The £25 to enter thing does seem a bit odd. I expect most people who got a place would happily pay an extra £25 to compensate those who had missed out!
What surprises me most is that it isn't £25 to apply. It's £25 to start applying. You don't even get the race manual until you cough up. I'd have put the £25 to submit, rather than to start it. There's info you get from the race manual that I've not found on the website, which would perhaps enlighten peoples decision making process.
I can understand it. 63 women were offered places on no7, 40 made it to Burgas. I don't know how many of those 63 paid up.
Approximately 20 riders who were offered a place, and paid their £350, didn't pick up their cap in Burgas.
If they have the same ~1000 people apply as in previous years, that's £25000 netted. A not inconsiderable amount, but on an event like this it doesn't go far.
The TCR organisers always mention in their events that money shouldn't be an obstacle to participation. To then follow this up by demanding what could amount to 3 hours wages for some in non-refundable dough without even getting a place in the race seems regrettably regressive to me.
There's an interesting gender element to this. I'm currently unemployed, so £25 is not inconsiderate, that's most of a week's food. So to gamble £25 for the chance to ride is quite a gamble. *BUT* Unless Fiona has inspired an extra 100+ women to be crazy enough to enter, the chances are that I'll get a space again. My odds are good. But to all the 1st time men, your odds ain't great. I probably wouldn't apply if it wasn't stacked in my favour so much.
I wonder if more people would have volunteered for tcrno7 if they'd known it's £25 to play the lottery for no8?
J