NorthCape 4000 (NC4K)

Marcel Graber won TABR (velomobile) and Daan Marsmans RaTN

I hung out with Niels and Zeno after TPR.

Daan Marsmans was up front in RATN 2019 and won it last year. I think we had brekkie together one morning mid-hail storm.

Javier Garcia finished just after me in Transiberica 2019. Tobias Firth if memory serves was young guy who came in a bit later.

Graber Marcel is presumably the same guy as the Velomobile TransAm 2018 rider but that could be complete nonsense if it's a common name.

There's probably others I've raced with or know but they're the ones I remembered at first glance.

Rudy Rollenberg has raced TCR and NC4K a few times.

Juha Similä has finished Ruska. Mathias Väärsi is one of the Team Vänt guys.

Thanks for those pointers. It will be interesting to meet some new people (if it happens of course) and good to know a bit about some of them.

Rudy Rollenberg was the only guy whose name I recognised. I would have recognised Marcel Graber's name, if not for the cunning disguise - but it shows how much stuff is going on now that even though I follow a fair bit, I wasn't aware of others.

Much to my surprise, this is on - they just confirmed a couple of days ago.

I'm actually pissed off that it is on as it means I have to make a decision.

Apparently the EU Green Pass will come out on 1 July meaning you can travel round Schengen, and non-EU people can get it.

However, some outbreak somewhere could cause it all to grind to a halt on somewhere like the Latvia/ Estonia border, or more likely, Helsinki ferry port, when some official tells me to go and do my own personal Brexit.

Massive pain trying to get the info on what the story is / whether I can / should do it, but if it is on and I have entered, I'll feel stupid not turning up and riding.

What's the worst thing that could happen? So you get stopped and it fucks up your race? Ride somewhere else until you find a way through. You're still exploring somewhere on a bike.

True. Let's rock up and see what happens!

Need to get knee sorted first as am about to pack a 200 DIY half way and get the train home :(

If it makes you feel better, I only made it through the first of 4 intervals yesterday. Quitters all 'round!

It didn't work out too badly. Got to Thatcham station and had just missed a train by 1 minute, so had 40 mins wait. Backtracked into town and found fish and chips + litre of chocolate milk. And got home an hour and a half quicker than if I'd ridden...

I think I know what the issue is so should be able to fix it, with a bit of help from Scherrit to spot the stupid things that I am doing that I have not realised are stupid yet.

I need to see him about midfoot drilling new shoes.

Where did you get to on midfoot SPD shoes?

I've just bought a set of these.
https://mid-foot-cycling.com/products/mid-foot-spin2?variant=39306939629651

Not tried them yet but will do at some point soon.

I have a pair of very hacked/glued midfoot SPD shoes but I didn't test them so used flats and Five10s for Badlands. I've bought a second pair of MTB flats so I have a feeling I'll just be sticking with flats again for off-road stuff. "Proper" gravel I might continue to use midfoot Speedplay but if there's anything MTB flats will do.

They look potentially useful but also don't appear to move the cleat back far enough for me.

50mm from the top bolt?

EDIT: Although his diagram shows 63mm total length so 50mm from the top bolt centre is within the realm of possibility.

Here's my old Dominators compared to my current road shoes:

Yes, that was my concern. But I just bought them anyway rather than measure properly as it seemed easier.
Having gone on about flat pedals being the way I am now struggling to ride with them as I think my knee seems to need the float.

I had no issues on Badlands but that was only ~700km. Doing something like TD would need more time spent off-road with either flats or some kind of midfoot.

Looks like you must've bought his last pair as they're out of stock now. Doh

Maybe I'll hang onto these Dominators and try a set of adapters to see how they work.

Looks like I did know about them but forgot I'd asked them about MTB options:
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/142625/?offset=2625#15469227

"A lot of MTB guys have asked us about the 2-bolt adapter. We look into the options, but this is a tricky one. MTB cleats live tough lives. We will not launch any product without beta testers' approvals, so I will note your offer to participate in case we move into the beta-phase!

Best regards,
Niels
Mid-Foot"

Yeah, they started with road cleats which I saw last year. Was pleasantly surprised they'd added the mtb version when I went back to the site a few weeks ago.

I bought them back in April but they take ages to deliver from Switzerland so only had them a couple of weeks.

My feet are relatively small (7 / 41) so I figured they may well give me enough set back.

I had no problem doing 1800km in flats on tcr but for some reason it isn't working for me right now. But it might be either saddle height or setback, or something else altogether which I've got wrong, so need an expert view.

Maybe I'll hang onto these Dominators and try a set of adapters to see how they work.

Worth a try, just might be an easy win

He replied to my email already. I've put a reminder to check back on the website in July to see if he's made more of them. Seems like a cheap enough option to try out. It might mean I can use these Dominators again. 2010 called, it wants its shoes back. Yeahboi!

Italy had just introduced 5 day quarantine for travellers from the UK which will be in place until July 30. That's probably finished my chances of doing this.

I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't run at all as the travel guidance even for schengen people is not good for some countries, eg Hungary.

But you'd be riding right? It's not like they're checking passports at the border and you've not traveled from the UK to get there, you'd have come from Germany or something.

It starts in Italy so plan would have been to fly there.

I did check all the bordering countries and none of them are any easier to get into from here. Most seem to be stamping UK passports (or say they might) so they know when I left UK.

I'm happy looking for loopholes in the regulations but if they flat out prohibit what I'm trying to do I probably have to admit defeat!

Organisers seem a bit deluded too. Just had an email sent to all riders where they are making allegations of attempted blackmail. I think the stress might be getting to them. They may have personal financial issues which mean they have a problem if they can't put the event on this year, ie they might go bankrupt. Feels a bit like they are a bit desperate.

Backup plan is looking like doing an ITT of the GBDuro course, which would be cool. Never done LEJOG so would tick that box.

I was thinking of North Cape Tarifa that heads southwards.

allegations of attempted blackmail

WTF?