Transcontinental Race No. 7 - TCR7 - #TCRN07 - 2019

Job's been going for about 30 hours without a significant sleep. He's done amazingly to close the gap to Ben but I'd be surprised if he goes all the way to the finish without a big rest. Ben's rested and in the home stretch now.

I've just read some of the race reports on the TCR website. Fiona gave a piano rendition of 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' in the hotel at CP4 before heading onwards. As you do.

Lots more dotwatching to go!

@hippy on the last climb of the CP4 parcour before smashing it through France!

go @hippy !

After waiting more than 4 days in Klagenfurt on a new derailleur hanger cap 195 Niel is back on the road. Hard lesson to always bring a spare.

Coverage on BBC sport website

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/49248126

you race that far without a spare?! madness.

Arrival video. In true ultra-racing fashion: very low key.
https://twitter.com/festinaboy/status/1158626424456187904

Hippy 3/4 of the way through the CP4 parcours.

It's just one of those things that you always take. Easy to break and impossible to replace without a lengthy wait. I expect he'll take a couple next time!

It's even made the Radio 4 12 o'clock news.

incredible. the fallout for this will be pretty big I reckon. great great ride.

BBC report linked from the front page, and appears in the top 10 'most read' list.

It's actual news.

Nice writeup in L'Equipe too.
https://www.lequipe.fr/Tous-sports/Actualites/Fiona-kolbinger-remporte-la-transcontinental-race-2019-premiere-femme-a-realiser-cet-exploit/1046591

Ben looks to be about a quarter way through the finish parcours and should be finished in the next 2 hours

Here in Russia the most typical reactions are like this:

1. She's certainly taken some pills or another treatment
   
2. It has some commercial background behind it, everything was organized by big companies
   
3. Girls from our cycling club can play piano better
   

Well they're all pretty depressing

@GoatandTricycle has almost made it to CP3 having completed the required parcours. Go Ross!

I have a spare when I go out to Windsor

g'wan Ross!

Well, it's excellent that Fiona won. I look forward to lots more strong women discovering their talent for ultra-racing and giving the men some distant rear lights to watch as they disappear up ahead.

hippy may be having a kip by a lake on the CP4 parcours.

I think he may have stopped here:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@45.0424126,6.1693857,3a,26.5y,63.34h,88.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sRXY-klFvpKy2-9y5QzLyyw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I just hope the crêperie opened early enough the next morning to make it worth his while. :)

Here in Russia the most typical reactions are like this:

1. She's certainly taken some pills or another treatment
   

Well, inevitably someone mentions doping on that Antoine Vayer thread, as well. I don't blame them, but for the time being I'm inclined to believe that this sport is still clean. And let's not forget that many men will find it hard to accept that all the men were beaten by a woman.

These are hilarious. I wonder if they have kept an eye on previous races, there has been excellent female performances for quite a while now.

Yes, hope she gets plenty of sponsorship thrown her way to encourage repeat performances and others to be inspired. Skinny is a great champion and looks like now there could be another if she fancies it.