Start: 04:44 on Saturday, 27 July 2024, City of Zenica, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Elapsed time: 17:42:26
Moving time: 14:22:08
Distance: 247.19 km
Elevation: 4022 m
I woke up after a few hours of decent sleep near the graveyard, got on the bike, and headed toward Zenica. After crossing a small hill, I joined a main road leading to Sarajevo.
The first goal for the day was the start of Parcours 2, which included gravel sections. I hadn’t prepared for this specifically and felt a bit nervous, but I figured I could manage. The parcours started in the mountains outside Sarajevo, where the Winter Olympics had once been held.
It began with a steep gravel climb. I managed to ride some of it but eventually had to get off and walk—partly to avoid damaging the bike and partly because my 30 mm tires weren’t suited for the terrain.
The problem? My road shoes weren’t made for walking, let alone on gravel. To save my shoes, I took them off and walked in just my socks. It was slow, painful, and downright miserable.
When the gradient eased up, I remounted and rode again. However, I was exhausted and decided not to take any risks, so I also walked the bike on the descent.
Afterward, there were a few kilometers of flat gravel before the route turned into a hiking path. Off came the shoes again, and I was back to walking with the bike.
This is what’s called “hike-a-bike.” Some people find it fun—I do not.
I eventually made it over the top and down the other side (some riders descended on the bike, but I didn’t). Back on the bike, I reached CP2.
At CP2, I finally had my first warm meal—macaroni and cheese, along with a Coke. I somehow managed to leave without paying. Later, I contacted the owner via WhatsApp after getting her number, but she kindly told me it was okay 😊.
After getting my brevet card stamped and being interviewed for the race podcast, I headed out again.
First Major Routing Mistake
From the end of Parcours 2, there were two options: a big climb on tarmac or a slightly longer gravel route. I had planned for the tarmac climb, but just before leaving for the race, I checked Google Earth. The satellite images showed what appeared to be a paved road on the gravel route (complete with white center lines).
“Hmmm,” I thought, “maybe it’s been asphalted, and OpenStreetMaps or Komoot hasn’t been updated.” That, it turned out, was wishful thinking. The road was the opposite of newly paved—it had once been nice tarmac but had since disintegrated into gravel and rubble.
This was my mistake, and I ended up doing 30 km of rough gravel, which I hated. It was hard, mentally draining, and filled me with constant worry about potential mechanical issues. It definitely took a toll on my mindset.
Once I finally made it through—thankfully without mechanical problems or accidents—I rode to the first hotel I found. I arrived around 22:30, went in, and asked for a room. All seemed fine until I learned they didn’t accept card payments.
The receptionist mentioned an ATM in the next city, 4 km away. So, off I went to get cash. That city turned out to be bigger and had another hotel, so I decided to stay there instead.
The hotel was rundown, disgusting, and—judging by the women who entered, a place that rented rooms by the hour. But it had a bed and a shower, and that was all I needed.
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