Ultracycling

To Hippy and anyone else who has done the Transprennes from Transiberica. How was it?!
You clearly like the organisers as you did Transiberica as well?
I might do the double; need to see - think this year I could enter loads and do none
Already binned Catalunya which was this Friday...
So need some inspiration!
The TPR does not play massively to my strengths as I ain’t 60kg; but route looks mega...

I enjoyed them both. I enjoyed Spain so much I started learning Spanish and had trips booked to explore various locations with the missus with a view to move there (Brexit and Covid is fucking that idea up though).

I was 90-ish when I did TPR. You just move slower and use lower gears than the 60kg riders. I wasn't really racing that though - I had TCR shortly afterwards. It made it one of the most fun races I've ever done.

We left UK 3 yrs ago; last yr in Seville and this year in Mallorca. I adore Spain
I want to do Transiberica as a love letter to my new home (sounds weird when written down like that...)
And the Pyrenees are just epic; much prefer them to the Alps...
Being a pest I watched the TPR video and noticed you have aerobars on TPR. You cant have used them that much given that parcours?

I'm always in the aerobars. No, wait, I'm always in bars. That's different.
I had 34x40 gearing on that bike I think so I could climb and descend in the aerobars.
Even if I wasn't using them that much I'm too lazy to take them off between races.
Don't think of them as an aero benefit, think of them as a hand relief device (no, I don't mean wanking, I mean your hands get sore so aerobars can be a place to reduce load on palms).

Thx. And you liked Transiberica I assume?
that looks mega -and I like a good long distance plod

Rural Spain is so desolate and beautiful

Yep, I almost don't want to spoil the fond memories of TPR by doing it again but I did think about doing Transiberica again because it's a different course, but it clashed with my TTs (that I've just half-assed now anyway). Badlands which was supposed to be in May then moved to September so then I started thinking "ooh I could just take a month off and race Badlands and Transiberica". But meanwhile we started looking at Scotland touring, I'm not liking the new outbreaks in Spain or the new rules about isolation when you get back, I don't really want to travel to get there, I'd have to try and bring the missus over still and if she's not racing that's a lot of time for her to spend alone. Yada yada I'm basically putting everything into the too hard basket this year.

Borders of Belgium just got cancelled.

due to the new measurements taken by the National Security Council about COVID-19
it is no longer possible to organise (and ride) a long distance bicycle ride like the Borders of Belgium. We tried to hold on as long as possible, but with the infection numbers rising since 2 weeks it is the only sensible thing to do. Therefore we push the BOB2020 to 2021 and keep the same period: start on thursday 2 september 2021. The participants on the list keep their place on the list for 2021.

So I'm back without a training goal. :(

Not exactly, it just means your training target is now 12 months away. :)

I fear the Three Peaks may be the last of the summer races to get done...
The borders are closing and the tit for tat will start....

I dunno. Most others are one country only, which is fine. And most countries want to be open and assn to be open for tourism.

Agreed; but quarantine etc will make things hard to plan
ESP when a lot of quarantine decisions will not be rationale, but based on Political perception of need to appear tough

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office currently advises British nationals against all but essential international travel to Spain.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53553873

So, I still dunno about Badlands. I still need to give you a call about that.

I heard that if FCO advises against a country any insurance you have is invalid?
Could be bollocks though

The Mirror says that.

Could be bollocks though

With the way things are looking I'm going to defer my Badlands entry to next year

"If you travel to a region which the FCO advises against visiting, in most cases your insurance will be invalidated."

https://www.responsibletravel.com/copy/travel-insurance-when-travelling-against-fco-advice

9 insurers that have some kind of Covid travel insurance:
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/07/coronavirus-what-it-means-for-your-travel-insurance/

I thought the cutoff for doing something like that was 1 July?

(Don't know if it's the right thread, 1000km can be considered ultra, right?)

34.6km/h avg
https://www.instagram.com/markobaloh/

French Divide next week. Sofiane is thinking about scratching to recover in time.

I'm always in the aerobars. No, wait, I'm always in bars. That's different.

So many bars, so little time. :)

Ulrich finished and Sofiane 6,5 hours behind at the moment. That is one accurate prediction @skinny :)

So 2000km, 30000m climbing in a Euro heatwave and he did in less than 4 days? Wow

No beers during though so it's basically a wasted effort.

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/themiddleway

https://castbox.fm/episode/15%3A-Joe-Grant---Ultra-Runner-turned-Bikepacker-and-Human-Powered-Adventurer-id2652611-id276157650?country=gb

Human Powered Adventurer might be one of the worst self appointed titles I have ever heard.