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Sure, good to do something different, and long road TTs is your biggest strength. I guess that your big improvements in short TTs a couple of years ago means 300 could be in range. Also good to fly less - my flight to Burgas was my only one last year. Might even look into getting back by train as getting train back from Austria last year was quite fun.
I don't think it's the best route ever: a bit of a shame to miss the alps for me as I have only ever been there for TCR, and I've not heard great things about Romania (although it's the only new country for me, so good in that respect). Durmitor is stunning but I've already been there (and in good weather too). But I like Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Burgas would be a good place to chill and drink beer for a couple of days, so there will be some good bits. Riding across Germany will be good too. Riding across France is good but further south is better so hugging the north coast is sub-optimal for me and, while I get that the cobbles are an iconic part of pro-cycling, as far as I'm concerned they are just a bad road surface. I've been really lucky with 4 places out of 4 applications (probably one was for helping but, even so).
I'm surprised that applications were down on last year given the publicity it got from Fiona, and I had thought some people didn't apply last year as East to West.
From first glance I think this will be a significantly harder route than last year. Last year, it was possible to route via three very flat sections - I don't think there will be anything like that this year, the flatter bits will be rolling. So I think it will be hillier and it is also longer. And the ban on main roads in Romania will add a bit more time. So I reckon this will be a small party.
frank9755-
I liked the quieter roads in Romania a lot. But I couldn't always guess which ones were quiet and which ones busy. Like the 76/E79 was nice, cows on the road, but then on the descend south on Transfagarasan and some mid size roads after that, the cars seemed to be brakeless and barely staying on the road.
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I might be faster for 25mi but I'm not sure it'll translate to 12hr. I mean, some of the aero tweaks might, if I can use them, but I don't know if I'm mentally motivated enough plus I'm older and 10kg heavier than I was in 2014 and pain for an hour is easier than suffering for 12.
Romanian people were nice but the driving was next level fucked up and the fucking dogs can get fucked. If I had endless time and money I'd ride it again but sadly, I've got to focus on other stuff.
I can see the problem with flying though - people have limited holiday time so they're less inclined to take a ferry or train when they're already using two weeks to ride around country x. I already took 1.5 months of unpaid leave to do my races last year + my holiday time and as much as I'd love to not box my bike and take a ferry I was already pushing the friendship with time off. I like what GBDuro are doing with the no-fly race. I watched the EF video of Lachlan and although off-road isn't really my thing I've kinda added that to my todo list, if I'm still in the UK in a couple of years.
Yeah, the east is always good fun. Just being that little bit different makes it more entertaining than say the flat bits of western Europe. I've done the Alps a few times, racing and not and Germany both touring and racing. I liked Burgas. It helped that we happened to book around the corner from a craft beer bar :)
applications were down
How do you know that? Perhaps with so much choice of events, the similarity of the route for some of the vets, etc. people backed off?
Perhaps, but everyone (except me) is getting faster/better at racing these. There's more knowledge out there so I reckon it'll be pretty similar results. Not that I've given the route more than a cursory glance, mind.
Samuli
hippy
Ah, well, this edition is likely more appealing to you. It was just too samey and after last year's knee drama I thought I'd sit it out. I've already used half my holidays this year for a wedding and stag do and I need the rest for Badlands and Spain research. Also felt a bit guilty about all of last year's flights so targeting that 12hr I've had in the back of my head seemed like a nice local goal.