Trans Am Bike Race / TransAm / TABR

Congrats Peter Andersen

He might have had a welcoming committee - but the finish is totally underwhelming TBH.

Yeah, the end of Transcontinental has a proper manned check point with people to congratulate you, hand you a beer etc. Shame they can't get a few people together in Yorktown , perhaps a ribbon to ride through.

Seems fitting in a way, that there is nothing.

A few years ago a friend of mine and I crossed the line first in an ultra run*. We were running along the Ridgeway in mist and rain with only about 50m visibility when we suddenly came across a solitary man with a clipboard sheltering on the side of the trail. He congratulated us for finishing, shook our hands and told us that since we had finished ahead of the projected race schedule we had arrived before the minibus that was supposed to take us back to race HQ. We could wait around in the rain for an hour, or we could run the remaining 8km to the village hall where all our dry kit would be waiting. Obviously we chose to run down.

Some of the best finishes are the most understated.

/* In the end we didn't even win the race... the field was split into two waves with slower runners in the first wave and faster runners starting an hour later. I think we were joint 5th in the end.

Yes, nobody does one of these rides for the reception at the finish.
Mike used to speak about that and say that a low-key ending was an integral part of the experience and I think I agree with that

I see what you mean. Just odd that while we're all here "watching" and offering our congratulations, no one is actually watching or offering real in person congratulations.

First placed Marcel was there to meet Peter and they will stick around for a few others I guess. A few family and friends were about and Nathan the organiser too on the stream. They both got a nice cool drink. One of the first things Marcel did when he got out of his velomobile was mention injured rider John Egbers.

16d 6h 40m, Marcel Graber, 2018
16d 20h 41m, Peter Andersen, 2018
17d 9h 8m, Evan Deutsch, 2017
17d 16h, Mike Hall, 2014
18d 0h 10m, Lael Wilcox, 2016
18d 23h, Jesse Carlsson, 2015

hope I got that right :/

Good list, thanks for posting!

Bit weird to say Peter won it?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkNSokIhbjF/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=oux9gp3gywe2

No it's not weird. Marcel didn't win the trans am BIKE race, he won the trans am velomobile race.

Good on nathan for realising his mistake and hopefully putting velomobiles in their own category.

Possibly he relegated himself. He's clearly a good guy and realised it wasn't right, to be in the bicycle category.

Erm. Well he’s either on a velo mobile or a normal bike. So it’s quite easy.

Ah, I've only just realised that Marcel rode a three-wheeler. There are also two-wheeled velomobiles (although fewer).

It's an interesting question, still, whether Nathan ought to honour the rules that were in place at the start of the race--obviously, Marcel may not want that, and, as you say, agree that he should be in a different category. I'm assuming that the rules, which I haven't read, actually did say that it's completely open in that respect. Perhaps Nathan just didn't realise how much faster velomobiles can be, with the right rider. You could have riders that are much faster than Marcel, too. I reckon that skinny bloke would go like the clappers in one. :)

Bit weird to say Peter won it?

What's weird is to say he was first in Yorktown--that he certainly wasn't. I think people are mainly objecting to that phrase (but I haven't read very far down those comments).

There was this FB post of Marcel's in which he suggested different categories.

I like those things. But seeing how awkward they are to get in and out of I am not that tempted to ride long distances in them.
But if it's that much effort to stop and chill, maybe you just stop less?

This video's pretty funny for the one moment when he tries to talk to Marcel (whom he calls 'Magnus') and Marcel says 'now it gets faster' and off he goes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFx5k4FadxA

Fast forward to 1:10.

I expect you probably stop less, but as with any seated position you undoubtedly have to from time to time just to avoid getting stiff.

Recumbents in general are great fun.

I'm assuming that the rules, which I haven't read, actually did say that it's completely open in that respect.

They couldn't have been more explicit about it as they specifically mention HPV's:

https://transambikerace.com/rules/

"
...
Any bike is allowed, even those that aren’t allowed in traditional grand tours (HPV etc..)
...
"

Also consider Rule 1:

"
Rule #1: No complaining about the rules.
"

I'm not sure where I stand on after-the-fact attempts at recategorising things (even if Marcel suggests this). Marcel won, Peter was first "bike" in. I think people were surprised that an HPV was in front at Breckenridge - I think most expected them to be catching up once they hit the plains, not being in front at that point.

This race is abit hmm sometimes.

I'm not sure where I stand on after-the-fact attempts at recategorising things (even if Marcel suggests this). Marcel won, Peter was first "bike" in. I think people were surprised that an HPV was in front at Breckenridge - I think most expected them to be catching up once they hit the plains, not being in front at that point.

Considering the money that the riders have spent, sponsorship, hours and hours of training and effort put in, etc., it'd be pretty outrageous I think. There's no point having rules if you're going to retroactively change them.

Another rider hit in Kansas :( No details yet.
Edit: tracker is at a police station, Cheng is in Wichita hospital.

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So fucking glad I bypassed KS. Those odds are sketchy AF!

As someone who lived in KS for a year (who drove nicely - almost all of the time) I was amazed at the poor driving there, way worse than the other places in the US I lived/visited (CA, NY, LA, MN, TX, DC) and I didn't live in the sticks (66213 wasn't the sticks).

The lack of detail on TC’s condition has me worried it’s another serious one. I so hope I’m wrong.

Perhaps some local dot watchers will chaperone the tail-enders through the sketchier sections?

I'll be mad if it's that same segment of highway with an unmarked shoulder.. Hoping not an awful one this time.