Two Steps Forward, One Step Back (Film)

There’s nothing quite like creating your own route, whether to ride, run, or hike. The freedom to choose where you go, what you see, and how long it takes to get from A to B is part of the magic. But designing a route that traverses the entire European continent is something else entirely.

The Transcontinental Race is one of the most demanding ultra-endurance cycling events in the world. It’s a self-supported race across Europe, with fixed checkpoints and required parcours sections. Everything in between—the roads you take, the strategy you follow, the risks you accept—is entirely up to you.

I initially registered for the 10th edition of the race, TCRNo10, in 2024. But to understand what that meant, it helps to go back a bit further. There was a time when I didn’t think I could ride 100 miles, let alone take on something like the Unbound 200. I found ultra cycling through a desire to step outside the norm after racing the DK200 in 2019. Something about it stuck. I felt pulled toward longer distances, deeper efforts, and the unknown that comes with them.

In 2021, after spending countless hours riding during the pandemic, I signed up for Unbound XL. I raced alongside a friend and teammate, Rachel Wills, and that experience marked the beginning of my love for ultra-distance racing. The following year, I returned and won.

From there, things moved quickly. I found success in the sport, winning races such as Badlands, GranGuanche Gravel, the Atlas Mountain Race, and Across Andes. It turned out I had a knack for pushing through long, difficult efforts. Something that, combined with my off-road background, allowed me to compete at a high level. Eventually, I decided to pursue ultra racing professionally, stepping away from team structures to build my own privateer program.

With support from Orange Seal through their coaching academy, I was able to dedicate more time and intention to training and racing. I began spending more time in Europe, where the depth of competition in the women’s field continued to grow. That’s where my story of the Transcontinental really begins.

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In the lead-up to TCRNo10, I was training in Austria just two weeks before the start in Roubaix, France. While descending a mountain road, I collided with a van that had reversed into my path around a blind corner. The crash was severe, with an ambulance ride, memory loss, broken teeth, more than 50 stitches, and a completely destroyed bike. And yet, my first thought was still about the race.

With limited time, I made my way to the 3T Bikes warehouse in Bergamo, Italy, to pick up a new bike and attempt to piece together a start. But as the days passed, it became clear that I wouldn’t recover in time. What had been the central goal of my season was no longer possible.

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The film follows that moment and everything that came after. The setbacks, the uncertainty, and the process of finding a way forward. It wasn’t until a women’s initiative from Lost Dot, the organizers of the Transcontinental, that I decided to return. Their effort to bring more women and FLINTA riders to the start line created something bigger than just a race. I couldn’t miss that opportunity for camaraderie and competition.

On July 27, 2025, I stood on the start line of the 11th edition of the Transcontinental Race in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The route stretched across Europe to Constanța, Romania, on the Black Sea—racing over 4,600 kilometers of riding, decision-making, and adaptation.

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Like all ultra races, it was a constant shift between highs and lows. I climbed the Col du Tourmalet in the early hours of the morning, reaching the summit as the sun rose. I found myself in tears at sunset in Siena, Italy, rolling onto the Strade Bianche. I raced to catch the ferry in Bari with minutes to spare before crossing the Adriatic. And somewhere along the Strada dell’Assietta, in the quiet of the early morning, a second flat tire reminded me how quickly momentum can change.

That story is captured in Two Steps Forward, One Step Back, filmed by my close friend and longtime collaborator, Sebastian Samek. He has documented my ultra-racing journey from the beginning, capturing both the visible and invisible aspects of the sport with care and honesty.

With the support of Lost Dot, we were given the opportunity to tell this story. Not just as a race recap, but as a look into what it takes to keep moving forward when things don’t unfold as planned. Because in the end, it’s not just about one race. It’s about the journey, and everything it asks of you along the way.

Further Reading

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