Transcontinental Race No. 7 - TCR7 - #TCRN07 - 2019

I got confused and started another thread, transferred here

Interesting!
https://www.transcontinental.cc/tcrno7

Bulgaria to Brest.

Good to go through Serbia. Ride across Bosnia to Dolomites looks like it would be a mirror of what many of us did in 2016, BUT won't be able to go from Serbia into Kosovo which will complicate
Dolomites, good
Po Valley...
A long ride across France, most likely into the wind, with a bit of PBP deja vu likely at the end.

you tempted?

No, because have baby so can't take the time. Would love to do it otherwise!

PBP doesn't start until the 18th, right? I might do both.

Hahaha!

This starts on 26/27 July so some of the slower riders will actually get to Brest when PBP is on. PBP is 18th Aug, most getting to Brest on the 19th/20th. It would actually be possible to do both at the same time!

Quite a bit of gravel talk in the CP intros and photos.

On the recent Cycling podcast skinny said he wasn't doing it this year. :(

U wot. Y @skinny?

I don't think it is, the checkpoints make a direct, but more mountainous route, more likely. I think.

I feared this having ridden very little gravel, but I have a slight plan...

The 80km stated for CP2 might be interesting. If I get a place it adds the quandary of is my current bike suitable.

I'm trying to convince the missus to do PBP. If I've done TCR beforehand it'll be a nice excuse to ride it slower and have some fun doing it. Meet some of the locals, eat more crepes, etc. :)

80k gravel climb. I'm not sure I can swear for that amount of time.
I wonder how steep it is, ie. if it's actually rideable.

And what will they have at L'Alpe d'Huez

TCR does things a little differently so riders shouldn’t expect a
traditional TDF climb. There are multiple routes in the area offering
considerably less smooth rides than the tarmac. L'Alpe d'Huez is also
famous for the Mountain Bike Downhill Enduro Megavalanche that takes
riders from the lift station at the highest peak, Pic Blanc, to
Allemont in the valley floor.

I'm not sure I can swear for that amount of time.

Its months away. Plently of time to get practicing...

won't be able to go from Serbia into Kosovo which will complicate

I thought it was only a problem in the other direction, Serbia wouldn't (possibly) let you out of the country, if you came from Kosovo, because you wouldn't have a stamp from entering Serbia, because they don't recognise the border between Kosovo. But Kosovo does, so it wouldn't be a problem to get out of Kosovo too. But then if you for example end up in Serbia at a later date on another trip, you might get in trouble, because you have an old entry stamp and looks like you'd been in the country for too long, as you can only stay there for three months or something without a visa.
Not sure though.

Flatish? I dunno, it's 31k without any parcours added on this:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29000594

Argh, more bloody off-road!

Wasn't sure I was going to enter again. Now I've got immediate case of FOMO.

Fuckshitmotherfuckerbastardfuckfuck

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28993228

37,000m

I'm trying to convince the missus to do PBP

Cool! That'll be a great achievement (I mean her riding, not you persuading!) - but perfectly realistic if she wants to do it. I'm sure she'd get round, and probably in a pretty respectable time

I thought it was only a problem in the other direction

Good point - something to check properly. I wonder if you can actually cross the border from Serbia to Kosovo...?

'slain it

Speedplay midfoot suck arse for walking. I'd be tempted to take a pair of shoes if it was going to be anything like this year's CP4, but at 80k long I doubt it will have the same gradients so is probably much more rideable. I'm making a big assumption though.

hippy obviously doesn't have this border problem, as he's usually in several countries at once.

Schrodinger's hippy

Schrödinger's fat.