Surviving Thunder and Lightening on the Trans Balkans Ultra Race 2023

In June 2023 I took part in the Trans Balkans ultra cycling race. A 1350km off-road ultra race across Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro and Herzegovina. The race is known for its high percentage of off-road riding and for how rideable that off-road is. No crazy hike a bike sections on this race.
During the race I had all kinds of conditions with sun, wind and rain, then horrific thunderstorms high in the mountains of Montenegro. The countryside is spectacular, the people welcoming and friendly and the trails had a bit of everything, with smooth forest trails, epic switch back descents and long sections between civilisation.
I've done quite a few off-road ultras now and this is definitely one of the best and one of the most enjoyable. It's worth it just for the incredible descent to the finish in Kotor Bay.
If you are taking on an ultra race and want some help getting ready then do get in touch about the range of ultra cycling coaching services I provide. I cover everything from physical preparation, equipment choice, nutrition and hydration to race strategy and planning. Don't leave your next race result to chance. / nielcopeland
Or why not check out the ultra cycling training camps I run with fellow ultra legend Jasmijn Muller. Dotbooster gives you all the practical skills and experience you need to smash your next ultra: / dotbooster_ultra
Thanks to the people who's support is always appreciated:
tailfin.cc - the best bags in the business
/ saltcarbon.za - amazing wheels that have kept me rolling since 2018

[@FrankNolf]

Good video!

[@jakeyoutdoors2588]

Excellent video and a great effort 👍

[@TurnCycling]

Thanks, glad you liked it. Sometimes I think editing the videos is as much effort as doing the race 🤣

[@mladenmilic4275]

Thank you for sharing your experiences, I will be in Sezana myself next year at the start of this epic race :)

[@TurnCycling]

It's an awesome race. Enjoy!

[@leedslady21]

Those cleats are good lighting conductors 😅😅😅

[@johncollier608]

Are you mad? Uh huh. Was it scarey at times? I would say yes. Would you do it again? Knowing you, you flaming lunatic, it's quite probable. Glad you shared your adventure, Niel.

[@TurnCycling]

Madness does depend on context. For all of us who do this kind of shit it seams totally normal and understandable 🤣 But definitely scary at times. When the guys in the cars were hassling me in the middle of nowhere and then in the middle of the thunderstorm it was very scary. Definitely more on the cards for next year :-)