Kurt does seem to have a lot of support, and a strategy of skipping from venue to venue. He also has a far wider choice of terrain and weather systems than Steve has. I wouldn't be surprised if a private jet whisked him off to California overnight.
Steve has to start from wherever he finished, with whatever support his friends can manage, and is subject to whatever the Atlantic cares to throw at him.
The playing field isn't exactly level.
Must admit I see no advantages or disadvantages in the approach of either - just different ways of looking at it.
Steve has the advantage [if that's the right word] of two years preparation. Remember a couple of years ago he took himself for the Christmas holiday to try out the new bike? Just him, the bike and some bleak weather. It largely went unnoticed. It was just another TG Christmas, out on his own cycling round the country. He's been planning this for at least two years, and in general terms much longer.
Kurt has come to the party late, mainly on the publication of the UMCA rules, spearheaded by Steve's enthusiasm to have a crack at the record. So Kurt's approach might
look a bit more adhock.
Remember the tone of the posts here in January when Kurt was using a support van and the weather was beautiful in Florida and the weather was horrible and cold here? 'It's unfair', was the cry. No it isn't. It's just different. I think.
And this week? Are we still saying that?
At the end of the day, however you do it - you've got to cycle the miles yourself. The perception of advantage will ebb and flow over the course of the year. Steve will probably stick to his plan, because that's what plans are for, and Kurt will improvise a bit more as time goes on, because his plans are not so well formulated.
To get a perspective on country and terrain though - I asked the question the other day: if you transported Steve's attempt to the United States and replicated it exactly in terms of style, where would you most like to be situated? I didn't think the answer was obvious. There are many places over there that have extremes of weather, either hot or cold. The temptation to hop across States must be very appealing.
The more you look at where Steve lives, Milton Keynes, it's an ideal location. He hasn't got to spend ages getting out of town and he has access to reasonable [albeit a bit boring sometimes] terrain. And the extremes of weather over here are never like they can be in the USA. And there's always a 2 for 1 somewhere to be had
I see the playing field as not level, just different. And, put them on the same track, they're both different kinds of riders anyway.
