Tobias Kongstad's and Karolina Migon's mud-splattered bikes, plus some from the podium finishers too
Tobias Kongstad's Traka-winning bike(Image credit: Will Jones)
The Traka 360, based out of Girona, Spain, has set its sights on becoming Europe's answer to Unbound. While the 360km route isn't the longest of the weekend – that being taken by The Traka Adventure at 560km in length – the 360 is the closest analogy to Unbound, given it converts to 223 miles.
As the Blue Riband distance it was afforded a proper live stream, with drone camera shots, and camera motos. Our full race round-up gives you the inside line of what went down on the course, but for now let's take a look at the winners' bikes, still covered in muck and grime from countless hours out in the action.
Tobias Kongstad had a relatively stock Specialized Crux with 45mm tyres, the only slightly unusual feature being his handlebars. Karolina Migon piloted a Rose Backroad FF, but opted for a mixed tyreset with a nearly slick rear and a more grippy front.
I know you're here for the photos though, so let's get into it.
Yes, there were some bling parts like these Ceramicspeed aero pulley wheels on his SRAM XO rear derailleur. (Image credit: Will Jones)
And his handlebars were pretty non-standard, with what looks like a giant reach. (Image credit: Will Jones)
But mostly everything else was relative orthodox. This Dynaplug Racer mount was neat. A K-Edge chain keeper holds the SRAM flat top chain onto an aftermarket Stone chainring, mated to an SRM power meter spider. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The chainring is alloy, rather than some carbon ones I saw kicking about. At the finish Kongstad wasn't overly concerned with weight, stating that the bike was "hopefully under 8 kilos". (Image credit: Will Jones)
I'm not totally sure what was meant to be in here. It could have been a CO2 canister, suggesting that Kongstad may have experienced some air loss over the course. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Considering the aero leanings of some modern bikes, the front end of the Crux is decidedly skinny. (Image credit: Will Jones)
And the rear too, with a focus on low weight rather than aerodynamics. Kongstad spent 160km solo, but round tubes didn't appear to hold him back. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Ignore the muck for a second and look at the top cover for the headset bearing. It has 'SLT' written on it, meaning the bearings have solid PTFE lubricant rather than fluid grease, which has claimed benefits for longevity, especially in mucky conditions. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Kongstad went for 45mm Specialized Tracer tyres front and rear. (Image credit: Will Jones)
His stem was pretty long, and there's some neat cable tidying going on here too. (Image credit: Will Jones)
I don't think this white bar tape will be seeing another outing. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Here's the big stem again from the drive side. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Here's Karolina Migon's Rose Backroad FF. Despite racing for the same team as Kongstad (PAS Racing) each rider is still effectively a privateer, meaning they have different bikes and tailored setups. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Shimano XTR pedals for the Polish rider. (Image credit: Will Jones)
During the race there was some pretty heavy rain, but this wasn't in the forecast. In any case, Migon's nearly-slick Schwalbe G-One RS Pro rear tyre didn't cause her any issues. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The accumulated muck of 360km, nearly all of which was off road, actually blended very well with the paint on her Rose. (Image credit: Will Jones)
A DT Swiss GRC 1100 gravel wheelset supported the tyres. (Image credit: Will Jones)
A race transponder was taped under the top tube. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Why waste having some tape on your bike when you can use it to secure a few more tyre plugs? Big brain move there. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Again, a win for a 1x setup, but this time with a standard SRAM Red XPLR chainring. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Here's a better look at those DT Swiss gravel wheels. They have a slightly unusual profile, with a slight concave groove running near the tyre-rim interface, likely for aerodynamic reasons. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Up front Migon ran a Schwalbe G-One RX Pro tyre for a little more grip. (Image credit: Will Jones)
For the majority of us we will simply never see stats like this at the end of our rides. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Here's Simen Nordahl Svendsen's Fara F/Gravel, which he rode to third place. Bento boxes are a good place to slap your team logo. (Image credit: Will Jones)
He was the only rider I saw to use a dropper post. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Zipp's latest 303 XPLR wheels mated to Schwalbe Thunder Burt MTB tyres, which I don't believe are on the approved tyre list for these mega-wide rims. (Image credit: Will Jones)
A SRAM XX rear derailleur sorted Svendsen's shifting. (Image credit: Will Jones)
And a Hammerhead computer handled his stats. (Image credit: Will Jones)
His headtube was dirtier than the others, perhaps meaning he spent more time in the wheels, but it could also be that the monster Schwalbe tyres threw off more mud. (Image credit: Will Jones)
In second place in the men's race came Jan Stöckli, aboard a pretty standard BMC Kaius. (Image credit: Will Jones)
It was clearly a good day for SRAM, with its XPLR groupsets dominating. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Stöckli heads up Tudor Pro Cycling's gravel arm. (Image credit: Will Jones)
There were various aero ways to wrap one's race number, but this was perhaps the neatest iteration. (Image credit: Will Jones)
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Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.
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