Trans Am Bike Race / TransAm / TABR

You think he bothered to put on underpants?

Surely you can just steal @skinny 's route while he's not looking?

He can just check it on trackleaders and follow in my wake.

Zing

Just realised your choice of route would be up and over while hippy rides around?

Its pretty flat this year. A Hippy vintage.

He'll be a day in front, I'll just follow his dot on the tracker.

Ha! Great minds! :)

They said that about TABR... oh how we laughed...

Welsh rider: http://www.thebikepirate.com/ closing in on the finish line.

"In honour of Mike Hall, I am carrying 1 Yorkshire Tea bag to be drunk Newton, Kansas"

Many more scratches including Chinda David.

Doug Haluza is back again for another stint and is (by distance) last on the road although it looks like he skipped a chunk of the route South of Colorado Springs after his latest week off.

Last (Eastbound) is Jeff Stamerjohn although he hasn't moved for over a day now but he could just be taking a day off in Newton, KS. 900 miles ahead of him is JJ Cruz who is still active and has about 800 miles to go.

So that's 8 or 9 still going.

Eric Fishbein's race cap at the finish, courtesy of David Barstow Robinson carrying it there since Kansas:

that is poignant :(

Not many left on the road now. Ignoring the likely phantom dots of long scratched racers, Doug Haluza is into the Rockies in his E to W ride with around 1400 miles to go. West to East, Jeff Stamerjohn has around 1550 miles to go. He is currently on the Kansas Missouri border. JJ Cruz is in the mountains of Virginia with only 426 miles to go and Gordon Waller, with 369 miles left, is slightly ahead of him.
While Doug Haluza has had time off, it appears that the others have been plodding away for weeks.

Gordon Waller is now closing in on Richmond. He is well out of the mountains and has only 173 miles to go to complete the race.

JJ Cruz is around 50 miles behind him on 228 miles and around Charlottesville. He is descending out of the last of the mountains.

Further back Jeff Stamerjohn has not moved for just over two days.

East to West, Doug Haluza is making decent progress through the Rockies. He has completed Yellowstone and is now in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest with just over 1000 miles to go.

Two others are still classed as active but look to have completed the ride some time ago.

So:
Active 3 (possibly 4)
Finished 58
Scratched 68 (possibly 69)

And of course, RIP Eric Fishbein.

That so many have scratched makes the achievement of the finishers and those still on the road that much the greater.

Is that an abnormally high scratch rate for TABR? It seemed like it when I was riding but I don't really know.

Just over 50%. Think that is less than the TCR and the race is quite a bit longer.

https://ridefar.info/races/tcr/overall/

I must have been thinking of 2015 when even @skinny scratched.

The length and duration of the TABR must contribute. It is around 60% further. More scope for injury and illness.

JJ Cruz is now only 100 miles from the end and Gordon Waller only 62 miles away. I would expect both to finish today.

Jeff Stamerjohn hasn't moved for three days.

Doug Haluza is making slow and steady progress.

Other factor is competitive entry and route planning for TCR. Means riders have to give it a lot more thought before riding and ones who obviously don't have a clue can be weeded out.

Knowing that you've got a place and others haven't can give a tiny bit more motivation in dark hours...

Not all of the ones without a clue are weeded out.
<<<

:)

Good interview with Evan...
http://www.bikepacking.com/plog/evan-deutsch-interview/

Thanks for the share. That is a great interview.
I can see why he races well.

His facebook post is a lovely piece too - might have already been shared:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/524758520982933/permalink/1307612959364148/?pnref=story

"I was lucky to find a hotel in Eads owned by a nice couple who let me enjoy the air conditioner and gave me water and Pringles."

cough DQ cough

;)

Not sure if srs?