The Transcontinental Race 2013

[HaloJ]

I tried so hard not to use puns but.......

I think Rimas is going to book a rest before he Ruse & Shumens on his way to grab a Burgas. Oh lordy I hate myself now.

Back to my serious self. Rimas does seem to be on a bit of a tour and as Bucharest is only just round the corner it'd be rude not to visit in passing and at least then he cut through the low lands of Bulgaria following the coast line to Istanbul.

 

[StuartG]

He just went past Grim.

Don't give Rimas ideas:

 

[ianrauk]

Lithuania has no beef with the Balkans do they?
It's a fair old northern trek Rimas has taken.

 

[Aperitif]

Lithuania has no beef with the Balkans do they?
It's a fair old northern trek Rimas has taken.

Yes without Rimas or Reason, but I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation. The Balkans men are obviously wonderful - look!

Oh lordy I hate myself now.

No you don't, Abs - it's lovely! (But don't drop the factual stuff or a semblance of common sense will vanish from this thread, and Rimas will be all at sea. No, hang on a minute...)

 

[rich p]

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Whoops that's not serbo-croat - number 2 grandson got hold of the laptop but it could be a list of Romanian villages.

 

[rich p]

Rimas has left the hypermarket at hyperspeed. Ataboy Rimas.



Loved the Balkan wife blog Teef!
"He also knows how to dismantle an AK47 which hasn't been of any use yet!"

 

[Aperitif]

Rimas has left the hypermarket at hyperspeed. Ataboy Rimas.



Loved the Balkan wife blog Teef!
"He also knows how to dismantle an AK47 which hasn't been of any use yet!"

D'you know what, Rimas? I have learned a bit about geography during this trip (not a lot, granted, but a bit...) and, as I was saying to my learned friend Lord Lush of Brighton whilst we were in our smoking den, there are some interesting things on the internet. Real geek infested stuff which would not normally have come across my radar, but full of goodness. Here's an example, while we wait for the next race action:
I was 'researching' the E70 yesterday and happened upon this site. http://www.skyscrapercity.com/ It's incredible! Furthermore, Rich had a look through the pages and lo! he found some obscure, insignificant religious building that he had sought solace in while escaping from Portuguese bandits. He can post the link and elaborate further.*

*Some of my words may just be attention seeking and fallacious...

 

[Aperitif]

Looks like Matt Wilkins will be next into the 'Bul pen. He has 120kms to go. It is going to be a magical atmosphere when they are all together once again. I can see it now...

 

[rich p]

Holy tall towers teef!
Here's my pic of the church I crawled up to on my hands and knees as a penance for the whisky, couch potato fiasco....
These boys have been too good to need Hail Marys and the like! Ataboy Rimas!

 

[Aperitif]

Now. I have been studying Juliana Buhring, in the interests of race activity you understand, and on her little map, it shows that the last time she camped up was 4 days 17 hours and 56 minutes ago.
I can only think that she is riding with intent.
Did that Church (Bom something...) take long to build, Rich? 4 months is the going rate for big stuff on this thread.

Something else that the riders might experience is this.

Ed and James have now 'swapped' places...and Ed Pickup has done just that - picked up a bit of speed. MW only 106kms until 'home'...and the next morning he can wake up and smell the coffee - and tea in downtown Istanbul. Marvellous!

 

[frank9755]

Just got back to this after having been distracted by a little bit of cycling yesterday (which I'll write about separately).

Looks like Rimas is continuing his outflanking manoeuvre and has bypassed Serbia as well as Slovenia and Croatia. But at least he is heading south now.

It's interesting to see the others' routes. The guys from Italy have landed in Albania and we also have some people going down the Adriatic coast.

Looks like we could have three finishers tapping in the 200 or so km across Turkey today (MW, EP and JJ). MW could make tea time and the other two later at night.

 

[Aperitif]

Disgraceful, Frank! Cycling when there is all this excitement to be harvested onscreen! (Easy to see that I was dossing all weekend, for the first time in ages!)

Matt is down to his last 75,000 metres, give or take a cm.
Nick is 30kms up on Juliana...pushin' hard is Pusinelli

Another quartet is 'assembling' along the road to Osijek...EW in the van, with DW, RY and SG following close behind. It will be interesting to see how this grupetto handles the last 950 or so Kms. "Race!"

About time we had a Go Rimas! too.

 

[Aperitif]

Come on Matthew! His GPS tracker is nearly '1:43 ago' and if he was cruising at 35.9 kph then he must be getting quite near...
He might see one of these?

I presume everyone knows this is a 'Welcome Matt'?

 

[Aperitif]

Spot of grub for Rimas, in Corabia?
Now he has to waltz across The Danube...
will he have to take the ferry at Turnu Magurele? What ferry? Where? How? So many questions, Rimas!
http://greektings.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/turnu-magurele-nikopole-ferry/

 

[rich p]

10km for Matthew to go. He'll be there in time for last orders and the suite course - very civilized!
Rimas is nearly at the Bulgarian border. Dos he use Twitter? I've been told that bulgar tweet is good for you