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Welcome to the Turcan Connell 2200 Challenge Blog
Sunday 17th August marked the beginning of our four-week cycle across Eastern Europe in aid of Marie Currie Cancer Care. Our team covered over 2200km and began in the birthplace of Marie Curie herself, Warsaw and finished four weeks later in St Petersburg. The team had already successfully reached their £100k fundraising target by the time the cycle began and we are grateful to all those who have supported us in the challenge.
You can read the story of the teams' journeys below.
Friday 12th September Week 4 Day 6 – Gatcina to St Petersburg
It was a later start than normal this morning as we only had 70 km to do today. Following in the ‘Fawlty Towers’ vein from the night before, we were somehow not that surprised when all that was on offer this morning for breakfast was salad, so luckily one of the Marie Curie tour guides went out and managed to procure muesli and yoghurt! The whole team was excited about our last day in the saddle and what it would bring.
A 50km ride in the morning took us to the edge of St Petersburg and we were beginning to get a sense of just how big the city is. After lunch, we really noticed the roads getting increasingly busy though there were no obvious signs of any speed limits. We rode the last 20km through the suburbs of this enormous city which were impoverished-looking, with lots of old Russian cars on the road and just the odd new Western car.
The finish was actually short of the centre of St Petersburg itself for practical reasons where we were greeted by the Chairman of Marie Curie Cancer Care and were presented with medals. There were lots of photos taken and congratulations and champagne shared.
It will be great to get back and talk to all the other members of the team about their experiences of this incredible journey, but for now the team is tired, hungry (and thirsty!) and thrilled to have met so many interesting people and completed this fantastically worthwhile challenge.
Thursday 11th September Week 4 Day 5 – Koskolovo to Gatcina
We got up today and were relieved to be greeted by blue skies after all the bad weather we have been experiencing. Despite this, however, the temperature was only 3° and there were quite a few people who were wishing they had brought heavier gear. Nonetheless, we were glad to get on the road for the penultimate day of cycling, especially as our hotel had very limited bathroom facilities!
Our first stop in the morning was a pretty nondescript spot but it had a significance to the seven people who are cycling the whole way from Warsaw to St Petersburg – and to Mhairi, our team mascot who has also journeyed the whole distance. This was the 2000km point on the journey. Only 200km to go…
At the next stop which was no more than a tiny village, there was very little on offer by way of refreshment, but the resourceful Edwina Currie, who is taking part in this final leg of the journey, negotiated coffees for everyone which were much appreciated. Lunch at a place called Volosovo consisted of soup again but there were no complaints as it’s a perfect fuel when it’s so cold.
A last busy, straight road led us to our destination for the evening in Gatcina and unfortunately, our accommodation was again below par to the extent that we named the proprietor ‘Mrs Fawlski’ after a well known sitcom! Five of the boys had to share a cramped room with the nearest bathroom facilities on the floor below. Dinner in the hotel was also a bit dull, but at least there was wine on offer unlike the previous night! Despite the conditions, the mood was very convivial as we all contemplated our last day in the saddle and the ride to St Petersburg tomorrow.
Wednesday 10th September - Week 4 Day 4 - Narva to Koskolovo
Our fourth day on the road provided a much-needed break from the rain, although we still had some strong winds to contend with. We left the border town of Narva, Estonia’s third largest city and head north east. Our route for the day was a veritable ‘Russian roulette’. The constant heavy traffic and some very large lorries, made our journey along the main road from Tallinn into Russia somewhat dicey.
We reached the Russia border having once again battled strong winds. Things moved very slowly at border control and photography was strictly forbidden. Once over the bridge we set off for the first time on Russian soil. The differences between our surroundings and those of neighbouring Estonia were instantly apparent. The green, cultivated farmland we had been cycling through for the last three days soon gave way to sparse, undeveloped land.
We arrived safely at our hotel, pleased to finally get out of the wind. Tomorrow’s journey will follow the coastline where we should see some spectacular sand dunes along the shores of the Gulf of Finland.
Tuesday 9th September – Week 4 Day 3 Rakvere to Kohtla-Järve and Narva
The bad weather we had expected arrived in force as we set off for our second day of cycling. 118km of road, strong winds and torrential rain lay before us, but equipped with unfailing team spirit we went into a fierce battle with the elements. Farmlands soon gave way to enormous cement buildings and concrete structures. A brief pause at a truck stop offered up a range of interesting wares including ‘business-style’ socks, air guns and vodka – we can confirm that none of these items was added to the TC team’s luggage.
Lunch was at a roadside café where the team enjoyed some much needed comfort food and fantastic Estonian soup. A change in direction meant the wind was now behind us for the first time during the day and provided some relief, however, this was short-lived and we were soon being battered once more by the wind and rain.
Our accommodation for the evening was a former Soviet Mental Hospital perched on the edge of a cliff in Narva which is close to the border with Russia. The hotel, now transformed into a spa hotel, provided hot showers and massages to keep our emerging injury niggles at bay. Narva is Estonia's third largest city; the picture shows the Narva Fortress (on the left) overlooking the banks of the River Narva and on the right is the Russian Ivangorod Fortress.
A small translation difficulty whilst ordering wine for dinner resulted in a strange heating demonstration with a kettle. It appears that all wine is served chilled in Estonia, regardless of its colour. Alex soon provided some clarity, not a former scout it seems, but definitely a resourceful chap!
Monday 8th September – Week 4 Day 2
We left behind a relatively cosmopolitan
An evening team talk culminated in the formation of an additional challenge for the week. A beard-growing competition was agreed in homage to fellow cyclist and a supporter of our challenge – round the world cyclist Mark Beaumont. Early indications are that Alastair may emerge victorious at the finish line in
Sunday 7th September – Week 4 Day 1 Edinburgh to Tallinn
An early start for the TC team, as the final leg of our challenge began. A slight delay ensued caused by a (non-TC) team member leaving their jacket at security – perhaps it was the early morning! We arrived safely in a rainy Tallinn but were nonetheless excited about what lay ahead, buoyed up by stories of the fantastic experiences of our fellow cyclists who had undertaken the first three legs of this challenge.
Our modern hotel was situated at the docks and we were treated to the sight of some large ships which had apparently arrived from Finland and Sweden. In the evening we set out to explore and we found the Old Town extremely pretty – although there was a lapse in the ethnicity courtesy of a rousing version of ‘Nessun Dorma’ from a nearby Italian restaurant! The cultural diversity continued next door where ‘Molly Malone’s’ was showing the all-Irish Hurling finals.
Tomorrow the team will be fitted for our bikes and we will set off on the home strait to St Petersburg.
Friday 5th September – Week 3 Day 7 Haapsalu to Tallinn
We awoke to a beautiful sunrise in Haapsalu before cycling 50km through birch and pine woods and stopping off for a spot of sightseeing at a 13th century Cistercian monastery in Padise. The lunch stop was a slight improvement on the previous day and the mix of mushroom soup and pork ‘bullets’ set us up for a speedy final journey into Tallinn. The scenery suddenly transformed from quiet, rural roads into opulent, gated communities boasting modern housing and expensive vehicles as we rode through the cobbled streets of the Old Town to the finishing line by the city walls. Champagne was served and many a photograph taken as we celebrated the completion of our 561km journey between Riga and Tallinn. Having bade farewell to our bikes, we had the opportunity to chill out and sample the delights of Tallinn, the highlights of the weekend including:-
• the award ceremony where we all proudly cheered as Adam collected the award for “being the most entertaining” (sic) during the trip;
• the Ambassador’s reception at his brand new residence where we were served excellent canapés and wines;
• steak and chips after a week of pork and potatoes;
• extreme chocolate cake, hot chocolates and coffees (Ed and Adam were in the seventh heaven);
We have fond memories of the people of Latvia and Estonia for their warm hospitality and also of the rest of the week’s participants ― the team leader, Doctor Sophie, the mechanics and all of the support team from Marie Curie.
Thursday 4th September – Week 3 Day 6 Parnu to Haapsalu
We awoke to torrential rain, the worst weather of the tour so far. One plus point of the adverse weather conditions was that there was to be no off-roading. After a lunch stop, we cycled along Estonia’s longest iron bridge which was unhelpfully cobbled the entire way.
Our destination for the day was Haapsalu, described by our tour leader as a ‘funky little town’. Our hotel was situated on the waterfront and some of our braver team members even enjoyed a dip in the Baltic, which was indeed…baltic. We enjoyed a stroll around the town which was full of Scandinavian, coloured wooden houses and home to a 13th century Bishop’s castle. We read the tale of the ‘white lady’ and if legend is to be believed, her ghost can be seen every August from an upstairs window.
After dinner, Adam, true to form, organised a mini ceilidh and showed his fellow cyclists his skill in a number of traditional dances. Some of the team found this particular part of the trip more exhausting that the cycling!
Wednesday 3rd September – Week 3 Day 5 Valga (Estonia) to Parnu
Team TC is still ahead in the puncture league with Colin claiming the latest ‘pop’. Today we cycled through villages with timber architecture predominating and well-tended gardens. Estonia has some recognised cycling routes and we were pleased to generally be given a very courteous wide berth by passing traffic.
The final stage of today’s 120km journey took us towards the coast where we cycled along the beautiful shores of the Baltic. Kite surfing appears to be popular here and we witnessed some hair-raising efforts along the way.
We reached our accommodation in what is said to be Estonia’s ‘summer capital’, Parnu, a currently out of season resort and former favourite for Russian visitors. We dined in a transport café and were treated to some ‘in-house entertainment’ on the owner’s keyboard before being serenaded on our way to bed by an accordion-player.
Tuesday 2nd September – Week 3 Day 4 Cesis to Valka (Latvia) / Valga (Estonia)
Our hotel for our final night in Latvia was very comfortable but sleep was disturbed by the local ‘boy racers’ of Cesis. In the morning after breakfast, we were joined by the UK’s Ambassador in Latvia, Dr Richard Moon, who joined us on the cycle until lunch. Latvian driving is a bit precarious with mobiles seemingly glued to ears at all times and therefore not too cyclist friendly, but as soon as we were on country roads, things got a bit quieter.
During the afternoon we passed an unmanned border post and crossed into Estonia. Although the countryside was relatively similar to that which we had left behind, the Estonian roads did throw up some challenging cycling including 20km through a massive sandpit! It was pretty hard going.
We spied the castle towers of our hotel at Taagepra through a clearing in the forest towards the end of the day – a welcome sight after 100km in the saddle as the picture clearly shows. The ‘castle’ was actually built in 1907 in a rambling Arts and Crafts style by Baron von Stoor, an eccentric gentleman.
The team enjoyed a real log-fired sauna before dinner to ease aching limbs. Over dinner we celebrated the 47th wedding anniversary of a remarkable couple who are cycling a tandem for all four legs of the challenge from Warsaw to St Petersburg. Both are in their 70’s and this is their seventh Marie Curie challenge.
Monday 1st September – Week 3 Day 3 Riga to Cesis
It was with some trepidation that we started our first day on the road, not quite knowing what to expect. We were lucky that the weather which greeted us – sunny but with a cool breeze – continued during the cycle providing perfect conditions for the journey.
The first part of that journey, however, was a ‘white knuckle’ ride out of Riga during rush-hour traffic. It was also the first day back at school with the children wearing suits and carrying flowers. Fortunately, we left the heavy traffic of Riga fairly quickly for the country roads of Greater Latvia passing through Gauja National Park where apple-laden trees gave way to pine, birch and heather, reminiscent of Speyside – minus the small detail of the Cairngorms!
Lunch in the pleasant resort of Silgulda, known locally as the ‘Switzerland of Lativa’, was followed by a spot of off-roading. Our one stop during the afternoon involved a river crossing on a simple wooden structure – basically a floating pontoon with steel cables and rollers. The team made it safely across as you can see from the photograph. Our journey terminated with a steep hill climb – an unexpected challenge after some fairly easy terrain up to that point.
We reached our destination, Cesis, after covering 120km today, 38km of which was off-road so it was not surprising that there were a number of punctures which had to be mended (though why Turcan Connell led the field with the record number of punctures is unclear)! Our accommodation was in a grand hotel which Colin’s guidebook described as ‘decidedly romantic’…
Sunday 31st August – Week 3 Day 2 Riga
We set out to explore Riga courtesy of a city bus tour. The town is steeped in history and has had several previous owners including Poles, Greeks, Germans and Russians. There have been several attempts at independence prior to 1991.
The architecture is varied and interesting with Art Nouveau alongside wooden houses. The old town was rebuilt after World War 2, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. We were disappointed to find that St Peter’s Cathedral was closed due to “technical problems”. However, we followed the masses to the Red Bull Flugtag, which was comprised of some magnificent men in flying machines.
The mechanics fitted us with good quality bikes in readiness for the challenge ahead.
Saturday 30th August – Week 3 Day 1 London to Riga
A relatively uneventful travelling day where we left the sweltering sunshine of London for a chilly and damp Riga. Apparently the Latvians have a small window of summer weather from early June to late August. During this time, they indulge in dancing and other activities before the cold damp dark weather arrives.
We were baffled by the AirBaltic meal in a box until Adam declared that it was the first flying fish he had eaten. How we laughed!
The in-flight magazine contained an advert with the slogan “Find your medieval treasure, find your philosophers stone, find your grail”. We’ve agreed that this should be the motto for the trip.
Friday 29th August – Week 2 Day 6 Bauska to Riga
We left Bauska on a fresh morning under clear blue skies, the first of the week, buoyed along that this was our last day and the end was at last in sight. Longish morning session of 60km, mostly along the non-tarmac roads we were growing to dislike to a lunch stop in Olaine.
The afternoon saw a heavy downpour but eased off and as the picture shows, we regrouped in bright yellow crocodile formation on the outskirts of Riga to finish triumphantly on the bank of the Daugava River, overlooking the old town of Riga.
It may not have been the Champs Elysees but with cycle bells ringing, Russian champagne flowing and Marie Curie balloons, banners and shirts adding colour to a grey afternoon, it was a fitting end to Week 2. Rain was threatening again so we did not linger too long and cycled the remaining 3km to our hotel where bikes were stripped of saddles, pedals and bags, safe in the knowledge that we would not be riding again for some time.
Thursday 28th August – Week 2 Day 5 Panezezys to Bauska
Panezezys is apparently the cycling capital of Lithuania and this was evident in the cycle paths that follow the main routes into town and are the first of our travels. After a breakfast rain shower, we left in light drizzle and headed North for our last day in Lithuania. The morning session saw a 50km cycle through rolling countryside.
The by now usual lunchtime rain turned into a deluge and delayed our departure. When we started, conditions had changed with a strong wind again making for a tough afternoon’s cycle, particularly in the long, straight, exposed roads through Northern Lithuania. With the gusting wind even blowing the van, this was for many, the most challenging leg of the cycle.
We regrouped short of the border and made our crossing into Latvia along a now closed back road. After a photo session at the border, we head into Latvia to the town of Bauska, completing 90km and a very tiring afternoon. Our first impressions of Latvia were of the friendly locals.
Wednesday 27th August – Week 2 Day 4 Kaunas to Panezezys
After the 94km yesterday, we left Kaunas under dark skies and headed north into the countryside again for one of our longest days in the saddle. Spirits of the group were lifted as the wind had dropped and for the three morning stages covering c.60km we were on quiet roads.
Lunch was in the small town of Kedainiai which surprisingly had a tourist information office and perhaps more surprisingly featured a man in a kilt on the brochure which can be seen in the photograph below. It appears that the town has some interesting scottish connections.
In the 16th century, seeking to revive the town, the rich and powerful noblemen of Lithuania, patrons of the Protestants, invited various nations and confessions to settle in Kedainiai. Following the invitation, German Lutherans, Jews, Orthodox Russians, Aryans and Scots of the Reformed faith settled there. The Scottish community was particularly large and Kedainiai became an important town in the Scottish Diaspora. The coexistence of different ethnic confessional communities that lasted over 300 years gradually came to an end. A house still stands, built and lived in by the town mayor of Scottish descent, George Anderson.
The landscape of small farmsteads has by now given way to much larger arable farms. The afternoon saw us racing the rain along a half built road and Roman style straight road that never seemed to end or waver and we completed the 118km stretch to reach the town of Panevezys for our overnight stay.
Tuesday 26th August – Week 2 Day 3 Alytus to Kaunas
Day three was spent cycling through the beautiful Lithuanian countryside. We were treated to an insight into the day to day life in this part of the country courtesy of well-tended gardens, orchards, horse-drawn ploughs and milk churns along the roadside.
We headed west passed Alytus via a forest track before turning north towards Kaunas. Lithuania’s second largest city and one-time capital still retains Russian influences, evident in the place names, timber houses and the interesting domes on some of the churches. Pictured is a stork’s nest on the roof of one particular church we passed on our journey.
Today’s cycle covered around 75km and although the rain has subsided and we experienced glimpses of sunshine, the strong wind continues to prevail.
Monday 25th August – Week 2 Day 2 Vilnius to Alytus
Our first day of cycling began at the National Watersport centre at Trakai, just outside Vilnius, and famous for its historical national parks and over 200 lakes. Lake Trakai, pictured, offered some spectacular views. The first part of our journey saw rolling countryside and farmsteads. We were also treated to some very impressive country churches.
Despite our affinity with bad weather owing to our Scottish roots, today’s planned 10km off-road cycle was cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions. We successfully navigated the relative sprawl of rush-hour Alytus, however, the wind continued from all directions hindering our progress somewhat.
The final 6km towards our hotel were on minor roads through lovely pine forest offering the only respite of the day from the wind. Tomorrow we set off for Lithuania’s second largest city, Kaunas.
Sunday 24th August – Week 2 Day 1 Edinburgh to Vilnius
The 2nd week of our challenge began with an early start as Turcan Connell’s second team set off for Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius. We encountered a longer than expected transfer at Copenhagen airport due to some “ticketing issues” and despite the initial absence of a driver and a team member’s bag at Vilnius airport, we made it safely to our hotel.
We are looking forward to cycling through the beautiful Lithuanian countryside, which is said to be famous for its lakes. A 97km cycle awaits us tomorrow but the team have been training hard in the lead up to the trip and are keen to get in the saddle.
Friday 22nd August – Week 1 Day 7 Alytus to Vilnius
We began our final day today with a 10km off-road cycle, but then rejoined the road and continued our journey over fairly flat terrain. A morning of brilliant sunshine where the team covered 70km was followed by lunch at the Aerodream aerosite near Traku.
We have enjoyed the Lithuanian countryside but as we began to near Vilnius we began to encounter more traffic and it was obvious that our journey was nearing its conclusion…
We’ve arrived! Here we are on the banks of the Neris River in Vilnius, tired, a bit sore but most of all proud of what we’ve achieved, personally and on behalf of Marie Curie Cancer Care. We now have a day in Vilnius before we head home and hand over to our colleagues who’ll make the journey from here to Riga.
Thursday 21st August – Week 1 Day 6 Augustow to Alytus
Today saw the team leave the sights and sounds of Poland and cross the border into Lithuania even although strangely there was no official border crossing. With the countryside not unlike that of our native Scotland, we felt very much at home cycling through the forests, the only difference being the distinct lack of midges – hurrah!
Following an incident on the road, one of our party, Hubert Ross, was knocked off his bike and although sore, we are pleased to report that he is fine, though taking it easy and recovering in the team bus today.
Our day ended in Alytus, the sixth largest city in Lithuania in a lovely hotel situated on the bank of the Nemunas River.
It’s amazing to think that tomorrow we’ll embark on the last leg of our trip as we reach Vilnius and we are supposedly going to meet the Ambassador at the finish line!
Wednesday 20th August – Week 1 Day 5 Picz to Augustow
Today we cycled through an area of Northern Poland known as the ‘land of a thousand lakes’ – beautiful countryside that introduced some hills for the first time which was a challenge in the 30 degree heat. A number of people suffering heat exhaustion had to be transported by bus – thankfully no-one on the TC team was affected.
After 70km of the day’s 111km ride, we enjoyed our best lunch yet – a three-course delight at a rural lakeside Polish restaurant near a place called Kopijki. Here you can see the happy cyclists just as we have finished our lunch and are about to resume the day’s cycle towards Augustow on the banks of the Netta River.
Towards the end of the day, having enjoyed two days of uninterrupted sunshine, we caught the start of a tornado which actually caused flash floods. We also had to cope with some challenging terrain in the form of cobbles and sand, but despite everything we arrived safely in Augustow on target. Tonight is our last night in Poland before we cross the border into Lithuania tomorrow.
Tuesday 19th August - Week 1 Day 4 Nidzica to Pisz
The celebrations for TC’s 11th birthday went off extremely well last night in the splendour of the Castle Nidzica which you can see in the pictures below. Any effects of the overindulgences from last night were well and truly eradicated this morning when we discovered that there was no hot water and we were soon on the road bright and early for the day’s journey to Pisz.
Today’s trip was slightly longer than yesterday’s at 116km and muscles are definitely beginning to ache, but everyone is holding up well and the mood continues to be buoyant.
Our first stop this morning was at the unusual ‘snack bar’ pictured below at a place called Kseizy Lasek – a welcome sight mid-morning after 50km in the saddle. As you can see from the picture, the weather continues to be glorious and we are glad that at least some of us remembered to pack sunscreen. A far cry from the weather back in Edinburgh we hear!
Monday 18th August - Week 1 Day 3 Pultusk to Nidzica
Wildlife spotted today has included a fox, various storks and stork nests, assorted raptor and canine activity – usually snapping at the heels of riders!
We are just finishing our lunch in Przasnysc before we get back on the bikes for the final session today towards Nidzica where we are planning to celebrate TC's 11th birthday in style.
Sunday 17th August - Week 1 Day 2 Warsaw to Pultusk
A 6am alarm call started the day and our first day of ‘Bike the Baltic’ became ‘Hike the Baltic’ as we were forced to walk over sand beds through woods during the first hour of our 60km ride from Warsaw to Pultusk. Thankfully this first day is fairly easy to get us used to full days in the saddle.
We took our mid-morning break by a lake before getting back on the bikes and managing to cycle over a bridge that was closed to cyclists due to the fact that we could not read the Polish signs! Luckily no harm done and we were soon back on track.
We have been seeing some interesting wildlife on the trail including a low-flying eagle and a low-flying stork during the early afternoon. Arrived in Pultusk and here you can see us outside Pultusk Castle which has a Napoleonic connection.
Saturday 16th August - Week 1 Day 1 Edinburgh to Warsaw
After an extremely early start at Edinburgh airport and a stopover in Amsterdam, we finally arrived in Poland – though only on the second attempt at landing due to bad weather. Not great for the nerves!
Partner, Hubert Ross took charge and commandeered a driver for the rest of the day for a cultural and historical tour of Warsaw, commencing at the Royal Palace. We followed this with a walking tour which took in the Market Square, the Cathedral, Marie Curie's house and various WWII memorials.
We were given the bikes that will take us over 600km over the next 6 days and worryingly, this all took place during a thunder storm. We are seriously hoping for better weather tomorrow! Gastronomic extravaganzas followed.