Christoph Strasser: Unsupported faster than drivers with support teams

Six-time RAAM winner Christoph Strasser reached the finish of the 900-kilometre race after 30:55 hours. Sebastian Mayr won in 30:42 hours, just 13 minutes ahead of the Styrian. The speciality: Strasser rode without a support team and was still faster than all the other starters who competed with a support crew. Lukas Kaufmann from Upper Austria, who was travelling with ten coaches, finished third, 19 minutes behind Strasser.

Two ratings and the European Championship

The race covered 900 kilometres with 8,500 metres of climbing and offered two classifications: unsupported and with a support team. The category with support team counted as the European Ultracycling Championships. The start took place on Saturday. In the overall standings, a duel developed between Mayr and Strasser, although unsupported riders normally have no chance against participants with a support crew. Mayr is the 24-hour world champion and winner of the Race Around Austria. Strasser set a new unsupported course record with his time.

Christoph Strasser rode a time trial bike with a disc

The route reminded Strasser of the Mühlviertel or the southern Styrian wine route. Four checkpoints made it possible to deposit equipment and food. Strasser used a time trial bike with a rear disc and two bags with the essentials. He left provisions, mostly liquid food and drinks, as well as clothing at the checkpoints. Until the halfway point of the race, he ate almost exclusively from the food he carried with him, then he switched to lemonade from petrol stations.

Problems with power and bottle cage

The disadvantages of being without any support over such a long distance became apparent when it came to equipment: at the beginning, Strasser used too much electricity and had to economise at night. He was therefore unable to ride with his headlights on fast and steep descents. There was also a technical defect: the bottle cage came loose during the race. Strasser fixed it with cable ties at a checkpoint. There were no other technical defects. After the Unknown Race over 1,000 kilometres in April, this was his second victory in the second race of the season.

Transcontinental Race as the highlight of the season

The Transcontinental Race starts in Trondheim on 19 July. The 12th edition of the largest unsupported race covers 4,500 kilometres across Europe and ends in Kalamata. Strasser has already won the race twice.