This archive report was first published on 7 August 2019.
On July 27, 2019, the seventh edition of the Transcontinental cycling race began in Bulgaria, with over 300 participants vying for the top spot. Among them was Fiona Kolbinger, a 24-year-old German cancer researcher, who was competing in her first self-supported ultra-cycling event.
After 10 days, 2 hours, and 48 minutes of cycling, Kolbinger arrived in Brest, north-west France, as the first woman to win the mixed annual 4,000km (2,485 miles) cycling Transcontinental Race.
"I am so happy to win. I was targeting the women's podium, I didn't think I could win the whole race," Kolbinger said in an interview.
She passed through at least seven countries and four check-points, including the challenging Col du Galibier at 2,645m in the French Alps. The course required riders to plan, research, and navigate themselves, as well as carry and consume their own food and choose when and where to rest.
With over 260 competitors still racing, Kolbinger's victory marked a significant milestone in the history of the Transcontinental cycling race.
