I'm relatively new to these parts, so apologies if I've missed it, but there doesn't appear to be a thread about the 2019 Transcontinental Race that is taking place at the minute.

https://www.dotwatcher.cc/race/transcon ... -race-2019

Is anyone else 'Dotwatching' along?

Great to see Fiona Kolbinger ripping it up, especially when more experienced riders have scratched.

I'm dipping in every so often. Fiona Kolbinger is doing amazing! Hope she keeps it up

techno mail wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2019 11:09 pm I'm dipping in every so often. Fiona Kolbinger is doing amazing! Hope she keeps it up

Yup... She's smashing those boys out of the water (so to speak)...

Just seen the leaderboard again and seems Bjorn isn't even there... what happenwd to him as he was ahead just a couple days ago wasnt he!?

He had to scratch due to saddle sores.

Gotta say that I'm really not that surprised that a thread hasn't started. With the advent of more events / races, there appears (at least in my mind) to be a growing gap between those with an off-road bias and the road based events. As time goes on, the gap between the two would seem to be growing with any common ground becoming less and less.

or

bikepacking (or whatever term you choose) is a Venn diagram and as each of the rings gets fuller the overlapping sections become smaller.

and

That's to take nothing away from the riders - although I'd not trade places with any of them for lots of money.

It's been exciting with two leaders scratching in the first few days! I really hope Fiona can hold out and take the win.

What's been surprising for me is the amount of people having punctures on the early gravel sections, one poor sod had 6 x punctures between checkpoints which must have been soul destroying. You'd think tubeless would be the way to go, no? Perhaps some competitors worry about tubeless resealing if they suffer rim damage?

dogthomson wrote: ↑Fri Aug 02, 2019 10:05 am It's been exciting with two leaders scratching in the first few days! I really hope Fiona can hold out and take the win.

What's been surprising for me is the amount of people having punctures on the early gravel sections, one poor sod had 6 x punctures between checkpoints which must have been soul destroying. You'd think tubeless would be the way to go, no? Perhaps some competitors worry about tubeless resealing if they suffer rim damage?

I bet it is tyre choice and riders thinking they can get away with 23/28c slicks with tubes.

Probably find there is somewhat less interest in road based events here. That's all.

Yes im following but more dipping in and out when I remember
Nice to see a different side of tramping (not MTB bias)

'Y see, I'm just not into dot watching. I like to ride my bike, but I've no interest in who's in/winning/losing a bike race. I like to paddle a canoe, but I wouldn't go to watch a canoe race. The same with kitę buggying when I was doing that.

I'm just not into watching someone else doing something. I don't care who's wins a race/gamę/match/tournament - I just want to do what I like doing. OK I do get the benefit (eventually) of the spin-off from these things when they filter down, but until then - nah.

I just don't get sport. The Olympics, World Cup ( of any kind), Wimbledon...... .

On the other hand, I do like to read about peoples' adventures. Todays' Ride and BAM reports on here are great. Or blogs from folks that have had big trips/tours.

I've been watching. It's been interesting seeing some really experienced guys scratching after only a few days. Fiona is a very experienced Audaxer but for her first ultra she is doing amazing.

There's only certain events "grab" me: HT550, TDR, Iditarod plus as a few others. Can't say why this is so.

As Greg & Stu note, the TCR is a road event and the focus on here is mostly off-road.

And it's made the news - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/49248126 no doubt because the first to finish was, gasp, a woman!