2014 MFP Grand Tour Challenge - SIgnup/Discussion Thread

TheBigYin

Giro Challenge Entries for Rider 327 Team 3

Stage Date Distance Time Ascent(m) Ride Log URL
h:mm:ss
====================================================================================
1 09/05 69.5km 2:40:38 917m http://www.strava.com/activities/139342840
2 10/05 122.9km 4:29:49 1354m http://www.strava.com/activities/139709595
3 11/05 61.8km 2:19:03 657m http://www.strava.com/activities/140134500
R 12/05
4 13/05 ___.__km __:__:__ ____m ________ DNS - Boards
5 14/05 ___.__km __:__:__ ____m ________ DNS
6 15/05 ___.__km __:__:__ ____m ________ DNS - Boards
7 16/05 ___.__km __:__:__ ____m ________ DNS
8 17/05 53.1km 01:55:34 m 787 http://www.strava.com/activities/142361879
9 18/05 28.7km 00:51:53 m 80 http://www.strava.com/activities/142842921
R 19/05
10 20/05 ___.__km __:__:__ ____m ________ DNS - Boards
11 21/05 84.8km 3:14:36 m 1150 http://www.strava.com/activities/144043566
12 22/05 ___.__km __:__:__ ____m ________ DNS Boards
13 23/05 ___.__km __:__:__ ____m ________ DNS
14 24/05 70.2km 2:47:34 539m http://www.strava.com/activities/145096925
15 25/05 135.94km 4:31:32 776m http://www.strava.com/activities/145599742
R 26/05
16 27/05 34.2km 1:01:59 60m http://www.strava.com/activities/146293467
17 28/05 ___.__km __:__:__ ____m ________ DNS
18 29/05 ___.__km __:__:__ ____m ________ DNS - Boards
19 30/05 68.7km 2:29:39 885m http://www.strava.com/activities/146293467
20 31/05 65.4km 2:46:31 521m http://www.strava.com/activities/147867463
21 01/06 105.9km 3:37:52 632m http://www.strava.com/activities/148378985

Running Total 899.14 km


Here is my final. Sometimes life just gets in the way...:-( No worries about me, just letting Team 3 know I did ride some the last week. I admit that this has been a difficult challenge. I'm trying to balance participation in this with training for World's in < 19 weeks. Fun but not able to just go burn up miles. If your going to spend the money to visit across the pond might as well give it a good go.

call me a soft touch, but I'd really like to see team #3 hit the total distance, and, considering you weren't all that late, AND that it doesn't alter the podium positions, then I'm minded to include your rides...

TheBigYin

Well Folks - I guess it's all over from the Giro now, so I've unsticky-ed the entries and photo submission threads, ready to make space for the next one of the Grand Tour Challenges - LeTour - yep, We're "virtually" going to France (apart from when the TdF actually comes over and visit's Yorkshire for two glorious days, apparently followed by some "transition stage" down in the flat bit of England ) Hope they get better weather for those two days than we had for the final week of the Giro Challenge, or it's all going to go a bit pear-shaped.

Places on the Tour de France Challenge will be limited to the same as the Giro - 4 teams of 9 riders. No substitutions to be made after the race starts this time i'm afraid. I'm also currently toying with the teams to be allocated from a rider list, rather than just on a first-come, first served basis - but i'm slightly struggling with how to do it without withdrawing from the challenge myself to avoid the inevitable accusations of bias that'd occur... (yes, I'm a little cynical, you all know that - it sort of comes with the territory of running these things, and you haven't seen the "charming" PM's i've been sent from some participants in the past...) Other change I'm going for is that this time I'm going "Strava Only" - I don't think this is likely to be a problem, as there was only Tom iirc that was submitting from Garmin Connect on a regular basis, and I think he has a Strava Account anyway. It just makes sense for all the rides to be in the same single place - I'd say it's just me wanting an easy life, but if I wanted an Easy Life, i'd not bother organising these challenges, would I :laugh:

Anyway - I just thought I'd let everyone know that the challenges are continuing - I may have worried some people when I posted that the Giro may have been my last challenge - what I really meant was "it's the last challenge I'm going to make a serious contention for - trying to ride every stage the pro's did" - because frankly, at the end of it, and after all the riding, updating the spreadsheet and threads AND trying to keep up with the laundry from the final week of riding in the incessant rain I was wearing a little thin.

Still - all the kind words and thanks in the Giro Result Thread helped to cheer me up, and remind me that it WAS worthwhile running these challenges.

sufferlandrian

You could collect the names and draw them from a hat or pick the four riders from the Giro with the longest distance and make each one a team captain and have them pick names like a draft. No one could claim a bias if you did it that way. Just a thought.

Jakess1971

I think we know you better then suggest any bias that would go on, my only suggestion is you could seed by the Giro results for a equal as possible team distribution, I'm happy to be given a team number allocation rather then select one.

BigG59

However you do it is fine , though I do like this suggestion

I think we know you better then suggest any bias that would go on, my only suggestion is you could seed by the Giro results for a equal as possible team distribution, I'm happy to be given a team number allocation rather then select one.

sufferlandrian

Well, I think I echo the thoughts of all of us who had the most fun on the last challenge. We aren't worried about you having a bias when choosing the teams and since you are the one hosting the challenge, pick the method that is the most easy for you. We just appreciate you doing the challenges. It's both a lot of fun and inspiring for us. :bigsmile: :bigsmile: Obrigado por todo que voce tem feito. :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

CentralCaliCycling

Count myself and Rosie in please.

MrsCentralCaliCycling

I would like to join if there is room

cloggsy71

Hell yeah... The more the merrier! :happy:

TheBigYin

I've had a think about it, and I'm going to do the following - rather than post one team at a time, I'm going to post the first 3 teams in one go - then people can decide which team they want to be in, rather than it being dictated by what time zone they live in. Prior years it took a while to get the numbers to fill a team, but on evidence of the Giro, the first 15 places went in a couple of hours, which was gratifying, but made for some very geographically centred teams (not good if the weather does it's seasonal worst) -

Also, as I said before, there will be NO SUBSTITUTIONS after the challenge commences this time - sorry, but the abuse I got last time was just not something I'm prepared to put up with again.

Jakess1971

Sounds like a step in the right direction, sod any abuse, it beggars belief really

veloman21

Agree with Jakess1971, sod the lot of them, they're prats.

TBY will there be a separate sign up thread for the TDF challenge? Or will the indications made on this thread be the ticket in?

cloggsy71

Sounds like a step in the right direction, sod any abuse, it beggars belief really

Agreed; how someone can abuse someone for running a challenge as professionally and diligently as you is beyond belief!

Onwards and upwards fella!

303 as usual please :laugh:

TheBigYin

TBY will there be a separate sign up thread for the TDF challenge? Or will the indications made on this thread be the ticket in?

I think I'll issue a new thread when I decide to open up the signups - then close this one with a link to the new thread (and backlink this thread in the first post of the old one - much the same as MFP's auto-thread splitter does - BUT at a point where I CHOOSE, not just at some random point.

Splitting would be a good idea though, because we've hit 284 posts already on one part of the challenge - so theres no way we'll get the TdF (which is often a bit more "busy" than the Giro) into this thread before rollover.

TheBigYin

303 as usual please :laugh:

Oh good - that's one Dossard I don't have to re-photoshop. Why do you think I keep sticking with 309! :laugh:

hawkeyegal1995

I'm in and can stick with 315.

sufferlandrian

I think some people need to just slow down and take life less serious. TBY, you've done a great job with the challenge and we really appreciate all the work. I hope for the TdF, people remember that this is for fun and motivation. Thanks again for the effort you put in to it and I'm looking forward to the new challenge. :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Cycle_pathic

Please count me in too!!! I'm happy to stick with 325, no worries there!! Had a great challenge trying to keep up with the Giro, hope for a better showing on the next one!

verdemujer

Since there is no vacation in the future for me I'd love to join in for the Grand Tour. 328 works for me unless you want to assign me somewhere else. I'm such an all over the place rider I'm not sure I add much to a team but I know that all mileage amounts count.

CentralCaliCycling

My wife and I will be happy with whatever number you want to give us. We are not picky that way

harksy

Aye why not stick me in as well sure....

TheBigYin

And THIS is why I run these challenges... it really would bring a tear to a glass eye...


Thank you all, for re-confirming what a great place this is.

cowbellsandcoffee

Indeed it is.

Kupe

I liked my 313. Definitely count me in.

katozdad

Happy to take whatever number comes my way. Really appreciate you organising this TBY. Can't believe people still have the 'bare faced cheek' to give you grief.

Spatialized

Since I'm a good hippie, I'll recycle my dossard. :laugh: Slot me into 323 if you don't mind. :drinker:

JediCounsil

Count me in too and 329 is fine by me! Thanks Yin for such a fun and rewarding challenge!

DeliriumCanBeFun

I'd like to be in on it this time too!

TheBigYin

just to make it clear - the whole "recycling" numbers thing is actually related to the Tour you're riding... the Dossards are different for each of the three grand tours, so you'd really be helping if you picked the number you rode on LAST years TdF Challenge.

to the best of my knowledge, THIS was the startup sheet for last years TdF. If you didn't ride it, no worries - we're shooting for 4 teams anyway, and - well, it's not "set in stone" that you have to take the same number...

301 - FatDadSlim
302 - Christophenes
303 - Cloggsy71
304 - Harksy
305 - Spatialized
306 - KansasRider
307 - narak_lol
308 - Frannybobs
309 - TheBigYin

311 - tvcjosh
312 - BigG59
313 - goonas
314 - Cyclenut64
315 -Hawkeyegal1995
316 - Not40yet
317 - TDSeest
318 - mdstamand
319 - katozdad

321 - Dahamac
322 - glenncomisky
323 - RoadkingDavid
324 - CentralCaliCycling
325 - daz_automatic
326 - Bram61
327
328
329

cowbellsandcoffee

Count me in. Number to me does not matter.