The Accursed Race is a new bikepacking race from the organisers of the Transcontinental race, Lost Dot. It is a 1000mile off road bikepacking race around the Balkans starting and finishing in Skoder, Albania.
This video documents the no fly journey to the start of the race from the UK to Albania.
Check out the official Accursed Race website here:
https://www.lostdot.cc/race-brand/the-accursed-race
You can see the route in Ridewithgps.com here:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45933668?privacy_code=JUhkM0gUT4d7vnxRMGiHzj7l4qWBTsDI
Thanks to HONE FOODS for supporting my Accursed Race content:
https://honefoods.co.uk
Use the code JOSHIBBETT for a 20% discount on the HONE FOODS website
A big thank you to the brands that support me:
Mason Cycles – https://masoncycles.cc
Hunt Bike wheels – https://www.huntbikewheels.com
Albion Cycling – https://www.albioncycling.com
Tailfin Bikepacking equipment – https://www.tailfin.cc/?v=79cba1185463
Enduro bearings – https://cycling.endurobearings.com
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https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jibbett887
oh wow good morning it’s 4:00 this isn’t your usual cycling video today I’m I’m driving and taking public transport and uh I’m on my way to the cursed race which is a new bike packing race it starts in Albania but there’s a no fly policy so um yeah here I am 4 in the morning just got my van and I’m about to drive to Zurich to catch the train so off we [Music] [Applause] go hello I found some passengers well that’s a ollie yeah how you doing yeah good yeah we’re just at the Euro tunnel and um we’re going to be catching the train to France and then a long day in the car driving thank you for [Music] [Applause] [Music] driving stage two of the journey just picked up India and Ole at Ashford station and yeah they’re joining me on the way to Zurich and we’re going to be sharing the same trains um so yeah should be good obviously lift sharing so it’s um making it work out cheaper like with the reason I’m driving to Zurich is because the trains are so extortionately expensive taking the Eurostar with a bike is a pain in the ass be super expensive so yeah easy just to drive [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] so lat to Zurich on the lake see behind me I’m staying with Stefano who is uh calamaro or broom Wen podcast as you may remember so I’m staying here tonight and then tomorrow I catch the train to Milan and then anona so it’s been a long day but we’re making progress here we are second part of the journey um just CAU the train from zurich’s Milan um packed up the bags and the bikes in the bag and squeezed it onto the train um and now we’re just a Milan waiting for the second leg got India and Ollie with me still and I’m going to meet Alex later uh in anona tonight we’re getting the ferry across to Albania um so yeah train journey number two coming up f so there we go made it to anona just going to meet my friend Alex and then um hang around until the ferry this evening he [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] well made the ferry so um arrived with good time met Alex at the train station um and then we met a few other people who also riding out to uh the cursed race um at the ferry terminal so yeah three of us chip together and and shed a a room here so get a nice sleep tonight the ferry is 16 hours so it’s anona to dures um so yeah in the morning arrive in Albania and then we’ve got about it’s about probably 120 kilometers to Shota over the which is the start uh and I think we’re going to do that over two days um there’s a group of us riding together I think we’re going to ride the first day together um and then maybe some of us will split and go a longer way or some will go direct um so yeah should be good so yeah the Trip’s not been too bad so far train this day was the most stressful one um like I didn’t have any bike reservations um because I couldn’t book them online so the train from Zurich um I got there really early um and then they told me that I couldn’t go in the bike Carriage without reservation so I had to pack the bike up in the bag that I carried which wasn’t too bad but then my bike was in the aisle the whole time and people are tripping over it and then when I walked down the train to find the toilets I walked through the bike carriage and realized that actually there was no bikes in there so it’s a bit of a bit of a flawed system and then the train in Milan it wasn’t too bad but again the bike was right in the way and people kept kicking it and moving it and then the conductor stopped me about 10 minutes before I got off and told me that I couldn’t have my bike there and I needed to pack it better um but then I told him I was getting off at the next stop anyway so yeah a bit of a stressful day um but we made it and you know f are much easier um so good company um enjoy a beer and Sunset and then yeah wake up tomorrow and I can start riding my bike so I shall see you in Albania so had a good sleep on the ferry 11 hours straight and uh yeah just about to pull into durz and then we’ve got about 120 km to ride to scod which we’re going to do over two days um a good group of us here probably meet a few others on the way so yeah stay some tonight and um see where we end up [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] so here we are second day of our ride into shoda um only 25 mil today so just cruising along taking a time enjoying Albania and its quirks and yeah just getting ready to [Music] [Music] race so there we are Overland from the UK to shot Albania just about to roll into the town got a few days until the race starts now and then we’re off for 1,000 mile race an Epic Journey before we even di here we go the Cent scoda now for the race