Lorenz at Taurus Mountain Race

"What then came was a lot of rain, and mud so sticky it made riding the bike impossible at times. With the weather turning even more severe in the mountains, several riders got trapped and had to be rescued, which is when the race was stopped since it was deemed unsafe to continue.

After 72 hours of racing I had just found my pace and rhythm in the race, looking forward to the second half. However, the prospect of even more mud and bad weather ahead also meant that I wasn't only disappointed by the cancellation, but to tell the truth, also a little bit relieved. After we got to know some details, I am now convinced the decision to stop the race before things turned really ugly was the right one.

After the race was cancelled, I turned to touring instead, bikepacking around Cappadocia and back down to the coast in order to make the most of my time in this wonderful country. Türkiye, I'll be back."


See below gallery for impressions, shot by Nils Laenger.