Jeff Earls
Well-known member
Morning Musings at the end of Day 4.
At nearly 96 hours in, the riders will have started setting into their pace. The early adrenaline is long gone. I told the new riders in the rookie meeting that they would all leave the parking lot in Seattle like a gibbering pack of hyenas on crack. By now they have a few days and nights behind them and are starting to understand that there is still a week ahead of them. The veterans know that the rally always throws tougher challenges at them on the later legs.
Today is checkpoint day. The window opens at 2000. Penalty points accrue per minute starting then and continuing to 2200, when the checkpoint closes. Riders not checked in at the table by 2200 are immediately sent to DNF status.
Here today's snapshot.
https://picasaweb.google.com/KGTpilot/IBR11?authkey=Gv1sRgCIa_xZSzi-CZkAE#5621791162304444514
As you can see, most of the visible field is between Detroit and Cleveland. Lansing was a large bonus so it makes sense that many riders went for it. These riders will be in good shape and should be expecting to arrive at the checkpoint between 1500 and 1700 today.
There are riders strung out across PA, headed for Harrisburg. The rider closest to Pittsburg has about 460 miles to cover in the available 10 hours. They should be getting in before the window opens but only an hour or so to spare. Similarly it looks as if rider "887" might be attempting the same. That rider has 575 miles to cover if headed to Harrisburg They may make it by 2000 but will need a solid day of boogie.
The rider near Indianapolis has 560 miles ahead of them if they are to claim Michigan as well (and he needs to). Based on their pace over the last four days, I expect this rider will arrive in the penalty window if he makes it at all. The rider near Cincinnati has similar challenges.
What about that fellow in Vermont? Rider 130 spent the night collecting all the New England states. This has me puzzled because those are Leg 2 states. This rider did not go to Madawaska. So .... ???? Color me confuzzled here.
We do know that at least one rider was steaming for Madawaska yesterday afternoon and well on pace to grab it in time.
The questions remain. Was Alaska worth it? Is 4-Corners worth it? Will the next bonus listing throw something out that the hardcore riders that went to Hyder or Madawaska can't reach as a result of states they bypassed; but that suddenly opens big points to those that did a more conservative states-and-capitals route? That would be reminiscent of 2001 when Deadhorse was offered at check 2 to riders for twice as many points as on leg 1 but it was not available to the riders that left for it on leg 1 because they had to skip check 2. Ah, the mind games!
Scores for the leg may not be representative of effort and position. The 4-Corners bonus will not be added to anyone's score until the finish.
At nearly 96 hours in, the riders will have started setting into their pace. The early adrenaline is long gone. I told the new riders in the rookie meeting that they would all leave the parking lot in Seattle like a gibbering pack of hyenas on crack. By now they have a few days and nights behind them and are starting to understand that there is still a week ahead of them. The veterans know that the rally always throws tougher challenges at them on the later legs.
Today is checkpoint day. The window opens at 2000. Penalty points accrue per minute starting then and continuing to 2200, when the checkpoint closes. Riders not checked in at the table by 2200 are immediately sent to DNF status.
Here today's snapshot.
https://picasaweb.google.com/KGTpilot/IBR11?authkey=Gv1sRgCIa_xZSzi-CZkAE#5621791162304444514
As you can see, most of the visible field is between Detroit and Cleveland. Lansing was a large bonus so it makes sense that many riders went for it. These riders will be in good shape and should be expecting to arrive at the checkpoint between 1500 and 1700 today.
There are riders strung out across PA, headed for Harrisburg. The rider closest to Pittsburg has about 460 miles to cover in the available 10 hours. They should be getting in before the window opens but only an hour or so to spare. Similarly it looks as if rider "887" might be attempting the same. That rider has 575 miles to cover if headed to Harrisburg They may make it by 2000 but will need a solid day of boogie.
The rider near Indianapolis has 560 miles ahead of them if they are to claim Michigan as well (and he needs to). Based on their pace over the last four days, I expect this rider will arrive in the penalty window if he makes it at all. The rider near Cincinnati has similar challenges.
What about that fellow in Vermont? Rider 130 spent the night collecting all the New England states. This has me puzzled because those are Leg 2 states. This rider did not go to Madawaska. So .... ???? Color me confuzzled here.
We do know that at least one rider was steaming for Madawaska yesterday afternoon and well on pace to grab it in time.
The questions remain. Was Alaska worth it? Is 4-Corners worth it? Will the next bonus listing throw something out that the hardcore riders that went to Hyder or Madawaska can't reach as a result of states they bypassed; but that suddenly opens big points to those that did a more conservative states-and-capitals route? That would be reminiscent of 2001 when Deadhorse was offered at check 2 to riders for twice as many points as on leg 1 but it was not available to the riders that left for it on leg 1 because they had to skip check 2. Ah, the mind games!
Scores for the leg may not be representative of effort and position. The 4-Corners bonus will not be added to anyone's score until the finish.
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