On Friday 29th July I will join around 250 other cyclists on the start line of the Transcontinental Race in Geraardsbergen, Belgium. The race is quite unusual in several ways:
- The clock never stops, racers choose where, when and if at all to rest.
- No outside support is permitted, we can use only what we take with us, or find en route at commercially available services.
- There is no defined route, just four mandatory controls; naturally they are located at high altitude in the Massif Central, Alps, Dolomites and Balkans.
The finish is at Çanakkale near the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. Part of my motivation is to remember my grandfather who survived an extraordinary bloodbath when he landed at Gallipoli 101 years ago.
I hope to complete the course in 18 days or less, but it’s a very tough race and last year almost 50% did not finish. I’m not seeking sponsorship but I’d be thrilled to receive any words of encouragement en route. My race number is 61 and you can read brief updates from me on Twitter (@robjordan and #TCRNo4s061), view my daily rides by following me on Strava (Rob Jordan, Winchester) or email me: [email protected]. We will each carry a satellite tracker and you can view position updates every 5 minutes here: http://trackleaders.com/transconrace16 (beware, it can be addictive!)
You can read lots more about the race at www.transcontinental.cc.