Transcontinental Race (London - Istanbul) - #TCRNo4

Her Twitter is @wrightalex and I am sure she could do with encouragement.

Alex comes across as a really gutsy young woman. I hope she makes it. I am sure she can.

She has achilles issues and has to finish by 21 August to get back to work.

She is on the forum!!!

@Excey

Can the rider list on page one be added to.

Probably easier to list people who aren't on the forum ;) What an excellent turn out

So it's essentially a forum ride? Who's on a lo-pro?

Is there a time limit on completion? Some of the stragglers look like they could take the rest of the year...
While I still admire their effort one does wonder if they would have been better off tackling a Trans European bike ride away from the pressure setting of a race.

Watching this years event has made me want to ride "unsupported" in many of places they've been through. I'm not yet at the point of wanting to do it in one go and I'm certainly not tempted by doing it in a race.

So it's essentially a forum ride? Who's on a lo-pro?

At times like these I miss rep.

Last year David Coulon took 31 days.

The after party takes place after 15 days and by the time the later riders arrive at CPs, there is no support there. Just a stamp in the hotel or whatever.

I disagree. Some are slow because of issues that have developed. Others because that is what they have planned. The beauty of the "stragglers" is that they show first how good the fast riders are and second how ordinary people can do a ride like this. They are truly inspiring. And if they want to ride the course, get the stamps, have their dot followed and wear the cap, who is to tell them not to. It is an unsupported ride and they are not looking for support.

The "stragglers" are the riders that I enjoy watching the most. Their achievement, in many ways is the greater.

I'm having some tracker issues. Replaced batteries but not Coke back on. Guys on Facebook are helping me out.

About 6 miles from Croatia though

Joe, good luck with your tracker. You are not the only one with problems. You have done magnificently so far. Keep going!

+1

Don't stress about the tracker Joe. You're smashing this, keep going!

Find it hard to disagree with you. Anyone that makes it to the end has my utmost respect.

Perhaps it's just me though. If I were attempting something like this (and wasn't going to be a contender), I'd like to do it in the privacy of my own mind without people following my dot and passing judgment on my (undoubtedly wonky) navigational skills.

That's just me though. And as I am well aware, there are lots of people not like me around. I will still follow the stragglers with a mixture of curiosity and awe.

that's exactly what I though. made me LOL

I'm totally with @WornCleat on this. The stragglers are awesome!

I can imagine that this being an organised event gives some people the motivation to get out there and actually do this. Without it, I can imagine it might be far more difficult to bring yourself to start, never mind drag yourself to the finish. It being a race would also encourage you to push yourself as hard as possible.
If I did it, I'd most definitely be one of the stragglers, but it would be a personal challenge and also just an awesome thing to be part of. Watching it has me flirting with the idea of giving it a bash one day.

Looks like rider 150 Mathias Dalgas has scratched, meaning skinny's up to 6th by default. Pending the result of his northern route he could by top 5 by CP4!

Mathias Daglas just scratched, damn shame as he was 6th so @Skinny is now 6th.

I hope @Skinny 's neck holds up, literally

I'm more worried about @hippy 's gooch.

#goochwatch

I can understand that some people would prefer to do rides like this in a free and unofficial way. I hope that the "stragglers"* inspire you and many others to do so!

*stragglers is clearly the wrong word. We need a proper non pc sounding word to cover what they achieve.

Andy, I do hope that you get to meet the object of your devotion after the race.

Perhaps Darren and his body parts could hold a panel discussion at LMNH with hippy's gooch as a special guest.

I'm too tall. Or so @hippy said.