Yes, very stoic for a 22yr old!
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Yeah I just watched it too, epic race and scenery!
Thanks for the recommendation👍
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Entries are out for TCRNo11 - I have a place so will be on the start line.
This year I will be racing properly, top 25 place is the goal
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Forgive me for being curious- but how do you square something like this with your job @Matthew_Spooner ? Are they pretty understanding that you need to go off for a few weeks every now and then to, well, ride across a continent?
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He’s probably been married long enough, kids grown up, that Mrs S is glad to have him out of the house 
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1st year my company sponsored me and gave me paid leave to do TCR (3 weeks)
2nd year I was on gardening leave, came home Wednesday so 2 weeks 3 days away
this year… the ride will take 13-14 days and starts on Sunday. Travel on Saturday, finish on Saturday or Sunday 2 weeks later, travel home on Monday - so only need to take a 2 week holiday and back at work mid August
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+Autumn holiday in Crete, where all exercise kit was banned and Mrs S planned the agenda
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What a way to spend your summer “holiday”! 
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It works out as a pretty cheap summer holiday - rarely stay in any hotel more than 50 euro, no fancy restaurants, not much beer or wine, not buying any tat, transport is cheap 
Lots of sun
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From what you wrote after TCR24, this means cycling at the same pace but with less stopping?
So will you be crashing out on the roadside at times and eating on the go? Or is that too simplistic?
From recollection you were about 40th and could have got towards 25th by minimal sleeping on the final couple of nights … so you weren’t a long way off??
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Sorry, I missed this. I ws 38th last year, and if I had ridden through the final night, I would have been fighting for 30th place. Thi yeat there are 3 elements to my strategy to move up the rankings
- It is a longer race this year, around 5000km. Last year I started slowly and passed more people at each CP, If I follow a similar strategy, I would expect to be further up the field by the end
- I will be more efficient during stops. Last year in the last 3 days I was far more efficient, but early in the race I threw away around an hour being inefficient
- I will probably bivy a couple of times, and depending on where I am positioned I may do an all night on the final night
I think that may be enough to push me up the rankings
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So how’s it going Matt, the preparation? Many (key) changes from the last 2 events in your appraoch & kit?
My physio got knocked off his bike last week. He’s currently concerned his repaired ACL is buggered again. All the work potentially gone because of an idiot driver
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Thanks @Jorgan
I am really time crunched this year, a new job is not terribly condusive to training
Starting with Kit, bike got a major upgrade - I sold several of my existing bikes to build the ultimate TCR Bike. I upgraded the frame with a 2023 Specialized SWorks Crux frame, I replaced the mechanical dropper post with an AXS reverb dropper post, shifters an brakes are now the new SRAM Red ETAP HRD. The hoods are massively more comfortable than the old SRAM Force hoods, and braking performance is outstanding - pressing the brakes after 2 weeks riding is an issue, so better brakes will be a big improvement. My cassette is now a Ethirteen 9-52, while I am sticking with the 44 tooth chainset (I may go for a 42). I’ve tidied up my cockpit to sort some niggles I had with old setup
I have switched my training to be 90% bike focus, I am running a little and hardly swimming. I’ve done some really big rides, like Amsterdam, and 3 x 300km rides. Now I am working, I have reverted to riding to the office most days, its a 75km round trip and takes just over an hour each way. I am pretty happy with my numbers on the bike, I am around 5kg heavier than last year, which is not ideal, I certainly feel it on the climbs.
My kit will be pretty similar to last year, I wont take waterproof trousers, I will wait to see how the forecast looks before deciding whether to bring a windproof top, I used it a lot in the first year, but hardly at all last year. I may try to get away with just a base layer instead - last year I just used the base layer. the weather on Tourmalet and Colle Dell Assietta (2500m) may be a challenge. I have refined my charging cable collection, and will take less tools and 3 lightweight tubes. I will also take just 3 water bottles (rather than 4 last year), cuts weight as I dont need a special rack the bottles. Overall changes to bike and kit will reduce system weight by 2-2.5 kg
This weekend I will fully load the bike. Based on kit reductions, I may be able to ditch the aerobar bag
Planning has gone well, I think that I have a nice route. I am at 5,000km (includes a 200km ferry) and 55,000m. All goes well, I will finish in 15 days… I have to get back to work on Wednesday so that’s my limit. 334km & 3650m per day
The Ferry from Bari to Durres is a concern, I need to get there in time to get the midnight ferry on 7 August, however, checkin closes at 9pm. Ive not booked the ferry as this is not allowed, If I am ahead of schedule, I may try to get the 1300 ferry, arriving at 9pm, I would then have a 6 hour ride to CP5 but know that there is a great place to stay, there would then be a 3 day push through the Balkans.
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Sounds epic yet again.
Just imagining the 1000 mile stare after getting back from that massive ride.
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Will you be WFH by any chance 
(not such a continental thing)
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