Cynthia Carson: My TCR.
Oreos, punctures and unfinished business for the Transcontinental Race’s second-placed woman!
Café du Cycliste athlete Cynthia Carson finished as second woman in this year’s Transcontinental Race, and 11th overall, racing across Europe from Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, to Constanta, on the shores of the Black Sea in Romania. That’s around 5,000 kilometres in 12 days, 7 hours and 33 minutes. Once she’d caught her breath, we caught up with her for the lowdown on how it went…
What made you decide to take on the Transcontinental Race this year?
Preparing for the 2025 season, I was leaning towards more off-road events. They are my bread and butter. But then the Lost Dot race organisation released their women’s initiative to get 100 women on the start line for TCRNo11. It looked like an incredible opportunity to come together with other women and also ensure a competitive women’s field. I had also previously signed up for the Transcontinental, in 2024, and was hit by a car just two weeks before, leaving me unable to start. I had some unfinished business with the race.
How does it stand out compared to the other races you’ve done?
The TCR is the premiere ultra race on the road. It’s also a self-routed race in which there are required “Parcours” sections, and then you have to fill in the gaps between with your own route. This creates an added layer of complexity and challenge to the event.
How did you adapt your training to prepare for the race?
Leading into the race my coach from the Orange Seal Academy and I pulled out all the stops and focused heavily on getting me to the start line in the best shape possible. This included a bikepacking trip through the French Pyrenees with big days in the saddle using the set-up I would for the event. I also rented a van with my partner, Steven, for two weeks and we focused on altitude training, again in the French Pyrenees. Over the last few months, I started strength training specifically for using aerobars on my bike. This was to help build strength and prevent injuries. I started working with a sports psychologist to get my mindset and head in the right place for such a long event. The mental training was just as important as the physical.
How did you choose your bike and equipment for such a long and self-supported race?
The Transcontinental had some off-road sections in the required Parcours, but 99% of the route was on pavement, and this meant that a road bike was certainly the fastest option. I went for the 3T Strada Italia and aerodynamic Hunt wheels to gain the most advantage in the wind. When it came to the other equipment, I tested bikepacking bags, tyres, helmets, kit, and sunglasses to make sure they would last 5,000 kilometres and be comfortable for the days on the bike.
What was your food and hydration strategy on the road?
Luckily, within Europe, the ability to resupply food and hydration is abundant. I never went more than four hours during the day without acquiring water or other beverages. The night was the only challenge and often I was stopping to sleep in a hotel so I was able to fill water there. Real food is my go-to during racing. If I can eat a proper meal, even if it’s fast food or prepared meals, I am in good shape. If that’s not possible I can survive on Oreos, biscuits and gummies for longer than I’d like to admit! I think I probably ate a thousand Oreos… I am 100% serious. They are the fuel that makes me move!
How did your Café du Cycliste kit perform over such long distances and varied conditions?
My favourite items were the Magda jersey, which allowed for extra food in the second layer of pockets. This is incredibly helpful after a resupply when you just don’t have quite enough room in your bikepacking bags! Equally as important was the Graziella bib short, which allowed for nature breaks without having to remove my jersey. Riding for 16-20 hours a day means that you need to take a bathroom stop more times than you can count on one hand a day. The Graziella was crucial to my success in saving time during this event!
Can you walk us through the different stages of the race – which sections were the most challenging and which the most rewarding?
We started in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, making our way through mountains along the Atlantic Coast to the Pyrenees. It was a place I’ve always wanted to ride through. The endless hills and beautiful greenery. The beginning of the race was a slow burn as it took me a few days to catch the women’s leaders. The Tourmalet parcours was challenging, but a dream experience as the sun rose and the cowbells jingled. The most challenging sections included the race to the ferry through the flat tomato fields before Bari, Italy. The wind was block head with the occasionally cross and unfortunately one cross blew me off my bike hitting the pavement. A bruised and battered body didn’t stop my push to the ferry.
Did you have any unexpected struggles?
In France, I had a nasty sidewall cut and therein began my struggle with multiple flats. I put in a tube and prayed it would hold until I could get to a bike shop the next day. Unfortunately I flatted just outside of Sestriere in Italy on the Strada d’Assietta Parcours and had to put in another tube. At this point I limped down the descent in search of a new tyre in Turin. One last flat just 160 kilometres from the finish just about crushed me. I was in the race for first place and had a struggle to get the flat sorted, and finally gave in, putting in a tube rather than saving the tubeless.
Ultra-distance races test the mind as much as the body: how did you keep yourself going during low points?
The low moments are the most hard to combat. Often when I’m feeling low, it means that I need fuel. I’d try to eat a large portion of food to bring myself out of the hole. Occasionally, though, the only thing that would help was a good cry.Something to always remember if possible was the main goal at hand. If I didn’t continue forward, I wouldn’t get to the finish in Romania.
Any encounter or moment that completely lifted your spirits?
Everyday when the sun rose I felt joy. Every time I saw a little girl while riding I felt that maybe, just maybe, it would make a small difference in her life. Anytime I found a really good pastry or gelato.
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Looking back, what’s the biggest lesson you’re taking away from this race?
This time around the biggest lesson I learned was that I need to focus on my own race for the majority of the event until the last day. It’s such a mammoth of a race, and once you start focusing on what others are doing you stop focusing on yourself and taking care of yourself.
Any advice you’d give to someone in the Café du Cycliste community dreaming of tackling their first ultra-distance event?
Start small! Go for a overnight bikepacking trip from your house to a local park. You don’t have to ride far, but getting out there and just starting is the hardest part. If you’re interested in doing an event, make sure that you’re excited about the place that you’ll be riding in! And know the reason why it is that you want to race the event. Remind yourself of that when the going gets tough.
