Transcontinental Race No. 9 - TCR9 - #TCRN09 - 2023

https://www.transcontinental.cc/tcrno9-2023

Tracker - https://www2.followmychallenge.com/live/­tcrno9/

Who's thinking about entering?

Not me this year.

Just seen the route outline. Looks like it will be a good bit shorter but pretty hilly. Some interesting bits. Probably a lot less riding on scary roads than this year. Last leg to Thessaloniki is not very long. Not sure if there's a crazy parcours this year - will have a look.

They've done the route for you. That's nice of them. Saves hours.

If I was doing it I would be spending my evening looking into:

• Going up the Rhine
  
• Po Valley from cp1—2.
  
• the flat road from Slovenia through Croatia and Serbia that I did the other way in 2019,to get to Albania from the North East.
  
• ways to avoid that shitty gravel road across Macedonia.
  
  

I'm actually getting a bit fomo seeing the route...

I get FOMO every year. But at the same time I'm also kinda happy to just watch it unfurl now.

I've got too much other stuff going on and now that the missus is a proven headkicker we can do more big rides together.

Sure, getting her to take up your fetish is always going to be a lot more fun than racking up the TCRs!

Looks like they have had a lot of dropouts - email has gone out to people who didn't get a place asking if they want to ride.

Strasser announced recently that he was riding again.

You should do it!

Just got the same, I had considered myself lucky not to get a spot. Now contemplating...

I didn't apply - other plans this year, and I've had enough of Eastern Europe main roads (although there shouldn't be so many this time so it seems a safer route).

If you've never done it, it's an amazing experience!

Yeah! Definitely do it! This year's route looks particularly good.

You riding again Peter?
Did the neck hold out last time?

Oh that’s interesting, cost of everything maybe?

I’ve got a place. Very happy I don’t have to go back to Serbia 😅.

Are you still doing NorthCape4000?

No, I'm doing 45 South West (https://45southwest.com/, which is basically the second half of North Cape - Tarifa, so set route, scenic lanes rather than main roads, etc. It's a similar distance and I'll try to push on, but I haven't felt the same pressure to train and optimise everything for this vs TCR. Also it's been a relief not to have to do the route-planning!

I generally like Serbia but I won't miss that main road through the gorge with the scary tunnel which was like being inside a black hole. And the weirdest hotel I've stayed in for a while... Hope you go well this year!

No and yes.

Never done it. Done plenty of big days (~500km). Never anything for a sustained period like this.

What are you racing this year?

Same as @frank9755!

O nice, that looks great.

Yeah funnily enough Serbia had the best hotel I stayed in last year, was tough to leave in the morning.

Anyone know how to find the race manual? I can't seem work out. Pretty sure I had it when I registered.

Off topic but crosses Pyrenees in more west than N-T no?

Yes. It's actually mostly a new route, doesn't use much of N-T route. What I said was a simplification, in that it goes from krakow to nice then on through France and Spain

The Po valley will be a slow, but I guess it makes it achievable. Crossing the mountains would rule a lot out.
Maybe I'll ride over to the tourmalet and wave at you.

That would be cool!

It's back roads through the Po valley so will be different from when I've done it on TCR. Dk if you've been there lately but last year lots of the main roads have had cycle paths since I was last there. They're OK, but they aren't designed to get across junctions quickly so not really useable.

He reckons it should be doable in 12—14 days, but there's a few climbs and some off road, and no main road sections to make up time, so I reckon it might not be that straightforward to get there in under 2 weeks. Less pressure than tcr though. I've not trained as much, and haven't even got my bike built up yet, need to get on with that!