Author Topic: Transcontinental 2018  (Read 25747 times)

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #50 on: 31 July, 2018, 07:18:43 am »
Several dots are in my town now. Parky taking the flat fast section along the canal while Mark Townsend makes a long stop at the local Mc Donalds. Several others are now on the main road to Aachen, a horrible time to be there. It'll be interesting to see how they cross Aachen, one of the worst towns for cycling in the whole area.

There's been a lot of discussion about the small group that went north, obviously wanting a flatter, if longer route. Will be interesting to see if it actually pays off.

I watched the start from the Muur. Utter madness and crazy. Was wonderful. I spent the weekend in Geraadsbergen and had a number of really good conversations with many riders. I'm now 99% certain that I shall apply to ride next year.

Good luck to everyone riding number 6!

J

the whole group then blew it by going via Aachen which is a situated in the crater of a former volcano. Aparantly no one checked if the bridge near Stein has a bikepath, Stein-Geilenkirchen-Düren would have been the fast flat route.

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #51 on: 31 July, 2018, 08:26:13 am »
It's not worth the extra distance - probably even with local knowledge. 

I ran the numbers on lots of different variations for this section when I was planning my route.  The shortest option is what James Hayden has done, which is through the Ardennes and Luxembourg.  I would have gone a bit south via France, which would have added about 20km but saved c.1000m of climbing. 

The extreme routes, like tracking the Rhine from Bonn, or going South to track it via Basel are much longer and have other bits of climbing which mean the benefit is less than you would expect.

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #52 on: 31 July, 2018, 08:30:08 am »

I watched the start from the Muur. Utter madness and crazy. Was wonderful. I spent the weekend in Geraadsbergen and had a number of really good conversations with many riders. I'm now 99% certain that I shall apply to ride next year.

Glad you enjoyed the start, it's a lot of fun.  I was kicking myself for not going over.  Loads of other ex-riders did so it would have been a great reunion, and able to drink beer without having to worry about doing the ride! 

Good luck for next year!

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #53 on: 31 July, 2018, 01:40:25 pm »

Rider 197 had a crash during the night and is in hospital with a Broken leg. No other vehicles were involved.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #54 on: 31 July, 2018, 02:03:47 pm »
Yes, that was a shame as he was going well, challenging for the lead. 
Bad news for any rider to get hurt but particularly unfortunate for the race to lose a podium challenger

Graeme

  • @fatherhilarious.blog 🦋
    • Graeme's Blog
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #55 on: 31 July, 2018, 11:18:27 pm »
CrinklyUncle is doing well...

Rider 23

rob

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #56 on: 01 August, 2018, 08:21:22 am »
Bernd, Bjorn and James within about 10k of each other after leaving CP2.

Hippy's tweets have descended into sweariness within 3 days.   Not bad going.

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #57 on: 01 August, 2018, 11:00:35 pm »
As well as Crinkly Uncle, I'm keeping an eye on Stockton lad Chris Murkin, who's currently in the Italian Tyrol en route to CP2.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #58 on: 02 August, 2018, 10:56:23 am »

Looks like the vast majority of riders were in time at CP1. Rider 160, who entertained many with their creative routing involving all sorts of circles, going back the wrong way etc... has scratched. Roger Seaton, rider 34 looks to have been in time at CP1. Rider 179 (Ede), is first woman, she's just arriving at the Parcours for CP2. It's interesting the variety of routes that a small minority are taking, 80, and 195, surprised many by deviating from the pack on their way to CP2. Rider 138 (Meg), who was one of those who took the more northern route has slotted in about the middle of the women's pack. I wonder if her flatter route to get there means she has more in her legs now the mountains begin properly.

This dot watching is compulsive.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #59 on: 02 August, 2018, 11:16:39 am »
Just been watching the parcourse for cp2, and i don't understand it, are they going up to come back down to cp2 just for the fun of it, or are they going the wrong way or do they have to go up to come down just to make it a bit harder for them?

it is a bit compelling to watch though.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #60 on: 02 August, 2018, 11:18:36 am »
Just been watching the parcourse for cp2, and i don't understand it, are they going up to come back down to cp2 just for the fun of it, or are they going the wrong way or do they have to go up to come down just to make it a bit harder for them?

it is a bit compelling to watch though.

They enter about part way up, head to the top, fly down to the bottom, get a stamp, then head up the otherside, and then north. At least that is my understanding of it.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #61 on: 02 August, 2018, 11:34:19 am »
Oh I see, thanks, as if it's not hard enough for them!

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #62 on: 02 August, 2018, 11:54:56 am »
Oh I see, thanks, as if it's not hard enough for them!

Well it's better than entering at the bottom by CP2, and then having to go up one side, back down, up the other, and onwards... they do seem to be finding creative ways of being evil to the riders...

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #63 on: 02 August, 2018, 12:06:37 pm »
I have a colleague riding!! One of the guys on the same floor of my base office, though a completely different team, is riding as 249b and currently at CP1. I have no doubt there will be tales to tell when he returns to work.

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #64 on: 02 August, 2018, 12:13:03 pm »
It is gripping watching it - James heading W of Bjorn on the Czech roads.  Already looking like a 2 horse race, though Bernd Paul's tracker seems to keep disappearing and reappearing, so not sure exactly where he is.

Was on holiday in the area around CP1, was absolutely stunning and amazing for cycling.  I wanted to do the road up to the CP, but missed out as time ran out.  Kudos to the organisers for finding such amazing checkpoints.

CrinklyLion

  • The one with devious, cake-pushing ways....
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #65 on: 02 August, 2018, 12:16:46 pm »
It looks like #15 scratched.

Can I just say I'm loving the fact that CrinklyUncle found time to tweet a bridge for CrinklyLion :D

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #66 on: 02 August, 2018, 07:00:00 pm »
It looks like #15 scratched.

Can I just say I'm loving the fact that CrinklyUncle found time to tweet a bridge for CrinklyLion :D

Latest news is that #15 crashed, not badly injured, but can't really go on. Poor sod. Hope he heals fast.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #67 on: 02 August, 2018, 08:02:30 pm »
In our office of 150 we're all cheering on #174. A first timer and he's in the top half at CP1. I've been appointed as official updater.
Rust never sleeps

CrinklyLion

  • The one with devious, cake-pushing ways....
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #68 on: 02 August, 2018, 10:34:04 pm »
I got another bridge!

Graeme

  • @fatherhilarious.blog 🦋
    • Graeme's Blog
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #69 on: 02 August, 2018, 11:19:00 pm »

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #70 on: 03 August, 2018, 03:36:23 pm »

Dot watchers woke in horror this morning to discover track leaders glitching and the dots were not watchable! Seems to have resolved itself now, but lots of confusion on social media earlier.

James seems to have eeked out a lead of something in the region of 300km. Is that unassailable?

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #71 on: 03 August, 2018, 03:54:21 pm »
From James blog

"For my first TCR in 2015 I studied and copied the strategy of the master, Kristof Allegaert. Last year in my preview this is how I described what I thought it was:

Get in front.
Get ahead by a sleep.
Stay ahead.
Try to win comfortably."

Steps 1 and 2 achieved...

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #72 on: 03 August, 2018, 09:30:06 pm »
Quote from TCR Instagram page

"Second place rider @bjoernlenhard #TRCNo6cap2 has had a bad day. He was forced to walk to the CP after his tubeless tire got sliced on the parcours. The previous day was rough, traffic and a headwind was made worse when he ran out of food and water. He arrived at CP3 close to tears, yet somehow, still smiling. He’s had two cakes and two sprites and he’s now fixing his bike, eager to get going again. Hero!"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmBVI1RHc1T/?taken-by=thetranscontinental

Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #73 on: 03 August, 2018, 10:38:25 pm »
James Hayden now hit a real easy stretch. Of the 550k to the next control 450k will be quite easy sailing. But there's a nasty bit in Croatia where he'll have to cross the old UNPA West so he and other riders really have to be aware of landmines and booby-trapped houses. Most have been cleared in the last 25 years but especially in some villages there are still quite a lot around.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Transcontinental 2018
« Reply #74 on: 04 August, 2018, 02:42:09 am »

I've been trying to get to bed for the last 4 hours, but these dots are so damn addictive. Have been focusing on the area around CP2. It closes in just over 5 hours. Riders 97 and 124, who I met in Geraadsbergen, have had me on the edge of the seat. At midnight both had stopped, but after a 90 minute nap 97 has got moving up the 2100m climb to CP2. 124 is still asleep tho, and is going to be cutting it fine to do the 63km and 2100m climbing to get to cp2 by 0900. Fingers crossed.

*refreshes dots*

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/