Day 2 // Mountains On The Mind?

Words by Athlyn Cathcart-Keays

Photos by Liz Seabrook and Sam Dugon

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After a chilly night, the morning sun rose behind the Castelo de Linhares da Beira — a medieval castle built at an altitude of 820m overlooking CP2, and overlooked by the foreboding Serra da Estrela mountains. The cobbled streets of Linhares were bursting with the rainwater that fell throughout the day and into the evening, finding its way down from the hills above.

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The streets of this 213-population town were quiet — no other rider had ridden through since Anna Richter (071) left their accommodation in the early hours at 02:45WEST — and CP2 volunteers were enjoying a relaxed start. 

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A big gap had opened up overnight between our two front riders, with almost 11 hours between Anna and Nicky Shaw (092) receiving their brevet card stamps at CP2. Without a working phone to book accommodation with, Nicky tried for a few hours to rest in a bivvy under shelter, but hardly got any shuteye due to the cold (she’s riding with a bivvy, thermal mat and liner, and was wearing every layer she had. Running on fumes, she left Linhares and pushed on towards the parcours.

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Half an hour later, Amrei Kuhne (034) rolled in. She was in high spirits and stopped at the CP hotel for breakfast shortly before Elise Sauvinet (128) and then Jeanne LePoix (086) arrived and left swiftly, hardly stopping to chat.

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“There are some people in the front, so I want to go”, she says, stuffing an empanada in her jersey pocket. She’s feeling competitive, and it’s encouraging having someone to chase.

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Reaching The Mountains

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Since setting off from Santiago de Compostela on Sunday evening, the routes that riders have been taking have been far from flat. By the time they reach CP2, they will have travelled around 570KM and gained almost 10,000M of elevation, dipping in and out of deep river canyons and valleys in Galicia and Northern Portugal.

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But they have yet to experience the mountains. Shortly after Linhares, Parcours B enters the Serra da Estrela range and follows steep switchbacks up to Portugal’s only ski resort, which marks the end of the parcours.

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Here, the landscape shifts dramatically as the route climbs up and out of a forest canopy, along stark open roads, the mountainside scattered with granite boulders like ancient ruins. The upper slopes feel exposed, almost lunar in places, as the climb begins to flatten out and stationary chairlifts hang silently in a thick mist. 

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Despite the quiet conditions, the mountains carry signs of a busy winter – wood-clad cafes selling hot chocolate, ski rental shops, and indoor markets selling warm mitts and goggles sit calmly in the shoulder season. The last of the snow crowds have long disappeared, yet the summer hikers and tourists are still weeks away, especially in conditions like this.

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When Anna Richter (071) reached this high point at around 08:30WEST this morning, a fresh 2-inch snowfall had just been cleared off the road as they gave videographer Rox a somewhat icy stare, buff pulled high.

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By the time we arrive in the car, there’s a momentary break in the cloud and we spot Nicky Shaw (092) riding out of the saddle towards us. Not far behind, Amrei Kuhne (034) is hot on her heels.

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Amrei stopped to sleep indoors last night and is quickly gaining on Nicky, who isn’t as well rested. Still, she’s looking strong and climbing powerfully on some steep switchbacks.

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A few kilometers further up, we spot them again. By this point, the cloud has rolled in and the dashboard is showing an air temperature of 5°C just as Amrei catches up with Nicky. The pair exchange a few words about being chilly before Amrei gets out of the saddle and powers to the top, now in front. 

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Later that day, I ran alongside Susanna Markoff (122) as she climbed up towards the top of the parcours. The sun is low in the sky, and she’s feeling cheery as usual. Unlike us, she has had the sun with her all day.

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“Today has been the best day for the views. But I’m suffering, even though the sun is shining… I have been questioning my [hilly route] choices so many times”.

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Control Point Closed

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Back at CP1 in Bragança, Race Reporter Sophie caught the mood as riders raced to meet the 14:00WEST cut-off time. 

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Gabriela Pretto (083) was the last rider to receive their stamp before the Control Point closed. “I almost scratched this morning, and then I was talking to friends and family and they were pushing me on”, she said with such relief. “Google Maps said that I was going to be here 15 minutes before it closes, and here I am. It was incredibly hard to climb, but I was just pushing and pushing”.

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For others, racing to reach this point meant a welcome pause once the brevet card was stamped, waiting for the McDonald’s to open. “I’m struggling to eat, so I’m going to get five burgers or 20 hash browns, all the chips”, said Annie Aspin (006) who had been waiting for the Golden Arches to open its doors. “I’m going to stuff it in my face, put it in all my pockets, and I’m going to get through to CP2 today or tonight”.

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Lynne Taylor (133) also arrived within CP1’s final few hours. “I’m so pleased with myself. Yeah, pretty chuffed” said Lynne Taylor (133) holding back tears. “I’m going to get really emotional now. I had big doubts.”

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Amid the relief and emotion at CP1, another pattern is emerging across the race: the resilience of the pairs category. Eight of nine pairs are still riding — an incredibly low scratch rate in conditions that have tested riders beyond what they had anticipated in Spain and Portugal. Sharing decisions, morale dips and problem solving with another person can make a huge difference in an ultra-distance race, especially for first-time riders. 

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There’s a 22-hour difference between front pair Johanna Drolshagen and Jonne Van Bommel (146a&b) and rear pair Kirsteen Mcdonald and Macarena Espinar López (143a&b). Sophie spoke to pair 145 at CP1 about what it’s like having someone to ride with on an ultra-distance race:

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“Our highs and lows have been at different times. We pick each other up”, said Julia Townsend (145b), who’s riding with Shelby Hoglund (145a). Shelby chimes in: “If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to make it there, go together. On that first night, I would have only gone 10 miles without my partner”.

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But others weren’t so lucky. Hannah Richardson (116) arrived at the Control Point just 11-minutes after the cut off. “Well, it’s a running joke in my family that I’m half an hour late to everything, so they’ll be thrilled to know that I’ve kept it up on race day”, she told Sophie. Undeterred, she plans to continue riding to the finish. “I think I’ve realised that I like riding my bike just to ride my bike. I’m not sure that racing is my jam, but we’re only 11-minutes late, so I’ll take that as a win”.

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112 riders made the cut-off at the first Control Point in Bragança. But for those who didn’t, missing a cut-off can be absolutely devastating, especially after putting so much time and effort into preparation. Despite the heartache many plan to continue riding to the end – they may have missed out on a GC spot, but there are still adventures to be had.

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The emotions of the day felt hard for the media team too. “We really care about the riders”, said Sophie. “We get attached to them, and it’s hard to see them disappointed after they’ve done a massive effort”. 

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After an emotional time capturing the photographs of three riders who narrowly missed the cut-off, photographer Sam Dugon felt that it might be time for her to get a regular office job.

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Different Routes, Different Tactics

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As Parcours B ends and riders descend down from Serra da Estrela, they once again split onto their own routes, heading northeast towards Parcours C. The top 10 leaderboard has been in constant motion throughout the day, shaped by a growing mix of strategies across the field. On the long ascent into the Serra, Ellis Cookson (040) overtook Megan Young (022) on the same climb where we saw Amrei and Nicky, but the differences between riders now extend far beyond climbing speed alone.

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Some are choosing more direct routes between controls – usually with more climbing – while others prioritise those with accommodation and resupply options. Fuelling strategies are beginning to diverge too: quick convenience-store stops for some, proper hot meals and longer resets for others. Sleep has perhaps become the biggest tactical variable of all. By 21:30WEST, several riders had already stopped for the night, betting that a few solid hours of recovery will pay off tomorrow, while Amrei Kuhne (034), Nicky Shaw (092), Jeanne LePoix (086) and of course Anna Richter (071), all push on into the darkness.

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Scratch Report

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106 Kirsten Nachtigall – No reason given

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005 Annika Gross – Rider scratched at 07:16CEST due to weather conditions

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048 Sophie René Götze – Rider scratched at 11:36CEST due to illness

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044 Sina Rüeger – Rider scratched at 09:39CEST due to mechanical

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025 Durga Devi Damodharan – Rider scratched at 11:35CEST. No reason given, linked to misunderstanding of bike check outcome and not being able to start

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104 Amanda Shorey – Rider scratched at 10:25 CEST due to conditions

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019 Laura Schwindling-Gerigk – Rider scratched at 07:55CEST due to health problems

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076 Viktoria Kometer – Rider scratched at 6:50CEST due to injury

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