Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Hats off to Laura Johannes of Germany, the women’s winner of the 2025 Trans Balkan Race! Laura pushed through knee pain to finish the 1,350-kilometer route in just 7 days, 3 hours, and 30 minutes. Find details and photos from her impressive ride here…
Words by Exploro.cc, photos by Giuliano Koren
This year’s Trans Balkan Race once again proved that true resilience and mental strength shine bright in the world of ultra-distance bikepacking. Among the 2025 edition’s most inspiring stories was that of Laura Johannes, who not only claimed the women’s win but became the 20th rider overall to roll into the finish line in Risan after an astonishing 7 days, 3 hours, and 30 minutes on the route.
Laura’s journey wasn’t just about crossing the Balkans; it was a testament to the human spirit’s quiet refusal to give in. She started strong, keeping pace with the lead group of women, but things turned dramatically at checkpoint two. Knee pain had become so severe that she screamed just from the act of standing up in the morning. At that moment, she was on the edge of scratching.
But the Trans Balkan Race has a way of forging invisible bonds among riders, even in the wildest, most remote stretches of the Balkans. As Laura gathered her strength at the checkpoint, she kept seeing other riders come and go. One dealt with painful saddle sores, another with swollen hands that barely held the handlebars. And yet, everyone was pushing on.
Laura realized at that moment that the pain was universal and that she wasn’t alone in it. That understanding was enough to keep her going. From there, she rode with a quiet determination, always glancing back but never hesitating to push forward. She opened a solid gap over her nearest competitors, Jade Simpson-Field and Susanna Markoff, and never let up.
The final stretch of the race saw Laura riding through the spectacular yet punishing landscapes of Montenegro’s Durmitor National Park and the rugged climbs of Sinjajevina. With no resupplies, no water stops, and no end in sight, it was a pure test of endurance. But Laura’s background as a triathlete shone through. She knew how to pace herself, ride her own race, and keep her mind calm and focused even when her body started to scream.
Her efforts paid off. Rolling into Risan, she was tired, sunburnt, and covered in Balkan dust, but she wore the smile of someone who knew she had dug deeper than she ever thought possible. In classic triathlete humor, her coach texted her at the finish line, joking that it was time for a two-kilometer cool-down swim—a reminder of how far she’s come and how much she’s capable of.
Congratulations to Laura Johannes, the Balkan Queen of 2025, for not just finishing but doing it with grace, humor, and a heart as big as the mountains she crossed.
Further Reading
Make sure to dig into these related articles for more info...
Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.
