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Post by ChrisD on Jul 31, 2015 12:04:53 GMT
Many thanks lfc383 and KiwiBeard. Faster than lightning this Forum! It did occur to me that the control points could be done in any order when I first saw Lee Pearce was in Split a while back but as so many seem to be going to CP3 first I thought something may be up. Doing the route their way looks like they will get the sort of run into Istanbul that last year's winner did via Bulgaria, rather than Albania and Greece, so that is eminently sensible. A bit surprised that so few others are heading that way. Shame Josh lost some precious time there but makes things all the more exciting. Wonder what route they will take after Lovcen. Do you know if they have to approach CP4 from the bay by Kotor as they did last year. Can't see the compulsory stretch of road marked on the hairpins. That route up the mountain, with the bay in the background, must be spectacular!
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lfc383
Peloton Rider
Posts: 72
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Post by lfc383 on Jul 31, 2015 13:52:25 GMT
I believe they do, I know the ferry cannot be used hence the reason why Lee has cycled around the bay. Here's a photo the views of the bay.
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lfc383
Peloton Rider
Posts: 72
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Post by lfc383 on Jul 31, 2015 15:09:46 GMT
And view from top.
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Post by ChrisD on Jul 31, 2015 17:08:42 GMT
Lee has made it to the Lovcen CP, and Josh Ibbett is supping the delights of Kotor bay as I type and seems to have distanced James Hayden a bit since I looked a few hours ago. As you probabaly know lfc383, last year's winner took the ferry across the mouth of the bay and was informed at the Lovcen control atop the mountain that he would be disqualified if he didn't redress the infringement so he jumped on his bike, descended back down to the bay, took the ferry back across and then cycled round the bay and back up the mountain. Still won by a big margin! Maybe some views are worth enjoying twice
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Post by ChrisD on Aug 1, 2015 9:08:59 GMT
Woke up this morning to see Josh Ibbett well out in front again by the look of it. If I rememebr correctly a lot of riders went through Tirana last year, electing to take the flatter plain down into Greece, but it looks as if he's climbing to avoid the Albanian capital. Anyone know why James Hayden is still down by the bay after looking like he overshot the turn to the Lovcen CP? The control car seems to have gone down to meet him. Will be interesting to see how Lee Pearce's strategy works out as he heads up to Vukovar. I suspect he'll pass a lot of riders owing the other way. EDIT: lfc383 Great picture of Lee on the official TCR photo feed: instagram.com/thetranscontinental/ The picture of the legs below it are his as well.
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Post by ChrisD on Aug 1, 2015 9:29:08 GMT
Just checking in on Ultan Coyle to see how the TT bike strategy was panning out. Looks like he made exactly the same navigational blip as Josh Ibbett in Bosnia, having to double back and switch routes after finding the road was unpaved.
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Post by ChrisD on Aug 3, 2015 8:31:07 GMT
Josh Ibbett crossed into Turkey this morning. Let's hope he negotiates the busy roads during daylight hours to arrive at the finish control later today. A shame James Hayden had to scratch as those two could have made a race of it.
Lee Pearce is within spitting distance if the Vukovar Control Point. Hope he has a plan for the plains down to Istanbul.
EDIT: Just noticed they are making riders approach the final CP and the finish from the north which I believe is new, though they have urged people to do that as the safer option in the past I believe.
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Post by ChrisD on Aug 3, 2015 20:05:06 GMT
A worrying moment as Josh Ibbett looked like he had gone off piste on the final stretch approaching the north of Istanbul. Hopefully just a gps glitch in the trees.
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Post by ChrisD on Aug 3, 2015 22:15:25 GMT
9 days 23 hours and 54 minutes. I expect that was a ride against the clock to stay under 10 days. Wonder when he thought he might pull that off.
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Post by KiwiBeard on Aug 4, 2015 7:50:00 GMT
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Post by ChrisD on Aug 4, 2015 16:40:12 GMT
Nice to have a blog update. I wonder if next year they might have someone dedicate sometime to reporting on the race via the blog.
Looks like Lee Pearce could be in with a shout at a top 10 placing. Interesting to see how the times for those around him compare when back at the Assieta check point.
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Post by KiwiBeard on Aug 8, 2015 23:04:40 GMT
Its all good watching the top 10, but hard to compare with yourself as an 'ordinary cyclist'. Today is the 'official' end of the race, and yet some good people still not in Turkey yet. www.strava.com/activities/364400328 I think Chris Bennett is a triathlon trainer, and will probably make it into Istanbul in the next day or 2.
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Post by KiwiBeard on Aug 8, 2015 23:27:30 GMT
This is the sort of thing you have to do to get into Istanbul before the 'official' finish. www.strava.com/activities/36303209922 hours of which 18 riding. Start at 6:30 am, one hour break at about 8:30am, another hour break about 4:30pm, then ride through the night and arrive about 4:30am. And thats after a hard slog of 12 days of riding. Epic. And I think this is the guy doing it on a single speed.
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Post by KiwiBeard on Aug 14, 2015 19:19:29 GMT
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Post by KiwiBeard on Aug 14, 2015 20:11:02 GMT
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