Transcontinental Race: Christoph Strasser's highlight of the season is just around the corner

Next Sunday, 23 July, is not only the start of the Tour de France FemmesA few hours later, another cycling event starts - the Transcontinental Race. The professional women start their first of eight stages in Clermont-Ferrand. The Transcontinental Race consists of just one stage, which starts in Geraardsbergen, Belgium, on the famous Koppelmuur and, depending on the route chosen, finishes around 4000 kilometres later in Thessaloniki, Greece. From the start, all participants are on their own. Second teams are allowed to slipstream and help each other, but people who start solo are not allowed to benefit from the slipstream of others.

Christoph Strasser will fight for victory again

Strasser's season so far has been impressive. Victory at the Race Across Italy, the crossing of Austria out of competition and second place at the B-Hard unsupported race around Bosnia. Now the highlight of the season is coming up: defending the title at the Transcontinental Race (TCR).

The route of the TCR 2023

Participants in the Transcontinental Races have to plan their own route. Only the start, finish, four checkpoints and predefined sections of the course are specified. There are also forbidden roads. The 2023 checkpoints and courses are located in Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Albania and Greece. Christoph Strasser aka Straps has the following to say about the route planning:

After the initial stage through France and Switzerland, many high Alpine passes await. There are a few options for getting round the really high ones, but there are other climbs in the way. After checkpoint 1 in Livigno, for example, you have a choice: Gavia or Stilfserjoch? Neither are easy mountains.

Always included: gravel passages. The organisers of the Transcontinental Race don't let themselves get carried away and set challenging courses, such as a 40-kilometre gravel section in the Albanian mountains or the final course north of the finish in Thessaloniki, Greece. Strasser has not travelled much in south-eastern Europe, so most of the route sections will be new to him - "I have a lot of respect for them," he says. In addition to the midsummer heat, the challenges include the many metres of altitude in the interior of the country. There are also uncertainties regarding the supply situation - is there food and drink in small Greek mountain villages? Stray dogs can also be a problem. Nevertheless, he remains cheerful:

But that's the TCR: a combination of bike racing and pure adventure, that's what makes it so fascinating for me

Strasser's competition in the Transcontinental Race

In total, over 300 solo starters will tackle the TCR. Strasser, six-time RAAM (Race Across America) winner, analyses the situation in 2023 as follows: "The German Robert Müller, who beat me at the B-Hard and also won the 900-kilometre unsupported race "Rund um Sachsen", is certainly one of the toughest opponents. As is the Swiss Robin Gemperle, who was in the lead for a long time in last year's TCR. Following health problems, he had to take a one-day lay-off, which robbed him of any chance of victory.

With more experience in his second Transcontinental Race

Last year, Strasser was still pretty inexperienced in the unsupported sector. We have spoke to him after his victory at TCR 2022, the topic becomes clear in the interview.

Luggage transport, technical equipment on the bike, route planning, organisation of breaks and provisioning - he has to take care of all this on his own.

He has now been able to gain more experience, but at the same time does not want to put himself under too much pressure.

Yes, I'm the defending champion, but that doesn't mean that I'm automatically the favourite and can compete for the win. Of course, that's my goal, but I can only achieve it if I approach things with a relaxed attitude and don't try to do everything perfectly on the road. Because in such a long and adventurous race, things can never go perfectly, you always need improvisation and the necessary amount of luck! - Christoph Strasser

Follow the Transcontinental Race live

Of course, the Tour de France Femmes will be watched every day on 23 July, but before and after each stage there will be plenty of time for dotwatching - following the points of the participants live on a map.

>> Dotwatch now at https://dotwatcher.cc/race/transcontinental-race-2023