Laurens ten Dam returns to Transcordilleras Rally Colombia for ‘sufferfest’

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Laurens ten Dam traded the short and damp days of the Netherlands for the dry and temperate conditions found along South America’s equator this week, to return to the Transcordilleras Rally Colombia. 

In what he called a “sufferfest”, this mixed-terrain, self-supported adventure crosses the three imposing mountain ranges in Colombia, with a total of eight stages that add up to 852 kilometres and 21,000 metres of elevation gain. 

Back for more with Ten Dam is Thomas Dekker, while 2022 champion Peter Stetina stayed in the US for gravel conquests closer to home. 

Last year’s second edition saw Stetina ‘win’ three stages and the overall bragging rights, with Ten Dam tallying two stage victories and Dekker one. A pair of Colombian riders, Brayan Chaves Rubio and Antonio Donado Calle each won a stage and finished in the top five, though hours rather than minutes separated the challengers from the leaders. 

“Together with Thomas Dekker, two Dutch friends decided they wanted to do it after last year’s sufferfest, and I told them they could suffer the same,” Ten Dam told Cyclingnews, a light laugh accompanying the reference to his friends, Willem Schellens and Frank Epskamp. 

They will join in the race across Colombia, which organisers call “the most geographically complex country in the world and one of the most biodiverse”.

This elective week of suffering for a total of approximately 60 riders comes with perks, however, including a GPS device with live tracking and overnight accommodations each night. Challenges, aside from the vicious terrain, include carrying all supplies, cleaning equipment and making meals. There is a faster option to cross the country, but the non-stop bikepacking category is a relentless beat-down effort that attracted only 12 entrants last year and 15 this year.

There may be a clock involved with the stage ‘race’, but it is more about the journey. The route is completely different this year, moving west to east rather than with the sun, and so were the preparations for Ten Dam. Last year he spend 10 days prior to Transcordilleras with several Jumbo-Visma riders at an altitude training camp in Colombia.

“In terms of training, I did it so much different. Last year I went to training camp before together with [Tom] Dumoulin and then went home for a week and came back to race. This year I just came in a week before the race,” said the former 18-year Dutch road pro who made his name on gravel with a runner-up finish at Unbound Gravel in 2021. 

Two weeks ago Ten Dam and Dekker completed a bikepack race on the Canary Islands, the Gran Guanche endurance event, which Ten Dam won. The duo covered the 600 kilometres and 14,000 metres of elevation gain across five of the Canary Islands in 36 hours. 

Dekker, who finished his pro road career in 2015 and now also does his share of gravel racing, including his first Unbound Gravel last year, said on Instagram the overnight ride “was for despising, luckily Laurens ten Dam was there to drag me through the night.” 

That event used four ferry crossings to complete the island hopping.

“Since then I only did two training rides because I was tired from the bikepack race and when I arrived [Sunday in Colombia] I was a little bit under the weather, so I’m just chilling here in Medellin and relaxing before this race,” Ten Dam added.

This year the challenge begins February 12 in the south-west Valle del Cauca at Calí, and will move north-east of Bogotá to Guasca, with the three final days across the eastern Cordilleras presenting more than 40% of the climbing. 

Stage 7 is the queen stage through the eastern Cordillera and crosses one of the highest peaks, Sumapaz, with an elevation topping out at 4,000 metres above sea level.

Because of Colombia’s location on the northern edge of the equator, the country’s diverse landscapes have extreme microclimates based on elevation, not traditional seasons, so riders face extreme fluctuations with heat, cold and humidity in the same week. Last year a section of road was wiped out by a landslide and a local bulldozer used its loader bucket to move riders and bicycles across the gaping hole. 

Sunday’s opening stage climbs immediately from the start in Calí and covers 103km with 50% gravel in the Valle del Cauca mountains on the eastern slope of the western Cordillera.

Transcordilleras Rally Colombia 2023 stages

• Stage 1 - February 12 Calí to Calima, 103km, 2,900m elevation gain, 50% gravel
• Stage 2 - February 13 Calima to Sevilla, 143km, 2,000m elevation gain, 30% gravel
• Stage 3 - February 14 Sevilla to Salento, 100km, 3,500m elevation gain, 30% gravel
• Stage 4 - February 15 Salento to Ibagué, 109km, 3,200m elevation gain, 90% gravel
• Stage 5 - February 16 Ibagué to Melgar, 127km, 700m elevation gain, 60% gravel
• Stage 6 - February 17 Melgar to Fusagasugá, 65km, 2,700m elevation gain, 30% gravel
• Stage 7 - February 18 Fusagasugá to Choachí, 133km, 4,000m elevation gain, 50% gravel
• Stage 8 - February 19 Choachí to Guasca, 53km, 1,800m elevation gain, 90% gravel