Transcontinental Race (London - Istanbul) - #TCRNo4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07Y0cy-nvAg&app=desktop

NO SLEEP.. TlLL ISTANBUL!

He's still riding through the night!

Looks like skinny has increased his lead overnight. Presumably at the cost of less sleep? Hope he manages to get a little shut eye soon.

Ultan has pulled out ahead of all the other chasers but is still a long way behind the front two and a couple of people look set to be heading for the ferry at Ancona.

Not sure how the ferry helps. I was confused earlier between check points 3 and 4. I thought they were the other way round but as they are not, the ferry save very little cycling and means doubling back on yourself.

Joseph Todd has, it appears, had a good kip at Check Point 2 and is just now underway again.

Leo Tong got about eight hours rest after the descent from Check Point 2 and is underway again.

Emily Chappell rested in Briancon and is now underway and a short distance from check point 2

Leo is leaving checkpoint 1 not 2 (after serious leg/achilles pain which slowed him up)

Sorry, you are right. That is going to be one heck of a struggle then. What is the cut off for the next checkpoint? He was the last rider to beat the cut off to the first.

Does the ferry reduce the amount of climbing? Looks pretty lumpy up on the Slovenia Italy border.

Ferry = sleep.

Looks like the two leaders have gone for different routes?

Stephane Ouaja, the fixed rider is well past Turin. That is an amazing ride. They all are.

There are still people pedalling away towards Ventoux.

The fixed gear rider almost gave up yesterday night because of freezing (his facebook)

One of the riders heading south, Gareth Baines, tweeted a couple of weeks ago:

‏@Gareth_Baines Jul 15 2485 miles #route #planned #shortcut #tcr2015

So it must be the ferry.

Lee Pearce, the other rider taking that route, retweeted Gareth Baines' tweet above.

It's all making sense now but I am still flummoxed by the route they will take once they land in Croatia.

Six minutes ago Emily Chappell was 1.09 km from checkpoint 2. She's climbing at 6.1 kph and so should be there very soon.

The idea of night riding through Slovenia fills me with fear, although they seem to have built a fair few modern roads since I was last there. Ten years ago (in a camper van) we had to divert onto country roads because the motorway to Ljubljana wasn't finished yet! The local driving style was pretty 'rural' too. Beautiful country though, not that any of the racers will see much of it.

She's there! Brilliant ride so far.

Whoa, Leo the hire bike Dunwich Leo?

Kudos to all riders! Best wishes!

#goleo
#goemily
#goskinny

But if it doesn't shorten the route that doesn't help. Could equally book into a cheap motel and sleep there for the same number of hours as the ferry crossing.

For the ferry to be advantageous must be the case you can either ride less miles or less hills.

Although they are 22 km apart, they will probably end up on the same ferry. Hope so. I'll bet they could do with the company and a sleep.

Skinny is going high. Do we think Josh will follow the volvo? Or does Skinny have the right idea and will Josh follow Skinny?

The same Leo.

Personally I think riding Muddy Hell on a Boris Bike trumps the Dunwich Dynamo.