Transcontinental Race No. 5 - TCR5 - #TCRN05 - 2017

^^ snap

skinny's on the climb now and Samuli and hippy are nearly at CP3.

modan and co. are in Innsbruck.

Emily is very far back--I wonder if she has a problem of some kind, the difference to last year is very considerable. No changes in the women's race, Melissa Pritchard still leading by a comfortable distance from Karen Tostee. I've also only just spotted the excellently-named Jenny Tough (but she's far back).

Gary McGowan (who for some reason has two entries) is just coming up to the Hungarian border.

Michael Wacker would seem to definitely have gone out too hard on the first day. He's way back in the pack.

Stéphane's going very well, sitting in 10th.

I've only just zoomed in onto the route up to CP4. That's quite...wiggly.

The route at the top looks interesting over that escarpment. Hadn't realised the two sides weren't linked with road. Some cleats in for a hard time.

Really, I didn't realise that either. Makes it interesting.
@hippy will like that, a bit of walking in his speedplays (auto correct gave me Speedos then!)

Was just having a look on Streetview myself...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.6052218,24.6139892,3a,75y,4.39h,72.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqC-j_SZUO_QXWKxHLOFiNQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

No probs. You guys support and piss taking is good when I'm struggling. Which is often.

Bjorn has also just reported in that the road was horrific and should be avoided

Hope the transfagarason is quiet. Can imagine at the weekend it is full of motorbike heroes trying to kill themselves.

Save some!

I should do a weight loss video now, yeah and cash in ;)

Apparently Fridays and weekends is packed with local cars doing siteseeing

Will skinny abandon his regular sleep pattern from now until the finish? Or does he have enough of a gap that he can afford to get 4 hours sleep tonight without Bjorn catching him, even if bjorn tries to ride straight through to the finish?

Or have I underestimated the time it will take to get to the finish

Logs out of Twitter

She's posted on twitter that she's OK and still riding but no longer racing - heat + exhaustion. Sounds like the right decision.

I was asking myself the same question. It's around 700-800km to the finish - surely it wouldn't be possible to ride through?

I was chicked by a long way in TABR

I've said it before and I'll say it again, You're my cycling hero Hip Hop. Keep it up!

Don't lose track of what's important. Beer is much cheaper in Europe than London. Do the right thing.

Looks as though David Coulon lost time yesterday having to double back. He took a route that appears the obvious on but then had to go back and around. Not sure what happened there but the road must have been impassable for some reason.

He is still making steady progress. Chris Davies, behind him, is moving steadily but is a long way off.

@skinny getting close to CP4. Jonas (60) in 3rd did an amazing stint and is getting quite close now. Battle for 4th is gonna be a thriller. Looks like Mathias (23) diverted in response to the E81 warning and is going to follow Ian To's (16) scenic routing, but Geoffrey (93) hasn't - mebbe he has another plan... He'd better because Friday afternoon ain't gonna be pretty on that road.

Re Ian To's (16) routes, seems like he's avoiding nasty roads. I guess we'll hear at the end - has he been tweeting or fb'ing at all to explain his routing?

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That road up to CP4 looks mad. Anyone doing a livestream up there yet?

I should do a weight loss video now, yeah and cash in ;)

Dibs as your "before" shot.

Wouldn't be surprised if the ride up until now was a warm up for the slog home with micro naps.

David Coulon's backdouble

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Is hippy riding home?