Ultra-endurance cyclist Sarah Ruggins, and two-time Transcontinental Race rider, gives me some valuable advice before my first attempt (and first bike race!)
We talk consecutive 250-300km days on the bike, managing sleep deprivation, route planning, rough sleeping, nutrition, charging electronics, pacing yourself through the opening week, and the mindset needed when everything inevitably starts going wrong.
We also discuss why the race isn't really against other riders, but against yourself, and how some of Sarah's most memorable moments came not from racing, but from unexpected acts of kindness across Europe.
This interview was recorded before Sarah went on to break the outright European record for cycling the length of Europe last month - an extraordinary achievement that makes her advice here even more remarkable.
As for me, I've now rolled away from the start line.
This year's Transcontinental Race will see me attempt to ride almost 5,000km from Trondheim, Norway, to Kalamata, Greece, crossing Europe entirely self-supported. Riders must plan their own routes between checkpoints, navigate compulsory race sectors, solve every problem themselves, and average around 240km every single day just to finish before the race cutoff.
When I return, I'll be sharing the full story of what happened out on the road. But before all of that unfolded, this was the advice I received from someone who's already been there.
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