Race around The Netherlands

Stéphane Billard never seems to have left Amerongen. His dot hasn't moved at all. Maybe he's busy playing billards.

And wow, hippy.

Just checked the weather forecast as I've ridden the section Hippy is doing today, down the coast. I did it into a headwind and it was pretty brutal up on the high bridges. Today looks like a crosswind, turning into a tailwind, so they should have a fast run, when they are not dodging and turning through the dunes.

It's really beautiful on the bridges - the main thing that I remember is there being such a massive sky!

Headwind would probably favour Hippy in the race as it would make it relatively harder for others than for him - but I expect he will be happy not to have one as he tries to build a nice buffer before the hills inland.

He's about to hit the blue section. I hope he's got clarification from the org regarding whether he can use that during the daytime as it's probably going to be faster.

Why wouldn't he stay on the red route?

He is doing the red route.

Why wouldn't he stay on the red route?

Blue probably faster. But not sure if allowed to use during daytime.
Hippy's just tweeted: 'So many u-turns'

@hippy crushing it!

I went out very briefly last night, like 20km out and back to the timing point, but overwhelmingly thought "oh, it is a bit blowy, I am glad I am not out all day".

Also the winds presumably are pretty good for the dutch riders, they do kind of get used to it.

Hippy is killing it. Jasmijn going really well also.

The guy "in front" of him, #91 is showing as at the start/finish - I wonder whether the ranking system is picking him up as on route, at the finish and is mistakenly putting him in first place.

Marcel Graber seems to be on a train, so definitely no more need to worry about a recumbent winning it.

Also the winds presumably are pretty good for the dutch riders, they do kind of get used to it.

Winds favour the heavier rider!

Well number 86, Sebastiaan Ploos van Amstel has taken the blue route, so guess we will find out.

I assume this is the only tracking available? Annoying not having the same level of data as other races, no idea what sleep strategies people are following...

Scratch that, actually looks like he is on the train.

Yeah, 86 seems to be travelling in a train, if you click his individual track visible on the map. You can see the track of a rider by clicking that button next to the name, there's time stamps every few minutes too to see more details. Not that handy to compare tracks but it's something.

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Ah yes, hadn't spotted that bit, makes it easier to spot the people going off track at least.

Also seems this might not be accurate after all

Yeah, 86 seems to be travelling in a train

Yes, he's also marked DNF.

I don't know #79 @SirWobbly Balthazar but he's doing it on a three-speed Pashley and I admire his cojones, which are probably tweedy.

His twitter feed is quite good too!

He was riding it, or something similar when I battled my way round PBP 4 years ago. I think he did the Flatlands 600 on it. I was in awe frankly.

Jasmijn Muller just scratched...

She rode fabulously. I think today would have been super difficult, they have been out there a long time, and it was cold.

I am going out tomorrow with partner, we are going to go dot spotting, up the eastern side of the Ij, maybe see wobbly

hippy riding so, so strongly...still putting time in.

Weather was exceptionally cold today for this time of the year.

Yeah, I didn't much like WTC to the centre much :-)

Wobbly, on his Pashley on twitter saying he is currently not in a state to carry on, but will re-evaluate tomorrow

hippy at a hotel