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

Think that if he goes directly south to the Danube, he has to wait until 6 for a ferry at Bechet so may as well sleep early. To go the longer way by the bridge upstream would get him to the same point but with less sleep (and now he's stopped too long to make it worthwhile I think). Bjorn can make the first ferry too but will get very little sleep if he does.

New skinny soundcloud just landed

skinny's latest recording from the road is up - http://jamesmarkhayden.uk/transcontinental-race-2017/recordings-from-the-road/

He was often up in the front group despite his route not panning out as the best, impressive really.

Wow his description of E81 sounds horrific.

I never said anything about him not being a strong rider, as we have discussed though it's about more than just that.

Hippy at CP3

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double bagging it

not only dipped in but having a kip there

Sure, his unusual route planning contributed to him being unable to win. However when you look at the brutal nature of this thing, you can say to still even be riding a week in is to be admired. To be top ten shows you are putting both mental and physical together pretty damn good, just not as well as the handful ahead, out of 300 that started a week ago. Anyway I'm knackered just dot-watching :)

Nothing like a sink shower and a pair of fresh bibs.

#chamoisdoping

Absolutely, he's done fantastically which is contributing to my disappointment in him dropping out over something like this. Maybe he decided he couldn't win so why bother trying, as Skinny says in the latest recording though, anything can happen.

Bjorn has made the turn I was waiting to see, he's within 20km of skinny now but skinny has been stationary 2hr 25mins, so no doubt in the morning will be back to his 3hr gap

If this is true then route planning for the danube crossing could bring (a sleep deprived) bjorn right back into the race.

Much excite for the morning.

Understood @TM

^^^^^Hippy looking cool in that pic up there. Glad he's still trucking on.

Jonas just about to make it to CP4. Chapeau for making it up that endless uphill before conking out. What a relief it'll be for him to get there.

No live feeds from there cos of zero internet zone.

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Mental achievement from @hippy having finished so strong in TABR.

I'm dropping into this after half a day out, but I can fully understand a rider being upset by a mid race change, with confusing information on time penalties etc. If the wording was questioned by the dot watchers imagine what it is like for the riders.

Ideally, there should have been a pre arranged mode of informing riders of mid race changes. For example, a daily briefing at a set time that lays out any new rules from that point on. A simple sms for example. I'm sure there are exhausted riders with dead batteries that are still unaware of the ruling and that is what is leading to the frustration.

It's easy for me to say this now, but if you plan a cross continent ride then a single point of race communication for all riders should surely be in place.

Either way, I'm going to withhold any judgement of the rider who had chosen to stop racing until well after the race is over.

This is crazy of Jonas.

He got to CP1 second or third. He was told of the horrible news and for 3 hours he spoke on the phone. He didn't speak English too well so my French friend who'd I'd cycled over with translated everything. Eventually he went to sleep in the hotel after several other riders had arrived in. My friend and I departed for a decent sleep. We came back at about 8am after a leisurely wake up and Jonas was still there, chatting with Melissa Pritchard.

1 week on and I'm super impressed that he is where he is.

What's your involvement here Joseph? Just a casual observer or are you involved in the organisation somehow?

2 time veteran somehow...

I really wanted to do it this year but money/time meant I couldn't. I went out to the first checkpoint to catch some of the action, help out and cycle somewhere new.

Hopefully, I'll get a place for next year

I feel bad for Ian To, but I can't help but think he was expecting to win or at least be in with more of a shout, and has now found a way to concede without feeling like he's lost the race.

I believe I should have been made aware of the reasons for the route avoidance, last night, I thought, because no reasob was given by the organisation, maybe it was animals or fire causing the issues, so thought riding it in daylight would be safer.

This is daft (and maybe makes more sense if you're exhausted/sleep deprived). If you read the words "very dangerous road", I think it's safe to assume you should give it a miss, not assume that it's somewhere a bear's been spotted.

If you know a road is dangerous and you're being advised to avoid it, why not re-route then, as he claimed he 'would have' if he'd known?

He says he'd have extra strains the other riders haven't faced...from listening to James describe being passed by six trucks, bumper-to-bumper, brushing his elbow at 80mph, I'd say he'd have been better off with his extra strains than with that experience.

Hopefully he'll wake up, suck it up, and try to get back to racing again.

Bloody hell. Looks like Skinny's going to pull an all-nighter. I'd thought he was heading for bed, but probably was just fuelling up. Doesn't feel right for me to go to bed while he's out there thrashing cranks... yawn...

Skinny into Bulgaria

I hope that bridge allows bicycles.
Over the Danube.