Mike Hall Bursary (TCRNo10)
Lost Dot introduced the Mike Hall Bursary to support riders from lower income households to take part in the Transcontinental Race. After supporting 3 riders during TCRNo8 and 4 riders during TCRNo9 we are running the bursary again for TCRNo10. The bursary fund reflects Mike Hall’s commitment to equality and Lost Dot’s ambition to lead on improving diversity, equality and inclusion within cycling.
One of the key goals of the Transcontinental is to be accessible. We believe that the differentiator in adventure racing should be the aptitude, athleticism and attitude of the individuals, not their budget. Unsupported racing is intended to be accessible and affordable to all, just like the bicycle itself.
The bursary is only available to individuals:
- aged 18 or over
- Maximum annual gross income of €19,000 / £16,700
- Who have not already applied for TCRNo10
The bursary is designed to:
- Make the Transcontinental Race more inclusive and open to those who otherwise could not afford to race;
- Introduce new people to the race and new people to the community; and
- Tell new stories from under-represented or seldom heard voices
Our ideal candidate is someone who can further our ambition to improve diversity and inclusion on the race and ultimately cycling generally. We are looking for candidates who can tell their story, from preparation and training to the finish, to a wide audience, hopefully inspiring more people to get pedalling. Lost Dot would like to offer this opportunity to people who can help us demonstrate to a wider community that cycling is for everyone, and that our race is inclusive, welcoming and somewhere anyone with passion and determination can excel.
Applications are open until 23:59 CET on 31st December. Successful applicants will be contacted no later than Wednesday 31st January to be informed if they have been successful. Bursary applicants are exempt from paying the £25 fee for the Race Manual; however, as our website is still being built at the moment, applicants will need to pay for this initially and we will refund the payment as soon as possible. If you have any questions in the meantime, please email us at [email protected]
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About the Race
The Transcontinental Race is the definitive self-supported bicycle race across Europe. At the sharp end it is a beautifully hard bicycle race, simple in design but complex in execution. Factors of self reliance, logistics, navigation and judgement burden racers’ minds as well as their physiques. The strongest excel and redefine what we think possible, while many experienced riders target only a finish.
The Transcontinental is a single stage race in which the clock never stops. Riders plan, research and navigate their own course and choose when and where to rest. They will take only what they can carry and consume only what they can find. Four mandatory control points guide their route and ensure a healthy amount of climbing to reach some of cycling’s most beautiful and historic monuments. Each year our riders cover around 4000 km to reach the finish line.
Mike Hall
The man who started it all. Mike Hall devised the Transcontinental Race and ran all editions until his tragic death in 2017. Find out all about the inspiring maverick whose spirit remains the beating heart of everything Lost Dot do.
Lost Dot
We preserve and nurture Mike Hall's legacy of fair and self-sufficient racing, championing integrity, equality and inclusivity, creating opportunities for unique and beautiful journeys of self discovery to share with as many people as possible.
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The Route
For the first time, our riders will set off on their journey across Europe from the pavé of Roubaix taking an almost straight line southeast across the continent. Taking in verdant valleys, vertiginous mountains and rarely visited vistas, the riders will finish their journey no longer in Europe, but in the warm glow of the Asian sun, where the bustling waterfront of Istanbul awaits the finishers of TCRNo10.
This edition is a decade in the making, steeped in cycling and TCR history; while elements of this race may, on the surface, feel familiar, an intrepid adventure awaits for those who join us on the start line and point their wheels east towards the rising sun. From the Alps to the Balkans, including a first trip to Kosovo, before finishing in Istanbul for the first time since 2015, riders will be taken on a physical, mental and spiritual journey from West to East.
START // Roubaix, France
CP1 // Mangartsko Sedlo, Slovenia
CP2 // Bjelašnica, Bosnia
CP3 // Prevallë, Kosovo
CP4 // Çanakkale, Türkiye
FINISH // Istanbul, Türkiye
We say in our Race Manual that it is no surprise that the most prepared will be the most successful. This edition will test riders’ limits, encompassing arduous off road sections, soaring peaks, and moments of true wilderness to find the fastest person to cross Europe by bike.
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Other ways to take part
No race reports
Frequently asked questions
Applications to race open with plenty of notice through our social media accounts, at dedicated times throughout the year for our three races. During the two week application window the application forms become available as soon as the applicant has registered and created a profile at lostdot.cc. Applications are open for 2 weeks to allow plenty of time for riders to get their application in without favouring any particular nationalities. The application process consists of completing the registration stage, downloading and reading the Race Manual (available after registration and a few legal questions) and completing the application form - which will give us an idea of your knowledge regarding the concerns and methods of route planning, an understanding of the the basic requirements of the race and an idea of your experience to date.
There are no qualification requirements however we expect applicants to have gained relevant, multi-day, long distance expedition experience either alone or as part of a small group.
Completion and payment will be available to those riders who are offered a place. Riders should get to know if they have been offered a place early in the new year. The entry allocations procedure remains the same as usual; there will be a mixture of pre-selected applicants and a ballot.
Lost Dot aim to operate Transcontinental Race at capacity. We do not operate a waiting list, instead we offer slightly more places than we can accommodate in the knowledge that some people will withdraw their entry. Since we now have so many veterans returning to race we can no longer accept all riders of previous races as we have in the past.
There will be a number of pre-selection quotas to encourage and reward certain applicants. If the number of applicants in these categories exceeds the quota then they will be selected in a ballot. If a rider is not successful in the pre-selection ballot then they will be put into the main ballot. Exact quota numbers will be determined proportionally and be dependent on the demographics of the entries as a whole.
Pre-selection will be made for the following:
Volunteers - those who have given a significant contribution to a Lost Dot race as a volunteer in the last race will be prioritised. There will not be a quota on volunteer places.
Veterans - In the past most if not all veteran racers got a place, however there are now too many veterans to make that possible and so there is a quota and a pre-selection ballot for these applicants.
Under-represented applicants - namely women and under-represented nationalities may have a quota. Read our diversity and inclusion statement here.
All solo riders unsuccessful in the quota ballots or not eligible for pre-selection will go into the main ballot. It is not the purpose of the allocation process to delete entries from the process as not good enough. We may contact applicants if we believe there has been a gross misunderstanding of the event's demands or that the applicant may be a liability to their own safety or that of the event. We do reserve the right to refuse entries but this we generally reserve for those that are made as obviously non-serious, abusive or containing false information. There may be other circumstances but you get the idea.
There will be a separate quota for pairs riders. Riders who apply as a pair will only be eligible for a pairs place, if unsuccessful they will not be entered into the main ballot. Riders must firmly decide and commit to which category they are entering and enter only one. Duplicate registrations will be removed. Pairs entry cannot be back door mechanism to a solo start. Riders should assume that selection is only made for the category of the application and they will not necessarily be able to transfer from one category to another at a later date.
The Control Parcours is a fixed length of route which riders must complete as part of their control visit. The control point will lie somewhere on this route, often at the start or finish. The Control Parcours often includes a traverse over especially scenic or demanding terrain or through an area of significance or interest. It can include, but is not limited to a climb, several climbs, an unpaved route or ridge line traverse. The control parcours is usually still mandatory after the control has closed and a rider’s tracker or other evidence can satisfy the requirement to show it has been ridden. Sometimes parts of parcours which are subject to limited permissions or which can be hazardous may be closed with the control. If a rider does not complete the full parcours a compensation penalty may be given. This is usually a time greater than that of the slowest recorded crossing.
For photographers and videographers the control points and parcours offer the opportunity to capture images of the racers in spectacular landscapes along a known route and to document stories of the racers with candid images at the control points. It is also a chance for the race reporters to capture some of their testimony and reaction and to observe their performance and condition over demanding terrain. Time recording allows us to measure the differences and time gaps between racers and share it to the followers of the race.
A Control is a mandatory key location which racers must navigate to in order to validate their participation in the race. It is also where the race records their timings for race reporting. Controls are chosen for their dramatic terrain, natural beauty and often include icons of cycling or adventure. Their locations also shape the race as a whole and the terrain and route dilemmas which may occur in-between. A Control usually consists of ‘Control Point’ and ‘Control Parcours’
The Control Point is a fixed station, often a local business such as a hotel, where race staff validate the arrival of the racers by recording their arrival and time stamping their Brevet Card. The control point is often a place where food, accommodation and communications services are available. The control points are established by the production and media team who will arrive in one or more of the control vehicles. They are then manned by volunteers in shifts until the control closure time. Some controls provide a round the clock reception whilst others may temporarily close overnight and have an automated check in feature. Failure to report in at any of the control points will mean that the rider is no longer qualified for inclusion in the finishers classification. Control Points are open from the time of arrival of the first rider, to the date specified in the Rider Manual. After this time the control will be closed and no longer be manned. Riders who arrive after closure of the control are excluded from the General Classifications but remain within the race.
The Transcontinental is a bicycle race from point A to point B, via Control Points, where solo riders and pairs race without outside assistance. The riders agree to follow our ten rules when they apply.
The Transcontinental Race is the definitive self-supported bicycle race across Europe. At the sharp end it is a beautifully hard bicycle race, simple in design but complex in execution. Factors of self reliance, logistics, navigation and judgement burden racers’ minds as well as their physiques. The strongest excel and redefine what we think possible, while many experienced riders target only a finish.
The Transcontinental is a single stage race in which the clock never stops. Riders plan, research and navigate their own course and choose when, where and if to rest. They will take only what they can carry and consume only what they can find. Four mandatory control points guide their route and ensure a healthy amount of climbing to reach some of cycling’s most beautiful and historic monuments. Each year our riders cover around 4000km to reach the finish line.