On Leg 6 of The Amazing Race Season 39 in Albania, eight competing teams navigated an Intersection twist, deployed the final two Express Passes remaining in the game, and survived a non-elimination leg that kept all rosters intact.
The Bottom Line
- Michelle and Matt secured their third leg win in a row, choosing to deploy their Express Pass at the “Heads” Detour to bypass the challenge entirely.
- Conner and Garrett also played their final Express Pass during the “Tails” poetry task to recover from a mid-pack slide.
- Doug and Dylan finished last on the mat but were spared by a non-elimination ruling from host Phil Keoghan, though a penalty awaits them on the next leg.
The Intersection Twist and Albanian Wedding Challenge
The sixth leg tested racers with an Intersection twist, requiring teams to pair up at a Roadblock and execute a centuries-old dance during a wedding celebration. Michelle Rozalski and Matt Patterson arrived with a one-hour head start after winning the previous leg, but chose to wait for Daisha Wilks and Dalton Hamby to ensure they reached the Roadblock together. Michelle and Daisha completed the dance task successfully before any rival teams even reached the venue.
Meanwhile, navigational errors plagued the rest of the pack. Ann-Marie Tejcek and Riley Tejcek, Ali Krieger and Joanna Lohman, Conner Wilson and Garrett McGuire, Doug Matter and Dylan Matter, and Anuar Tager and Andrea Tager Ballesca all converged at the same time after getting lost. Andrea and Anuar aligned with Conner and Garrett, while the all-female teams formed the Boss Lady Alliance. Dylan and Doug were left waiting for Javi Vintimilla and Erin Taylor to arrive so they could fulfill the paired requirement.
Detour Choices and the Final Express Passes
For the “Heads or Tails” Detour, teams chose between making a traditional Albanian cap or memorizing and reciting an Albanian-and-English poem. Matt and Michelle, Ali and Joanna, Ann-Marie and Riley, and Doug and Dylan opted for the cap-making task. Daisha and Dalton, Andrea and Anuar, and Erin and Javi selected the poetry option.
Facing their last opportunity to use the advantage, frontrunners Matt and Michelle played their Express Pass to skip the cap-making challenge and head straight to the Pit Stop. Conner and Garrett similarly pulled their Express Pass during the poetry task to bounce back from the middle of the pack. Ali and Joanna and Ann-Marie and Riley stumbled when inspectors rejected their traditional caps, forcing them to restart and briefly leveling the field for Doug and Dylan, who still struggled with navigation.
| Team | Leg 6 Placement | Key Advantage Used |
|---|---|---|
| Ann-Marie and Riley | 6th | None |
| Doug and Dylan | 8th | None (Non-Elimination) |
Non-Elimination Survival and the Road to Sri Lanka
Matt and Michelle claimed first place for the third leg in a row, while Doug and Dylan checked in last. Phil Keoghan informed the pair that they would live to race another day, as the leg was a non-elimination round. However, their last-place finish means Doug and Dylan will face a penalty during the upcoming leg.
All eight teams departed simultaneously for Sri Lanka. Upon arrival, Keoghan revealed that the racers would vote on a Double U-Turn, with the results slated to air at the beginning of the next episode.
