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

He's enlightened us the fact so that maybe not the leaders but the race organisers should check the route. Which could mean the TCR might be better to go a mandatory route like the American Race.

While this might be less fun it could be more responsible especially if the participant numbers keep growing.

Quote the gentleman!

I see his post was deleted by the admins, so assume it drew some criticism in the comments?

A set route appears to be no guarantee of safety if one looks at TABR and the Australian race

A set route would lose a huge amount of the charm of this race

A set route would lose a huge amount of the charm of this race

This. Lots of this.

Even then it's difficult. Presumably multiple cars drove E81 and probably everyone looked at it on a map, but it took a cyclist on the ground to determine it's suitability, so determining a "safe" set route is a big ask unless you use one that has been established for years.

Exactly, they already ban known dangerous sections but I don't know where they draw the line. I am sure they will go on some roads through Bulgaria I would avoid but as seen in previous years, many riders are happy cycling them

I think that whatever the outcome of this race, we can deduce that skinny is nails.

The safety of a particular road is almost impossibly to determine. I know roads around my immediate area that could be regarded as perfectly safe for most of the day and night, but pass over them at a particular time, say during the school run and they are so unsafe that I will completely avoid them. I don't know Ian, but my feeling is he is very slightly over reacting, but then that is often the case with highly competitive people. His reasons are his own and if he feels justified, then his decision must be respected. Looks like Skinny has found a hotel for the night.

I have a road like that near me. Seen it used quite a few times for charity rides, looks fine on maps and street view but is one I avoid completely.

Heated discussion about the banning of the road and how it was done, on Ian's original post on his facebook page. All seems a bit unfortunate the way it is being discussed and seems the race organisers dealt with it appropriately.

Jesus. That's some tanlines.

Look at it another way . Skinny could have said "well i got through ok " Tuff on the rest this is all about me . Then another fatality and the race is cancelled right near the end like Australia .

^^trash panda

Understood, ta.

Makes bad route choices, not going to win, receives penalty to balance out any advantage of taking banned route, spits out dummy and quits.

vs.

Smashing competition, super precise route selection, concerns over safety of route, reports for the safety of others, accepts a penalty willingly in the name of fair play.

(Scratching chin/looking up emoji)

Could have*

So Bulgaria or Serbia, which do we think is the better route?

Has skinny takin an early kip?

some brave soul has dipped into Ukraine

I don't think you can judge Ian on this. People are generally not themselves when exhausted, heavily stressed etc. I think that the organisers were right, and I doubt they took the decision lightly, but equally you can't really expect exhausted riders to be all that rational about things.

I think so, either eating or kipping, him and Bjorn are at the cross roads for going Bulgaria route or Serbia/Macedonia route, hopefully they will go different ways just to make the final day a bit more exciting

Is that Ian at the start of this official vid? I thought the same - exhaustion and heat get to some people particularly (myself definitely included)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlIuTKfbh00

I understand your point, and can appreciate it. I considered this side before posting that side.