More blue dot watching starts this Saturday.

A bit more complicated than the usual races as there is no set route between London and Istanbul, just a number of checkpoints to visit.

Jane & Andy Chadwick of the parish are racing along with a few other names you'll recognise from the HTR and Tour Divide.

http://www.transcontinentalrace.com/

If there is anyone around for the start then afterwards some of us are going for breakfast nearby. Details on the fb page.

Will be there to wave off friends Gabby Leveridge and Ben Thompson along with Josh Ibbot and Rickie Cotter.
Breakfast after then hit the closed "open" streets of central London for a traffic free tour as its Ride London Sportive and races weekend.

Both Gabby and Rickie are very quick ladies so that could be a good battle to watch, and can Rich Dunnet keep with the machine Kristof

According to Kristoff's blog he has ridden ~23,000 km since 1st January. Roughly my total for 2012 and 2013 combined.

Blackhound wrote:According to Kristoff's blog he has ridden ~23,000 km since 1st January

Some believe quality > quantity

Trackers up

http://trackleaders.com/transconrace14

I'm watching Daniel Jessee on this, he is hoping for ten days and I will be very impressed if he makes it in that. Sounds like an epic ride.

Go Rickie! A hard rider : )

Josh on first ferry, 3 riders get the jump, pictures of him, kristoff and Rich Dunnet scoffing curry, the food of champs.
Let's see who is the Paris navigation king, and who stops first

The Paris checkpoint is the ony thing that doesnt appeal about this race to me.

Looks like the scatter-effect of Paris has worked.. The non-routed part of this race doesn't appeal to me, I'd be inclined to take in nicer roads in places and expect the fastest route wouldn't be the most pleasant in places, busier roads etc? Not sure. It's like the freedom of touring with the pressure of racing. I can see the route-planning and tactics element coming in though, must get tense or frustrating a few days in.

Tales of adversity coming out from the guys chasing the leaders, not helped by the biblical weather. Josh has killed his Garmin and Rich has angered the puncture gods and his pump has failed.
If the tracker stats are right, it appears Kristoff has stopped for under 2 hrs in 2 days, that's nuts. Looks like he's making the event car work hard to get to the CP2 before him too.

Kristoff just made it to the top of the Stelvio ahead of Josh and Richard.

I helped register the riders on Thursday and handed out caps and a couple of other chores on Saturday before breakfast with Jack. Also caught up with the Chadwick's on there arrival from oop North in KX Friday night.

Here is a link to the pics I took:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12617230@N03/