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 race@transcontinental.cc
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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.
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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