The Transcontinental Race Start List Is Stacked. Here Are The Main Contenders
From the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean, TCR starts next week. Here are some of the top names who could shape the race from the front
Transcontinental Race starts in Trondheim on 19 July, sending riders south from Norway towards the Tatras Mountains, the Balkans, and the Greek Mediterranean.
It promises to be a beautiful, varied line across Europe, continuing the shake-up we saw last year, when the race moved away from its usual Belgian start and headed through the Alps.
We can expect cold temperatures and the northern lights at the start, potentially as low as -5ºC, with fjords and high roads early. Central European mountains in the middle, followed by the rough roads of the Balkans (of course), before the final destination of Greece. Across the entire route we can expect varied weather, complex border crossings, resupply decisions, and even a ferry that could shape the later stages of the race.
Victor Bosoni, last year’s winner, is not on the start list. That changes the race, but makes it no less fiercely contested.
Former winners line up alongside last year’s near-misses, gravel specialists, experienced veterans, and riders with something to prove.
Here are some of the names worth keeping an eye on.
Robin Gemperle 🇨🇭
Robin Gemperle starts as the clearest contender.
He won TCRNo10 in 2024, reaching Istanbul in just 8 days, 23 hours and 59 minutes, ahead of Christoph Strasser and Tim De Witte. Since then, he has won many of the biggest races on the calendar.
Robin has never been just a road ultra rider. He began his cycling career on the mountain bike, with the Scott-SRAM development team, before turning his attention to ultra-distance. He has become one of the few athletes who can move between terrains, distances, and bike setups with total ease. In addition to TCR, he’s a winner of races including Silk Road Mountain Race, Atlas Mountain Race, and Tour Divide.
That versatility may be especially useful this year, with the route demanding that riders tackle fjords, high passes, complicated parcours, mountain weather, and rough Balkan roads. Robin’s background suits that mess.
What makes his start more interesting is that TCR did not seem to be the centrepiece of his season.
He came into 2026 talking more about shorter targets. Traka 560, Unbound XL, Badlands. Traka didn’t go to plan, with a race-ending wheel mechanical. Unbound XL very much did, with Robin winning in horrible Kansas conditions, including mud, storms, and long stretches where riders were forced off the bike. There are also rumours that Taurus Mountain Race may be on his calendar later in the year.
So this doesn’t feel like Robin returning with a single obsession, but more like a rider who already knows he can win Transcontinental deciding that the race still has a pull on him.
He has the speed, versatility, route sense, and confidence of someone who has already done it once.
Jana Kesenheimer 🇩🇪
Jana Kesenheimer is the strongest favourite in the women’s race and one of the strongest riders in the entire field.
Fastest woman at TCRNo10. Fastest woman at TCRNo11. Eighth overall last year. Third woman at Traka 560 this spring. Her results have changed the overall picture of the race, as well as the women’s standings.
