn’t make me any less sensitive to unfairness.

Looking back, maybe these are among the reasons why I often say I don’t like rules. Don’t get me wrong: Luca and I value rules. They are necessary. But we also like to believe that good people are willing to follow them without being constantly policed.

One of the things that draws me most to bikepacking is the trust at its core. Yes, organizers write the rules and make the final calls, but this community still feels like one where people want to race clean, honestly, and with respect for everyone else’s effort. And that trust is worth protecting.

So yes, conflict is gonna find us, and we are not willing to stay silent just to stay safe. Not because we love rules for the sake of rules. But because fairness matters, and every rider deserves an equal chance to reach the podium, set a new FKT, or fight for their personal goal, knowing that the race was held with integrity.

We do not want to change the Trans Balkan Race or turn trust into suspicion. Kindness, local encounters, and small moments of connection are part of what make bikepacking through the Balkans unforgettable. And this spirit is worth protecting too.

But if doubt enters the race, we will not look away. We will ask questions. We will investigate. We will get to the bottom of it. And when action is needed, we will act.

Bikepacking is not only about who gets to the finish line first. It’s about the way you get there. So don’t forget to enjoy the view.

06/08/2026

Of stones, rocks, and friendship tokens

Now that Trans Balkan Race 2026 is officially closed and the finish line house is quiet, there’s one more story we want to share.

Yesterday, as the last riders made their way to the finish line, Paul Riedel had something for us: a small gift from New Zealand. He had thought about giving it to us at accreditation. Then maybe at the start. But after thinking about it, he decided this gift was not meant to stay still. It was meant to travel and to experience the whole Trans Balkan Race with him!

So Paul carried it across the Balkans, safely guarded for almost 10 days. Through mountains, storms, long nights, fatigue, and all the moments when he was not even sure he would make it to the finish line himself.

But he did… and so did the gift.

At the finish line, Paul gave us two pieces of pounamu, New Zealand greenstone. Two stones shaped like blades, or Toki: a form that symbolizes strength, authority, and courage. Pounamu is traditionally gifted to others to seal bonds of friendship and respect.

Paul said it felt especially fitting to bring us stones after riding over what felt like every rock in the Balkans. And honestly, we were deeply moved by it. This gift has become part of the journey, and it’s one of those gestures that says more than words ever could.

Thank you, Paul, and thank you to every rider who carried a piece of this race home.

📸 .nik._

06/08/2026

Half a decade of Balkan Parties

With yesterday’s beach party and the welcome of the very last riders, we have officially closed the 5th edition of the Trans Balkan Race.

In the past five years, many things have changed in our lives. I’m not sure this is exactly where, or how, we pictured ourselves in the early summer of 2021. But one thing has always stayed the same: this race was never just about riding from Slovenia to Montenegro.

The Trans Balkan has always been a journey across a region that feels wild, raw, beautiful, uncomfortable, but also generous and deeply human.

A race where riders cross borders and move through vast mountain ranges, enduring everything in between, and, somewhere along the way, discover something within themselves.

Five editions later, this is still what keeps us coming back. The people. The stories. The tears of joy. The checkpoint hugs. The instant connection between strangers. And the strange feeling that yes, maybe this is just another bike ride. But one that will stay with us forever.

Even when a race starts with two people and a crazy idea, it’s never carried by those two people alone. So thank you.

To every rider who trusted us and showed up at the start line, no matter how complicated the journey was, or how many challenges you had to overcome.

To everyone who followed from home, refreshed the tracker obsessively, cheered for dots they had never met, and kept the race alive from afar.

To our volunteers, media crews, family, and friends: we are so lucky to be surrounded by people who give so much, so freely. None of this would have happened without your help, your tireless work, your patience, and the purest kind of love you gifted us once again. There is no thank you big enough for that.

And to the Balkans. For the broken roads, the high plateaus, the forests, the storms, the katuns, the mountains, and all the beauty that never comes without a price. Thank you for allowing this race to pass through your lands for the fifth time.

Another edition of the Trans Balkan Race is officially closed, but the stories are not done traveling.

Thank you for another unforgettable Balkan Party 💛

📸 .cc

06/07/2026

DAY 10: Where stories gather

The finish line is getting crowded now! More and more riders are making their way to Risan and the Bay of Kotor, slowly filling the finish line house with tired bodies, salty clothes, sunburnt faces, broken voices, and stories that are told again and again.

This is what the finish line becomes in the last days of the race: a place where every rider brings back a different version of the Balkans, and where people sit down, breathe out, and finally begin to understand what they have just done. A place where the route turns into words, laughter, tears, hugs, and memories.

And one story that really stayed with us was Avri Beach’s .beach

We first met Avri last year at the Croatia Rally with , during her YOU BETCHA summer. After a rough start to the year, and after taking time to work on herself and put her mental health first, Avri decided to say yes to every new adventure. So, of course, the Croatia Rally became part of that great summer plan!

A week spent riding with the FLINTA* community gave her another boost of confidence, trust, and energy. She was ready to go big… so she signed up for the 2026 Trans Balkan Race.

At the finish line, Avri told us she would have never imagined joining an event like this. And not only did she join it: she crushed it all the way to the finish line!

Avri, we are so proud of what you achieved!

Tonight, more riders will join the final beach party in Risan, and we can’t wait to hear their stories too.

📸 .cc

06/07/2026

DAY 10: What the Balkans leave on you

The Balkans do not let you leave untouched.

By the time riders reach Montenegro and Risan, the race is written all over them. There’s dust on their legs, and salt on their jerseys. Scratches on their skin, and sunburnt faces. Swollen hands, tired bikes, worn brake pads, and shoes that may never fully dry again.

But the route leaves more than marks. It leaves stories from the road and a new kind of confidence, but also a softer way of looking at the people around you. A deeper respect for mountains, weather, distance, and your own limits.

It leaves the memory of places that felt impossible to cross and of strangers who helped, without knowing exactly why you were there or what you got yourself into. The memory of storms that passed, and climbs that never ended, and of all the nights that somehow became mornings.

And then, suddenly, it is over. No more plans to make, just the sea, the finish line, and the strange feeling that something has changed, even if you cannot name it yet.

The Balkans do not let you leave untouched.

📸

06/07/2026

DAY 10: Chasing the snail 🐌

The last riders on route are now deep into the final off-road section, on Lukavica plateau. But the snail is getting dangerously close to the finish line.

For those who have been watching the race from home, the snail has become part of the story: a small drawing on the tracker, moving at constant speed, marking the pace needed to reach Risan before the finish line officially closes tonight at 23:59.

Right now, 11 riders are behind it. Some are close enough to still make this very interesting, while some are quite far behind, deep in the rough final stretch, where every climb, every rock, and every wrong moment can cost more than it should.

Among them is , our oldest rider still inside the race at 65 years old. Eric House , still pushing through the Balkans on a single speed.

And Melina Boening is around km 1279 after one of the toughest comebacks of this race. On the first day, a major mechanical issue completely destroyed her rear hub, forcing her to wait almost two days before she could fix it and resume her ride. Since then, she has been chasing the snail, when most people would have given up. Talk about determination!

At this point, the race becomes brutally simple. There is no time to waste, no room for long stops, no easy kilometers left. Only tired legs, a closing finish line, and one small snail moving toward the sea.

Will they catch it? Will the final off-road section let them through? Will Risan see them before midnight?

We are watching and rooting for them! And we hope they keep fighting all the way to the line.

📸

06/06/2026

DAY 9: Sve može

In Montenegro, the mountains do not feel empty. They’re lived in.

High above the coast, far from the postcards, the route crosses a different side of the country: katuns, shepherd houses, cows on the road, dogs guarding the herds, smoke rising from small A-shaped houses, and people who know how to live with the mountains instead of just passing through them.

Life here is simple, but never easy. Weather changes fast, roads break as soon as they’re fixed, and distances stretch. Nothing is guaranteed in the mountains, but somehow, everything still works.

Maybe this is where the Montenegrin philosophy of “sve može” comes from: everything is possible! Everything can be done, there is always a way.

A bike needs fixing? Sve može. A storm is coming? Sve može. The road looks impossible? Sve može. You are tired, soaked, hungry, and still far from the sea? Sve može.

It is not optimism in the soft sense, but it’s practical, stubborn, and created by the mountains. The kind of attitude that says: things might not be perfect, but we will make them work.

And maybe that is why Montenegro hits riders so hard. By the time they reach these mountains, they’re already deep into the race. Tired, exposed, worn down. But around them, life keeps moving with that same quiet resilience.

All of them seem to say the same thing: sve može. Everything is possible!

📸

06/06/2026

DAY 9: Impossible to ignore

This photo is not just a podium. It tells the story of three women, three rides, three completely different journeys across the Balkans, and one shared finish line by the sea. And it carries the story of so many more women, too.

But it’s also a reminder of what happens when women’s stories are followed, told, and given the space they deserve. Because this is what we care deeply about: women taking space in this race, being visible in this race, and shaping the story of this race.

Representation is not a single post. It’s not a slogan or something you say once and then move on from. It’s something you keep working on, with the riders you follow, the stories you choose to tell, or the photos you share. It’s the space you make, again and again, until it feels obvious that women belong here.

Because they do.

Women belong on the start line.
Women belong in the race updates.
Women belong in the hardest parts of the route.
Women belong at the finish line.
Women belong on the podium.

And it might not always be easy to follow everyone’s race or keep the updates consistent. We might not always be perfect. Sometimes we still fall behind the narrative and cannot tell some stories at their best. But we do put our best efforts into making sure women are not just seen, but recognized as part of the main story of our races.

Dilara, Karen, and Luise — congratulations! You crossed the Balkans with storm in your legs and fire in your minds, and made the women’s race powerful, alive, and impossible to ignore.

And we are so proud to celebrate you.

1st woman — Dilara Tuna — 6d 9h 38m
2nd woman — Karen Ekman — 6d 13h 10m
3rd woman — Luise Ollick — 6d 15h 55m

📸 .cc

06/06/2026

DAY 9: Bears & tattoos

The finish line is getting crowded now!

More and more riders are rolling into Risan with tired eyes, dirty legs, broken voices, strange stories, and that very specific look of someone who has just crossed the Balkans by bike and still hasn’t fully understood that it is over.

By now, the finish line is less a place and more a collection of small moments. Matan Guttmann arrived with the biggest smile and maybe the best attitude on route. He told us he had already raced in Canada and the US, but somehow never really had photos of himself riding. Meeting the media crews on route here, it felt like a photoshoot.

Andrea Colin arrived with a different kind of relief. After racing Montenegro Mountain Madness in 2025, he thought the Trans Balkan Race would be that rough from beginning to end. So yes, he was worried. In the end, he found out that TBR gives you time. It starts smoother, lets you settle in, and then slowly gets rougher the further south you ride. Until, eventually, Montenegro reminds you exactly where you are.

Andrea was happy. Very happy! But also very happy to be done. The last day had been too much, so he rushed to the finish with only one clear mission: get there. Which would have been a perfect ending, except that he still had to ride all the way to Dubrovnik to catch his bus home.

One rider after another, the race is coming back to us. And every arrival brings another version of what it means to make it to the sea.

📸 .cc

06/06/2026

DAY 9: The hidden heart of Montenegro 🇲🇪

Far from the coast, far from the postcards, the route crosses a different side of Montenegro: high plateaus, rough tracks, open pastures, and quiet mountain valleys where life still follows the rhythm of the seasons.

Around Lukavica plateau, riders pass through a landscape shaped by glaciers, limestone, weather, and people. Here, Montenegro is not made of resorts or viewpoints, but of katuns, cows on the road, dogs guarding the herds, and families living with the mountains, not just visiting them.

By the time riders reach this part of the route, they are tired. The climbs feel heavier, the tracks get slower, and every kilometer asks for more patience. But this is also another spot where the race gives you many more reasons to keep going. A glimpse into the non-touristic side of Montenegro, a world that feels remote, alive, and deeply rooted. And a place where riders are not just crossing a landscape, but witnessing mountain life as it still exists.

This is the hidden heart of Montenegro. And for many riders, it becomes one of the places they will remember most.

📸

Trans Balkan Race

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