Photo Rudolf Karancsi
Balaton Bike Derby was my main goal for the 2025 season. A 370 kilometer gravel race around Lake Balaton, with 4200 meters of climbing, fast open roads, deep sand, steep climbs, heat, rain and mud.
Ride overview:
// Location
Lake Balaton, Hungary
Lake Balaton, Hungary
// Distance
370 km
370 km
// Elevation gain
4,200 m
4,200 m
// Total time
16 h 37 min
16 h 37 min
I came to the start after weeks of preparation, with the idea of racing as well as I could and staying close to the front for as long as possible. The race started much faster than I expected. After the first climbs, we were still close to the leading group, and after 100 kilometers our average speed was 30 km/h, which felt almost unreal for this kind of terrain.
But long races always have a way of bringing everything back into balance. The fast start, the sand traps, the heat, the steep climbs and later the rain in the dark slowly turned the race into something more personal. It became less about position and more about managing the bad moments, staying present and finding a way to reach the finish.
Start: 06:00 // Gyenesdiás
The race began with more speed and intensity than I expected. The first goal was to stay as close as possible to the front group after the opening climb and the second shorter climb. From there, the route became mostly flat for almost two hours, but the pace stayed high. At the 100 kilometer mark, we were averaging 30 km/h. On these roads, with this distance still ahead, that felt both exciting and slightly dangerous.
// I knew we were pushing a little too hard. In a race this long, you usually pay for that later.
After the flat section, the route started to roll more. We formed a small group of about five riders and kept moving well. At one point, we even passed the leading group while they were refilling water at a well. It did not last long. They were soon behind us again, ready to take over.
// Then came the sand trap.
It arrived suddenly. A big cloud of dust, deep sand, low speed and heavy legs. For almost two kilometers, it felt like there was no good solution. Push too hard and you burn your legs. Ride too easy and you almost stop. It was one of those sections where you just try to stay calm, keep the bike moving and hope it ends soon.
We made it through and started counting the kilometers to the checkpoint at 163 km. Before the checkpoint, there was a steep climb, and the heat made everything harder. I felt cooked, but still arrived in a decent mood. I refueled, reset everything and continued.
Not long after that, the real crisis came. On the next steep climb, my legs disappeared and my head followed. After the descent, I met Rajko again, but he soon rode away while I was pushing barely 100 watts and shouting at my legs to wake up. It was one of those low moments that every long race eventually brings.
About an hour later, I found Rajko again at another water well. We both understood that the fight for the best positions was probably over for us, so we made a more human decision. We stopped for Coke, fresh water and a short reset before the final part of the race.
Then Rajko had his own bad moment and told me to go ahead. Soon after that, it started to rain.
Somehow, the rain helped me. My mood changed, my legs came back and I started to feel strong again. I rode the last three and a half hours alone, in the dark and in the rain. There were small problems, but nothing serious enough to stop the rhythm. At that point, the race became simple. Keep pushing. Keep moving. Finish it.
In the final meters of the last climb, I reached another rider who was cleaning mud from his bike. My own bike was heavy and full of mud too, so I had to hike the worst part, clean the tyres just enough to make them roll again, and continue over the top. From there, it was only the descent to the finish.
After 16 hours and 37 minutes, I crossed the line in 8th place. I was relieved, tired and completely covered in the day. I was also a bit worried about Rajko, but he managed his own crisis and finished only a few minutes behind me.
If I am honest, I hoped for a slightly better result. But after a difficult final week before the race and everything that happened on the route, I am happy with how I handled the day. Not every race gives you the result you imagined, but some races show you something more useful. Where you break a little, where you come back, and how much you can still give when the plan is already gone.
Amazing photographs by Rudolf Karancsi - https://rudolfkarancsi.com
// A big thank you to my wife and kids for their patience with all the training and everything around it.
// Thanks to Roletarstvo Medle for letting me race in their colors, which I always wear with pride.
// Thanks to Anže Bizjan - BiziBike for preparing the bike perfectly, to Daša Kovačič - dbodywork for fixing my back just days before the race, to Adam Jordan for the useful advice, and of course to Rajko for sharing the road, the suffering and the whole experience.
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