Transcontinental Race 2022

[nagden]

There has been lots in their 60s and a few in their 70s.

Thanks for that. I am encouraged.

 

[Beebo]

If I was fit enough, which I’m not, I know I couldn’t cope with the lack of sleep.
I simply don’t function without 8-9 hours a day. After the first 24 hours I would be absolutely cooked.
How do these athletes cope with 3 hours of rubbish sleep a day.

 

[T4tomo]

If I was fit enough, which I’m not, I know I couldn’t cope with the lack of sleep.
I simply don’t function without 8-9 hours a day. After the first 24 hours I would be absolutely cooked.
How do these athletes cope with 3 hours of rubbish sleep a day.

to be fair, those not aiming to win it do stop for longer, and on some of the comments on the bike rigs, some were saying packing light and sleeping in hotels etc. I agree though, i'd want my 8 hours a night and a few cafe stops....

also if you look at the back of teh pack, one lass is still in Germany, doing no more than 12 hours a day moving, as are a few ahead around the first check point / parcour, and a number have average moving speeds of around 10mph or less. Not everyone is blasting along at close to 20mph and grabbing 40 minute kip in a bush shelter.

 

[cougie uk]

If I was fit enough, which I’m not, I know I couldn’t cope with the lack of sleep.
I simply don’t function without 8-9 hours a day. After the first 24 hours I would be absolutely cooked.
How do these athletes cope with 3 hours of rubbish sleep a day.

Some of them grab some quality sleep in hotels. I'd be damned if I'd leave there without a nice lie in and a slap up breakfast. Sod this two hours under a bush thing ! 😊

 

[Dogtrousers]

to be fair, those not aiming to win it do stop for longer, and on some of the comments on the bike rigs, some were saying packing light and sleeping in hotels etc. I agree though, i'd want my 8 hours a night and a few cafe stops....

What you're saying is you'd prefer to go on tour than enter a race.

 

[StuAff]

to be fair, those not aiming to win it do stop for longer, and on some of the comments on the bike rigs, some were saying packing light and sleeping in hotels etc. I agree though, i'd want my 8 hours a night and a few cafe stops....

also if you look at the back of teh pack, one lass is still in Germany, doing no more than 12 hours a day moving, as are a few ahead around the first check point / parcour, and a number have average moving speeds of around 10mph or less. Not everyone is blasting along at close to 20mph and grabbing 40 minute kip in a bush shelter.

Julia F (quixoticgeek on Twitter & YACF) is that lady. She's struggling with gut issues, muscle pains, and (unsurprisingly) motivation. But she's still fighting on, hope she makes it.

I think the back of the field have to not so much accept the likelihood that they won't be seeing anyone at the CPs or getting to the finish party, but, if they want to keep riding and make it to Burgas, embrace it. Els & Marie-Lou, the lanternes rouges on #7, clearly did that. They were doing a pace they could sustain, 150km a day or so, and seemed to be having a good time doing it. And they still finished only a couple of weeks behind Fiona...

Julia just posted the CP cut off times over on YACF:
Cp1 - 1300 CEST today
Cp2 - 1800 CEST 31st
Cp3 - 0100 CEST 5th
Cp4 - 0300 CEST 8th
Finish - 2200 CEST 9th.

 

[StuAff]

Crazy event. I do like nosing at some of the bikes doing it. Such a variety of options. I'm not sure I'd be on a single speed given the terrain though.

https://bikepacking.com/bikes/2022-transcontinental-race-rigs/

There's another gallery at BikeRadar, a mere six bikes.. https://www.bikeradar.com/features/2022-transcontinental-race-tech-gallery/
I'd already seen Ulrich's setup care of the Instagram feed on the tracker. Lightweight Meilensteins…wow. Not short of a few bob, presumably!

 

[Beebo]

There's another gallery at BikeRadar, a mere six bikes.. https://www.bikeradar.com/features/2022-transcontinental-race-tech-gallery/
I'd already seen Ulrich's setup care of the Instagram feed on the tracker. Lightweight Meilensteins…wow. Not short of a few bob, presumably!

it’s a 7kg prototype touring bike!

 

[StuAff]

Julia scratched this morning- she didn't think it safe to continue riding. Amrei is neck and neck with Fiona (metaphorically, they're taking different routes to CP3). Ulrich is continuing- and still in 'podium' contention- despite having to pedal with one leg at times to give his damaged knee a rest, plus fatigue and saddle sores.

 

[matticus]

The riders still moving at the back appear to be crossing a field of dead or comatose bodies. Looks like climbing Everest!

 

[StuAff]

James Kirk scratched. Car hit hit him somewhere in the Austria/Italy border area, taken to a medical centre & then to a hospital for X-rays. which were clear but his elbow needed closing. After discharge, went back to his bike and tried to carry on, having lost 18 hours. Bumpy descent of the Gavia popped the wound open. He tried closing it with tape and superglue in a hotel, but it didn't hold, so decided to DNF.

 

[matticus]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7S4BULc-p0

 

[steveindenmark]

With regards to Julia. She was in the last TCR and scratched on day 2 with a little over 100km. This time she rode for 6 days and covered 733km. Thats great progress. Further up the field James Houston is on the way to CP2 on his Brompton. He made CP1 in time and that was after snapping the rear titanium triangle frame. He had it replaced at a Brompton dealer. One of the riders was knocked off his bike by a car and spent the night in hospital before continuing. He reached CP2 within time today. Lionel Bob is the current Lanterne Rouge. Lionel started as a pair but his partner got Covid and scratched. Lionel then had bike problems before deciding to continue.

https://bikepacking.com/bikes/2022-transcontinental-race-rigs/

 

[GeekDadZoid]

Looks like quite a few including Richard Lake have missed CP2 closing.

 

[cougie uk]

James Kirk scratched. Car hit hit him somewhere in the Austria/Italy border area, taken to a medical centre & then to a hospital for X-rays. which were clear but his elbow needed closing. After discharge, went back to his bike and tried to carry on, having lost 18 hours. Bumpy descent of the Gavia popped the wound open. He tried closing it with tape and superglue in a hotel, but it didn't hold, so decided to DNF.

These people are amazing. Hope he heals well.