words, photos, and videos by Tristan Bogaard (@tristanbogaard)
Four years ago, I first set foot on Sardinia. The Italian island is big, with a rugged coastline and crystalline waters in some places, although it’s hard to get to, just like its mountainous interior with its many tracks. I didn’t have a clue about how influential the route I was about to discover would turn out to be, but here we are, four years after that initial discovery.
The story of how this route originated and its subsequent two decades of existence is one of many ups and downs, as I learned from its creator not so long ago. Arriving in Sardinia for the second time last October, a stroke of luck gave me the opportunity to meet Giorgio Pupillo in person at a small and typically Italian beach bar in his home city of Cagliari. There, I documented his story as he sat with a bitter San Pellegrino in hand, telling me about his many adventures and love for the island’s interior.
But that’s for another day. As part of today’s route launch, I’d like to share with you the video I created of my solo endeavor that followed our meeting, riding the TranSardinia a second time and, in comparison to my first exposure, doing so in utter solitude and with one priority in mind: scouting the route in its entirety, ironing out the kinks, and inserting bits and pieces I deemed crucial to a full-bodied bikepacking experience. I loved it because it gave me the chance to mull over past experiences in the same places and “paste” over new ones if you will
The ride was therapeutic for me on that level. When you’re able to bottle the same ingredients of a previous ride in a different way, to pour a new brew that’s more aromatic and fitting than its sibling, you can transform your memories entirely. Compare it to riding a race twice, not quite enjoying your first time, finding solutions to the reasons you didn’t, returning afresh, and finishing in a much more gratifying way the second time around.
Sardinia is a special place, and I’m immensely glad that I’ve been able to have the pleasure of updating a route that is, in my eyes, of legendary status. Giorgio has put in such a tremendous effort over two decades that my contribution is only a small one, but it was enough for this video to mean a lot to me. I hope you’ll be able to watch and enjoy it the same way as I did recording and editing it. Enjoy!
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