by Jair Hoogland
On July 26th, I found myself at the start of the Via Race, a self-supported bikepacking road race, but also a race with a story. This year was Chapter II of III in a trilogy. Each chapter follows the route of a different figure from Roman history. In Chapter I, we followed in the footsteps of Hannibal Barca. Chapter II traces the path of Roman general Germanicus Julius Caesar, who fought battles against the Germanic tribes. In routing terms, that means riding from the south of Italy to the Netherlands, but definitely not in a straight line.
First, the race crosses several mountain passes in the Apennines. Then it heads toward the Alps, from Austria’s Kühtai Dam to Slovenia, and back into Austria for more climbing. After the Alps, we tackle the German Black Forest, the Vosges in France, the Teutoburger Wald in Germany, and, last but not least, the “Dutch mountains.” From there, the finish line awaits at De Proloog in Amerongen. For me, this is quite literally a race back home. The race started in Giovinazzo, last year’s finish location. After a week of acclimatising, I was excited to finally roll out. At the start line were plenty of riders from last year, along with newcomers. It was a strong field, and my goal was to improve on last year’s 9th place finish (11.5 days). I wanted to better both my time and my position.
Day 1
The start is always hectic. With about 130 riders, it takes hours for the field to spread out. Southern Italy was hot, and I was glad I had acclimatised. The first day was not easy, not because of the heat, but because I accidentally followed roads forbidden to cyclists. That meant big detours, as all riders must obey traffic rules. The roads were quiet, so many other riders ignored the signs, but I chose to follow the rules. After detouring, I found myself far back in the field, which was demoralising. Still, after a strong stretch “Pac-Manning” through the riders ahead, I finished the day back in the top 20.
Day 2
Another hot day, with plenty of climbing. Gate 3, Campo Imperatore, was an absolute highlight. After a long day, I climbed the Sella di Leonessa in darkness. Although I could not see the landscape, I will never forget an Italian man who turned his car around just to tell me, “I just turned around to say you’re a very strong man.”
Day 3
A day of all kinds of weather: mild morning, hot afternoon, rainy evening. I was glad for my varied clothing, as my leg warmers and rain jacket kept me dry before Passo del Giogo, which I crossed in darkness.
Day 4 – Po Valley
After the Apennines came my least favourite part: crossing the Po Valley. I have come to dislike this hot, flat stretch full of traffic. Even though my route used relatively quiet roads, there were still busy sections. This is why I always wear high-visibility clothing in races, as I want drivers to see me. By evening, I was finally back in the mountains.
The Alps
The Alps were beautiful but unpredictable, with cold mornings, warm climbs, and constant clothing changes. Still, I overtook some riders and reached the Kühtai Dam in 8th place. From there, the route led toward Slovenia. Never flat, always climbing, with changing weather. On day six, I saw all my nearby competitors on a climb we had to ride out and back. Positions 6 through 10 were very close, and I started plotting how to move up.
Days 7–9 – The battle for sixth
On day seven, I reached the Rossfeld Panoramastraße in 7th place. From there, I chose a longer but flatter route through Munich. It seemed to pay off, and I arrived in St. Gallen ahead of my rivals. However, rain caught me anyway. By the Black Forest, I believed I had shaken a few pursuers, but the fight for 6th place began. My rival Sam and I kept trading time gaps through the Vosges, both ending up at a hotel in Frankfurt. The next morning, I started earlier, but Sam, better rested, caught me and proved faster. My plan became to ride nearly non-stop to the finish, power-napping if needed. However, in Osnabrück, with over 400 km left, I was riding like a zombie. I opted for a three-hour hotel break.
The Final Push
The next day, I was still in 7th place. Sam was gone, and no one threatened from behind. My only hope was that Sam might need to stop, giving me the chance to use my home-route advantage. It did not happen, but I was happy with my race. I finished nearly a full day faster than last year, over a 4,000 km course, and moved up two positions in a stronger field. More importantly, it was another incredible adventure, full of landscapes and places I had never seen before. At the finish party, the organisers announced Norway as the destination for Chapter III. I am already looking forward to that starting line.
