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

Quite. That’s sort of my point doing that in that order will lead to compliance and if it doesn’t it’s important to remember it’s only a bike race.

TBH I only remember a few bits of Serbia, the pain was pretty intense at that point for me.

Looks a bit like mine:
The illegal road is just above to the right, behind the crash barrier.

Yeah the 215 or 218 or something.

Its the 158 by Predejane.

This is the view from the other side of the crash barrier. Can just see the gravel track at the top.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.8389027,22.1365,3a,75y,188.31h,89.47t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sz4eW-la9w93mAG19XZy7BA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The problem with A1 is that normally A1 means it's the main national motorway transversing the country and in this case the A1 isn't in full motorway profile, so the route name incidentally also applies to the regular main roads which you are allowed to cycle on. But it doesn't make the whole A1 banned then. To make things worse, there are some sections that are now in full motorway profile but the maps hadn't been updated to reflect this.

As for Fiona, there was someone on the main FB page suggesting she had been taking a banned road in France right at the time it was happening but since this sort of info isn't allowed to be posted on the group - the post was removed and the person banned.

Doesn't matter what the maps say, there are definitely "cars only" signs on the old A1 so some sections of it are definitely banned and riders were definitely on those sections while I was filling my shoes with gravel on the shit road below.

since this sort of info isn't allowed to be posted on the group

Why not on the FB group? That sort of thing is literally requested in the race manual.

"flexible. If you do learn of any no cycling, or concerning stretches of road, then we encourage you to think of your fellow racers and share that information with us via the race email address or helpline. It will help keep it a fair fight and may keep your fellow riders out of risky areas."

Ha clearly you don’t look at the group. It gets a bit mob mentality pretty quick.
It’s also interfering with the race.

No, fuck Facebook.

But also, the race manual requests the sharing of banned road knowledge. So, I dunno, I hope they don't just turn a blind eye to the rules.. because girl. Another Lael-gate.

Difference between a rider sharing a banned road and someone accusing someone of taking a banned road. It’s also still a fairly patriarchal group, I think a female rider would be put under greater scrutiny.

I don’t get why they wouldn’t check the first few riders, they could do it almost before they finish.

Publication of results has taken quite sometime.

Difference between a rider sharing a banned road and someone accusing someone of taking a banned road.

True

I don’t get why they wouldn’t check the first few riders, they could do it almost before they finish. Publication of results has taken quite sometime.

It always does because info doesn't always come to hand immediately and I'm sure they've got enough to do during the race without also inspecting rider routes for banned roads.

Of course I get that but it puts the organisation in a pretty difficult position increasing possible conflict of interest by publishing the results so much later.

Yes, it would be nice to lock it down sooner. At least it means that the results are accurate.

I was an official dotwatcher in 2017. What happens is that, during the first part of the race, all Rory / Anna can do is respond to things that the dotwatchers flag up. When they get to the finish, they have a bit more time to look into things a bit more deeply, and do a bit of their own research on who went where. They ask some dotwatchers to do little projects to check out certain reported infringements. Ideally you get the strava track which then shows you more clearly where people went.

After the finish, they absolutely do check all the riders with official places for any infringements, with particular focus on the leaders. Ask @skinny - he wouldn't take any chances with his route anyway but he would know that, as a race favourite, every turn of his would be scrutinised with a fine tooth comb.

That is why the final results don't come out for a couple of months - it is the same every year.

It is a bit harder this year with no Freeroute. That probably means that dotwatchers weren't able to spot as many infringements, so there may be more work left for Rory / his helpers to do.

I am confident that they will look at Fiona's route and she will get a penalty, probably a couple of hours for the thing in France, and who knows for whatever she did in Switzerland. Mike was so clear in his views on this that I don't think they would dare do otherwise - and TBH I think they would have the same view anyway so it won't happen.

If I'm wrong, then I have clearly misjudged, but it would mean the TCR had changed from being a race with integrity to being a sportive, and I don't think that it will happen!

This whole talk at LMNH is about re affirming what integrity is, you must have seen and read the invite. So yeah it's as was.

I self reported myself when I've messed up, or there has been possible infringement. You're riding 4,000km across a continent, it's not possible to be perfect.

Thankfully TCR take a sensible holistic view. When other races might DQ you for making a mistake, they give you a penalty. I think this is fair and wise, given the complexity.

it's not possible to be perfect.

<--

:-*

You're Australian.

Descended from criminals. Defacto cheat.

My Grandfather was born in London. Sorry, no convicts in my fam.

But since all the convicts were British that makes you descended from convicts whereas I just bought a British passport :P

(Yes, I know that doesn't work logically but that would ruin my fun)

I'm a known cheat*. Time penalty in every edition!

*banter

Haha true.

The Hayden Diversion

I normally get into a massive strop then reroute while sulking about it then get lost because of the reroute then have a breakdown then eventually calm down enough to get unlost then hate on everything for wasting my time. Repeat daily until finish.

A classic!

My race report:
https://samulimaekinen.wordpress.com/2019/12/02/transcontinental-race-no-7/

Well done! Timmelsjoch in particular looks spectacular