Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Racing => Topic started by: quixoticgeek on 22 October, 2018, 03:55:04 pm
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It seems a number of people on here have managed to secure themselves a place on the 2019 Race around the Netherlands. So I thought it worth starting a thread here for those riding, following, or otherwise generally interested.
Who's gonna be in Amerongen on 2019-05-01 ?
J
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Am a wrong'un.
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Am a wrong'un.
This we knew :p
J
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:)
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Me and Catriona Archer (but I don't think she is on YACF).
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:)
There's a chance I'll be out. It depends how well I recover from my recent injuries. I'm currently turbo only so if I can't get enough road miles in I might not be able to get to the start properly ready. I have a bit of time to make a decision.
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I've just withdrawn. Maybe next year.
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I've just withdrawn. Maybe next year.
Sorry to hear that. Good luck with your recovery, maybe see you on the start line in 2020 ?
J
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I've just withdrawn. Maybe next year.
Sorry to hear that. Good luck with your recovery, maybe see you on the start line in 2020 ?
J
Not sure about next year at the moment. A lot of things could change between now and then.
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Afsluitdijk is going to be closed to bikes for the next 3 years, starting on first of April. I'm guessing this will mean a change in the route for the race, I've emailed control to ask what the likely change will be.
But thought I'd give a heads up here too.
J
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Had an email from race control, we should have a proper update in the next 24 hours or so. It's looking like the race just got longer...
J
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New route is out, and on the website. New distance is 1890km. Yeouch. Looks like we get both sides of Flevopolder now.
Check the website for the new route.
J
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In a way that makes me feel a bit better. I was on a short timescale anyway and that’s an extra day of riding.
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There must be lots of others in that situation, who have work deadlines, transport booked, etc. Seems crazy not to have tweaked the route to keep it the same length
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I have transport booked and will have to re-book. Either that or I'd have to ride quicker. Perish the thought!
On the positive side, by allowing an extra 24 hours, the average daily distance drops. Ever so slightly.
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I have transport booked and will have to re-book. Either that or I'd have to ride quicker. Perish the thought!
On the positive side, by allowing an extra 24 hours, the average daily distance drops. Ever so slightly.
Which machine are you riding ?
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Anyone else thinking that the extra 200km makes this a considerably more daunting prospect than it was before?
I'm slightly surprised they didn't decide to skip Flevopolder on the first day, go straight across to the Veluwe, and then continue with the route as they have it now, would have meant the increase is only 100km...
J
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Which machine are you riding ?
The Guv'nor.
The Roadster's a bit too upright given the potential for windiness.
Anyone else thinking that the extra 200km makes this a considerably more daunting prospect than it was before?
Christ, for an old duffer like me it's daunting enough anyway. Hard to imagine it being "more" daunting...
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Anyone else thinking that the extra 200km makes this a considerably more daunting prospect than it was before?
I'm slightly surprised they didn't decide to skip Flevopolder on the first day, go straight across to the Veluwe, and then continue with the route as they have it now, would have meant the increase is only 100km...
J
You have a far more generous time limit than Audax. You will be fine.
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Reflectors? Bells?!?
http://www.holland-cycling.com/tips-and-info/safety/traffic-rules-and-regulations-for-cyclists
How strictly are these rules enforced?
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Reflectors? Bells?!?
http://www.holland-cycling.com/tips-and-info/safety/traffic-rules-and-regulations-for-cyclists
How strictly are these rules enforced?
Depends.
If you have something by way of a red light on the back, and a white light on the front, then the chances of a police officer stopping you are minimal. However, if you are stopped, and you're an obnoxious moron, then they may find all sorts of creative ways of emptying your wallet.
Oh, and that site is not accurate.
The summary version of what you need to know, *LETTER* of Dutch cycle law (not the spirit):
You may have:
- 1 White or yellow light on the front
- 1 Red light on the rear (non flashing)
- 1 Red reflector on the rear
- 2 Orange pedal reflectors, on each pedal.
- The front and rear lights may be fixed to the upper body (or backpack).
- and most importantly AND NOTHING ELSE.
- You may have additional reflectors front, rear, side, but they *MUST* be White, Red, and Yellow respectively.
But, the reality is, if you have a non obnoxiously flashing rear light, you won't be stopped, if you have 3 rear lights, you won't be stopped, if you have extra reflectors in any colour, you won't be stopped. Dutch police are very pragmatic about it all, they just want you to have something light wise on both ends.
Oh, and pedantically, if you are a non Dutch national, riding a bike from outside the Netherlands, then strictly speaking you are only required to obey the requirements of the vienna convention. Which are much reduced on the above. However, if you've been stopped by police, trying to argue that they shouldn't be nicking you cos of the vienna convention, you are likely to make things worse, and they are going to really spoil your day...
If your bike has at least 1 reflector, a light front and rear, and two tyres pumped up to a sensible pressure, you will be riding a considerably more road worthy vehicle than 90% of Dutch Bikes...
J
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A huuge and detailed reply. Thank you!
Let me know if I'm wrong when I interpret your reply as : "do the same as you do riding a home. You won't be shot, imprisoned, fined by the Dutch Police"
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A huuge and detailed reply. Thank you!
Let me know if I'm wrong when I interpret your reply as : "do the same as you do riding a home. You won't be shot, imprisoned, fined by the Dutch Police"
Actually no, do what it says in the RATN rules, which whilst technically to the letter of the law, as worded are not legal*, you do have to get the bike past Michael at the start, and if you meet the requirements for RATN, unless you're a real moron, you're unlikely to have an issue with Dutch police.
J
*To be legal under Dutch law you the extra reflective material RATN requires has to be the right colour. Exactly 1 bike on last years RATN was fully legal in this respect.
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Surely as a international cyclist you only need to comply with the Vienna Convention for general cycling in Holland. RATN rules might be stricter though.
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Surely as a international cyclist you only need to comply with the Vienna Convention for general cycling in Holland. RATN rules might be stricter though.
Yes, but explaining that to the cop who just stopped you is likely to only make your day worse. If you obey the RATN rules, you'll be fine. If you do get stopped by police, don't try to argue, you have an unfair advantage, and it'll only earn you a cavity search. But if you're obeying RATN rules there's no reason you should be stopped.
J
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I was stopped by the Dutch police along with a German rider on the Dutch Capitals 1400 in 2012.
We had given up on the very rough cycle path and were using the road, resulting in a bollocking. It was about 2am and in a village near Utrecht. We did play dumb foreigner, apologised and showed them our jerseys with the route on. We were let off eventually but I was a bit concerned.
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A couple of people riding RATN asked me some questions about riding, resources along the way etc... So rather than give the same answers multiple times, I've written a blog post on the subject.
http://42q.eu/gIh
J
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:thumbsup:
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A couple of people riding RATN asked me some questions about riding, resources along the way etc... So rather than give the same answers multiple times, I've written a blog post on the subject.
http://42q.eu/gIh
J
Although I mostly agree with your blog post, there are two things I would like to add (as a Dutch person). Yes, we like "klinkers" (or block paving as it is apparently called in English?) but they are comfortable enough when you're running 25mm tyres. On very long rides (400+km), I do drop the pressure in my front tyre by roughly 1 bar to get a little bit less road buzz.
Most bicycle shops do carry the essentials for a road bike (in particular inner tubes), but yeah don't count on it and expect to pay the (extortionate) recommended retail price. However, there are a couple of big stores not too far from the route who carry everything you could potentially need for your bike. In particular, I'm thinking about Mantel in Arnhem (mantel.com), Belga Fietsen in Groningen (belgafietsen.nl, on weekdays open until 9pm) and Math Salden in Limbricht.
And don't forget that on May 4 we remember the (European) victims of the Second World War (and the soldiers who died in UN Peacekeeping missions; the Asian victims of WW2 have their own remembrance day in August). There is a nationwide two minute silence at 8pm and almost all shops close at 7pm.
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Good article. I wish I'd had that taps map at the weekend, as I spent far too much time peering at houses for the illusive outdoor tap.
I'd say the card situation is a bit more mixed - a lot of places *do* accept foreign cards (Spar, train ticket machines, hotels, cafés, even market stalls), so you can be lulled into thinking everywhere does. Until you go into an Albert Heijn.
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Good article. I wish I'd had that taps map at the weekend, as I spent far too much time peering at houses for the illusive outdoor tap.
I'd say the card situation is a bit more mixed - a lot of places *do* accept foreign cards (Spar, train ticket machines, hotels, cafés, even market stalls), so you can be lulled into thinking everywhere does. Until you go into an Albert Heijn.
Yeah, It's something that trips up a lot of people. A summer or 2 a go, GVB stopped taking cash on the trams and buses in Amsterdam. They accepted pin only. A couple of weeks later they changed it to accept credit cards when they realised that noone but the Dutch uses Maestro. If you read the Maestro page on wikipedia, it's basically a list of when various countries stopped using it.
.NL loves it tho. If you're a business doing 500 transactions a month, it's about €0.02 per transaction in fees. That's cheaper than cash, and every Dutch person has a card, so why worry about anything else...
Train ticket machines have only stopped charging €0.50 extra to use a credit card in the last year.
Although I mostly agree with your blog post, there are two things I would like to add (as a Dutch person). Yes, we like "klinkers" (or block paving as it is apparently called in English?) but they are comfortable enough when you're running 25mm tyres. On very long rides (400+km), I do drop the pressure in my front tyre by roughly 1 bar to get a little bit less road buzz.
It varies a lot in quality. The coastal route up north from Amsterdam towards Uitdam is particularly bad. The surface on bits of the Amsterdam Rijn Kanal is bloody awful.
Most bicycle shops do carry the essentials for a road bike (in particular inner tubes), but yeah don't count on it and expect to pay the (extortionate) recommended retail price. However, there are a couple of big stores not too far from the route who carry everything you could potentially need for your bike. In particular, I'm thinking about Mantel in Arnhem (mantel.com), Belga Fietsen in Groningen (belgafietsen.nl, on weekdays open until 9pm) and Math Salden in Limbricht.
Oh, that's useful to know. Might add that to the blog post.
And don't forget that on May 4 we remember the (European) victims of the Second World War (and the soldiers who died in UN Peacekeeping missions; the Asian victims of WW2 have their own remembrance day in August). There is a nationwide two minute silence at 8pm and almost all shops close at 7pm.
Good point, will add that too.
J
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Hope you all have good rides. I suspect I would have been OK as my road fitness has returned faster than expected.
There's always next year.
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Tracking link for those who want to follow along at home:
https://ratn2019.legendstracking.com/
J
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Ooh, look! I'm rider 79!
(http://imagehost.cc/images/2019/04/25/image.png)
:thumbsup:
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Hadn't realised they had updated the requirements for reflective material this year, just spent a couple of hours adding stuff (90 minutes ransacking the flat to find the reflective material, 25 mins cleaning crap off the bike, 5 minutes putting the stickers on...).
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5BxF_bXkAADHma.jpg:large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5BxG8SWAAkQw3Y.jpg:large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5BxIKzXsAcc5yu.jpg:large)
Have pretty much run out of space on the seat stays to attach more reflective material. There's a bit of space on the underside, but if that is visible to anything, then I've probably got problems...
I still need to fit the wheel reflectors, but I'll do that after the wheels have been fettled, my tame wheel builder will only moan at me if I turn up with them fitted tomorrow.
Three lights with integral reflectors at the rear. Plus all the tape. Anyone trying to claim they didn't see me at night is going to look bloody stupid in court...
Tomorrow I'm going to get the bike serviced (wheels trued, headset adjusted (to fit a new bell), gear cable inners replaced, replace innards of rear hub).
How's everyone else's prep going?
J
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Good luck all.
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Three lights with integral reflectors at the rear.
Of which two are visible from behind!
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Currently trying to get this lot strapped onto the Guv'nor
(http://imagehost.cc/images/2019/04/26/IMG_20190426_121108053.jpg)
(http://imagehost.cc/images/2019/04/26/image.png)
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Three lights with integral reflectors at the rear.
Of which two are visible from behind!
Based on the comments of the poor sod who tried drafting me in the dark recently when I only had that light on, there was no issue with visibility of that light...
J
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Took my bike to the Vet^W^W Madmen to have it's service before the race.
Stephen dutifully replaced all the innards of the rear hub, (I'd got the parts for him). Then stuck the wheel on the truing stand and spotted a small problem...
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5FcoXiXoAEuRCF.jpg:large)
Oops. Have just ridden it home, very very very very carefully. Fortunately I do have a spare wheel, tho we did spent a few minutes seeing what suitable replacement rims we could get to the shop by Monday. I've two whole spare sets of wheels, which I've checked and they are fine, so I'll use them.
Will replace this rim with an H+son archetype after the race.
Also spotted the Bottom bracket is shot *AGAIN*, fortunately I have a replacement one in stock. I dunno what I'm doing to them, or if it's just me buying cheap parts, but I seem to get through them at an alarming rate (hence having a spare in stock).
Gonna be an interesting weekend...
J
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Currently trying to get this lot strapped onto the Guv'nor
(http://imagehost.cc/images/2019/04/26/IMG_20190426_121108053.jpg)
(http://imagehost.cc/images/2019/04/26/image.png)
Stove and food to cook? Interesting choice. What's your food plan?
J
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Also spotted the Bottom bracket is shot *AGAIN*, fortunately I have a replacement one in stock. I dunno what I'm doing to them, or if it's just me buying cheap parts, but I seem to get through them at an alarming rate (hence having a spare in stock).
What BBs are you trashing so quickly? If it's Hollowtech II, especially if it's the NDS bearing that is going, my first suspicion would be over tightening the bearing preload. (Weather sealing isn't great either, which doesn't help.)
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Also spotted the Bottom bracket is shot *AGAIN*, fortunately I have a replacement one in stock. I dunno what I'm doing to them, or if it's just me buying cheap parts, but I seem to get through them at an alarming rate (hence having a spare in stock).
What BBs are you trashing so quickly? If it's Hollowtech II, especially if it's the NDS bearing that is going, my first suspicion would be over tightening the bearing preload. (Weather sealing isn't great either, which doesn't help.)
Shimano SM-BB52. I ride in all weathers, including rain, & snow. I think it's just the weather sealing not being up to the job. I need to check the box of used parts, this one is either the second or 3rd to be worn out in about 14000km. including 2 Dutch winters, and zero maintenance.
Replacements are €13 each, so it's not an expensive part... Just wish they lasted longer as there seems to be no easy recycling path for them...
J
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Currently trying to get this lot strapped onto the Guv'nor
How are you strapping on the spaniel?
Also spotted the Bottom bracket is shot *AGAIN*
What's your definition of shot? I notice my BBR60s occasionally seem to go slightly clicky, but if you ride through they clear.
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You know that spare wheel? It also has a Pacenti rim...
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5J1C_8X4AENhHA.jpg:large)
Fortunately, the spare spare set, built round DP18 rims is fine, but means I have to swap the 32mm GP5000 for a used 28mm GP4000s ii.
Arse.
J
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Fortunately, the spare spare set, built round DP18 rims is fine, but means I have to swap the 32mm GP5000 for a used 28mm GP4000s ii.
Arse.
I can't be bothered to google for internal width, but are you SURE it won't take a 32? I think Mavic have a handy chart, which I cannot currently find...
Arse!
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I can't be bothered to google for internal width, but are you SURE it won't take a 32? I think Mavic have a handy chart, which I cannot currently find...
Arse!
Unfortunately not. the 13mm internal width means the 28's are technically out of spec. But given I took 28mm marathon's off, I'm hoping 28mm conti's will be Ok.
J
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Ah right. 13 really is very narrow!
Anyway, many 1000k+ rides have been completed on 23mm tyres, so I'm sure you'll be OK with 28 :thumbsup:
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Ah right. 13 really is very narrow!
Anyway, many 1000k+ rides have been completed on 23mm tyres, so I'm sure you'll be OK with 28 :thumbsup:
Yup. It's more of an annoyance than anything else. Just glad I don't need to go narrower. This is beyond the manufacturer recommended limit. I don't want to do this for too long. I just hope it gets me through the next 2 weeks...
My wheel builder is going to love me this month...
J
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The pack is moving at lightning speed, the current leader has racked up 430km in just 14 hrs... I was hoping to catch the race leaders as they pass by my home town (at the 510k mark), but i tseems they'll pass in the dead of night. Maybe I'll see some of the slower riders tomorrow evening.
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Hippy holding second place. Front runners have ridden straight through the first night.
Wobbly had 6hrs sleep in his tent.
Some very different strategies out there.
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A shout out for Jas of Kingston Wheelers too, in 2nd or 3rd with Hippy.
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Has anyone figured out how to show *just* the tracking page in a separate window?
<awaits humiliating answer>
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Has anyone figured out how to show *just* the tracking page in a separate window?
<awaits humiliating answer>
Click the little arrow next to the participant list.
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Hippie now firmly in first place, something seems wrong with Jasmijn Muller (stuck near Harlingen since lunchtime? I hope it's just the tracker malfunctioning), and quixoticgeek is having a rough day (she's very very slowly moving northeast today)? Anyway, dotwatching as always is proving to be addictive.
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Hippie now firmly in first place, something seems wrong with Jasmijn Muller (stuck near Harlingen since lunchtime? I hope it's just the tracker malfunctioning), and quixoticgeek is having a rough day (she's very very slowly moving northeast today)? Anyway, dotwatching as always is proving to be addictive.
What is quixotikgeek's rider number?
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Hippie now firmly in first place, something seems wrong with Jasmijn Muller (stuck near Harlingen since lunchtime? I hope it's just the tracker malfunctioning), and quixoticgeek is having a rough day (she's very very slowly moving northeast today)? Anyway, dotwatching as always is proving to be addictive.
What is quixotikgeek's rider number?
#19
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Commanding lead for Hippy now.
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Hippie now firmly in first place, something seems wrong with Jasmijn Muller (stuck near Harlingen since lunchtime? I hope it's just the tracker malfunctioning), and quixoticgeek is having a rough day (she's very very slowly moving northeast today)? Anyway, dotwatching as always is proving to be addictive.
What is quixotikgeek's rider number?
#19
Thanks, she appears to be at railway station. Hope that is just for a food top up at the cafes around there.
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Hippie now firmly in first place, something seems wrong with Jasmijn Muller (stuck near Harlingen since lunchtime? I hope it's just the tracker malfunctioning), and quixoticgeek is having a rough day (she's very very slowly moving northeast today)? Anyway, dotwatching as always is proving to be addictive.
What is quixotikgeek's rider number?
#19
Thanks, she appears to be at railway station. Hope that is just for a food top up at the cafes around there.
Yep she's still going now up and hunting food. Going well but another 150km of headwind ahead.
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The lists don't always seem to reflect the positions on the map, but it's good watching.
Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk
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Yeah the lists are a bit rubbish unless I'm missing how you sort into name order, number order, or race order.
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No. 17 (and his partner?) are going to be pissed off when they realise he is following the old gpx track...
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No. 17 (and his partner?) are going to be pissed off when they realise he is following the old gpx track...
There was something on the Facebook group that said you could take the bus over the dyke (can't ride at the mo) if you had pre-booked hotels, ferries and the like. You wouldn't be classed as an official finisher but could still ride.
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OK - I saw number 30 go across the dyke earlier this morning. That explains it.
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The last riders are struggling along the Northern coast (incl #19). Terrible weather at the moment (I live nearby): cold, rain, gale force headwinds... But as they turn away from the coast, things should improve.
If "hippy" continues at this pace, then we may see him finish late Saturday/early on Sunday. But it does seem that his lead is not as commanding as earlier during the day.
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I don't know anything about the chasing riders but this section should be ideal for Hippy - relatively heavy but very powerful. I was hoping he might build up a bit of a buffer as he is less at home in the hills which will come tomorrow.
The lead looks like about 12-15 km or around half an hour. Was definitely longer earlier in the day. Stops will have more of an influence on it than riding speed. Hippy is an out and out racer so I would expect him to push hard tonight, sleep only when tired and eat on the go. I'm not sure how well-rested he is but, if he is, with 600km to go, he might ride through tonight, looking to finish tomorrow night. If his chasers do the same, it will be a tiring day for them all.
Edit - the tracking is far inferior to other races but I think that it shows that Hippy had a shorter rest last night than his two nearest chasers, therefore they have ridden faster over the day and should be better rested. Based purely on that, I think the guy in second is probably the favourite. But Hippy will put up a good fight and be determined to win it. If he sees another rider pass him, he might just find another gear.
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from hippy's very entertaining twitter thread seems that he may have just missed some ferries or been caught on the wrong side as lift bridges went up. Can be very frustrating to be forced to wait regularly and see the lead eaten into. Guess it is the same for everyone and will even out. Though maybe a chance to catch up on a wee bit of sleep.
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I hope Jasmijn is ok, sounds like a tough day https://twitter.com/JasmijnMuller1/status/1124404834898272256?s=19 (https://twitter.com/JasmijnMuller1/status/1124404834898272256?s=19)
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Looks like she has scratched.
For the leaders it will be a testing night, although they will have tail wind it's cold and will rain until early morning down here in southern NL. Tomorrow will be more of the same.
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I was right about the others catching hippy but clearly not for riding through. So be Sunday finish not Saturday. He had a hotel so will be rested, as will the others. I expect they'll all try to ride through tonight until they finish.but it will probably be slow going on the cycle paths so may be too far for some to close out without another stop.
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(I found the direct tracking link: http://ratn2019.legendstracking.com/ Might save someone just joining this thread a few seconds! :facepalm: )
I've missed 2 days racing due to travel/fun, and am now very confused. You guys were saying yesterday (Fri) that Hippy was leading, but likely to lose it.
On the map I see at least 6 riders (e.g. 86, 15) about 200km ahead of Hippy (46)
[I assume 91 Billard Stéphane DNFed, despite listed as 1st place by many many kms.]
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Hippys tracker is not working. He was in 4th place, about 15km behind 3rd, a couple of hours ago
Edit. He's just tweeted Reusel so just over 1500km and about 30km behind the 3rd place rider, still in 4th
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thanks!
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The first riders should be glad that the race started on the 1st and not the 30th, there was snow this night on the higher slopes near Vaals.
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It looks like we'll have the first finisher in about 90 minutes. A lot of action last night with cap #15 overtaking cap #31 (who was in the lead for a good portion of the race).
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When checking progress of the riders and matching it with the weather predictions I'd say that anyone behind Aukje and Q runs a serious risk of arriving out of time.
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When checking progress of the riders and matching it with the weather predictions I'd say that anyone behind Aukje and Q runs a serious risk of arriving out of time.
Even Q is on the edge right now (with just under 200k to complete today). Luckily the wind has finally changed direction is now coming from the southeast. In theory that means a nice tailwind from Vaals back to Amerongen.
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According to the website the finish is tomorrow at 18:00 - that should give anyone within 300km of the finish
a fighting chance to get in on time. Weather is actually better than forecast, today it was for long periods of rain
but its very patchy light rain at best in the south. (If the radar is correct)
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Oh yeah, I forgot about the extra time allocated to the riders due to closure of the Afsluitdijk and the extra distance as a result of this.
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According to the website the finish is tomorrow at 18:00 - that should give anyone within 300km of the finish
a fighting chance to get in on time. Weather is actually better than forecast, today it was for long periods of rain
but its very patchy light rain at best in the south. (If the radar is correct)
I would say anyone with audax experience and good lights. I do fear for a few riders who are not that far ahead of Q who have less night riding experience.
Rider 63 enters the danger zone, she'll soon be near her house.
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I agree with your premise, I would expect that the vast majority of people left out there will be struggling.
With around 20 hours of daylight left i thought that would be enough to squeeze another 300km in regardless of
any issues with light or weather. As someone who has never ventured beyond 400km i am of course in no position
to speculate ::-)
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QG has about 80k to go and about 8hrs.
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QG has about 80k to go and about 8hrs.
At least 5 riders still behind her, most of them will have to settle for an out of time finish.
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Can we all have a Go QG Go chant or something?
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Can we all have a Go QG Go chant or something?
Bit of a following on Twitter, but I really think she should stay off it for a while and concentrate on getting over the line.
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Yes, tweeting is a form of faffing
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Is it just me, or is the tracking not showing anyone anymore on the map?
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Its just you.....QG in Nijmegen
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Two riders behind QG are having a mad dash to try to be on time before the cut off. QG should make it comfortably, barring accidents or mechanicals. 2 other ones have no chance at all. One seams to have disappeared
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QG has about 80k to go and about 8hrs.
Roughly 25k to go.
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QG has about 80k to go and about 8hrs.
Roughly 25k to go.
One of the riders directly behind QG fell off the pace and now won't make it before 6pm.
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Less than 5k to go, in her place I would be euphoric by now :)
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Looks like there's a finish time :thumbsup:
Bloody well done J!
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That's a proper effort. Well done.
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Well done J!
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Tracking page showing her at the outskirts of Amerongen for the past 15 minutes, but she could have crawled to the finish :P
Congratulations Julia for this epic ride! What a feat!
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Chapeau! :thumbsup:
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Echoing what others have said. Superb ride J, great perseverance through what appeared to be taxing conditions at times. Will be interesting to hear about your ride ... hopefully you'll be writing a ride report.
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Truly epic, chapeau!
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Wow, that was some ride - well done.
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Well done!
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Wooo! :)
Chapeau! :thumbsup:
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Huge congrats! Hope there is a beer with your name on it. Look forward to hearing more about the ride and looking at that Veloviewer score...
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Well done Q , steady effort to the finish.
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Great effort, QG! Especially given the unseasonally cold weather the past nine days. It definitely would be nice to see a ride report (once you've recovered a bit).
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Thank you everyone for your messages of support, really helps.
I made it to the finish in 199 hours 49 minutes. I realised at about 12km to go that if I really gave it some, I could just make it in under the 200 hour mark. I emptied the tank in the last 8km (got slowed down by the worlds slowest traffic light), made it to the finish, and all the finish photos are of me laying on the floor in agony. My left achilles exploded in pain about 60km from the end, I found a position for that leg in the last 30km where it balanced the knee and achilles pain, then just didn't remove that foot from the pedal till I got to the finish.
Amazingly, no saddle sores, but I've got a number of areas else where from chaffing, I've had to put nappy rash cream the front of my thigh (rubbing from silicon strip of leg warmers), arm pit (rubbing of wet bra after getting caught in a monsoon), ears (rubbing of head phones).
I discovered my sleeping quilt is nowhere near warm enough for sub 5°C bivving, after waking with hypothermia, I had to adapt my plan, and use hotels through out, which cost me about €500 more than I had hoped for the race.
My wahoo died in Limburg too (tho it seems to have come back to life once the battery discharged fully), I had to visit 3 bike shops to get a spare.
I'll write a proper report when I can type properly (I hands are still fixed in a claw config from gear shifting...), but in the mean time:
Two riders behind QG are having a mad dash to try to be on time before the cut off. QG should make it comfortably, barring accidents or mechanicals. 2 other ones have no chance at all. One seams to have disappeared
Ivo, you utter utter bastard, about 10 minutes after the time stamp of this post, I went past some road works, they were dressing the top surface with a sort of fine gravel. I got a flint shard through my rear from this. Kindly not to be cursing me like that :p
Used my last tube, my pump failed, wouldn't inflate in Presta mode, fortunately I have shraeder adapters for my valves so I can inflate in gas stations, flip the pump valve to schrader, and bingo, we have inflation. It was almost a show stopper there.
I did most of the last 200km with a dry chain, and most of the 100 before that with a chain lubed with water. The monsoon in Limburg washed all the lube out the chain, with so little distance to the finish, I just rode as was, perhaps not ideal, but the chain isn't at 095% after this, (hippy's 11 speed lasted the race, but is worn to beyond 0.75).
Can we all have a Go QG Go chant or something?
Bit of a following on Twitter, but I really think she should stay off it for a while and concentrate on getting over the line.
It's a fine balance. I hit some real emotional lows, but turning data on on my phone and getting a number of messages of support really helped drag me back out. Getting a message from Emily Chappell with just over 30km to go was a massive boost. I may have got in an hour earlier had I not tweeted as much over the whole race, but I may not have made it at all as I didn't get the cheer squad effect from checking it.
I've a physio appointment booked for this afternoon, "may I ask what the injury is?" "everything", I'm not looking forward to the 2 flights of stairs to get there. Will allow an extra half hour...
Will give more info later, for now: thank you everyone for your kind messages, it really means a lot.
J
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It very much varies by person. Outside contact during a long event detracts from the event for me. I go into radio silence. Where as others like yourself need that outside contact. We each find what works for us and clearly it works for you.
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great effort and a proper training/testing ride for the tcr, well done for digging deep and finishing it!
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Enjoy those stairs tomorrow - I reckon I'll be able to hear the sound of your Achilles tendons from here ;)
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Chapeau QG
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oops a bit late to this party. Congratulations on finishing QG. those were tough conditions out there.
I used my Bivy each night and with the combination of never really warming up all day I burned a huge amount of calories.
Well organised event and great fun with the riders and new friends met.
Cycling back in the UK will never be the same again.
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I've uploaded the photos I took while riding. They can be found here:
http://photos.quixotic.eu/TG5/2019/05/RATN/ (http://photos.quixotic.eu/TG5/2019/05/RATN/)
They are pretty much all taken as I was riding along, so quality isn't great.
J
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Looks like recumbent heaven
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Just registered for 2020. Let’s hope I make it to the start line this time.
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Thread so dead, writhing in pain. Arise, arise, to post again!
I am going to register for 2020 once I scrape the cash together ☺️🇳🇱
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Thread so dead, writhing in pain. Arise, arise, to post again!
I am going to register for 2020 once I scrape the cash together ☺️🇳🇱
I don't think I'll race again, but have already volunteered to help with the start next year.
See you all there!
J
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Great effort, QG! Especially given the unseasonally cold weather the past nine days. It definitely would be nice to see a ride report (once you've recovered a bit).
Finally got to the state where I could process everything to write a ride report. It's 5600 words. It needs proof reading, and probably some editing. But I'll do that once I've recovered from writing it. Writing it down involved reliving a lot of the ride. It's been a rather intense couple of hours.
J