Aiperi and Aishoola are gearing up for the Transcontinental Race (TCR). A couple of weeks ago, they went to Turkey to check out the last Turkish section of the race. Their involvement in the race is part of an international project focused on inclusion and diversity in long-distance cycling ultra racing. If you want to know more about their participation, you can ask them directly by following their instagram pages @aiperi_pro_jizn and and @aishoolaaisaeva.
Aiperi and Aishoola are currently dealing with visas. In addition to Schengen countries the route goes through some Balkans with some states that are not part of the Schengen zone. Kyrgyz citizens cannot avoid formal procedures. This is an important step without which the trip itself is questionable. The girls are supported by a couple of well-known companies.
Aishoola reported:
“We started from Çanakkale to Istanbul.
Day 1 - we took a bus from Istanbul to Gelibolu, took a ferry to Lapseki, and from Lapseki we set off to Çanakkale.
Day 2 - we left Çanakkale and rode towards Ovacik (start point A of the TCR parcour 4) and cycled through the woods, and stopped for a night in Serciler.
Day 3 - We set off from Serciler and cycled through the mountains towards Gürcerme. Stayed with a Turkish family.
Day 4 - we reached Bandirma and took a ferry from there back to Istanbul.
Day 5 - from Bandirma we came to the end point of TCR in Kadakoy, at the Asian side of Istanbul”