Transcontinental Race No. 8 - TCR8 - #TCRN08 - 2022

Trans Dizzycontinental

Well that'll be a challenge, to design a robust route. By the numbers, the start could be a bigger problem than the east.

2 Attachments

Let's not get ahead of ourselves there - we're talking 9 months from now. Either it will be possible to do the race (to a certain extent anyway) or it will once again be impossible to do it at all. The team are doing what they can about the first scenario, as a backup to the original plan.

Indeed, who knows what the world will look like by then and while what they're saying in the race manual update in December can be a back up plan at best as everything keeps changing, it's great that they're communicating well in advance.

e.g. Schengen, doing a circular route perhaps...?

Maybe just do a cycling version of the Self-Transcendence 3100 mile race and ride around the town of Schengen non stop for a couple of weeks... 625 laps for 4000km and over 78000m of climbing :)

Good news on the vaccine today, maybe it will go ahead as planned:

Life should return to normal by spring, says UK vaccine expert
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/nov/09/coronavirus-live-news-us-nears-10m-cases-as-global-infections-pass-50m?CMP=share_btn_tw&page=with:block-5fa944248f0870a6e75faf8c#block-5fa944248f0870a6e75faf8c

In reality even if the vaccine is produced, you'd need the best part of 500M produced just for the EU let alone the other countries along the route. It won't be a case of individual risk as it would be today, it will still be whether countries have sufficient immunity built up to allow free movement again.

Sure, it's not a case of flicking a switch. And the timelines invariably slip backwards. But this vaccine is already being manufactured, the UK has ordered (I think) 30m doses and the EU 200m. This guy recons that, at the 90% efficacy they are reporting, only 45% of people need to have it for it to control the virus.
And the Oxford vaccine is expected to declare soon as well (we've ordered loads of that and it is being manufactured now too).
So definitely right to be cautious, but some hope of normality.

Most probably (and unfortunately) keeping it within EU.

That would be a big shame as the non-EU bits are the fun bits!

Don’t get me wrong I hope it’s on the way for both normal being-a-human reasons around not liking people sick and dying and selfish reasons (also normal human) that I’ve got a big (for me) ride planned early summer.

Just so far most public health stuff has been at most “okay” so I’m a little sceptical. I live in a country of 500k people so I guess we will probably mostly be able to all be vaccinated.

I wonder how radical the route changes will be?

Just a thought - maybe the obligatory Danube ferries will be off the menu?

Comment on the Facebook group:

The TCR site has been updated... no more references to TCR8, Brest to Burgas... New CP's coming soon? ;-))

At some point I got an email about it not be the same but would still be in the same spirit of TCR and would be told about it in December.

Yes, you are right, I've just re-read that one and it did suggest a significant change of route was on the cards. I didn't really pick up on that at the time.

It will be interesting. What type of route or controls would be more COVID-resillient than any other?

I guess we'll get the mail any day now. I'm just glad I didn't spend ages and ages routing between all the previous controls!

Edit - this is the message from a few weeks ago:

Dear Frank

I hope you are as healthy and happy as possible in these difficult times.

I wanted to let you know that we intend to present TCRNo8 for the summer of July 2021 and shall proceed with plans unless any major changes in the COVID-19 virus or international virus management prevent us from staging the event. As in 2020 we shall be as transparent with you as possible - endeavouring to make decisions in a timely manner and communicating them to you as quickly and as clearly as possible.

We’ll share new control points and as much detail as we are able to in a new Race Manual due in December 2020 - before Christmas. We hope that the start date can remain roughly as planned and we intend that the race should be as ‘TCR’ as possible however, given the specific challenges of presenting a multi-national event attended by riders from all over the world, we felt it was necessary to adapt TCRNo8 from the route originally planned for 2020 to a route that we hope could be more robust in these unusual times.

In December you will be able to expect the following information:

*The new Race Manual showing the shape of TCRNo8 2021.*
*The times and dates (as accurately as is possible in very uncertain times).*
*Application and payment details including our policy on refunds specific to this year.*
*New volunteer roles and opportunities for TCRNo8.* 

Once we’ve communicated everything to you in December 2020 you will be welcome to email any questions or feedback however, we ask that until then you’re patient with us and await race news due prior to Christmas 2020.

Best wishes,

Anna

The medical webinar they had was interesting.

https://komoot.zoom.us/rec/play/SdTeTMpzDwYRwcPOi1yIIoxKaN76Ws0JYafPdB2mKwFduQFavi-X6qpqUHVjWa-DbCvmIvKhgZ_t0Lzb.gzyDDYdpj2ox48-D?continueMode=true&_x_zm_rtaid=DTP5GmPvSuawPj9WL04ypQ.1608212634892.ae2bb8300faa86c244768cc7c319db85&_x_zm_rhtaid=859

TCRNo8 checkpoints have been announced https://www.transcontinental.cc/

Yes. Some random first thoughts.

I can sort of understand why they have done it this way but I'm not sure their thinking is right - it's not guaranteed that Schengen borders are more likely to be open than those in Eastern Europe.

There's a lot of France. France is great but it's not an adventure.

I've not ridden in Italy below the Po Valley so that is more interesting.

Riding across Greece is kind of interesting. But lack of Balkans means it's not really a proper TCR IMHO.

I'm pleased not to have to do that long, rough descent in Romania, and deal with Romanian drivers altogether. But Italians are pretty bad for close passes.

A big ferry that near the end kind of spoils the race element. I did that ferry the other way when I was a student - took about 20 hours.

And the start in France is clearly not a good idea - groups of 2o staggered at 30 min intervals - so if there are 240 the last group would be 6 hours behind the first. A TT-style start with 1 minute intervals would be better from a distancing point of view and only take 4 hours.

I'll need to have a think about what to do.

What does every one else think?

Have they stated explicitly that it's a ferry and not back tracking via Slovenia?

I don't those ferries are that often. Won't that bunch up the riders and make it a silly final sprint?

Looks like I won't be volunteering physically this time.

I think it's not so much about west vs east having open borders but the number of border crossings. With this setup you have only 5 countries (France, Switzerland, Italy, Albania and Greece) so 4 crossings.

Yes, they talk about the ferry.

I was hoping it was backtracking before I read the manual properly!

Yes, they do say that, but crossings are either open or they are not. If they are not then one would be too many. If they are, then 10 won't be a problem. OK some might be open and some closed but in that situation (i) it is then luck as to whether it is ones in the east or west and (ii) I doubt the race would go ahead anyway if things were still that dicey. It seems a false objective.

Also the ferry isn't a great idea from a distancing point of view

Just read on FB the allowed ferries are Bari or Brindisi - Igoumentisa, so that skips Albania also.

I don't think there are any ferries from Italy to Albania. Certainly there weren't 10 years ago when I toured round Albania. Not sure if there are to Croatia either.

Brindisi to Vlora is one https://www.directferries.com/brindisi_vlora_ferry.htm

OK - good to know - obviously things have changed in Albania since 2010 - I probably wouldn't recognise the place!

In the manual they say other ones might be allowed. Maybe that was what they had in mind. There is a great climb just outside Vlore.