The ferry does mean less miles cycled. It's faster not to use the ferry, but for the people who aren't aiming to win it's one option that helps get a big block of sleep in mid-ride.
Rivoli to Vukovar =~ 1200km (avoiding motorways)
Rivoli to Ancona =~ 590km
Split to Vukovar =~ 430km
(I picked Rivoli as most people went through it anyway)
So that ferry saves ~180km, but it's an 10h45 crossing, which is why it's faster to cycle.
The ferry does mean less miles cycled. It's faster not to use the ferry, but for the people who aren't aiming to win it's one option that helps get a big block of sleep in mid-ride.
Rivoli to Vukovar =~ 1200km (avoiding motorways)
Rivoli to Ancona =~ 590km
Split to Vukovar =~ 430km
(I picked Rivoli as most people went through it anyway)
So that ferry saves ~180km, but it's an 10h45 crossing, which is why it's faster to cycle.