KROMVOJOJ #5 – 2026

Good afternoon dotwatchers, This is the race preview for the fifth edition of Kromvojoj, an ultra event that is going from strength to strength. This year there are a record 130 riders; they are just this minute signing on and gearing up for their Saturday evening departure.

But what lays ahead of them?

As in life, it is always good to mix things up. Get too comfortable and we get complacent. We are drawn into an autopilot ritual of going through the motions.. This year it is time to flip the switch and send the riders off in a clock-wise direction. First heading south, where they can get the legs ready, before easing back round and laying the groundwork for the epic journey north into the mountains. The Pyrenees rest far off in the distance and the riders will sit in their thoughts for quite a while; ticking over and over as the majestic range looms ahead. They only start the real climbing after 334 kilometres when they head up to Port d’Àger(912m). From there they tackle Coll d’Ares, all 1,534 metres of it. That is when they will have their ‘oh yeah’ moment. This is what it’s all about.

“At first just silhouettes on the horizon, fuzzy and not yet formed, but as they close in the details start to fill out, the roads steepen and the adrenaline starts to kick in.”

For the second year running there will be two routes. The long-distance: 1,335 km / 26,000 m+ and the Redux: 885 km / 16,500 m+. For the first 400km the riders will navigate the same course before the long-distancers will head further north and into the high Pyrenees, whilst the Redux riders will head east along the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees. They will rejoin the same course for the last 230km, hopefully swapping tales of the road with each other.

Mont Caro has been removed as CP3, having been in the last four editions, it was the last beast of climb that came long after the riders had already dragged their way through the Pyrenees. It drops the total elevation, but I’m sure will not be missed by riders that have ridden this route before…

I know everybody is all about the gravel nowadays, but this year the organisers have taken out the gravel sections that were in the Delta de l’Ebre. This will be an all-road affair.

“This year returning riders will be offered a very different perspective of the territory.”(race organisers)

So who is returning this year for more adventures in Catalunya?

Notable shout-outs need to go to Enric Terricabras, Matty Ryan and Mia Guardiet. They have participated in the previous four editions. Veterans of the Pyrenees, they can no-doubt share some wisdom to the newbies of the road.

Millie Gibbons, first woman in last year’s edition and notable fifth in 2025’s Traka Adventure returns for more. Francesc Alcobet, first rider of the 2025 Redux event, will this year compete in the long-distance pairs category.

“An Underdog Field True to the Event’s Spirit”

These are the words of the Kromvojoj organisers and they want to embrace all riders that have the poetic ethos of the ultra-distance rider. Not here to just focus on the headliners, but those that ride with romance and the surreal in their heart. If you read any of the descriptions of the route on their site then you will understand. These guys want the riders to immerse themselves in the magical landscape and we shall endeavour to join them along for the ride.

Some of the riders that embrace this spirit are riders such as Franck Gabarrou, Chris McNaughton, Henry Hall, Tristan Cardew, Hashin Hassan, Bernhard Hartenstein, Stefano Semenzato and Samuel Cibulka. Seasoned ultra riders with true grit! Give them a follow and see how they get on.

I feel the Kromvojoj crew love little personal moments and I will try to drop some in to the daily commentary. I shall leave you with this. Elia Jahn, from Germany, will be the youngest participant at just 18 years old, while Nuria Escuer once again returns as the oldest rider in the event at 69.

Riders will departing from 1800(cet) tomorrow night. So, come and join me Greg Nay as I report from the pointy end to any old end of Kromvojoj 2026.

The riders have departed….

It is always a joy to see that initial nudge of the dots. Static for an age, the pre-ride jitters building up. Then it all comes to life, the release of tension and the freedom of the open road. Cap numbers and names making their way across the map. From the computer purely topographic, but for the riders an engagement of all the senses.

After riding west for a period they will turn south for quite a stretch and take a cross headwind from the south east.

Sunset will be at 21:22 ‘ish. With such fresh legs I feel many of the riders will go into the night, but where will that leave them? Looking at the map, a few might find a place to stay in El Perelló(94km), or even Rasquera(114km). After that it will only be the company of darkness that will join them.

Matt Ryan (130) mentioned that the first section will be short on resupply points. Perhaps a case of pre-ride nerves, or perhaps he has done his research well.

From here on out the long-route riders have 493km until CP1 and the Redux riders have 354km to their CP1.

Millie Gibbons (54) who originally, going from the start list was riding the long route is now on the Redux route. A reminder that Millie was the first female finisher last year. How will she fair on the 885km version?

A few stories from the day before. Elia Jahn (103), the youngest rider at Kromvojoj, forgot his seat post clamp on his bed in Germany. He couldn’t find one in Barcelona on his way to the event and was even hoping a friend would bring it down. Looks like he has the issue solved as he is on the road.

Samuel Cibulka (8) forgot his GPS at home, perhaps he goes back to a good old paper map. Wouldn’t that be a wild event if you had to navigate by a physical map? Sign me up. His dot is moving, but how is he navigating?

At this moment 118 riders are on the move. I will update you with the final count of how many riders actually took to the road later.

Weather for the week looks pretty decent, ranging between 25c-29c and dry during the day. Although things will change once they make their way into the Pyrenees.

I will leave you with this. Sylvain Arhancet rode last year’s edition in 3d 15h 30m’s. Who will take up the challenge?

Bonan nokton, Greg

Good afternoon to all the dotwatchers out there. With Kromvojoj sending the riders out last night at 6pm in three different waves, I wondered how many people would decide to ride through the night, and it looks like a large contingent did.

The temperature looks to be sizzling up into the 30’s. Perhaps that is why most people chose to ride through the night and get across the lowlands into the cooler temperatures of the mountains. Although right now it looks like many people are coming into Balaguer and will have to contend with the first big test up the Port d’Àger(912m) in the midday sun. There will be a tailwind pushing them towards the mountain, but that will no-doubt come with a kick of heat. From there they will drop in to Àger and then up to The Coll d’Ares(1.534m), which is CP1 for the Redux riders.

The riders are now at the gateway to the Pyrenees and will observe the landscape changing into harsher forms; immense rock faces and deep gorges..

20km down the road is Puente de Montañana and it looks like riders are stopping there. After some serious non-stop efforts it will be a welcome break. Further along as the riders turn east, they will gently descend into Tremp. Here we might see the riders take an even longer break, after having bit some mighty chunks out of the ride.

In the race we have some real flyers.

1st on the long route is Patrick Steiger (1), he has stopped for an 1 and 15 minutes. He has 68km until he reaches CP1 Boí-Taüll. He looks to have stopped in Senterada. 2nd place Stefano Semenzato (68) is now only 1km behind Patrick. Interesting to some, he has only stopped for 4minutes or so and ridden 2km/h slower than Patrick. Different styles, similar outcomes? 22km down the road is 3rd place, Oscar Garrido (89).

In the Redux meanwhile…

1st Emilien Mottet (45) has stopped for just ten minutes! How is he staying hydrated? He is 473km into his ride and has ridden 53% of the course. 53km behind is second place Tristan Cardew(133). 3rd place Xavi Calvo Sánchez (5) is a further 40km behind Tristan Mottet. Millie Gibbons (54) was in third but it looks like Millie and Xavi both had a break, and Xavi left first. We shall keep an eye on that third spot.

That is it for now, another update tonight. Greg

We are now over 24 hours into Kromvojoj 2026. After the brutal heat it looks like the rain has come. Whether heading north or east every rider will be drenched at some point. There is a huge contingent of riders in Tremp. This is the point where the route splits. The long route heads north and the short route heads south. Soggy riders might be looking for a place to rest or at least fuel up and swap out some kit. Everybody looked to be finding their groove, but bad weather can disrupt that.

On the long route we have had a change with Stefano Semenzato (68) slipping into the lead and reaching CP1. In the distance, second place is now 34km Oscar Garrido (89), and the media crew await his ascent of the highest point in the race, Boí Taüll(2052m). A rider I was just wondering about Henry Hall (109), last year’s 3rd place finisher is now surprise surprise in third again. He is 22km behind Oscar. Hot on his heels is Tom West (118). Patrick Steiger (1) looks like he has had a break for a couple of hours and has dropped down to 5th.

In the Redux…

Emilien Motte (45) is 114km ahead of his nearest rival. He has 271km until he finishes. Last year’s redux rider finished the course in 2d 16h 36m and Emilien looks like he might crush that. He still has only stopped for ten minutes. Tristan Cardrew is locked into second place. Back in third place Millie Gibbons is 39km behind. Millie has slowed down in a town, will she resupply or stop? Will 3rd and 4th switch again? As Xavi Calvo Sánchez (5) has now arrived in town.

In the pairs long route, Thibaut Langlet (50) and Paul Dufraisse (49) are in 1st and have 68km to CP1 and looked to have stopped and it might be permanent. I’ll try get an update for the next report. 23km behind are Jaume Vila (4) and Dani Fernández Colchero (3). Will they stop in the same town as Thibaut and Paul or carry on?

1st Redux pair are Javier Alvarez Echarri (80) and Pablo Herrero (79), they have stopped in Sant Llorenç de Morunys. Looks like they got haled on, that’s them in the photo amongst the pines. 39km down the road are 2nd place pair Borja Barragué Calvo (25) and Ander Lazcano Letamendi (26) who are off-piste in Llobera.

Both sets of pairs have stopped in their prospective towns. Perhaps some dinner or have the elements got to them?

Next update will be in the morning. I’ll look over the data on how long everybody has stopped for and look into how the start of the climbing has affected our riders.

Cheers, Greg

Good morning all..

It is still early, but the riders are out there turning the pedals. This morning is a little recap of yesterday and where this leads today. The main contender yesterday was the weather. With the temperature reaching up to 40c, many people were left exhausted. Riders have or are thinking about changing routes. The Kromvojoj crew have told people to get to Tremp, see how they feel and make their decision there. This is where the routes split so, if you were following a long route rider, check along the redux route, they might be heading that way or about to.

Looking at the stopping time analytics most riders pushed on for nearly 24 hours before taking a break. Some longer than others. It’s tough to drag yourself out of bed once you are so comfy. Hopefully the riders will now be well rested and can get back on their bikes and ride with strength in their legs.

On the Long Route

Stefano Semenzato (68) is still hacking away at the route with 250km until he reaches CP2 Patrick Steiger (1) has jumped back up to second place and is 4km behind Stefano. Tom West (118) is 42km behind in third position with a big climb between them.

First female on the long route is Hannah Larbalestier (127), she has 34km to CP1.

On the Redux

The riders at the front of the race were hit by a heavy hale storm, seeing the temperatures drop from the mid 20c’s down to 12c.Tristan Cardew (133) got caught out and had to get into his emergency blanket. Still in second place and 100km behind the flying Emilien Mottet (45), who only has 117km to go. He did finally stop for some sleep. 3 hours of it. Millie Gibbons (54) is still high energy and reported by the crew. She sits in third. All three have been through the Redux CP2.

CP2 on the long route is now open and awaiting riders.

Today looks to be another hot one, reaching just above 30c in some areas.

That’s it for now. Let’s see where the day leads us. Greg

And they climb and they climb…

48 hours into the event and all the riders must be caught in a never-ending cyclical climbing rhythm. Kromvojoj is heaven to riders that flock towards mighty climbs. If you didn’t sign up for the spiritual nature of big mountain events, then this might not be your kind of ride; for we are small and humbled by the greatness of nature. Lost in the magnitude of our surroundings we will find our true selves…

With the poetic rhetoric out of the way we have Redux celebrations to announce.

Emilien Mottet (45) has finished in 1 day 18hrs 13 mins, he stopped for just under 4 hours- Astonishing! In 2nd place, Tristan Cardew (133) finished in 1d 23h 36m. His stopping time was around 9 hours. Their average speed was similar at just under 23km/h, so for these to competitors it was all about the idling time.

By the way did I tell you that Tristan ran into a wild boar? He is ok, suffering a few scratches and some tears to his hydration vest.

Millie Gibbons (54) has 18km to go and should be there within the hour. That will be 3rd place for her and first female Redux finisher.

Javier Alvarez Echarri(80) and Pablo Herrero (79) are the Redux pairs winners! Gratulon guys! Borja Barragué Calvo (25) and Ander Lazcano Letamendi (26) are 56km down the road and heading home..

The riders are really spread across the landscape, dotted between the peaks; some slowly grinding upwards and others blitzing downwards.

On the long route..

Stefano Semenzato (68) is 18km from CP2, Coll de Burgarès 1.360m. Patrick Steiger (1) is 19km behind down in Ripoli. He has stopped for the minute. Does Patrick know that he is closing in? What will the strategy be for this evening?

Oscar Garrido (89) was at one point in third, but is now down to 8th. This route is one long and winding road, who knows what can happen next. For the riders on the long route there is still quite a way to go.

Leona Kringe (106) is the first female on the long route, and is in a three way battle with Grace Pine (30) and Hannah Larbalestier (127). Grace Pine (30) Last year sustained an injury and had to pull out, but she is back to take on the majestic Kromvojoj route this year. Keep an eye on this tete a tete, because they have been going back and forth all day.

Checking in with the youngest rider of the event, Elia Jahn (113) is going strong and in 18th place.

I will leave you with this image of Rubén Montero Rutllan (40). I imagine this is the vibe for most of the riders out there in the mountains of madness..

Next update will be Tuesday morning. Greg

At 21:24 last night Millie Gibbons (54) secured third place overall and is the first female finisher of the Redux route. She has now achieved a 1st place in both the long route(2025), and the Redux route of Kromvojoj! Gratulon Millie! (1 d 21 h 53 m).

Six riders have now completed the Redux route and bar one they have all finished under two days. Is everybody getting faster, stopping less or did the way the route was designed this year lead to it being this quick? I shall investigate.

Now to take a look at the Long Route riders..

Stefano Semenzato (68) is still up there in pole position. He rode through CP2 at 2300 and looks to have stopped for a period of time around 2am. He has 106km until CP3 which is at the top of the Turó de l’Home (1.706m); a lonely, remote climb, with gradients up to 15%. Right now he has stopped in Olot, probably for a well deserved breakfast.

15km down the road and closing in is Henry Hall (109), now in 2nd place having overtook Patrick Steiger (1). Patrick is only 2km behind Henry.

Just a brief early morning update for you all, sit tight and let’s see how the day pans out – Greg

The north has been conquered and the snail now sits at the top of the course….. Translation, the riders have all now reached their most northerly point on the ride. The snail, an icon on the map has been placed and a cut-off for the long route riders of 12:30 on the 4th June has been been put in place for arriving at CP2. Other-wise you may not make it to the party in time!

As the long route riders come out of the high mountains and the reduxers exit the relentless folds of the Pre-Pyrenees, the Montseny Massif will stand before them. After they all tackle the Turó de l’Home (the mountain of man), they will drop down and ride under the watchful eyes of Les Agudes and Matagalls. In this pre-coastal mountain range they will experience a blend of two different climates; Mediterranean with its densley carpeted greens of holm and oaks; Atlantic which will be full of beech and maple. A lush, damper area may lead to some fog for the riders early tomorrow morning..

Patrick Steiger (1) has moved into the leaders slot. He has around 80km to go. 27km behind him is Stefano Semenzato (68) . Will this swap back around in the last stretch to the finish in Alforja? Plagued with a torn rear tyre, Henry Hall (109) sits in 3rd. He is 21km behind Stefano. Can he grab the second place podium spot and improve on his 3rd place finish from last year? And will Patrick (1) be faster than last year’s winner Sylvain Arhancet (3d 15h 30m). He has a 14 hours to claim that victory!

In the three way battle for the 1st place female, Grace Pine has pulled away and put a 21km gap between her and Leona Kringe (106). Hannah Larbalestier (127) is 7km behind Leona. They will soon be descending down to Ripoli. Will they stop for a break or crack on after Grace? It is just past 8pm now and Grace has 25km to go until CP2. There is just the town of Sant Joan de Les Abadesses before the ascent of Coll de Burgarès . Has she got enough supplies and energy to carry on through the town and on to the climb? We shall find out!

In the Redux, Eva Ledesma Calvet (95) is 5km from finishing. This will make her the 2nd place female. 14 Redux riders have now finished.

Overall the average speeds have started to come down, the riders must all be feeling the strain now. The weather is hot, is wet and there is an ever present chance of thunderstorms..

“Bonŝancon!” to all the riders out there tonight.

We have our first long distance finisher! Congrats to Patrick Steiger (1)

Paul finished at 00:11 and completed the route in 3 d 06 h 11 m.

Precisely two hours later Stefano Semenzato (68) came in at 02:11, and only 3min after that Franck Gabarrou (39). Frank nearly jumped two places during the last drive into the finish, overtaking Henry Hall (109) around 2200 last night and getting within viewing distance of Stefano. An amazing last pull.

It’s coming up to 7am and we have a 60/40 split. Sixty percent of the riders are stirring and moving again.

Grace Pyne (30) is still at the head of the battle for 1st place female long distance rider. It looks like she stopped in Llanars for the night. Leona Kringe (106),Hannah Larbalestier (127) looked to have done the same. I think their standings at the moment directly relates to who got out of bed and out on the road first this morning. –disclaimer, in my last post I mentioned the wrong checkpoint that Grace was racing towards. It has been amended, sorry if you were looking up the wrong ascent wondering where she was.–

Paul Dufraisse (49) and Thibaut Langlet (50) are the leading pair on the long route. They have 34km to CP3 on the Turó de l’Home.

An interesting fact, looking at the analytics of how long people have stopped for, pairs stop for longer than solo riders.

Just a quick update as you have your breakfast. Have good one -Greg

Look at the lovely smiles on the riders faces. The weather has been dealing them all a bad hand for the last couple of days; beat down by the sun and hammered by the rain. Today looks to have been better riding weather.

1st place pair on the long route Paul Dufraisse (49) and Thibaut Langlet (50), have 18 km to go until they reach HQ. Just the Coll de les Llebres(963m) to tackle before they can bomb it down in to Alforja.

The battle for 1st place female rider on the long route has had a turn. Grace Pyne (30), who was really staying out in front for the most part, seems to have had a few prolonged stops since this morning. It now looks like she has stopped in Olot and has not moved for a while. Hopefully everything is ok.

Hannah Larbalestier (127) has stormed ahead, she has 200km to go to secure that 1st place female long route finisher.

In the Redux, 2nd place female finish goes to Eva Ledesma Calvet (95). She is one of the Kromvojoj’s Sponsoreco riders. This is an intiative from the lovely people behind Kromvojoj “to promote diversity and inclusion in ultracycling”. Have a read on how they support their riders and what drives them to do this: https://www.kromvojoj.cc/en/sponsoreco/

The youngest rider on the course, Elia Jahn (103) from Germany is making his way through the course at a decent clip, and has 73km until he reaches CP3. A reminder, that comes with a big climb up the Turó de l’Home. Will he tackle it tonight or rest up in a sleepy little village for the night?

There is a large gathering of riders in Manresa, which is around 139km from the finish. They are spread across the town, no-doubt having found room and board for the night, or even a couple of hours.

There are six riders still heading towards CP2 on the long route. They have until 12:30 tomorrow to make it there. Heads down and bonne chance!

Good night all and catch you in the AM -Greg

Rise and shine dotwatchers… whilst the riders get themselves going for another day in the saddle. We shall have a small recap.

Last night at 20:50 the first finishers in the Longest Route Pairs category came rolling in. Congrats to Paul Dufraisse (49) and Thibaut Langlet (50).

There was not as much movement during the night. We are many days in to the event and with tired bodies and more places to stay as they make their way out of the mountains, meant there were pockets of riders resting in Olot, Tona and Manresa.

Riders out there now like Hannah Larbalestier (127) have a fresh overcast morning of 13.5c to cut through the calm morning air on their bikes. She is 75km from finishing and will be the first place female on the long route. The battle for 2nd and 3rd is between Grace Pyne (30) and Anna Boixadera Valls (93).

There are nine Redux riders left and most of them should finish today. Six riders on the long route have until 12:30 this afternoon to make it to CP2.

A few stats to end the morning update. Of the 119 riders that started last Saturday, 52 have now completed their rides. 50 riders are still out there and 17 riders have scratched.

Have a great day – Greg

Good evening all.

Hannah Larbalestier (127) has cracked it! She is the first female finisher on the long route… She made it to Aforja just before midday. She completed Kromvojoj 2026 in 4 d 17 h 44 m. Coming from a great three-way battle for long sections of the route, she broke out front yesterday and maintained her lead from that moment all the way to the finish line.

Anna Boixadera Valls (93) currently is riding in 2nd and has 138.61 to go. She has stopped in Manresa for a period of time now. Grace Pyne (30) is pushing on through and battling some demons. She is 40km behind in 3rd and making her way up the Coll de la Pollosa. After that there are only two more main climbs before the finish. I don’t think the contest for 2nd place is over yet.

Elia Jahn (103) has made it back and wins the white jersey, well the youngest rider award for sure. He completed the route in 4 d 22 h 12 m.

Thomas Rémond (34) will be the next long route rider in with 20km to go,,, pedal pedal pedal…. He is the nearest rider to come in , but the DTF range from Thomas at 20km to Jordi Salvadó Kilchherr (57) at 357km. Jordi has his next goal set at reaching CP3 by noon tomorrow. He has 122km to go. I reckon he has this in the bag.

Just under an hour ago Jaume Vila (4) and Dani Fernández Colchero (3) finished their Pyreneean adventure taking 2nd place in the long distance pairs.

All the Redux riders are now back.

The last set of Redux pairs just came in. Give a cheer to Roger Borrull Roig (91) and Laura Villén Pérez (92)!

This year felt fast but I was reminded that there is around 2,000m of elevation less and it is 100km or so shorter, but it does seem like there was a dog-eared determination for riders to get round. Everybody has displayed true grit. Their emotions so honestly captured by the media crew, as if you can see the nature of their epic struggles with the shifting landscape they have traversed in their eyes…

76 riders have now finished… there are five more riders within striking distance, they are counting down the kilometres, the legs surging with an excitable kick.. they can taste the beer and feel the hug from a loved one.

See you all tomorrow – Greg

Good morning all. Welcome to the day before the end.. Everybody slept last night and no riders have come in to the finish since 1900 last night.

Oliver Loveday (81) has timed the ride perfect. He will be having breakfast at the finish! 6km to go.

Anna Boixadera Valls (30) and Grace Pyne (30) are still duking it out. Last night they both stopped in Manresa and they left around 0345 this morning. Anna has had a couple hours more rest than Grace, so perhaps a little fresher, but Grace is grinding away and these are going to be the dots to watch today. Anna is 9km in front and has 78km to the finish.

Other riders out there are climbing to CP3 and others are now descending from it.

A reminder that the CP3 cut-off is noon today, so keep an eye out for the riders that are still in the north.

Cheers for now – Greg

We watch the dots and look at the stats, but this picture brings home what the riders witness and what we as watchers of a map need to see. The long stretches of road that connect the climbs, lead to gas stations for food; the towns where they sleep or the checkpoint where they get their stamps.

It has been an epic adventure for all the riders whether hunting down the palmares of first place or finishing their first ultra. I have much admiration for all those that push the pedals and commit to the ride..

Yes I waffle, but the riding continues….

Anna Boixadera Valls (pictured) became the second place long distance female finisher. She completed her journey in 5 d 17 h 58m. She is another of Kromvojoj’s Sponsoreco riders, they must be stoked on how well their riders have done this edition. Please have a read about their programme here: https://www.kromvojoj.cc/en/sponsoreco/

Grace Pyne (30) rolled in two hours later to claim her 3rd place spot. She worked so hard for this; suffering through injuries and equipment issues. She just kept on going, an outstanding ride, truly inspiring. I present her with my True Grit award.

Pau López Mesquida (23) and Alex López Mesquida (24) are the last long distance pair to come in. They arrived just after 1900 tonight.

Four long distance riders are nearing the end. Marc Dominguez Mallafré (63) has 38 km to go. The rest of the riders out there are beyond the cut-off. Although, Jordi Salvadó Kilchherr (57) is chasing the snail. He has 182km to and until 1800 tomorrow night.

For those going to the party it’s at 1900 on Saturday in Alforja.

Small check in and final thoughts tomorrow – Greg

I look fondly at this photo of the riders fresh and fast at the start of their Kromvojoj 2026 journey. As the ride progressed and the protagonists tried to maintain; climb after climb took its toll. Reaching their limits time and time again, they managed their output and kept out of the red. Having survived the extreme elemental forces of the natural world and the emotional turmoil that a ride like this can manifest, they rode beyond. The laughter and the smiles shared cemented a bond that only those that took part could understand. That is the spirit of ultra-cycling and that what it’s all about..

As the event draws to a close and just before the festivities begin here is a little recap…

In the long route Patrick Steiger finished in first place overall / 3d 06h 11m. Stefano Semenzato who was in the lead for quite a long time ended up with a 2nd place finish / 3d 08h 6m.Franck Gabarrou kept his riding at a constant pace and finished in 3rd / 3d 08h 13m.

The most engaging spectacle of this year’s edition was the top end of the female long route contenders. First, second and third switched hands on many occasions until in the end Hannah Larbalestier powered off and finished 1st /4d 17h 44m. That left the fight for 2nd place, which was decided on the last push to Alforja. Anna Boixadera Valls gradually pulled away from Grace Pyne and finished in 5d 17h 58m. Grace was a true warrior and fought through an injury and equipment issues to get the job done /5d 20h 6m.

In the Redux, Emilien Mottet(overall 1st) went round the course so fast that I’m sure the Krom crew were worried about getting the CP’s open in time / 1d 18h 13m. Tristan Cardew came in just a couple hours after Emilien. He ran into a wild boar, but was fortunately ok and could carry on / 1d 23h 36m. Third overall was last year’s fastest female long route finisher Millie Gibbons. Always seeming to be in high spirits she is at home in the mountains and looked to be enjoying herself / 2d 03h 19m.

This is a convenient segue into the top female finishers of the Redux, and you guessed it, it was Millie. In second, Eva Ledesma Calvet finished in 3d 02h 29m followed very closely by Laura Danzig 3d 03h 58m.

In the pairs category where everybody looked to be having slightly more fun, the long route top pair finishers were Paul Dufraisse and Thibaut Langlet / 4d 02h 53m. In second place it was the tag-team of Jaume Vila and Dani Fernández Colchero / 4d 23h 46m. Just over a day later Pau López Mesquida and Alex López Mesquida finished at 1900 last night / 6d 01h 12m.

The Redux pairs all finished in two days. First in was Javier Alvarez Echarri and Pablo Herrero / 2d 01h 7m. Followed by Borja Barragué Calvo and Ander Lazcano Letamendi / 2d 05h 52m. In third place was the power team that won the TCR pairs in ’23 and ’24 – Sherry Cardona and Gereon Tewes /2d 22h 58m.

First place youngest rider Elia Jahn(4d 22h 12m) finished 17th overall on the long route and is also the Kromvojoj 2026 snack champion!

The legend award goes to Enric Terricabras Marti (5d 05h 51m). He has completed all five editions of Kromvojoj!

So those last two awards are made up, but everybody that rides these events deserve credit. We are all on our own adventure and this one has been a pleasure to observe and commentate on.

Thanks for reading and I’ll catch you at the next one – Greg