Post Race Update

The Final Hurrah

Day 9 Update

Driven

Day 7 Update

Jess Notzing - First Woman Home!

Day 6 Update

Josh Reid is First Home!

Day 5 Update

David Atkinson Wins Short Route!

A quick post-race update for you all now that the dust has settle and our lanterne rouge Jag has arrived safely in Llandudno.

![360184559 670423951568371 5883668413905704211 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1kbv8gf9uZ24s9vsZxAg3y/98ac22f9c2ac17fdb0f4c09b67243626/360184559_670423951568371_5883668413905704211_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Pan Celtic Race Series

As I alluded to in an earlier post, a few riders missed the first checkpoint for various reasons. Amongst those riders were Josh Reid and Steve Morgan who were first and sixth home on the full route. Critically, they did not stop and go back upon realising it and thus never visited CP1. For a number of very good reasons, this has been judged by PCR HQ and a 12 hour penalty applied to the times of Josh Reid, Steve Morgan and Mike Redshaw. It's notable that this is fairly lenient but not unprecedented - some other events issue time penalties for missing a CP but many would issue a disqualification so these guys are pretty lucky there!

A full statement from PCR HQ is available on Facebook [here](https://www.facebook.com/groups/pancelticrace/permalink/1414516196066128/).

Whilst we need to wait for the publication of the full and final results, we can definitely see that Josh Reid won't ultimately be the winner on the full route. Based on the timings on the tracking site he will drop to third, but the timings there are very close - a 12 hour penalty puts him 2 minutes ahead of the leading pair/fourth home Paul and Chris. The tracking site is unlikely to be that accurate compared to the exact times on brevet cards so he may fall to fourth.

![ihvLgyHV](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3WlpphivR0Esc3WivIQCoe/fde8bd462fbe9c841262dda1f7170a33/ihvLgyHV.jpeg)
 > 📸 [@arrieredupeloton](https://www.instagram.com/arrieredupeloton/)

The other thing mentioned in PCR HQ's statement is that Dave Scott's recovery from a fatal mechanical on the last day in Wales was through accepting a wheel from a friend which is against the rules. It's noted though that he realised his error, contacted the team and withdrew from the race before finishing his ride to Llandudno to join the rest of the finishers.

It's not an entirely dissimilar situation to Angus Young in GBDURO where the fatigue of racing and determination to finish as quickly as possible caused an error of judgement in accepting outside assistance. I can imagine it's all too easy to do when you've got the end in sight and someone offers you a fix for a fatal mechanical!

![sLYtqJr4](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/51nEvHlEJ0E1O9M8s7yqL8/8407865e8506270acd435548615d8041/sLYtqJr4.jpeg)
 > 📸 [@arrieredupeloton](https://www.instagram.com/arrieredupeloton/)

All this goes to show that a race organiser's work never stops! The hard work put in by the whole team; especially Mally, Rebecca and Toby but not to forget all the volunteers; is fundamental to running a safe, fair and fun event. It must be a tricky balance and I'm sure the process of this decision-making has been complicated and stressful so we hope they're able to get some downtime in soon and relax!

So there we have it. The finishers' party is well underway and the official commentary is coming to an end. It's been a fantastic ten days of dotwatching for us and I hope you've enjoyed the ride. The majority of our riders are home and dry now and enjoying the party.

It's also fitting that the last three riders in France, Jade, Tabs and Jag have all reached the ferry this evening to make their way across to Portsmouth. Whether they choose to continue their rides to Llandudno or not they have all achieved a great deal and hopefully made some fantastic memories along the way.

![358928727 1463710924376800 6611949802044051148 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3xenFCEz34Sc04zfbstNK0/dc3ee97ebe3807e8374233aad823a84c/358928727_1463710924376800_6611949802044051148_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Tabs - @therenegadecyclist

Another thing that I'm really pleased to report is that Seun Alaba arrived into Llandudno this evening in time to join the party. He's had a few choice words for the route planning (especially the gravel!) and the hills of Wales so I'm really glad he's made it home for the party. The best part of arriving at the party is the welcome he had getting home!

![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-11 at 22.52.29](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6AzSsCgD9BGKLhIUnxmbx7/51788789b230a2ee36848db1dadd018e/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-11_at_22.52.29.jpeg)
 > 📸 Arriere du Peloton

![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-11 at 22.49.24](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/jDRzME44FiHluEA53kY8W/0a24a1bcd3f669ae767b5fe8a88db02e/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-11_at_22.49.24.jpeg)
 > 📸 Jack Howker

Another thing I've seen a lot of in the last few days is what has rapidly become our unofficial CP3! Parents of rider Bess Robson live on the route and have been offering refreshment to riders as they've come through their village. Rick (Bess's Dad) has also been posting up pictures of the riders coming through. It's such an amazing gesture from them to give up so much of their time for this but from all the messages I've seen it's been hugely appreciated.

![358675012 10161569419052922 7219797040075799096 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4feeC2pjImWTPtyzO6Qk7Y/00d1cb200ade95b33baa31ee371d5653/358675012_10161569419052922_7219797040075799096_n.jpg)
![358551057 10161569419622922 3551908425215467832 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/714qJLfjhGEIozc1yw8Tjb/a1297c9fa6522a34edbed53028208dda/358551057_10161569419622922_3551908425215467832_n.jpg)
![358157040 10161569420377922 2426081321899669276 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3EhIGSJ0zgDIicAzAmsjaK/f0d9a472d22096482a690ba2dfeb7baa/358157040_10161569420377922_2426081321899669276_n.jpg)
 > All pics 📸 Rick Robson

A big thanks to all of you who have been reading these reports and to the riders who have messaged me either with insights into the race or reports of days made for people reading reports of their family members' endeavours.

A big congratulations to David Atkinson, Josh Reid, Alli Holland and Jess Notzing for being first home in their respective categories. The final results should be up on here once all is confirmed by PCR HQ.

Of course a huge thanks to Mally, Toby, Rebecca and all the rest of the crew of volunteers and helpers for making this fantastic event what it is!

I hope you've enjoyed the journey and hope you'll be back next year for the big one - the Pan Celtic Magnum Opus! 👀

Good evening dotwatchers! As I'm sure you can see, even more of our riders have made it home to the finish today and by far the majority still on the road are now in Wales and pushing on to complete the route before the finisher's party tomorrow night.

![359351131 3413751215572195 5723355994140084623 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2Qtxo2C1yD10Xrp2qX3POD/93f797a4db61e18afc5bb3ba048976bc/359351131_3413751215572195_5723355994140084623_n.jpg)
 > Jenny Wheeldon, third woman home on the short route - 📸 Fergus Murray

We have now completed both our women's podiums with third-home riders. Jenny Wheeldon arrived late last night on the short route and Janet Burthem arrived today to complete the women's full route podium, closely followed by Victoria Hayzer as fourth home in the category. Fergus Murray was on hand to capture pictures of them both - Jenny at the finish and Janet setting off round the Great Orme on the final approach to the finish.

![359440551 3413724132241570 6480399094171503212 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2MsrlpjN5a1k0oPk9qmnik/2aa57a603db3db9b812a8aef9aa2d6ef/359440551_3413724132241570_6480399094171503212_n.jpg)
 > Janet sets off round the Orme - 📸 Fergus Murray

Jumping elsewhere in the pack, looking at riders still out on the road, I have been following Instagram stories from rider Sean Morris who also recently completed All Points North. He's into Wales but has been struggling with worsening knee pain. I really hope he's able to do enough to get to the finish line - we're cheering for you Sean!

![358544200 236037528896613 6644653610758613932 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5wxDiv57VKp9l7CydXTlwc/b132bd04ab7c7cd61538be94b2c6941d/358544200_236037528896613_6644653610758613932_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Sean Morris

Another rider struggling today was Seun Alaba, one of our Ultra Distance Scholars. He has been updating Instagram stories frequently during the race and today he pulled no punches with his dislike for the route choices in Wales! The unrelentingly hilly section through the Welsh Marches was definitely getting him down. Once again, I really hope that he can keep going and resolve to get to the finish line. He can be incredibly proud that he's come so far for a first ultra race and he's now really close to the end! On the plus side... he's happy to have found a Greggs!

![Screenshot 2023-07-10 at 23.16.15](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4eM4vqHA2Wn4tdWFLOVDhe/da66fc6b99bfa4fe175d0303cebb38e8/Screenshot_2023-07-10_at_23.16.15.png)
 > 📸 Seun Alaba

There are more riders out there than I have time to tell tales from, so keep your eyes peeled on social media, especially following the official race account [@pancelticraceseries](https://www.instagram.com/pancelticraceseries/) and [@dotwatcher.cc](https://www.instagram.com/dotwatcher.cc/) to see the reposts of rider's updates along the road.

I'll be back tomorrow for our final day of coverage and hopefully a few bits of insight from the finisher's party!

We've now had a full week of the Pan Celtic Race 2023! A week ago this morning our riders set off from St Malo with fresh legs and a lot of excitement. So much has happened in a week that it feels like it must have been longer than that. I hope for riders that's a positive and not a negative!

So, let's review - our first rider home was David Atkinson on Thursday on the short route and then Josh Reid led home the full route riders on Friday. Our first woman home was Jess Notzing on Saturday on the short route and then Alli Holland on the full route a little later that day. So, today is the first day for a few where we haven't had some kind of first-finisher!

![Screenshot 2023-07-09 at 22.42.48](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/26nTQ9O6kY9JbpLDAOFS4v/535277348e14ec8a60ccc4b76bbc8154/Screenshot_2023-07-09_at_22.42.48.png)
 > Alli Holland at the finish - 📸 Taylor Doyle

We have, however, today had our second woman home from the full route - Anna Carlqvist. She got in this morning. Our third and fourth women are Victoria and Janet. They're currently very close in distance, both overnighting near Ruthin by the look of it. They've been spotted together at CP2 so I'd say there's always a possibility of a joint 3rd place?

![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-08 at 07.32.10](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1T5bdv3Ws11ceKjUzOMT5n/c8435d9bb0af2ee1d2e185527f7bbfcf/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-08_at_07.32.10.jpeg)
 > Victoria and Janet at CP2

It's high time we took a look elsewhere in the race, something we haven't really done enough of so far. The majority of our riders have now passed CP2 which officially closed at 5pm today. Those riders still on the road can still check-in there though by taking a photo or scanning a QR code.

Our lanterne rouge is a familiar one. Andy Ballard finished as lanterne rouge in 2022 on the short route but this year has stepped up to the long route! In the last couple of hours he has passed the spot where Josh Ibbett's dot finally vanished when he scratched in Dahouet earlier in the week. It's often the slowest riders who have the endure the most as they're on the road for the longest so we're all rooting for Andy to make his way to Llandudno!

We also have Jade and Tabs, two of our Ultra Distance Scholars, currently overnighting in Britanny on their way across towards the ferry. It must be harder for these guys than for Andy - he has experience of being at the back and taking it at his own pace and is clearly ok with it. I hope these guys have the time they need (and that work and life aren't calling them back too soon!) and can feel us all cheering them on to finish this huge challenge they've undertaken. Come on Jade and Tabs!

![359005373 812556880450830 7497404042511774398 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4Tg3rNNxeDsIbC6Gugw5UL/99d5a42ee151ac6ac6f87e4bdbbcdfba/359005373_812556880450830_7497404042511774398_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Jade Lau

In front of these guys is Jag Rathod who has been posting regular video updates [on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/nice_and_sweet_jag/). She's still planning to finish the route and it sounds like she has got time in-hand before her return ferry from Wales back to Dublin. She's talked a bit about her struggles about being at the back of the race but I hope that determination wins and she can finish it off. She's reported that she'll review once she reaches the ferry as to what her next steps are.

I'm afraid I can't work all the way through the remaining riders from the back, so we're going to stop with Rosie Goolden who is now getting almost to the ferry. Can you spot what she's referring to in this Instagram post? Rather her than me!!

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CufKA3Ut5qS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CufKA3Ut5qS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CufKA3Ut5qS/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by RosieGoolden (@rosiegoolden_outdooreducation)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

That wraps up this evening's update. The commentary will continue through until the finisher's party on Tuesday which will mark the official end of the race although riders will still be welcomed for a celebratory beer in Llandudno whenever they manage to get there!


Day 8 Update

As the flow of arriving riders continues unabated, we're starting to see rider's accounts of their journeys through the race and it's fascinating to see how they summarise.

Probably the most inspiring of these I've seen so far (and there will be many more to come, I'm sure) is the roundup that our first woman home, Jess Notzing has posted. The best bit is below, but do go and take your time to read through her stories highlight [here](https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17917145813677514/).

![358519563 6586310888127365 7015676625779497232 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/fS91QfJtzwqLSotOQHrkd/2cb1ecdaa4cecf67cd63f3557985aa69/358519563_6586310888127365_7015676625779497232_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Jess Notzing

Another story post about the drive to finish was from Andy Dodd and how he channeled the spirit of others to get it done and get to Llandudno, a real mix of current and former Pan Celtic riders.

![358786350 600691742134282 4079876515006868227 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2zz2GOvWQK4E04g1sYGu39/b194e7d7b3c23260fae394490821e44d/358786350_600691742134282_4079876515006868227_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Andy Dodd

The other fantastic thing to see is the huge force of dotwatchers out, especially in Wales! I've seen more photos from dotwatchers in the past 48 hours than the whole of the rest of the race so far I think! Here's scratched rider Ian Frewin out meeting Andrew Stewart near Kington.

![358632302 10159932248237981 6628774026657774796 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/Daln5BYUECoCB7EybqB11/c3fb227b7f13b11e8879452fbe2d9f98/358632302_10159932248237981_6628774026657774796_n.jpg)
 > Beards unite! - 📸 Ian Frewin

Lastly for now (daily update to follow tonight!) is a really interesting statistic! Steve Lindley, who was forced to DNS due to a bike missing in Schiphol airport, has been keeping tabs on the riders via Strava and giving us updates and sharing photos from Strava. Yesterday morning he gave us the statistic that in the past week (as of yesterday morning) the riders of the Pan Celtic 2023 group on Strava had clocked up 123,320km  between them which is more than three times round the earth! What a mind-blowing statistic!!

The biggest new update from today is that Alli Holland was the first woman home from the full route. I'll update with some kind of picture or video once I have it! We've had the first woman home on both routes today which is fantastic.

There rest of the women are not far behind - Dave at CP2 snapped this picture of Victoria and Janet coming through early today.

![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-08 at 07.32.10](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1T5bdv3Ws11ceKjUzOMT5n/c8435d9bb0af2ee1d2e185527f7bbfcf/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-08_at_07.32.10.jpeg)

Long story short we have a large number of riders finishing the race today and it will only continue over the next couple of days, keeping the folks at the finish very busy indeed!

Meanwhile some riders are still just finishing up in France, such as Alexis Tymon who, along with a group of other riders, were finishing up with a much more party-pace approach and got the ferry today.

![358359651 637451384984647 6001270036287819941 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5lzYufOCn3sloqT17slUqB/e032a8ab286db852be634e9de02d9059/358359651_637451384984647_6001270036287819941_n.jpg)

Another rider worth checking out is Steph Dietzel. She has been watercolour painting various of the things she's seen along the way and it's really quite fascinating! You can find her Instagram [here](https://www.instagram.com/sketchdietzel/).

![358188385 1063571414629846 296299551576163020 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4RYw81P1RZUsnxu0NPoGWf/7787edf92fedd1b6b5de0298954869b2/358188385_1063571414629846_296299551576163020_n.jpg)

Apologies for the bitty updates while I've been out (largely unsuccessfully) tracking down riders in South Wales. I was a little disappointed earlier this evening to see that Mike Kear didn't stop at the Spar in Chepstow as he went past. I know that Spar shops are hallowed ground for the Pan Celtic clan!

![3b0040cb-b021-45c1-a377-dde5a377640d](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2azzBe6NSg9db9gkGcX9hR/a3f3f3e214b16c22477a81f96de6046a/3b0040cb-b021-45c1-a377-dde5a377640d.jpeg)
 > Photo Taylor Doyle

Jess Notzing has completed the short route to be first woman home! The Cardiff School of Rocks founder finished in the early hours this morning.

It won't be long before we welcome our first woman home on the long route - Alli Holland is just on the last of the long-route detours in North Wales. More info when I have it!

Sorry for the lateness of this post! After having caught up with a few riders in Abergavenny last night we found a fantastic camp spot in the Black Mountains but with no phone signal for making updates!

The big news for today has been the arrival of the first riders on the full route in Llandudno. Josh Reid got back early morning as we know but since then the number of full route riders trickling in has increased. By the time I reached Abergavenny this evening positions 30 through to 35 passed through within the space of about half an hour. Alli Holland was long gone up the road and Anna Carlqvist was a fair way back - unfortunately we weren’t in a position to wait around to see her come through. 

![IMG 1579](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3Xaxf30kycdmgkVnhDYAjS/e362e44e8ed4507287547df3b780d9d7/IMG_1579.jpeg)
 > Rider Gareth Williams in Abergavenny

Down in France, today saw the closure of CP1. It has been a haven for all our riders on both routes and many hours of rest, recovery and building friendships have been happening over the past few days. 

![IMG 1617](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1PQlIulMg5RdRpu0EqXuM9/211c0449dc66fd42550b9065b0fdb9b9/IMG_1617.jpeg)

One of the final riders passing through was Tabs, one of our Ultra Distance Scholarship riders. He posted that he is intending to drop to the short route from this point on with the goal of finishing the event rather than having to call off his ride on the longer route. A very wise decision!

Josh Reid kept the charge going through the night and just a couple of minutes after 4am he arrived in Llandudno to be first home on the full route!

![ayMYdiIb](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5wvb2dogAcQquFlS8e3JMU/9e422fadd5ca705e27df0fea61b11ef6/ayMYdiIb.jpeg)
 > 📸 Taylor Doyle

I've been reminded by race HQ that all results are preliminary of course. In particular, Josh Ibbett (now scratched) and Josh Reid both missed a turn in Britanny and didn't stop at CP1 - as a result of them missing it more signage was added in the village. So... hopefully there will be lenience, especially as those of us following the tracker know that he completed the route in full.

Just under an hour after Josh got back, Matthew Garthwaite rolled in to be second home on the long route. I imagine the atmosphere is really building at the finish as more and more riders start to come in. Short route riders are now arriving in larger numbers as well as the trickle of full route riders starting.

![oeiAXTuD](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/KxjskqDdYgXnekKKou3kE/2f63dfaccec1d46722bfd70e5d170785/oeiAXTuD.jpeg)
 > 📸 Taylor Doyle

Alli Holland has departed CP2 now and is well on the way to being first woman home on the full route. She's going strong and in good spirits! We're hoping to see her get home later on tonight - she has just a smidgen under 400km to go to Llandudno.

![WhatsApp Image 2023-07-07 at 08.59.02](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2ZUe6JVbMGnHPlKrUzYcwl/f88e2d006301be63136363ff81f74c54/WhatsApp_Image_2023-07-07_at_08.59.02.jpeg)
 > 📸 Dave Holden

In the short route women's race there has been a shake-up! Jess Notzing has lost her lead to Lucy de Vial while she slept. She's not far behind and looks to be slowly clawing back her lead. This could be a close one!

I got sent a dotwatching video from Gwaenesgor just as the riders are descending towards the coast in North Wales from @alanweb on Instagram. What a beautiful view and a fab place to ride through!

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 > 📸 @alanweb

I've also just seen a story on Instagram that Dave Scott has sourced a replacement wheel and is back on the road! I falsely reported that he has thrown in the towel last night. I would imagine he will be finishing later on today.

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 > 📸 Dave Scott

One of our next races within a race is just brewing - we have two well-known clan members just approaching the finish - "The Sheep" 🐑 aka Farmer Dan Jones vs "The Bee" 🐝 aka Beekeeper Dave Dudley. Dave Dudley was one of the two Daves manning last year's CP2 at Dingle. I'm told he rode across Ireland to get there while the other Dave (Holden) drove. A lot of riders will tell you that the atmosphere at Dingle last year was fantastic and the two Daves went above and beyond to welcome riders throughout the day and night. Let's go Dan and Dave!!


One of the problems of writing race commentary is that stuff changes while you're writing. Right now I'm at the start of the post and Josh Reid is 95km from the finish. I'll let you know how far he's got when I finish writing! He's got a 25km lead (which looks to be just over an hour on the road) over Matthew Garthwaite and more over Neil Lauder in third. Plus if you look at the race flow chart, you can see that Josh looks to be going the strongest and most consistently. Matthew and Neil have both slowed a little, whether for breaks or just because they can't hold the same pace at the moment.

![Screenshot 2023-07-06 at 23.09.14](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5H5QLyfkhaawvrvI4IKUN4/7c8a4b8c34779307f6c53f6d9bc65592/Screenshot_2023-07-06_at_23.09.14.png)

So as long as Josh fuels right, keeps it steady and doesn't take any risks, I think he's on for the win. But, after 2200km ridden, who knows what could suddenly fail, either body or bike! In fact, we know Josh has Di2 issues, but he's able to rectify them on the move.

![358170670 287942457103460 1293481322067810549 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7abiuIGenb8wlWkSoTDW6z/7a171df29d6246f524750e84fc31bf72/358170670_287942457103460_1293481322067810549_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Josh Reid

Neil Lauder's Instagram suggests he's having a good day too. He was certainly feeling strong and was spurred on by good natured dotwatchers. In fact, I have seen multiple photos this afternoon of the same thing, somewhere in Wales. An amazing dotwatcher has left water out specifically for our riders!

![358167642 552558996898793 942291477624711655 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6jQ9R8c8SoTBmvhOHLh4zJ/becd81d8679bf65cfcf2722b0639e558/358167642_552558996898793_942291477624711655_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Neil Lauder

The only other major news in terms of the front of the full route is that Dave Scott has unfortunately scratched due to a failed freehub. I can't even begin to imagine the frustration of a major mechanical so late into the race!

![358071956 1258675401676359 7115965620672287109 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/ZfPoWTPlcCfJV3ndhnVps/b6ca14f81b614b09395ab516f972da5f/358071956_1258675401676359_7115965620672287109_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Dave Scott

In the women's race, it's still about the same. Alli Holland is leading and has about 8 hours on Anna Carlqvist. It will be interesting to see whether this gap is maintained all the way to the finish. Behind Anna it's a long way and one ferry back to Janet Burthem, Victoria Hayzer and Olivia de Briey who I would say are all on-track to make the morning sailing of the ferry, depending on how long they rest for tonight.

On the short route we now have quite a lot of riders coming through CP2 and into Wales. Jess Notzing, leading woman, looks to have just stopped for the night at the motorway services prior to the Severn Bridge crossing. She'll soon be back home in Wales and pushing on to the finish and I'm guessing she'll have a fair few friendly dotwatchers coming out from Cardiff to encourage her! She's keeping humble though:

![358356799 288211140360636 5906590524505831323 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6dnksaH77yBTplwGDZPsqs/bbf26284483508d1f4e44228943c93dd/358356799_288211140360636_5906590524505831323_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Jess Notzing

One from the short route for your amusement - Alex Dyson (who is getting a fair few mentions because his Instagram stories are keeping me entertained!) has stopped to refuel in Abergavenny and decided to try something a bit different. He put his venue and table number on Instagram to see what people would order to his table! It seems it was short lived though as his story below shows. Not sure how many of the drinks he's had or whether he's going to be getting much further tonight!!

![358525095 743140144234233 6790447414977997624 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/ycMJKZCMCuXKYMX5CKbt7/55a813a134d428086f0c937f8695725e/358525095_743140144234233_6790447414977997624_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Alex Dyson

Further back two of our Ultra Distance Scholarship riders, Jade and Tabs have both arrived at CP1. Coming into this as a first ultra race is no easy task and I'm hoping they won't be put off by the progress of others relative to themselves and will push on to complete the race. Concerningly, Jade reports that she's just consumed her last Percy Pig Phizzy Pigtails!

![358021908 651098109947152 4878719041782697402 n](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1c1JuFytFGGYaUN6630A2u/aa3c30b9fd0b96ac318478cd633632bd/358021908_651098109947152_4878719041782697402_n.jpg)
 > 📸 Jade Lau

So at the start I explained the challenge of the information at the beginning of a post being out-of-date by the time I publish it. As of now, at the end, Josh Reid has 85km to go. So whilst I've hammered out about 5000 characters of text, he has ridden 10km (and they're hilly, Welsh kilometres too!).

I was hoping to watch the finish 'live' but I think it'll be well into the night before Josh finally makes it to Llandudno. I'll make a post in the morning to confirm what's happened overnight.

From tomorrow and into the weekend my posts may look a little different. Tomorrow evening I hope to be on the road between Bristol and Abergavenny doing some on-the-ground reporting of my own! Hopefully I can get some good insight into how the riders are doing. I'll be joining their way of life and camping overnight somewhere in South Wales (I admit I'm taking a tent not just a bivvy) and so the timing and length of some posts may vary, but I hope to keep you up to date on the latest goings-on!

Good luck Josh, Matthew and Neil - hopefully by the time I'm back writing you'll be done and enjoying a well-earned rest!

p.s. Anyone else think that David Atkinson (see previous post) bears a slight resemblance to Fabian Cancellara? Coincidence?

Steve Haskew

Pan Celtic Race 2023 Tracking + Commentary: For its fourth edition and the first time in the race's history, the Clan will ride through the French Celtic nation of Brittany, crossing over to England and into Wales.

Pan Celtic Race 2023 Tracking

For its fourth edition and the first time in the race's history, the Clan will ride through the French Celtic nation of Brittany, before crossing over to England and into Wales to finish at the spiritual home of the PCR and home to the organisers: Llandudno.

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