Meet the Lost Dot 101 Bursary Riders

Words by Athlyn Cathcart-Keays

Photos by Liz Seabrook

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Bursary Rider Spotlights

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We are delighted to be supporting four riders to the startline this year thanks to the Mike Hall Bursary. Riding 1,300km through Spain and Portugal is challenging enough, but the financial cost of lining up in Santiago de Compostela can be a barrier for some.

Launched at TCRNo8 in 2022, the Bursary reflects Mike’s belief that the key distinguisher in ultra racing should not be budget, but the aptitude, athleticism and attitude of riders. The Bursary provides race entry, €1,500 to help cover the costs of racing, coaching from Robbie Britton, and kit from our generous race partners. With a beginner-friendly ethos, we hope the Lost Dot 101 becomes a gateway for underrepresented groups to reach the startline and have a go at racing.

This year’s riders are Fatima Islam (she/her), Ana Ribera (she/her), Em Wilson (they/them), and Chu Yamasaki (she/her). We caught up with them online a week before the race.

“I’m most excited about the start of the race, when everyone is going to be there together”, says Chu Yamasaki. “Just feeling that energy”.

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Chu started riding regularly three years ago with friends, and got hooked after discovering the beautiful places that a bicycle could take you. Riding through the Spanish and Portuguese countryside appealed as the perfect spot for a first multi-day ultra, and getting to the finish line in time for the party is her main goal. Following a training plan, Chu’s regular riding partner noticed the gains too. “They told me that it’s like riding with Pogačar”, she says jokingly. “So I guess something is working”.

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For Ana Ribera, training in her hometown of Rosario, Argentina has come with lots of challenges. “Safety is our main concern, mostly for women and underrepresented genders. There’s a lot of victim blaming, and it feels we don’t belong on the road. Sometimes it’s hard to train so many kilometres”.

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Drawn in by the 100 TCR Women campaign, Ana answered the call for volunteers at TCRNo11 last year. Inspired after meeting so many FLINTA riders out on the course, she decided to sign up for the Lost Dot 101.

“It’s a really good opportunity for visibility. I saw someone doing this [bikepacking] in Europe, and that’s why I thought it was possible. Here in Latin America, it’s unthinkable”, she says. “I really like taking this opportunity and role of visibility, so other women and gender diverse people in my region could see me training and think that it’s possible”.

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What’s she most looking forward to on the 101? “The freedom of riding at night without looking over my shoulder or feeling unsafe… and then waking up early to ride with the sunrise”.

Fatima Islam isn’t a massive fan of riding in the dark, but being in a FLINTA race definitely helps ease those fears, and she has found reassurance in the WhatsApp group full of other first-time racers, where there are no silly questions. “In other races where it’s a mixed community, you don’t often get the same kind of camaraderie and support”, she says.

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After getting knocked off her bike while riding the NC500 several years ago, a resulting injury has set back Fatima’s cycling goals. She’ll be managing ongoing knee issues on the road, while keeping her sights firmly set on reaching the finish.

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Bursary rider Em Wilson is also apprehensive about nighttime riding after a bad experience on the B-HARD race last year. Though they have ridden a few ultras before, Em will be sleeping outside for the first time on the 101, with plans to bivvy on the first night after leaving Compostela. As with the rest of our bursary riders, Em says they were also attracted to the “empathetic, supportive and empowering environment” offered by an all-FLINTA race, and the opportunity to increase representation of others like them.

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Along with finding flow on their journey, Em is also hoping to find a few vultures in the furrowed canyons of the route. Lucky for them, more than half of the Portuguese population of Griffon Vultures can be found in Douro International Natural Park, where riders will tackle the second parcours of the route between CP1 and CP2.

Amazingly, Em will be riding the Lost Dot 101 on an Omnium Cargobike, so there might even be enough room to throw in a pair of binoculars…

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