Yeah this is the thing. The wording is weird in the mail, because is says ‘No Lottery, first come first served’. (at 22% for CCC, which lets say is 220 spots).
But then (provided you have the points) it says that to enter, you have to go through the lottery process and pre register by 11th Feb.
So the only thing I can think is that when they hit hit 22% through pre register, they will shut it off?
I might throw my hat in the ring and then see if I get a spot and then defer.
I personally can’t see it happening. It’s a massive, week long multi national event that spans three countries. Ok, so only the race bit crosses over the borders, but people will be flying in via Switzerland, France, germany, Austria, Italy etc as well as driving and flying across Europe. Then all piling into a relatively small town.
Don’t lnow what the local influence is out there. Would they want it to happen this year i.e. would there be much negative lobbying do you think? (you - they people who have spent a lot of time out there)
Yeah there is lots to think about.
Anyway, that’s assuming I survive The Plague. (they really need to change that name 
)
Aha, just read that bit again with my glasses and thinking head on. The * is only against YCC and MCC, so the all they are really doing is giving you another lottery window for CCC.
I wonder what will happen if it doesn’t go ahead, surely there will be a log jam?
I LOVE CHAMONIX! Not been for over 10 years now, but I was there regularly before the child years. I’ve no doubt it’s changed. But I hope Beluga Burger is still there 
I reckon working in Chamonix as a Gendarme must be freakin’ awesome. Well, my kind of thing anyway.
Well if the race wasn’t in France I sure as shit would be spending any money there. I’d rather surf somewhere else but it’s not like I can move the location, so needs must.
You can ‘surf’ the snow there 365 days a year 
that’s true. I used to be an ‘ok’ skier, strangely I have never tried snowboarding as my pride prevented me from looking like a complete kook again.
Well I’ve lobbed my hat in the CCC ring, kind of hoping I get a spot, then he race doesn’t happen because then I’ll have to get offered a space next year. Although I will have to validate but I think SDW100 and The Plague should see me right there.
local influence will be strong for UTMB to go ahead as it was cancelled last year and there are currently no ski lifts operating so all businesses there will be missing a lot of their annual winter income. they will not want to miss a summer season as well - there are more visitors to the valley in summer than in winter on a weekly basis and can peak at over 100k in summer - that’s a lot of income into room hire, eating, drinking, infrastucture (lifts etc). but as per the UK will also depend on Macron and what the Gouvernement dictates - Covid numbers in France are pretty shit at the mo and they’re nowhere near the UK vaccination numbers.
Was there last time we were in Cham (2 years ago) but under new ownership and maybe rebranded (can’t remember) with a different menu and certainly not like the original Belouga fayre when the original lady ran it. Poco Loco seems to be the place to go.
Poco Loco, as in the chain? First time I went there was in Bogota 
nah - is independent. been a fixture in Cham for many a long year
Is The Garage nightclub still going?
(The Garage and I have a tumultuous relationship!)
no idea - never bothered with any of the nightclubs or the casino
Non-tri, but Queen concert tickets have been cancelled for June and rescheduled to 2022. Nice to have the early clarity at least, although a sign of expectations that this year isn’t going to be much different to last.
I was reading something yesterday and general consensus is that we are unlikely to have mass gatherings for many years, if ever like they used to be, not just this year. I can say i will never set foot in a football stadium unless its full crowds again, although i could see that particular scenario particularly pleasing for those in charge of security and policing of large, mainly sporting, venues.
I’ve already had one festival cancelled, although I think it was in June. It was only a fairly small one as well using multiple venues in Stockton.
But one of the venues did a very small questionnaire a couple of days ago asking about future gigs and what I’d tolerate.
There was a range of answers from distancing and the table solution from late last year.
I put down that I’d no qualms about going back to how it was.
I had an email from Dragon’s Back yesterday. It was in error because I’ve pulled out and am getting a refund but this was asking for the 2nd instalment. (mail list has been fixed now).
However, looks like the monies aren’t being passed on the the event organisers, which must be rough. Here’s an extract:
### Would you be willing to switch to paying your next instalment(s) by bank transfer?
Before we get into the details, please allow us to explain.
It may astonish you to learn that Ourea Events has received no entry fee income since February 2020, roughly a month before the first UK lockdown.
### Wait, what happened to the money I paid you for my entry on my credit/debit card?
Participants who have made a credit or debit card payment via the SiEntries checkout for an entry into one our races (or for any optional extras), since February 2020, may well assume that we would be looking after their entry fee in our own bank account. However, the reality is that it is our acquiring bank (not SiEntries), who process all card transactions on our behalf, are retaining all of this money to date.
Please note: we are not being singled out here – retaining and the use of deferred settlements is standard practice for an acquiring bank when their customer (e.g Ourea Events) is processing income for a service to be delivered sometime in the future e.g. tour operator, event organiser who would be classed as ‘high risk’.
We are now not expecting any funds to be released by our acquiring bank until the month after each event has occurred, hence the significant cashflow interference challenge.
### But you’ve been able to process refunds without trouble?
Yes, and we continue to do so, but when we have processed any refunds for customers since February 2020 – our acquiring bank have refused to allow these refunds to come from the cash they hold on our behalf in almost all cases.
So, all of these refunds have also been funded from our own cash reserves.
#IMJ