Trans­continental Race The world’s hardest bike race

4,000 kilometers on a bike across Europe – unsupported. That’s the Transcontinental Race (TCR).

In the summer of 2024, it will take place for the tenth time, starting in Roubaix and finishing in Istanbul. Among the 302 contestants are Germans Jana Kesenheimer and Joschka Völkel. They will spend a grueling week on their bikes, riding almost non-stop and rarely crossing paths with their fellow competitors. In the TCR, every rider is on their own. Aside from a few mandatory checkpoints, each participant is free to choose their own route.

For Joschka, this is his first race of this kind, while Jana is a seasoned racer with her sights set on victory. But the race is long, and no one knows what challenges lie ahead.