For the next few weeks we are following little dots again; our friend Shu Pillinger (the 1st British woman to finish the Race Across America).
Shu is taking part in The Transcontinental Race; a self-supported bicycle race across Europe, its shorter than the 4300 mile Transam (America) that Brian has recently completed but varies in that there is no ‘fixed’ route and the start, finish and checkpoints move from year to year.
This year the start was in Geraardsbergen, Belgium and the finish is at Meteora Greece. (When Brian finished the race a couple of years ago it was between London and Istanbull).
Riders have trackers and have to go to the following checkpoints…
CP1 SCHLOSS LICHTENSTEIN, GERMANY
CP2 MONTE GRAPPA, ITALY
CP3 HIGH TATRAS MOUNTAINS, SLOVAKIA
CP4 TRANSFAGARASAN HIGHWAY, ROMANIA
As usual riders have find there own way, food and places to sleep which gets more difficult the further they get into the race.
The race started 3 days ago, and so far Shu has followed a fairly straight line in to France (skirting the Ardennes), Luxembourg , Germany (through the Vosges mountains and then South of Stuttgart), Austria (through Innesbrook) and in to Italy.
Shu has covered 860 (straight line) miles so far….