Preview

Lausanne meets Vienna meets Europe and beyond

All cyclists are beautiful

Off they are into the Calima wind!

The start of the ferry game

The sleeping ferry

They made the Audax

The first Guanchers Paul and Julie

Ultras are not for picky eaters

Guancher on the rescue again

Paul Voss

Boscardin Kevin

Philippe Béchet

Jochen Böhringer

Roman Nagiller

Tobias Gosch

Julie von Gruenigen

Raphael Schröder

Ferdinand Siegismund

Linda Farczadi

Adam Kolarski

Rachel Nolan

Katharina (Kaddy) Seidel

Thomas Martinus

Juris Skrebels

Egger Céline

Olivier Logoz

Philipp Kneubuehler

Jochen Trede

Simon Rosmolen

Hannes Dorfmaier

Theresa Dorfmaier

Idriss Hamdi

Raf Frans

Dirk Goossens

Bouwe Kuin

Sabrina Kuhrn

Irene Graf

Thomas Benjamin Lier

Mario Nestelberger

Krishan Lafleur

Gunars Treikals

Florian Hofer

Fabian Pramhas

Adam Barszczowski

Vincent Van De Mortel

Martijn Jongbloed

Kai Fügel

Laurent Magnet

Lukas Ausserhofer

Emilio Corrochano

André Klein

Carlos Garcia Rufo

Clara Dezcallar

Sascha Wirth

Luca Bertolini

Jonas Panchaud

Bastian Schlaak

Sarah Dunker

Stefan Messinger

Diva Oliveira

Ludovic Holderbeke

Bernd Folberth

Kamil Redestowicz

Mathias Mücke

Anja Gleichweit

Simon Hager

Martijn de Kruijk

Nick Dokman

Thomas Jerabek

Joost Steltenpool

Gijs de Bruijn

Alma Moya Losada

Douwe Schravesande

Lisa Pacher

Timo Stein

Alvaro Azcarate Garcia

Birgit Fügel

Fabian Fahrenberg

Sven Meyrer

Christian Werner

Infantolino Sébastien

Anna Lindel

Oliver Garside

Fabian Wittich

Alex Ramon Sanchez

Lourens Bloem

Michael Unterreiner

Philipp Muehlegger

Jeantet Yohan

Bart Houtackers

Rob Heerdink

Andries Aumann

Karin Schöller

Mark Graus

Alexander Kommeren

David Linders

Wojciech Filipek

Jason Austin

Fürtös András

Joppe Penders

James Pearce

Piotr Liszke

Janine Wirth

René Huber

Marcus Göde

Pieter-Paul van der Meer

Tom Walters

Hans Miggenrieder

Víctor Pérez Campos

Hola y bienvenido to the dotwatcher coverage of the GranGuanche Audax Road, hosted by Daniela Kirchner. After riding the very first edition of the GranGuanche series, the Trail in 2021, and the Gravel in 2022, the islands kidnapped me, and I keep coming back. This time Ventura and I will follow our Guanchers in a van to bring you the most exciting ferry hopping stories to your living room. Ventura Mendoza (Instagram @miurihausen) is the one but not only host of the well-known Spanish cycling podcast La Escapada (Instagram @laescapadacc). For all the Spanish speakers, don’t miss their daily podcast updates from the road. I promise you, it will be a blast.
![Vent](//downloads.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/sUuXcyUEY4N1g99ISmCFg/5988c74b79b6d64381730ac04e66da03/_matminelli_MXT51704.jpg)
*Ventura and me on our dotwatching mission on the Trail edition.* 

Enough from ourselves, we hope you will enjoy the commentary over the next few days, let’s start with a preview what the 130 riders can expect from their island-hopping adventure next week. 

The adventure kicks off on Sunday Jan 28th at 8am GMT in Orzola, a small town in the north of Lanzarote to cross 5 islands of the Spanish archipelago and finally reach La Gomera, the road cycling paradise of the Canaries. The Audax follows the well-known GranGuancheRoad route with about 650km and 15000m ascent. As stated by the organizers “It’s a self-supported, single-stage, fixed-route ride and follows the classic rules and principles of ultra-cycling events, but in the spirit of Audax, participants are here allowed to ride in a group and draft each other.” This rule highly encourages sharing the adventure with old and new friends, quite a few lasting friendships started here. 

With the GranGuanche adventures already in the 3rd year, there is a lot of information out there, but nevertheless, the everchanging weather conditions on the islands can always bring a few surprises. This year the route changed as well, about 60 kilometers were added and the La Gomera loop is reversed. 

Let’s dive into the adventure island by island first and find some special highlights and challenges along the route for our Guanchers.
# Lanzarote
### 116km / 1.780m ascent

It is an easy island to start with. A first climb to viewpoint Mirador del Rio built by famous local architect Cesar Manrique followed by a scenic road ride on the edge of Famara cliff. The small towns Haria and Teguise, the first Spanish settlements on the island sheltered in the mountains to hide from pirates' attacks, offer an early possibility for an emergency resupply stop. A last climb in the Timanfaya national park in the volcanic landscape left by the massive eruption of the 18th century and down to the harbour at Playa Blanca. Time to enjoy the first “bocadillo de tortilla” on the ferry. ![Ferry](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4M8oq4NbqXkp2zqcZE2iz4/ea5cf25b544f9e35bfccd7c01734b3bf/_matminelli_DSCF6797.jpg)
# Fuerteventura
### 138km / 2.215 m ascent
![picfuerte](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1efpLGhaOGruBNdRUDtUvy/16e1588363f0fd6371f504776de8cf89/_matminelli_MMXT2198.jpg)
After a quick 30 min ferry power nap, the Guanchers will hit the easy but long ride across Fuerteventura. The usual trade winds might help a lot, last year our riders were flying at 45km/h reaching the ferry port earlier than expected. Let’s check the weather forecast a bit before the start. Pajara and Betancuria offer good resupply points and in Betancuria there is even a water fountain for the ones passing through at night. The ones challenging the Audax pace must make the 6.30pm or 8pm ferry to Gran Canaria, all the other adventurers might sleep in a hotel or at the beach in Morro Jable and start Gran Canaria with fresh legs after a good night of sleep.
# Gran Canaria
### 143 km / 3.282m ascent
![picgc](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5qIqEXbFJq5TnWTvhwiC8Z/8cacb806fd154422c09bf45667c5b60e/_matminelli_MMXT2498.jpg)
The climbing game starts here but first hope for a quiet sea. Two hours on a shaking ferry can be a game changer. I clearly remember these 60 minutes on the ferry toilet a year ago, not the best moment of my life. From Las Palmas, it’s a long and steep climb to Pico de las Nieves, the highest mountain of the island. The Audaxers will ride all of this during the night, it’s a pity to miss out on the beautiful views or just a reason to come back to the islands in the future. 
# Tenerife
### 154km / 3.862m ascent
![pictener](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6RvmM1vPNnI6dDQ9UlHheW/c027044b4c1e130626fbac749baaf53a/_matminelli_MMXT2786.jpg)
The pen-ultimo island comes with a massive elevation gain. The climb starts just out of Santa Cruz city and leads to Anaga mountains in a lush green forest usually shredded in the mist.
La Laguna, the former capital offers everything a hungry and tired cyclist might want before climbing up to Mt. Teide. Sadly, the pine forest on this climb was hit by a huge summer wildfire last year, therefore the views might be a bit depressing. But after 450km riding without much sleep, the views might not be the primary concern of the riders. Don’t underestimate the weather: it can be cold and freezing, we hope our Guanchers are prepared with proper winter clothing, especially if they want to do this stage at night. In case the road up to Teide is closed due to snow, there is an alternative route around. 

# La Gomera
### 111km / 3.660m ascent 
![picgomera](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/V66XOJvSF5jAokMetmIjR/a585c656e3fe99978593cb77f27dc1ad/_matminelli_MMXT4001.jpg)
Onto the fifth and final island, the final leg is a 111km loop before finishing in San Sebastian. It’s a final sprint with a massive elevation gain, we expect the first finishers at around 8pm Monday evening. Laurens, last years first finisher, came into town after 1 day 11 hours. What a ride! But don't worry if riders stop longer than expected on ultra events, they might just contemplate the landscape, enjoy the views and take it easy. The party pace approach is well worth on these diverse islands.

Thank you for sticking with me till the end of the preview. I will be back for a deep dive into the starters list and an explanation of the Audax pace scenario later this week. Have a good time on your bikes meanwhile! 


*Title pic by Lausannegravel*

It’s great to have so many familiar faces on the start line this year together with a lot of new friends!

Let’s present you a few of them. Linda Farczadi from the Lausanne gravel crew (Insta @lausannegravel) shared with me their story: 

"We’re no strangers to the GranGuanche Series at Lausanne Gravel, we love them since the first edition, and whatever the surfaces we’re sure to have at least a few members joining.
This time around for the 2024 road edition our group includes some veterans as well as some ultra newbies giving the unsupported events a first ago. 

What we really like about this event is that it combines so easily the aspect of a real challenge (you can be sure that there is always a very strong group of riders pushing for the Audax pace) but while still being a perfect introductory event to bike packing and ultra cycling. 

That being said, we are eager to get to our beach vacation on Gomera as fast as possible, so you are likely to see many of us go for the Audax pace or 3 day pace otherwise.
![laus](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5wTTbOpwiCiRJbA4vfeIAo/1099a87cd140125b7ed7fd20650d4f30/lausannebeach.png)
*The Lausanne crew on their post-event beach holiday last year* 

What’s nice about the road version, unlike the gravel, is that there are many boats to the last island, so it’s easy to set a target of improving each year. Last year we suffered a bit with the weather conditions on Gran Canaria so we are hoping for a smoother night crossing this time around, and hopefully an earlier boat to La Gomera. For those of us trying the Audax pace again, the slight route changes provide a new challenge and it will be interesting to see how it works out. 
We don’t really have a plan to stay together, but we seem to find each other in similar paced groups anyways. 

You can spot us on the road with our bright magenta Lausanne Gravel stickers, don’t hesitate to say we are a friendly bunch :)"

There will be 17 of them out there on the route, what a pleasure to have you Linda, Philippe and Kaddy back with a lot of newcomers to the scene. The newbies will come well prepared, there was a strategy meeting held in Lausanne a few weeks ago to share their knowledge. 

Btw, I heard about an amazing event this friendly bunch organizes in May in their region: the Leman Gravel Challenge (@lemangravel). Don’t miss it!

Looking at the map we are heading east crossing the alps towards Vienna! Roman Nagiller from the Vienna Crew (Insta @vienna.crew) dropped me a few lines: 
![vienn](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2Vnjl2lqU47bPNvjE06xwU/2c963f89fd04378c925b6af0ab84f8e9/Screenshot_2024-01-26_115959.jpg)
*The Vienna Crew in La Gomera last year*

“Last year our bunch of girls and guys from Vienna found themselves before the race to tackle the adventure of GGR together. We started the race as group of bike enthusiasts who knew each other widely and ended the race as group of close friends. This was the start of an adventurous journey of the Vienna Crew.
GranGuanche was such an amazing experience for all of us that we decided to repeat this journey with the same group and even some additional friends again.

Our target is clear, having as much fun, adventure, and joy as last year. And we wouldn’t be the Vienna Crew, if we would not strive for small improvements.

Especially the boys, Martin, Roman and Tobi have some old scores to settle and will try to go for the Audax pace this year, as it was missed on the last ferry to Gomera last time by a few minutes. The girls (Theresa, Anja, Sabrina and Irene) will impress some experienced ultra cycling veterans again with stellar performances similar as last year.”

In the About section of the registration form we found these words from Anja (@basecampanja), one of the girls from the Vienna Crew: 
![anajteresa](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5XJx2ahaB5sSoodwUFH8Lr/292d70a6bc85987c0aa5fafd3a7b5014/anjateresa.png)
*Anja and Theresa last year in Tenerife*

“GranGuanche Road 2023 marked the beginning of the greatest year for me so far. In January the boys and girls of the Vienna Crew knew each other just loosely. I met Theresa about 4 months prior at one of my FEMALE CYCLING BASECAMPS. However AFTER the GGR we were friends and we stayed friends. We did cycling holidays together, participated in a local triathlon and rode to Milano. We danced at parties, swam in beautiful Austrian lakes and ate a lot of honey (because we discovered that honey gives you power=watts). Since GGR we share good and bad times with each other. Sounds like a movie but it is what it is: Real (cycling) friendship.

As the boys started to register again for GGR 2024, we girls decided to do it again too. Because what's the Vienna Crew without us? ;)”

Besides all the hardship in ultra-cycling, isn’t this what its all about? 

Last but not least, one more group of friends you should not miss. The Besenwagen Podcast crew (@besenwagen_) with Bastian Marks, Andi Stauff and Paul Voss. Paul, a GranGuanche veteran brings his friends over to the islands. Curious what their approach will be? Listing to their last podcast episode might give you an idea! (German only)

![besenwagen](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1X8GVRHP3TxI5j7Ku6HoN3/d1ef21b2d8b26b61b569589aed8ca6a9/besenwagen.png)
*Last podcast episode title pic*

There is a lot more Guanchers out there with amazing stories to share! 

Hope all of them will have an fantastic time on the route!


Registration is already done! A lot of happy and excited faces on the beach in Costa Teguise. Alma (cap 54) and Kevin (cap 14) were eager to share their stories with Ventura. A quick reminder for all the Spanish speakers: Don’t miss the Ultra Podcast hosted by La Escapada. First episode tomorrow 6am. Could you think of anything better to listen to on the way to work the next days?![alma](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/Ay6MRhuVLEKErobGMvoGQ/1026d7d49fa514689b155a287460c971/alma.jpg)

Meanwhile Lanzarote airport is converting into a bike workshop. Our unlucky fellow Alex Ramon (cap 26) came to the briefing by foot. Why? His bike is still in Madrid. We hope he is luckier than Tomas on the Trail edition. For the ones who weren’t following us, Tomas got his bike one week (yes week, not day!) later. Fingers crossed for Alex! ![airport](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6J7xvnE6kaVawXdbFxjUn6/185f027037563f26cc0151e57a83fec6/WhatsApp_Image_2024-01-27_at_19.09.33.jpeg)
*Lanzarote Airport today afternoon*

Jochen (cap 26) reported putting sunscreen already in the morning in Germany before catching his flight. Was he worried about looking like a “sunburned British package tourist” or is this just an example of the “Deutsche Gründlichkeit” (German thoroughness)? If it is the latter, we know what to expect from him on the road!![joch](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2hEh8q8hzspS8b4HfUOHYA/bf9cf0ebf05129490532cde1b6108a8d/jochenm.jpg)

Done with stereotypes, I promise! One more rider to present to you. 

Jason (cap 111) worried about his belly yesterday. Don’t worry Jas, your cap number is very promising! And belly or no belly, tall or short, never forget: “All cyclists are beautiful!” ![jas](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6ctH79JWDYd5H3gSqcvKSk/7c624a4b6780a4822ead70cdff972ce6/jas.jpg)

Now a quick intro into the Audax pace. About 30 riders are trying to challenge this pace scenario. What is it all about?

The so-called Audax pace is a challenge to connect all the scheduled ferries in a non-stop ride. Using the time on the ferry wisely and be fast enough to powernap on the harbour before the ferry leaves might be a game changer. It is the only price you can win in this event – the entry fee will be fully refunded. The pace scenario is the following:
### Lanzarote: Sun 1st day 
116km / 1780m » Next ferry in 4h15min – Avg speed 25km/h

≈ Ferry: Romero 12:30 (45min) or Armas 13:00 (35min)
### Fuerteventura
138km / 2215 m » Next ferry in 4h45min – Avg speed 27km/h

Keep a steady pace. Only stop for a quick resupply in Pajara.

≈ Ferry: Armas 18:30 (120min) or Fred Olsen 20:00 
### Gran Canaria: Sun 1st night
143 km / 3282m » Next ferry in 10h

It’s a steep climb and a long descent in the dark. Take it easy and ride safely. Try to rest a couple of hours at the harbour.

≈ Ferry: Fred Olsen 06:00 (80min)
### Tenerife: Mon 2nd day 
154km / 3.862m » Next ferry in 7h10min – Avg speed 20km/h

After 24 hours in the saddle, this is a big challenge. 

≈ Ferry: Armas 14:30 (50min)
### They made it! 
### La Gomera 
111km / 3660m

Rest first or ride La Gomera straight away, it is on you! The first ones are expected to finish around 8pm on Monday.

Last year the Audax pace was achieved by 5 riders: Laurens ten Dam, Guillaume Bourgeois, Emilio Castro, Philippe Bechet and Jochen Böhringer. The two latter are back for this edition. What is their goal this time? 

Jochen used a homemade tool to carry his cardboard box today, energy saved for tomorrow! ![joch](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3vBGVrc4r42XmXTQSeKWFj/39f256aac78bdac5182990ff930cd348/jochencard.jpeg)
*Jochens "travelling with a bike" life hack*

And what is Philippe doing today?
![phil](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3flQatD7wSBqHRXjc8nRd3/60735947f680e10743e956aaf7293d71/philip.jpeg)
*Childhood dreams in Orzola*

We wish all of them a good rest tonight! Start will be tomorrow morning at 8am GMT. 


The Ermita de Orzola, a small church in Orzola, is becoming more and more popular on pictures with cyclists. About 120 gathered here today morning to start into the ferry hopping game. ![pic](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/69Wn0t6pl5OaubCsz17W8P/ebcc89828cde2aef0605eb0dffddf320/IMG_6065.jpg)

Big changes this year, not on the route but on the winds. The last days the islands were hit by Calima, a weather phenomenon common in the Canary Islands, where dust and sand from the Sahara Desert are carried over by the wind, leading to reduced visibility and air quality issues. Apart from that, wind is blowing in the “wrong” direction. Today should be the last day of this phenomenon, the head- and crosswind will be less intense but still there. No easy flying across Lanzarote and Fuerteventura for our Guanchers.

![wind](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5wqJT0a561gx4uZMl1gjm5/09196c7f9e096147f6c8bf367a5a0125/Bildschirmfoto_2024-01-28_um_08.10.23.png)
*Wind blowing in the opposite direction*

Who will we meet at the first ferry in Playa Blanca under this conditions? It is not an easy one!

Quite a few reported not being in a rush. Chris Hall (cap 70), first seen on the islands on last year Gravel edition, wants to do one island a day. 

![chris](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/56Utc9dtYwqawHcsqs8Zhu/6e00b5edae3204cd38d49ba2298b30ab/Bildschirmfoto_2024-01-28_um_08.34.35.jpeg)
*Chris’ plan for the island hopping adventure*

And btw Lucky Alex. His bike arrived at midnight!

Don't worry about Kaddy, Philippe and Rodney! We saw them leaving Orzola, it should be just a tracker issue!

And what a start it was. We spotted the first Guancher, Mario (cap 35), at around 12 pm in Playa Blanca (the end of Lanzarote). 

![mario](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4fSObDYez3LLqWwOQzJGWz/fdd97ad40d295a189b04b42a7b0131cc/IMG_6076.jpg)
*Happy and not yet tired Mario*

The harbour was filling up fast, about 50 riders waited for the 12.30pm Romero ferry to leave, it was a long wait. This ferry didn’t leave until after the 13pm Armas ferry had already left. Some couldn’t wait that long and bought another ticket for the Armas one. 

![ferr](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1s9HeQ4e4UEhu7ri197461/be7a59c03baa8851d2a848ba23cd9354/IMG_6081.jpg)
*It's getting crowded here in Playa Blanca*

At the 13.30pm Fred Olsen ferry we spotted Alma (cap 45) chatting with some strangers. Did she bring her family with her on this trip or … ? 

![alma](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3cu5d0AoGhsXESmWHuNHQU/bacd9ef136315e55bc5f3a4be6bb2bd8/IMG_6082.jpg)
*Alma explaining what GranGuanche is all about*

No, Alma only brought her friends from Switzerland to the islands. Fred Olsen is not the most bike-friendly company and they didn’t let Alma enter with her bike, apparently bike spots were sold out. Seriously? There is still place for cars but no bikes!? These locals didn’t hesitate to put her bike into their car. As exchange Alma gave them in introduction into ultra-cycling. All's well that ends well!

Not only Alma had a guardian angel. Laurent (cap 78) or let’s say Laurent’s bike enjoyed local hospitably as well. A truck driver had this kind of solution-oriented problem-solving attitude that is always taught in business school. Maybe Fred Olsen should hire him as a manager, and life would be a lot easier for our Guanchers and the world! 
![truck](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/70kTO6YfgjIwtP8Rm56nMw/cca4682a1a8faeca33c7c52a4109ef02/04ac3701-1889-44f9-b665-a84902a1455a.JPG)
*Truck driver for Fred Olsen president*

Fuerteventura was all a headwind fest. Like mentioned in the morning update, the usual trade winds were “out of service”, calima headwinds were strong and hot and took a toll on our riders.

At Morro Jable harbour (the end of Fuerteventura) the ferry game turned into a ferry drama. Jochen (cap 26) and Kevin (cap 14) arrived at the ferry port exactly when the ferry staff was lifting the ramp. 

![jochen](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5TsBKp29ENVpPBO9qvi8zQ/6356071833febc276960eb12a0b5a828/IMG_2238_1_.JPG)
*Spot Jochen in the not-so-far*

![jochen](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2Hf6UkMzK05ZrNuzc8Npk2/1f1f18c901cf7828c84ba35f1c957870/IMG_2246.JPG)
*Heartbreaking* 

Kevin even offered to throw his bike into the ferry and jump, what a commitment. Watching them from above I felt like crying with them. I am sure there were a lot of “What if…”. But don’t think too much, you did an amazing job! The 2 of them got the 8pm ferry with about 40 more Guanchers. While the dotwatching community is sleeping, they are riding through the Gran Canarian night to catch the morning ferry at 6am to Tenerife! 

Paul (cap 41), the only one who made it to the 6.30pm ferry, reported he knew that it was a close call from the beginning on, he was pushing hard all the way. Great Job, Paul!

![paul](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/9yNLnky9FQMmKtYHCFLsi/c7b84b9f98fc70832d64271d82cc2b39/IMG_6101.jpg)
*Paul walking into the ferry like a boss*

Our Guanchers are all over Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria this night. What a pleasure to see these dots moving or resting. A few apparently found resort hotels with all-inclusive buffets, an ultra-cyclists heaven. 

![all](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/45YPPWg21yAP5MeGTBdFNG/d1732bb08c5d44cf0e95b0f1b19175a6/Bildschirmfoto_2024-01-28_um_23.47.50.png)
*Our party pacing friend Chris (cap 70)*


It was a long night out on Gran Canaria. 20 Guanchers made it to the morning ferry, out of them 6 women. More than ever on any Audax boat. Will one of them make the Audax pace? Linda (cap 33) or Julie (cap 29)?

Roman (cap 48) from the Vienna Crew commented that they chose a slower average pace in favor of sleeping in Agaete. Will their strategy work out? At least at the ferry Roman found some sleep.  

![roman](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4n952rXwvbmoUtV4K4aL7x/78b96ab374e972b3305a4fc9e0442b37/IMG_6119.jpg)
*Roman taking a rest*

Do you remember Alex (cap 96), our unlucky bike guy? He commented suffering on Fuerteventura as much as on all the islands together last year. Imagine leaving your house in Norway at -23 degrees pushing into the headwind in the burning sun of Fuerteventura after not sleeping with all the uncertainty of the bike. Animo Alex! We are waiting for you in La Gomera!

Rachel (cap 44) almost missed the morning boat, she mixed up the ferry timetables and headed for a 6.30am ferry. Contrary to Jochen and Kevin yesterday, she made the 6am ferry by 20 sec. With her background in downhill, on the descents she passed a lot of riders, meanwhile the climbs were more a suffer fest for her. 

![IMG 6110](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1zHRN7tOJ0yc8p0o1n85md/5c55d359aad9a9291fa4f357d6aa4bab/IMG_6110.jpg)
*Rachel on her breakfast quest*

A few more sleeping impressions from the boat:
![ferry](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5AdIhntFKDVwRLctkYpEYG/9397323a1c70e7e7a043d23a93ee1042/IMG_6136.jpg)
![IMG 6132](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/K0Fbzj3r2mlBoBinUR4f3/5ab8b59eeb3e765196beb999be2d7451/IMG_6132.jpg)![IMG 6118](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3z076LdBdvWRBQnXd5QthL/3afb943cecaa9f38b4cc72860b7bb60c/IMG_6118.jpg)

We will be back in the afternoon from La Gomera, the final island. Who will make this first last boat?

Meanwhile happy and well rested faces of the party pacers. ![Bildschirmfoto 2024-01-29 um 09.13.29](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/36ooSLTnKv8zW9su3jsPTj/163ef1817091186ca3666152784ec041/Bildschirmfoto_2024-01-29_um_09.13.29.jpeg)

*Karin (cap 112) and Rene (cap 124) on the ferry to Fuerteventura*


Philippe, Paul, Jochen, Kevin and Roman made the Audax ferry. What a ride by the quintet, or to be more precise the 5 solo fighters! But do not misunderstand, these 5 fellows aren't selfish douchbags. Potato chips and donuts were shared on the ferry! 

“Easier than expected” was one of the comments. Never ever tell an organizer these words. When I was riding Silk Road Mountain Race in 2022 and everything went quite fine, I had these words on the tip of my tongue. But an angel told me to shut up for the sake of the next years riders. Sooooooooo.

Now the guys are riding the final loop, who has the most energy left?

All afternoon long Guanchers are arriving on La Gomera and starting the final loop. Julie (cap 29) and Linda (cap 33), the first two women, both made the 4pm ferry to La Gomera. Julie was riding a bit faster in Tenerife, but it's all up in the air. How fast will they ride the 111 km loop, after almost no sleep last night? 
Julie's cap number is matching her age, a sign of good luck?

Meanwhile in Gran Canaria: 

Laurent (cap 114) knows how to enjoy this adventure. Is it only me or can somebody else see the midpack party happening in San Bartolome tonight? Whoever is still looking for an accomodation, you know who to ask!

![WhatsApp Image 2024-01-29 at 16.54.25](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5GwoiqLKz2PzWtfmZUf4fm/9459c3b1201259623232aa61a0ec9190/WhatsApp_Image_2024-01-29_at_16.54.25.jpeg)
*Boom! Tank is empty booked an airbnb with swimming pool in San Bartolome, still 8km to go*

Lisa (cap 79) reported her 3rd flat tire today, the first two at the same time. But still in a good mood. That's the spirit, Lisa. Keep strong or how about stopping at Laurents swimmingpool to give your tires a complete overhaul?

![IMG 6152](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7qmUUpU197xGf9hkjF8U4b/e32f5dfcf840d7573f236a5dce33c059/IMG_6152.jpg)

One more story to share before dinner time in La Gomera:

More locals getting engaged in bike transfers, as Fred Olsen... yeah, we already know about it. The Morro Jable to Gran Canaria ferry could be a dotwatchers paradise. More of a dothelping than dotwatching but in these specific circumstances 100% allowed!

![IMG 6140](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/39UyngveaMgnNmoA2OCuzc/8df746139c28c61421435cf34bdc49d3/IMG_6140.jpg)

*Anja (cap 57), Sabrina (cap 49), Steve (cap 89) on their mission*


The plaza in San Sebastian de la Gomera is filling up with riders arriving and leaving. 12 Guanchers finished during the night. 

Our first finisher Paul Voss, made it just in time for dinner after 36 h 55 min, followed by his fellow Audax riders Kevin and Philippe.

![Neueste Fotos anzeigen](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5roFARzane7YNTZm207pUV/145d1592018e3a7291f96721fcd60d8b/Neueste_Fotos_anzeigen.jpeg)
*Could be anybody but I promise you it is Paul*

![IMG 2282](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5wF0VAV8S1MNYp64ep2ZYb/fc9ca0abe08d55400b9df3b476841440/IMG_2282.jpg)
*Kevin and Philippe* 

Just after midnight we welcomed Julie van Grünigen as the first female, well done Julie!

![IMG 2288](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/12Ffjs2VQBOcxAeXBTDbRE/2e002004fffe96b8d7435104b350d852/IMG_2288.JPG)
*Julie and Raphael (cap 46)*

Quite a few opted for a night of sleep before tackling the final loop. Why not? The beautiful scenery is worth seeing in daylight. Rachel went for the night ride and finished around 5am in the morning. Maybe she will head out for a day ride, she looks quite fresh.

![IMG 6156](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2aeeabNEXUtnVjDsyOS0B5/da662992dab3678b7ae39c3bc83c9cdc/IMG_6156.jpg)
*Rachel heading for a night climb after the night ride*

Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Gomera are full of dots. Just because the first ones already finished, we will continue presenting you the stories from the road. 
![Screenshot](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5hm1eVds8L4Atq76jybYP2/0565c1b7510c6b47ea4d6a168007e944/Screenshot_.png)
*The event is in full swing*


We are into our 3rd day and we, the organizers, are starting to look more tired than the riders. With this in mind, do not judge my not-so-sophisticated English, please.  

Bikes and more bikes in La Gomera. And more and more stories from the road. The two big crews (Lausanne & Vienna) were spending half of the day on the finish line. Lots of hugs, smiling faces and even tears of joy. Ultra events are rollercoasters of emotions. Congrats to all of them! 

Sabrina (cap 49) finished in single speed, involuntarily, not much before Irene (cap 71) who entered private gardens for a water hose twice on the route today. Sun was burning in La Gomera. Sabrina came across roadworks when running out of water. "Water for 10 Euro" the road workers offered. No, just kidding, they said after they saw Sabrinas sweaty and smelly jersey.

![IMG 6172](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/29Hpr7v4AFJoFf3zAcqbDD/bb5d7cd9ac07b1f77f2b74183db177de/IMG_6172.jpg)
*Sabrina and Irene discussing their water issues*

Did you spot the shirts of the Vienna Crew? VNS? What’s that? Not another fashion cycling brand please, Vienna Crew! 😉 

![IMG 6171](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/RBUMcxaVjJ7Zii5FxGNQK/57b435b228516d312475d376e16788cc/IMG_6171.jpg)

Voll Normal Studios (“Very Normal Studios”) I found out later. To be honest, it took me a while to understand. Yeah, I am definitely a bit sleep deprived as well.
We would love to see their business plan soon in "2 Minuten 2 Millionen". (An Austrian startup investors TV-show.)

One more new face to present to you: André (cap 56). He arrived in the afternoon on the plaza in San Sebastian, smiling as always. With a lot of entusiasm he told me his story about waiting and waiting for a tortilla de patata he ordered in one of the restaurants on Teide in Tenerife, getting more and more impatient as we all know there is always a ferry to catch. Why not ask the family on the table next to him for their leftovers? He got a weird look but also a lot of food. Mission accomplished!

Ultra cycling is not for the picky ones! Take what you get and reduce waste. 

![IMG 6168](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6nB1SksMFuPslQLlDBMDaB/4fc5bc71d0eadda59c103f13ba3cf43c/IMG_6168.jpg)
*Andre telling me his food adventure*

At midnight, as I am writing this, we have 36 finishers and 11 scratchers, all of the scratchers are male. 

Go girls go, it would be great to have a 100% female finisher rate like in the Trail edition in December. 

*Title pic: Alma at the finish line*

Do you remember James from the Trail edition in December saving a German woman’s life at night in Tenerife? We didn’t expect it to happen so fast, but James has to pass on the trophy of the “GranGuanche livesaver” to Chris (cap 70). Do you spot the green parachute in the tree? 

![WhatsApp Image 2024-01-31 at 19.20.50](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2biFGhg1ILAFK8zkcH2hEg/53226aece53978b89690c637c292d49c/WhatsApp_Image_2024-01-31_at_19.20.50.jpeg)

Imaging riding across Tenerife and out of the nowhere you see a paraglider crashing into a tree. “Scared the shit out of me when it happened to be honest”, he commented. After searching for signal and calling the emergency services, Chris carried on. As our riders are all over Tenerife now, it was just a matter of time more Guanchers coming by. 

![WhatsApp Image 2024-01-31 at 19.12.41](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4PTGnCxhSrfcY42vBd6Wd4/c44324092af6105313e74f673c804994/WhatsApp_Image_2024-01-31_at_19.12.41.jpeg)

Our party pacer crew with Mark (cap 117) sent us that picture commenting: “Party pacers are bunching up because there's a parapenter caught in a tree... Gran Guanche is full of surprises.”

All the best to the unknown paraglider. Recover well!

A few more scratchers today. Laurent, our swimming pool boy from Gran Canaria, decided to scratch. Maybe sleeping outside on the cold floor last night was not the best idea?

![WhatsApp Image 2024-01-30 at 21.06.19](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/20fYH6FJp2YjFzl4VyJf07/580c5534bef814236091ed045127957d/WhatsApp_Image_2024-01-30_at_21.06.19.jpeg)
*I’ve also found a cheap hotel but locked myself out*

The lantern rouge was ever-changing the last days, like the weather in the Canaries. Currently it is with the party pacing crew with James, Katharina, Pascal and Piotr, we expect them in La Gomera by tomorrow afternoon. You did a great job the last days, keep going. See you tomorrow! 

![WhatsApp Image 2024-01-31 at 13.51.40](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5biisDH6tMNLCNhENl72Cn/8310b47aa687e4a6eab4eebf9a9ed7de/WhatsApp_Image_2024-01-31_at_13.51.40.jpeg)
*Even party pacers need a break*

And last but not least the Guancher of the day: 

Wico Christiaans, 75 years old from the Nederlands. Wico was eager to participate in the event, but he didn’t feel like doing it self-supported at his age. To avoid being disqualified but still feeling the vibe of the event, he decided to do the route in the same week followed by his family with a van. He finished the route in 5 days, one island per day! Congrats, Wico! Great job!

![WhatsApp Image 2024-01-31 at 20.24.15](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5JngD7AlxvOGshHYXvXpKM/7cf26ab4a7d54a0f37e77bfd78a2c5c7/WhatsApp_Image_2024-01-31_at_20.24.15.jpeg)
*Wico on the right just after finishing*


Daniela Kirchner

GranGuanche Audax Road 2024 Tracking and Commentary: This third edition is a self-supported, single-stage, fixed-route, endurance cycling event across the Canary Islands; a paved route with considerable elevation gain. In true audax spirit, riders must be self-supported but are allowed to ride together and draft one another.

GranGuanche Audax Road 2024 Tracking + Commentary

The third edition of the Granguanche Audax Road is a self-supported, single-stage, fixed-route, endurance cycling event across the Canary Islands; a paved route with considerable elevation gain. In true audax spirit, riders must be self-supported but are allowed to ride together and draft one another.

GranGuanche Audax Road 2024

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