Mario Feltrin finished his journey from the NorthCape to Tarifa 24th of July 10:00 in the morning. Mario needed 34 days and 10 hours for the 7400km route.
Last year Mario finished the 4400km long 45-SouthWest from Krakow to Tarifa in 22 days, that results in 200km per day. This year on the 7400km long NorthCape-Tarifa route Mario cycled an average of almost 220km per day. What an improvement, much longer route and faster.
Congratulations Mario!
Photos: At the finish in Tarifa and on the route from La Roda to Alcaraz.
Andrea Zandoná arrived 21st of July 2024 21:10 at the finish in Tarifa. He needed for his journey just 10 minutes more as Renato, 31 days 21 hours and 10 minutes.
We met Andrea in the Gorafe desert and he told us, that he likes the route a lot. He is slow as he takes photos all over.
In the Gorafe desert was a river crossing in the past. This has changed, a new built crossing makes it much easier, to come to the other said with dry feets.
Photos: From the Gorafe desert and the finish in Tarifa.
Renato Ghiraldo finished 21st of July 2024 21:00 in the evening at the fish in Tarifa. That makes 31 days and 21 hours for the 7400km long route. We met Renato in the downhill into the Gorafe desert 2 days before he finished in Tarifa. The Gorafe desert offers one of three gravel sections in Spain. The riders have the choice for an option of a paved road that is 40km longer with additional 700 vertical meters. This year so far all the riders have chosen the direct gravel route trough the Gorafe desert.
Photos: From the Gorafe desert and the finish in Tarifa.
Sarah Cinquini from Italy made it yesterday just after midnight to Tarifa, July 19th at 00:30. Sarah is the first Italian woman who finished the NorthCape-Tarifa and she arrived 29 days and 30 minutes after the start in Tarifa.
Congratulations Sarah, well done!
Photos: From the climb after Ronda and the finish in Tarifa.
Kim Roelants finished his journey in Tarifa this morning, July 17, 2024, at 10:00, after 28 days and 10 hours of travel from North Cape. He was greeted by a big surprise: his wife, who had been waiting for him at the finish line since 7:00 AM. She had driven for three days from Belgium to Tarifa. During her trip, she stopped once at the coast in France and, while on the phone with Kim, told him she was at a beach party in Belgium.
After the welcoming and obligatory photos at the fish, Kim asked, “What’s next?”
Kim’s goal for the North Cape to Tarifa journey was: “There are two adventures that have been on my wishlist since I started doing long-distance rides: the Transcontinental race (crossing Europe from West to East) and the North Cape-Tarifa adventure (crossing Europe from North to South). Especially the latter appeals to me because of its enormous latitudinal change: The idea of riding through tundra (North Scandinavia) and (semi)desert (Andalucia) in a single ride, meanwhile passing through so many biomes, landscapes and mountain ranges, is super exciting. My ‘careful’ goal is to finish the North Cape – Tarifa trajectory in less than one month, finishing before July 20th. This would require covering an average distance of 240 km each day. However, my more ambitious goal is to be able to maintain an average of 300+ km per day, like I did during the Transcontinental Race two years ago. If I manage to do that, I’ll finish in 25 days. Honestly, I don’t care much about finishing position, adventures like these are mostly a race against yourself. No matter how long it will take me, I plan to reach the finish and enjoy every minute along the way. Even the hard moments (I know there will be many), while not enjoyable in the moment, often make for beautiful memories afterwards.”
Photos: From the finish in Tarifa. The first photo was taken when Kim stopped at a bakery in Alta after riding in the rain from the start and was thinking about to scratch from the adventure.
Sarah Cinquini is currently on the Pico del Veleta climb. The climb starts at 772m and after 39km the route reaches the peak at 3,398m above sea level. That makes a total of 2,626 vertical meters. Sarah is currently in 5th position, and we expect her to arrive in Tarifa tomorrow, Thursday.
Breve curriculum sportivo:
Raf (2023)
Dolomitics 24 (2018)
Ultracycling Dolomitica – cat. Team2 (2018)
Adriatic Marathon – cat. Team2 (2018)
TransDolomiticsWay (2019)
Terminillo UltraMarathon (2019)
24h del Montello (2020) – cat. Woman
Romagna Ultra Race (2021)
Ultra Apuane (2021)
Two Vulcano Sprint (2021)
Transatlanticway (2022)
Race across ITALY (2023)
Photos: from checkpoint Bregenz, Col du Télégraphe, Col du Galibier and Pico del Veleta
Kim Roelants reached the 3398m high checkpoint Pico del Veleta at 20:24 yesterday evening: “What an epic climb! A worthy finale for such a big journey.”
Kim is at the moment 200km before the finish Tarifa.
What are Kim’s experiences: “I have been a keen cyclist my whole adult life, using my bicycle as my prior means of transport. In 2015, I discovered bikepacking and started doing solo long-distance rides. These rides range between 800 and 2000 km and I typically ride about 300 km per day, sleeping outside as much as I could. My race experience is fairly limited but in 2022, I rode the Transcontinental race. I rode 4100 km and finished in 13.5 days. So far, this my biggest achievement in long-distance cycling. I realise that the North Cape-Tarifa ride is a whole deal longer than that but I’m ready to try it.”
This is Tarifa with the Strait of Gibraltar. The light house marks the most southern point of the European Mainland. In the back clear to see Morocco, Africa with the new harbour Tanger Med and the Rif mountains.
Tarifa is the finish of the NorthCape-Tarifa bicycle adventure, and the Iberica-Traversa. On the other side just about 12km away in Tanger is the start of the Morocco-BikeAdventure Oct. 6th. You can also combine Iberica and Morocco and go for the 2-Continental BikAdventure. Start Sept. 22nd in Irun, north of Spain in the Basque country and finish in Sidi Ifni in the south of Morocco at the Atlantic Ocean.
The NorthCape-Tarifa route comes in from Algeciras, the Iberica-Traversa comes into Tarifa along the Atlantic coast on the second photo. The Iberica-Traversa and the Morocco-BikeAdventure offer a gravel/piste route and a 100% paved road route.
Tommi Kurola from Finland made it to Tarifa last night, July 13th, at 20:11! He was welcomed by the second finisher, Juhani from Finland, with a beer. Tommi completed his epic journey from the North Cape in 24 days and 20 hours. During his journey to Tarifa, he spent the night in a room only three times.
Tommi said at the finish: This is the first time he don’t knows what is next. So far there was always something in the plan, usually again a longer distance. But this was maybe the top. Maybe 45-SouthWest.com in 2025 and arriving in Tarifa from the Atlantic coast?
Photos: from Col d’Iseran and the finish in Tarifa
Heiner completed his journey on July 10th, 2024, at 17:22, after 21 days and 17 hours, becoming our first-ever velomobile finisher. He initially registered to finish in Tarifa but had to change his plan before the start at NorthCape, opting to finish in Bregenz instead. Heiner thoroughly enjoyed the route.
The original NCT route includes some cycling paths protected by poles to prevent car access. To accommodate the velomobile, we made some adjustments to the route, which worked well for Heiner.
Heiner plans to return in 2026 to complete the route from Bregenz to Tarifa.
Congratulations to Heiner! It was a pleasure to meet you.
