This is an insight into my story and my partner's as we complete the 3.800 km in 10 days and 21 H finishing as first pair and 16th position overall.

London to Istanbul. 3,200 km in 14 days. All on a bike. The Transcontinental Race is Europe's longest single stage unsupported bike race. Armed with only their AWOL's, their gear and the will to finish, we followed Recep Yeseil and Erik Nohlin through the ups and downs of one of Europe's toughest races.

The Transcontinental is a race like no other. Much like the early days of bicycle racing cyclist ride with no team cars or soigneurs to look after them. It is each for their own taking on Europe's toughest terrain.

On the face of it, a simple challenge. But on closer inspection, the cunning Swiss have wrapped a maths problem inside a bike race. With no fixed route, placing well means pedalling the bare minimum of miles and climbing metres, while still passing through every region in the country.

It was a 6am start on the shores of the Black Sea. Bikes loaded, all 258 riders were ready to set off and follow their carefully plotted GPS routes towards victory and the Atlantic Ocean.

Fiona Kolbinger (Heidelberg, 24 años) ha hecho historia al convertirse en la primera mujer en lograr el triunfo en la Transcontinental Race, una carrera de resistencia que cruza el continente europeo a través de más de 4000 kilómetros. Para conseguir esta hazaña, la alemana ha tenido que batir a más de 200 hombres y ha empleado 10 días, dos horas y 48 minutos en completar todo el recorrido.

La Transcontinental está considerada como una de las carreras ciclistas más duras del planeta. En ella los participantes tienen que recorrer unos 4.000 km, dependiendo de la ruta que elija cada uno, en solitario sin asistencia y sin que pare el cronómetro en ningún momento.