Transcontinental Race (London - Istanbul) - #TCRNo4

Laurent Carlier (a former pair but now solo) #205 should finish within the next couple of hours, ferries permitting. Chapeau!

Pierluigi Talamona #126, is in Turkey and could possibly finish later today.

Daniel Nicolas Munoz and his pair Guillermo Nicolas Munoz #209. Close to Kavala in Greece and looking good to finish tomorrow.

Min Hseih #92. Fighting valiently.. About to cross from Albania to Greece. Go Min!!!

#228 pair of Mattia Biffi and Alberto Varni. Pushed on from CP4 and about to cross border into Kosovo.

Without emojis it's hard to know when someone is messing around with you 😬

By the way, thanks for discovering me that Mike Hall interview! There is also one with Kristof! I'm buying that documentary for tonight.

I'm going to move this back to the Rides & Races forum.

I think we should make a new thread for #TCRNo5 (when that is needed) given that this one has been co-opted so well for coverage of #TCRNo4.

We need new threads for TCR, TABR, PWR and TD ;)

Yes, Alpkit is quite shitty quality IMO

But it's not over yet!

It ain't over till the fat hippy blogs.

Oh, hang on ... she is blogging.

Laurent Carlier finished 1h40m ago - just before VB axed him and the race.

Min is in Greece. She appears to be tracking but hopefuly is not actually on a motorway.

It's ok. She's in a town now.

Yeah I watched the KA one. Not the MH one yet. I watched Zoolander 2 instead. I think I'm dumber for it.

Are they? They seem to use the same material but do they have shitter zips? Or shit stitching or what?

Pierluigi Talamona is about to get on the ferry.

The Munoz brothers are close to Sapes and should finish tomorrow.

Madeline shurely?

This!

Well I've used their top tube bag and standard frame bag and I find them very good. The only reserve I'd emit is that the frame bag is optimized for MTB frames but that's not a surprise - and not a concern if you ask for a custom one (but well I ordered what was on sale). I'll certainly consider them when looking for stem/handlebar feed bag and a custom frame bag.

(And the zip handles glow in the dark)

stop with her btwin bike, an other "lazy assumption" hahaha so aggressive guys... i am not responsible if you have a preconceived idea about what is a btwin bike. The most interesting thing is that she seems riding a bike without modification, without dynamo without cleats etc... she doesn't rack her brain about gear she rides simply a btwin bike. can you understand this poetry, barbarian guys of the thougth haha i would say she wins in the production bike category : )

Morning report.

Now we are down to five riders in three groups.

The Munoz brothers #209, are now in Turkey and moving. They have been riding for the past 5 hours having only stopped for four hours to sleep. There is a very good chance that they will complete the ride today.

Min Hseih #92, the last solo rider on the road, is also moving strongly. She slept in Kaloneri in Greece last night and was there for around 12 hours. She has been on the road for 3 hours already today. One more climb before the plain leading to Thessoloniki. She doesn't appear to have posted anything on Twitter or Instagram for a day or so. Her last message was from Albania where she was almost killed by an Albanian driver and suffered a puncture. Looking at her Instagram pictures, it does look as though she is riding with cleats (although in some early pictures from Taiwan she was wearing trainers on flat pedals) but certainly not with disc brakes. Unmodified may also include not removing the spoke reflectors from her wheels. She is certainly nails and deserves huge respect. I am worried about the next part of her journey. According to her Twitter profile, she is riding 14000 km home. That is not just a massive distance but I would imagine, the roads and facilities (and the wars) she may encounter as she rides east will be even tougher.

And finally we have #228 Mattia Biffi and Alberto Varni. They have been riding for 4 hours today having stopped for 10 hours over night. They are just north of Skopje in Macedonia. At their [resent rate, they could be challenging @Uber-Hero 's record. But they are two and he was one, as is Min.

Have you written an account of your race last year?

she is riding 14000 km home.

Wow.

Some other dude from a pair is riding back to the UK.

I clearly need more time off work...

Wonder which route back he is taking. There is a shorter and easier route going toward Vienna and missing the Alps. I would be inclined to take that.

Riding home is mental!
I found it even shorter and easier via Istanbul airport

It was shorter and easier but that route back almost killed me!

When you compare Alpkit kit back to back with Apidura, as I did with saddle bags, the quality isn't there IMO. My Alpkit saddle bag wore badly on 2 x 600's and PBP. The Apidura is as new after TABR.