Transcontinental Race 2015

[steveindenmark]

Emily, is having McDonald's for breakfast in Montecchio Maggiore.

The wonders of the Internet.

I see XC70 is heading towards Lee Pearce (29). I wonder if he is going to ask him why he is heading for CP4 before CP3. I have looked at the rules again but it doesn't say you need to take them in numerical order.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Emily, is having McDonald's for breakfast in Montecchio Maggiore.

The wonders of the Internet.

I see XC70 is heading towards Lee Pearce (29). I wonder if he is going to ask him why he is heading for CP4 before CP3. I have looked at the rules again but it doesn't say you need to take them in numerical order.

I don't know whether anyone else noticed that Josh Ibbett was travelling directly north. He'd gone a long way south along the R433 and then for some reason started retracing his steps back to the M18. Because Hayden and he are on different routes, it's difficult to tell whether his detour has cost him the lead he'd built up yesterday. XC70 is back at the nearest town to checkpoint 4 (which is about 15 switchbacks uphill) and Lee Pearce is showing no sign of changing course. That said, looking at the terrain, there's no way he can do anything other than stay near the coast.

 

[velovoice]

I think the rules may explain this odd behaviour. Only 3 particular ferry crossings are permitted. Otherwise, every mile must be self-propelled e.g. by bike or on foot. If you screw something up, you have to retrace your steps to the last verifiable "legal" location and pick up from there. I haven't looked myself at what Josh, Lee and/or XC70 are doing but I suspect there is something happening where one or more is worried about validity. After all, the last warning in the rules is: If you've been disqualified, you probably won't know til you've crossed the finish line.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I think the rules may explain this odd behaviour. Only 3 particular ferry crossings are permitted. Otherwise, every mile must be self-propelled e.g. by bike or on foot. If you screw something up, you have to retrace your steps to the last verifiable "legal" location and pick up from there. I haven't looked myself at what Josh, Lee and/or XC70 are doing but I suspect there is something happening where one or more is worried about validity. After all, the last warning in the rules is: If you've been disqualified, you probably won't know til you've crossed the finish line.

I was wondering why Josh was retracing and thought that he might be going back to Cp 3, particularly as his tracker is showing distance to Cp 3, but he's now heading south again on the M20, barely a kilometer ahead of James.

 

[MiK1138]

Looks to me like Josh is heading BACK to Control 3 his tab has this as next destination

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Looks to me like Josh is heading BACK to Control 3 his tab has this as next destination

I've tracked him a couple of times and he's definitely heading south on the M20. I did see his tracker around CP3 yesterday so he or his tracker have already been there.

 

[MiK1138]

Looks to me like Josh is heading BACK to Control 3 his tab has this as next destination

Scratch that, he's heading south again but still has Cnt 3 as his next waypoint

 

[MiK1138]

I've tracked him a couple of times and he's definitely heading south on the M20. I did see his tracker around CP3 yesterday so he or his tracker have already been there.

yeah defo seen him at 3 maybe he beat the organisers to 3

 

[steveindenmark]

XC70 is back at his control point and Lee Pearce is closing in on it and so we will see what he does next. It looks like there is a few following his route.

James Hayd is resting and Josh Ibbett is opening the gap again. It's a real see- saw up the front.

A big shout to 74 Jihad Azmuddin who has still to make checkpoint 1 but is plugging away. This is the type of guy who would inspire me to have a go. Belgium to the top of Ventoux would be hell of a ride at any speed. I could quite happily pack it in then.

Emily Chappell is in Treviso. It seems a long time since she left the mountains. She will be glad to get out of Italy and turn South, I bet.

If she gets to the end, and I am sure she will, I'm going to treat myself to the new Genesis Datum 20

 

[apb]

From the Transcon blog

"Speaking of which Stephan Ouaja of Spain did’t think the Transcontinental’s route this year presented enough of a challenge and is the first rider to attempt on a fixed wheel. The climbs will be a test enough and he brings with him another sprocket to choose (42×15 and 42×19 he has available) but it will be the fast downhills that will test his leg speed and try his patience perhaps more. He continues to make good time however, so it is an impressive ride. We imagine he will be spinning in his dreams by the time he finishes."

Hard man! #152

He's following the same route as Lee Pearce. Which i think is a mistake

 

[clid61]

Josh took different route, hit gravel track and had no option to retrace his steps , heading south again now

 

[steveindenmark]

I know nothing of cycle racing but know something of navigation. Lee Pearce has basically headed South all the way from Belgium. He will shortly be heading directly North, retracing some of the route he has already ridden and that must be soul destroying. When he reaches CP3 he then has to travel South again, covering more ground that he has already covered as well as being passed by competitors he has already got in front of. It is an interesting strategy, not only chosen by Lee. But in my inexperienced head, I cannot work out why. Maybe the break on the ferry gave him enough rest to complete the course.

 

[steveindenmark]

2100

I am not sure what Lee Pearce is doing. He has left CP4 and is heading South towards Istanbul. He isn't showing as scratched but he hasn't been to CP3.

 

[Edwardoka]

2100

I am not sure what Lee Pearce is doing. He has left CP4 and is heading South towards Istanbul. He isn't showing as scratched but he hasn't been to CP3.

Think he might be heading east for flatter ground before turning north - he'll have a much flatter run into Istanbul from CP3 than if he headed straight east from CP4.
Incredible effort but his gamble is looking less likely to pay off.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Think he might be heading east for flatter ground before turning north - he'll have a much flatter run into Istanbul from CP3 than if he headed straight east from CP4.
Incredible effort but his gamble is looking less likely to pay off.

Yes, I was wondering, like @steveindenmark , where he was going now, and he must be aiming to do that. I fully expected him to go back down the hill and follow a similar route to Josh and James in reverse.