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

Agreed. Aggressive ride

There's not even a road on google maps where he is now. Zooming in to satellite view it looks like farming dirt tracks.

@Samuli bike. Very cool, such respect.

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Mathias lost an entire day with his broken rim. He went back on the road and got further issues resulting on him walking a lot yesterday (now his cleats don't work). Still going though, and he will finish the race.
Knowing him I know he will be disappointed with the result, but if anything I'm getting more and more impressed by his resolve and determination.

On the topic of riding around the world I thought I share a link. Its not a race, just another crazy guy on a bike touring around the world. This is nothing new but William documents his trip quite well and its been a blast to read and follow along. He's had some drama like in Mongolia and occasionally meets other crazies on a bike which leads to some pretty good tangents following other riders. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1mr&doc_id=15431&v=OG

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resulting on him walking a lot yesterday

Yes, that's some resolve. These lot set high standards for themselves, he's done absolutely amazing. His dot has been in the mix for a while now and I've enjoyed his Instagram posts too.

I'd be here all day replying individually

You are not hippy and I claim my £5.

Congratulations, Samuli!

Congrats and massive respect @Samuli

Well done @Samuli impressive stuff.

I'm dot watching the handful of riders approaching CP3, this is the clue I need if I ever do TCR..

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Was just looking at that grupetto and thinking that, although it looks cosy, they are around 50 apart from each other. Made me wonder how much each rider feels either alone and isolated or part of a group. I mean, although you don't see them you must be aware they are, relatively speaking, nearby.

I've ridden plenty of Audaxes where you don't see a soul between controls (~50km apart) but find that, upon arrival at a control, someone has just got there and then others arrive at 2 or 3 minute intervals. Even that amount of time is enough for them to be just around the corner up ahead, or just out of sight.

(I generally avoid forming groups as I prefer to ride alone. If I am riding with someone else then I usually ride next to them. Only single out (other than for traffic) if one of us is more fucked than the other and could do with a tow for a while.)

Hippy maybe 2 days away? Sounds he's having tyre issues still and nursing the bike in, however he is also moving up the leaderboard somehow. Go hippy.

I know that this is intended to be a solo ride, but maybe it would be great if these grupetto riders pair up at CP3, more for moral sake and companionship. One for the organisers I guess.

No.

As you say, it's solo!

Jeez, I'm just reading the Mongolia reports, madness.

CP3 closed on Sunday 6th at 4pm (local time).
CP4 (Romania) closed a few of hours ago (midday Wednesday 9th local time).

Finishers party is Saturday 12th from 6pm to midnight.

The final control closes at 11pm on Tuesday 15th.

(Riders who finish but were out of time at a control still go down on the list of finishers, but they don't get a place in the 'category finisher' list.)

Thanks @Greenbank this makes sense.
Thanks @skinny rules are rules :)

I know that this is intended to be a solo ride, but maybe it would be great if these grupetto riders pair up at CP3, more for moral sake and companionship. One for the organisers I guess.

The biggest priority for those who are still riding seriously is to finish by midnight on Saturday. If you do that, you've beaten the cut-off and completed within the time limit.

But many of them will still be racing as hard as they can for places, to beat friends and rivals and to post the fastest time they can do. Mike used to say that the race for 34th place is as hard-fought as that for first. And, having been round that part of the field when I did it, I can confirm that is correct.

Mike said that, having got sponsors looking after all the controls this year, he had been looking forward to hanging back a bit and watching the battles for, eg 34th place. If there's the slightest chance he could see them from where he is now, let's not deny either his spirit, or the guys racing, the pleasure of watching it unfold!

There are eight riders still a way off CP3 - well nine actually but #250 a and b Ismali Arkan and Yusuf Akkus will be there in around an hour.

These are:
#224 Tina Nestoroska
#165 Josie Jones
#Goran Arsovski
#53 Wiesia Kuczaj
#188 Daragh Browne
#227 Christian Ficher
#174 Hector Outeiral Nunez
#130 David Coulon

All appear to be making good and regular progress.

David Coulon, once again the back marker, a role he fulfills so well, covered 186km yesterday in just over 10 hours. He left before 07:00. Today he set off a little later at around 10:00. I hope this was simply because he wanted to sleep a little longer.

Wiesia in comparison rode for almost 13 hours yesterday and covered 197 km. She has already ridden 100 km today. Really good progress. Her longer time on the bike shows why she and those around her are opening a gap over David. At the same time, she appears to be resting sufficiently and so progressing in a sustainable manner.

The others in that group are riding at similar paces. They all appear to have settled into some form of rhythm. It would be really nice fif all of these riders made it. As they pass the scratch points of other riders, they move gradulally up the leader board. Now all bar David are on page 4 of 6. They will probably all end up on page three.

MASH boys totally disrespecting the race, taking part with no intention of finishing 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼

Well said.

Elaborate?

Ah I see.
Neil Phillips called them out good and proper.

Scratched and flew off to messenger wc's. Were "gutted" to have not had time to finish. They would have known the before they started that they wouldn't have time to finish, unless they thought they were going to win.