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

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As someone who's always enjoyed following ultra distance races but never took part in anything more than a shorter-type audax, is the feeling that using very specific but potentially less "standard"/easy to fix and bodge equipment like deep rim wheels and latex tubes or even di2 over mechanical is worth the improvement in performance? Or simply a case of "nobody knows and everyone will do whatever makes them feel better about their equipment?".

I'd have guessed that the marginal savings wouldn't be worth the ease of repair or even comfort would trump sheer performance in the context of an ultra race, but maybe that's the case of people aiming to reach the finishers' party and less so at the pointy end of things?

You get two types of extenders- ones that screw on a 'normal' valve. You leave the valve open and that's it. The second, presumably the type that he has require you to remove the valve core from the tube and then screw the extender into it, so the extender has a valve on it.

Pretty big oversight to not have both types with him.

All of those and the bad roads with narrow tyres. Different reasons for different people, and 18 hour days are just hard, you really need to find out what works for you. The hike on the fourth parcours might be a welcome change for a moment.

Ah, 5 grams of extender weight in the kit would have solved his issue then. Damn, hard lesson to learn.

I'd have finished.

let's remember this guy wanted to set the record for LEJOG on a diet of milk and sausages
stoopid idiot

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that sounds like something from an Always Sunny script

Two thoughts I would have: grass packed in the tyre to get to checkpoint, then find a town or someone at checkpoint and beg, borrow a 700 wheel of any kind. Are they dumb thoughts? (yes probably).

the silly sausage diet.

Somehow it does seem like drama often finds him.

He rode past the CP, realised at the end of the parcours and turned back to get the stamp. Somehow hadn't registered.

This is the Bechet ferry in 2017.

Doesn’t it just. Win or DNF - there is no try.

I was talking with some others that this seems to be an increasing trend that’s filtering down the ranks. Win (Fast) or scratch.
What do people think to a minimum kit list?

I'm thinking CP4 has the riders going all the way down to get their stamp and then straight back up again to the start of the parcours?
Looks about ~600m descent and ascent.

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I had guessed it was a glitch in my map and the checkpoint was showing up wrong. Seems not. An 800m down and back again would be pretty tough, both physically and mentally. Especially for those further to the back of the field starting to feel deep fatigue by the time they get to this checkpoint.

What do people think to a minimum kit list?

You're screwed if the weather turns quickly? Or do you mean a list that would form part of the rules, a basic kit kind of thing.

The most exciting piece of the CP4 is that riders can tackled this section in either direction

from dotwatcher 🤷

not sure what road Strasser is taking right now..

Edit Ok, stamp first ! Clear now ! My bad

missed out the parcours? 😂

could be, LOL

Where is 150 going? He's missed the climb, no?

Is the CP to be done before or after the parcours? Presumably either way, it doesn't matter normally.

Yes it's OK to get the stamp first and then go to the parcours.

they have the option of riding the parcours in either direction;
before or after their mandatory visit to the Control Point for a
stamp.

Christoph Strasser just posted an insta story laughing at how he met Ulrich at a shop before the climb, they didn't take Ulrich's credit card and he asked to borrow cash from Christoph, which he did. Great sportmanship but also against the ethos of riding solo, which they tend to take seriously in TCR.

Awks.