Lachlan Bike Packing the Tour De France

[trogladytes]

looks like he's stopped atm and the peleton are only 12km behind
Agree with all the comments about him being a good sort, he seems like a really nice chap

Mistake, he was just crossing the track on his way to the next stage...he's way ahead

[Dave Barter]

Anyone thinking the original TDF riders were the good guys ..needs to do some reading.

Cheating was endemic. I particularly like the story of Hippolyte Aucouturier who cheated using a piece of cork and string. The string was attached to a car and he held the cork in his mouth. Brilliant. Almost as good as a certain rider supposedly using a kite across the basin.

Lachlan should add to his challenge by throwing himself off his bike every time Richie Porte crashes. I love the Tour, so fair play to him for adding a new dimension, but for me it will never eclipse the average speeds these guys attain. Drugs or no drugs.

[Bearlegged]

The string was attached to a car and he held the cork in his mouth. Brilliant. Almost as good as a certain rider supposedly using a kite across the basin.

"Well, if it's not explicitly outlawed by the rules..."

[Lazarus]

Solo looks considerably the safer way to do the tour given today's stage .

[woodsmith]

With the current attrition rate he might be the only one who makes it to Paris

[lune ranger]

Anyone thinking the original TDF riders were the good guys ..needs to do some reading.

Cheating was endemic. I particularly like the story of Hippolyte Aucouturier who cheated using a piece of cork and string. The string was attached to a car and he held the cork in his mouth. Brilliant. Almost as good as a certain rider supposedly using a kite across the basin.

Lachlan should add to his challenge by throwing himself off his bike every time Richie Porte crashes. I love the Tour, so fair play to him for adding a new dimension, but for me it will never eclipse the average speeds these guys attain. Drugs or no drugs.

There was definitely some early competitors catching trains as well.
But on the other hand …
One rider was expelled from The Tour early on for receiving mechanical assistance… he had the village blacksmith operating the bellows as he reforged his forks

[Richard G]

This is such an epic thing to do, fair play. Not least because he can't let up on the pace for fear he'll get caught and then be unable to ride the route.

[trogladytes]

But on the other hand …
One rider was expelled from The Tour early on for receiving mechanical assistance… he had the village blacksmith operating the bellows as he reforged his forks

harsh!

[voodoo_simon]

He’d fit in well here!!

Have a lot of time for Lachlan, seems a top bloke who simply loves riding his bike. Loads of videos online of his rides too and always comes across well

[jameso]

Mmm, cassoulet. I do miss touring in France.

[Richard G]

Would be pretty hard to differentiate that pic from any of us tramping around!

[fatbikephil]

Whilst the peleton were fannying around eating breakfast this morning he seems to have done the stage, done the transfer and is now on the TT course!

[redefined_cycles]

Whats that he has om his powerbank and does anyone know he's charging it (dynamo setup?)

[robbie]

What's the bet's that someone organises a bikepacking race to follow the tour of the back of this now and charges a fortune to enter.

[Dave Barter]

Mmm, cassoulet. I do miss touring in France.

Food of the dogs…

Now if we were talking gizzards I’d agree.

[UnderTheRadars]

Bit of an interview here from 2 mins in

https://youtu.be/Rn0QVEMaOZ8

[GregMay]

Cassoulet from a tin. The stuff of nightmares based on 2 months climbing in the Alps in 1999 on a reall, really tiny budget. Took us a week to hitch down from Font to Chamonix and then we survived on this and cheaper than chips red sauce and pasta.

Still makes me feel like barfing every time I see the stuff.

[sean_iow]

Whats that he has om his powerbank and does anyone know he's charging it (dynamo setup?)

I'd guess it's the days stage profile on a sticker?

[Mariner]

Cassoulet from a tin.

Is that the French equivalent of baby's heads?

Haven't eaten one of those for years but strangely I can still taste it occasionally.

[jameso]

Mmm, cassoulet. I do miss touring in France.

Food of the dogs…

Now if we were talking gizzards I’d agree.

It is a basic foodstuff isn't it.

[Richard G]

He's now rocking flats and sandals because his knee was hurting.



Epic.

[Moder-dye]

Flats bought on route? Not the sort of thing you're likely to carry, unlike the sandals which he may have. It'd be nice to know that a film crew aren't supplying him odds and sods, though ultimately I don't care too much, it's not a race race and it's a great thing he's doing.

Hope he can keep it up, would love to see him complete this. He's half way through stage 7 just now, so getting a good buffer for that final transfer stage.

[Richard G]

Yeah, purchased on route, as were the sandals.

Wow, I've just seen the stage 20 transfer.

[UnderTheRadars]

Info about the tech here

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/06/lac ... works.html

[Richard G]

Info about the tech here

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/06/lac ... works.html

Wow, so being fully self supported could risk breaching anti-doping...

VeloViewer did more than just come up with the initial route in conjunction with Lachlan, they also create the exact routes each day as they shift on a daily basis. Which he in turn rides on his Garmin Edge1030 Plus. For example – if he planned to ride 215KM, but decided to go extra to 255KM, that shifts more than just his progress. It shifts tomorrow’s route files, but it also shifts camping site plans for not only that night but probably the next night. That impacts the Crikey, how much filming crew with him (where they park their vans), and even more interestingly – impacts the planned address he must provide each night to WADA, for anti-doping measures.

Ben Lowe at VeloViewer explained that today, June 29th, “Lachlan is thinking of doing an extra 70km today (to another known campsite), although he will make the choice when he reaches the originally planned stop. If he does that then Kim English [EF/Crikey, how much’s Gone Racing producer] will adjust that riding time for today and will then need to spend a few hours re-planning the campsites for the next few days.”