Transcontinental Race No. 5 - TCR5 - #TCRN05 - 2017

Ah that one. I copied that off someone, it's not my route.
Hopefully no one thinks that's my route and uses it, it's got lots of banned roads!

Quick hippy get spying :-)

Well A map, yes. RidewithGPS is public by default

And I've just realised that the petrol station/mini supermarket near my office is 24/7 so if anyone is passing through and needs supplies, the Esso in Leudelange is definitely open.

Actually that's bollocks. It's not 24/7 at weekends, helpfully.

Yeah I made it public again the other day to friend someone, forgot to make it private again.

But as above, that's just a route I copied of someone. Hopefully no one takes it, as it's a lot of banned roads.

I hacked skinny's account already.

I say hacked, his password was "hippyrocks123" so you know, not hard to guess.

Yes serious - was trying to clarify / be helpful!

going south thru hungary to romania is annoying - streetview tells me the highways are all nicely surfaced, but komoot won't route me on them and strava tells me they are very very lightly used by cyclists - so i'm assuming its not a good idea to use them.

Unfortunately the back roads look quite poorly surfaced :(

Seems the cycling proficiency test got a lot harder since I was at school.

Seems to be conflicting info about Serbia/Macedonia border crossing. Anyone know which is legit? Sounds like R1207 is the proper route, assuming no bike path or detour is possible onto the motorway crossing?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Transcontinental.en/permalink/1433157576734913/

Looks like you can't use R1104?
http://autozona.rs/stanje-na-putevima/stanje-na-granicnim-prelazima-d127

1104 doesn't exist.

Go further east. 1207

check strava heat mat.

Yeah but lots of activity on the A1? Is there a bike path on it?

No. But they let cyclist use it.

Whether it's allowed under TCR rules is less clear. though that Facebook link implies people used it last year and had no penalty.

That could just be they weren't noticed. I'd rather not risk getting penalised afterwards. If the bike path isn't all the way along the motorway then it's an illegal use of a motorway and anyone using it should be given time penalty.

I've emailed race orgs.

There isnt a bike path. You use the motorway at that crossing. I asked someone who's used it.

I see, so those other riders should've been penalised for using a motorway.

can you post up the reply here pls?

I expect there will be an email soon from them, to all competitors about banned roads, with a finalised race manual.
That road is being reviewed.

.

Sweet. Organisers have done a fantastic job so far of pulling it all together I'm keen not to hassle if others are asking the same questions

Yeah, I've been emailing, so it'll come, just takes time. Just keep checking the google map and your email. Hopefully it'll get finalised over the weekend.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1H7sLvCIyLPO492cMk6fVKk3zH4s&ll=47.3614253237527%2C12.809432872924845&z=6

thread needs some sweet bike/set up pics:

Leon de Leones:

Thomas Ettema:

Matthieu Lifschitz:

lshendry:

Hi,

I'll send this on to Richard Dunnett who is acting rules monitor this year. I think one rider did use this crossing last year, and wasn't penalised, but sadly we cannot ask Mike whether that was just an oversight on his part. I will say that we're not going to start revising our ban on motorways. Mike was always very clear about that - whether cyclists are tolerated on motorways in certain localities or not, motorways are not open to riders on the Transcontinental. Please proceed with your route planning as if this border is not open, and we will issue an official note on this, and some other road / border prohibitions as soon as I've discussed with Richard.

Cheers,
Tom

Such variety. Much options.