07/25/2022
TCR No. 8 (2022)
We are coming to the close of the first day of racing. The grand depart was in Geraadsbergen, Belgium and 272 racers started heading east to Krupka, Czech Republic, the first parcour and control point. TCR does not have a fixed route that all racers must follow. Instead it has a start, four intermediate control points and associated parcours that all must ride, and a finish. That makes it difficult to know precisely who is leading at all points in time if several riders are arriving at each control point within a short timespan. There are some restrictions on roads that can be used. Details are set out for the racers in the Race Manual that each receives. There are restrictions and equipment requirements. The race organizers are very diligent about the rules for competition and use a group of volunteers to examine each of the racer's tracks for potential violations. Time penalties have been assessed to participants for rule violations. These penalties are mostly designed to deny the racer of whatever advantage they may have gained through the violation (presumably inadvertent). For egregious violations a racer can be relegated from the General Classification (the official competition) to the finisher group whose time is recorded but not otherwise recognized, or even disqualified.
Part of the challenge of the race is to formulate an optimum route connecting the control points and complying with the rules. For example, Kristof Allegaert, who won a couple of TCRs, did so by riding longer but flatter routes. His speed on the flats more than made up for the additional distances he travelled. Each racer has to take into consideration the challenges to their speed from each alternative as well as implications for self-support as they ride those routes.
We will have a definitive leader when the Control Point 1 is reached and the parcour completed sometime later during Day 2. But will that lead still be there when Control Point 2 is reached?
