TCR no8.

[morbihan]

the first approachers to CP3 is intriguing.
The guys that cut inland are making gains and Ulrich will have to dog leg back at Brod to get onto the M20. Once past Sarajevo its a smoking fast down hill run to the border. I see AB arriving first and then Strasser who seems to be getting into the swing and is looking menacing. Then I think a toss up between Ulrich and Pawel for 3rd to the parcour. 
The ride from the border up the valley to Pluzine shouldn't be too tricky for the strong TT riders like CS. I seem to remember it being no more than 7% (I grovelled up it) I "think" UB probably excels in the steeper stuff. Maybe up Dormitor he will reel the front runners back in?
Who knows...they all have 2500km in their legs on bugger all sleep.
Im routing for Pawel because he is such a beautiful person and has such an incredibly positive attitude.

[rr]

Looking at the best map outdoor active can give me there appears to be some form of crossing well before Brod, but it has various unfamiliar symbols next to it including a carpark barrier type thing, so I doubt it will be usable for Ulrich, so I suspect he is going to be overtaken by Adam going the other way down the other side of the valley.
There appears to be a road/trail/path/mountain bike route from Ulinje to C3 that would cut a huge corner, I wonder if anyone will try it?

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[Lightning Phil]

It’s looking touch and go as to whether Richard Lake can make the CP2 checkpoint cutoff .  I hope he’s pushing for that now, and not wasting time creating a podcast.

[Pickled Onion]

There appears to be a road/trail/path/mountain bike route from Ulinje to C3 that would cut a huge corner, I wonder if anyone will try it?

OSM seems to think it is a viable (drivable) road with unpaved sections, and there is a border post. Google maps does not agree.

[morbihan]

Frank is showing at the check point. Well done out there.
In the company of Malte and Mathieu. Nice guys.

[Lightning Phil]

Alan Parkinson should be at CP2 in a couple of hours.  Wonder if he’ll take opportunity to sleep there?

[StuAff]

Ulrich is at times pedalling with one leg to rest his injured knee. Fatigue, saddle sores…and he's still in contention for a 'podium'. Extraordinary. Well, they all are, but…

[mzjo]

There appears to be a road/trail/path/mountain bike route from Ulinje to C3 that would cut a huge corner, I wonder if anyone will try it?

OSM seems to think it is a viable (drivable) road with unpaved sections, and there is a border post. Google maps does not agree.

Is that the trail that Krystian Jakubek has followed? He looks to have cut an enormous corner off. Not far to CP3 for him now. The trail looks to have followed contours pretty closely, at least at the finish so not such a bad option.

[rr]

There appears to be a road/trail/path/mountain bike route from Ulinje to C3 that would cut a huge corner, I wonder if anyone will try it?

OSM seems to think it is a viable (drivable) road with unpaved sections, and there is a border post. Google maps does not agree.

Is that the trail that Krystian Jakubek has followed? He looks to have cut an enormous corner off. Not far to CP3 for him now. The trail looks to have followed contours pretty closely, at least at the finish so not such a bad option.

Yes that was the one I saw on the map, had no idea of its rideability, judging by his speed it must be pretty good. Makes the route through Mostar competitive.

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[Ivo]

Fiona enjoyed another few hours of flat valley cycling and only turns south at Slavonski Brod

[Nuncio]

And the 4 following have also taken the short-cut, or variations of it (Robin Gemperle's 's track looks slightly different). Only Ulrich Bartholmoes so far of those choosing the more western route has gone the longer way up to Brod.

[rr]

And the 4 following have also taken the short-cut, or variations of it (Robin Gemperle's 's track looks slightly different). Only Ulrich Bartholmoes so far of those choosing the more western route has gone the longer way up to Brod.

There are now three versions of the short cut. I expect most people will use it, I'm not sure that the western route makes sense without it.

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[StuAff]

James Kirk scratched. Car hit hit him somewhere in the Austria/Italy border area, taken to a medical centre & then to a hospital for X-rays. which were clear but his elbow needed closing. After discharge, went back to his bike and tried to carry on, having lost 18 hours. Bumpy descent of the Gavia popped the wound open. He tried closing it with tape and superglue in a hotel, but it didn't hold, so decided to DNF.

[Lightning Phil]

CP2 now closed

[Lightning Phil]

Thomas Home reached CP2 a minute before cut off, cutting it fine!

[Nuncio]

Less than 5km separating the front 3 after approx 3600km of racing.

[rr]

And the 4 following have also taken the short-cut, or variations of it (Robin Gemperle's 's track looks slightly different). Only Ulrich Bartholmoes so far of those choosing the more western route has gone the longer way up to Brod.

Described in the race report as newly tarmaced.

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[rr]

A bit nasty to put the control, 5km past and 700m below the start of the parcors, but there doesn't appear to be any benefit of doing it before the control.

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[grams]

There’s an alternative possibly easier route to approach the control first by turning north a bit earlier. Which none of the leaders have taken.

[quixoticgeek]

There’s an alternative possibly easier route to approach the control first by turning north a bit earlier. Which none of the leaders have taken.

Remember: all E roads in Romania are banned. This severely limits routing choices.

J

[morbihan]

There’s an alternative possibly easier route to approach the control first by turning north a bit earlier. Which none of the leaders have taken.

Remember: all E roads in Romania are banned. This severely limits routing choices.

J

I'm hoping that all the racers get it right. It's easy to stray onto a banned road inadvertently.  The winner could come down to a penalty corrected time with the leaders all so close.
I got pinged along with a few others on a banned road in Albania. Easily done.

[slugbait]

Remember: all E roads in Romania are banned. This severely limits routing choices.

I've cycled on E-roads in Romania, in particular the E60 from Predeal to Sinaia. There were no alternatives to travel between those two villages. And, you know, it wasn't too bad. Lots of traffic, but the drivers are expecting horse carts and Roma selling stuff in the middle of the road. Their speed was surprisingly sensible. A blanket ban on E-roads seems lazy of the organizers.

[quixoticgeek]

I'm hoping that all the racers get it right. It's easy to stray onto a banned road inadvertently.  The winner could come down to a penalty corrected time with the leaders all so close.
I got pinged along with a few others on a banned road in Albania. Easily done.

Me too. From the tracker it looks like 75 and 50 took approx 200m of E road today in the town of Targa jui. 100 shows as taking the small roads parallel. It's an easy mistake to make. I spent several hours checking and double checking e roads in that area to avoid them.

It would suck I'd first across the line was demoted due to a penalty. But it is clear in the race manual that all E roads except for 3 sections (one by the bridge they took acros the Danube, one just east of the CP4 parkour. And one west of the CP that is needed if you take the ferry across the Danube at Ram.

First edition of the manual only permitted the section needed on the route from RAM. The later e]ditions permitted two extra bits. Which make for a route choice. Else we'd have all taken the same route.

I've cycled on E-roads in Romania, in particular the E60 from Predeal to Sinaia. There were no alternatives to travel between those two villages. And, you know, it wasn't too bad. Lots of traffic, but the drivers are expecting horse carts and Roma selling stuff in the middle of the road. Their speed was surprisingly sensible. A blanket ban on E-roads seems lazy of the organizers.

Yes and no. We have 241 riders starting in Geraardsbergen and whilst some are going to be OK on e roads in Romania. Some may not. It's just easier to do the blanket ban. It should make for safer routing. And at least with the known check points, and the parcour, there are route options.

J

[slugbait]

Personally, I find it a bit strange that they are this concerned about rider safety in Romania and Bulgaria while they have no issue with riders descending Passo di Gavia at 3am in bad weather (I know, I should sleep and not check dots at that time) or riders barely sleeping for several nights in a row. But that's their choice. I'm still enjoying a cracking race. My money's on Strasser.

[Nuncio]

I really enjoyed this TCR podcast, from CP2.  Off-the-cuff interviews with the first three through, a long one with a chirpy sounding Fiona Kolbinger about her theft travails, one with an Italian who's imagination had been captured by dotwatching and who just turned up at the CP to put some flesh to it ('And maybe one day you would like to do the ride yourself?' 'Maybe let me learn to ride a bike first'). Oh, and the seriously bickering French pair was very funny. At least, I think they were serious. And many more stories behind the dots, and not just from the front-runners.