The Transcontinental race, bar the key check points and allocated parcours surrounding them, is all about plotting your own route across the 4000km distance. This adds a very unique element to this sort of race, and is executed at varying levels of complexity and detail per rider, often linked to their personality type. Those of the OCD variety will spend months meticulously planning every kilometre along the journey with multiple plan B,C,D,E variants – others will set a rough route – throw into the GPS, and adapt along the way. I have fallen somewhere in the middle but have a very clear knowledge that it won’t be perfect and to expect many a replan along the way (that’s what keeps it interesting right) – although hopefully no sleeping in blue mountain rescue containers this year ala 2012 Freedom Chaellenge !!
The main tool and process for route planning is as follows:
- Transfer all checkpoints from race manual into a spreadsheet to build up your itinerary, and for copy and paste into route building websites
- Set your A to B points into your choice of route building tool (often a combination of many) such as Kamoot, Garmin Connect, Google Maps etc
- Set the tool to avoid all highways, ferries, motorways, and long tunnels – these sections of road a banned in the race rules. The tool will then plot a first pass route based on the surface you select: ‘touring’ will throw in gravel and mixed surface, road cycling will select only asphalt and paved route sections
- You start fine tuning the route based on your own riding preferences: longer but less climbing, direct but going through large towns, avoiding or including dramatic mountain passes. This is where Google streetview and the the incline decline view of the tools is key. A climbing blip on a scale over 1200km can look small on the screen when planning but on the road could add hours esp if it’s unexpected bad gravel instead of tarmac
- Once you are happy with that 500km odd section of the route, save it and push it to your GPS device (mine is a Garmin Edge Explore) to check it loads up correctly and turn by turn works. Also then back up GPX manual file and route on your phone and smart watch for redundancy.
- Repeat over and over again until you have the full 4000km done to a level you satisfied with. As I said earlier, this is totally dependent on rider personality and traits.
I am fairly happy with my route and have plotted out an approximate schedule of where I hope to be each day after 250km of riding and a suggested accommodation spot – this is likely to differ quite significantly during the race, but gives me a sense of comfort of a plan per day 😜
