He said he’d made his mind up to go the long way round but it has proven quicker for those that have gone the short route.
3 Likes
Agree. I was tracing out the road route whilst eating my lunch earlier and it looked like an awful lot of faffing about.
It’s also not all that long so even if it is challenging (!), it’s a lot shorter than the previous gravel parcours
4 Likes
snapped the rear derailleur last night: just caught a clump of grass in lowest gear and knocked RD into the wheel. I am on route in a taxi to Trikala (90km) to get a new one. Hopefully i will get away with losing no more than a day.
I have a spare hanger, that may be sensible to fit
The Gravel route is better. It took me 4h30m and I lost at least 30mins walking sections I could ride. It’s not much harder than parcours 3
I was climbing 50% of the way up, on a good track used by 4x4s. I switched from the left track to the right, crossing a grassy centre… BANG
23 Likes
Sorry to hear that @Matthew_Spooner , hope that you get it sorted and can get on your way again… on a mission, on a mission, on a mission, on a mis…
You’re doing really well so far, keep up the great work 
5 Likes
Farrk! Hope you can get it sorted fella. Can we help finding somewhere that has a rear mech, is that allowed?
4 Likes
Fingers crossed - just saw you were in Trikala and thought you’d ridden through the night!
So would that require a cab back to the spot where you stopped or are you given a pass as the bike is unrideable?
You have to go back - there was someone else that did something similar and was reported on in the daily TCR update.
I guess we get to find out whether a bike shop in rural Greece stocks Shimano parts. Wouldn’t surprise me if Matt gets a spare off another rider, I bet someone is carrying a rear mech as a spare.
I almost forgot to check on sowler, they are now in Greece, will likely have to make a similar decision about riding that gravel section in the dark tonight
5 Likes
MS is heading back so bike fixed in one way or other
5 Likes
If he had a chain splitter & pin, could have bodged a single speed until he got to a town 
4 Likes
He’s just posted an insta update which I listened to rather than leave for our camping trip, much to my wife’s displeasure 
He can get a taxi to get the bike fixed but has to ride back to his last point on the course. So, 80km back, including up parcours 4b
15 Likes
Made it back. More motivated than ever. Dinner then back on the road.
What seemed utterly impossible last night is now sorted. Guess those beers will have to wait
Another guy in the bike shops was changing his tire on the mountain. Somehow the wheel rolled off the cliff, after an hour he found wheel but free hub was destroyed
30 Likes
Much respect. My bike wouldve been launched off the mountain. Let alone returning to the scene highly motivated!
8 Likes
Nice work!
Ave it!
2 Likes
Great to hear it @Matthew_Spooner 
1 Like
Awesome effort @Matthew_Spooner & @Sowler
My mind boggles at even the thought of this challenge!
Keep going 
5 Likes
Well done Matt, great tenacity
2 Likes
Great to hear you both in good spirits, I’m surprised how little mechanical issues you have had to be honest…or maybe you are just solving them without mentioning them? 
Best of luck for the “home straight” 
3 Likes
Ive only just clocked that Matt had to cycle back to where he got the taxi from after the bike was fixed.
3 Likes
I know; in a way you’d think they could get a lift back to where they left the course and ride from there. But what’s 80k at this point eh?
4 Likes