Riders have continued to flood in to the finish in Gravesend. The day has largely carried on as yesterday left off with warm sunny conditions, however showers have crept in and caught quite a few riders this afternoon. It will take more than a dowsing from mother nature to dampen the spirits or the trail dust!

The word 'brutal' has been banded around quite a bit this afternoon, still plenty of smiles coming in on the timestamps though!

We still have a few riders on the final stretch rolling in style, they should all arrive late or into the early hours which will draw a close to the smoke ring challenge 2023. I hope the coverage has provided some insight into the comings and goings of the event - perhaps it's inspired you to give something like this a go yourself! Full results will be uploaded once they are available to the dotwatcher site.

Its been a pleasure to provide the commentary as part of the MTB epics team, Over and out, cheers Andy!

Wrap up

As the morning has unfolded a whole flurry of riders have made it to the finish in Gravesend less inside 24 hours since the grand depart. It's so amazing to see just how many riders have pushed on to achieve this, despite the heat. Take a minute to remember that this event in the past was ran over two days!!! Amongst the flurry was our second female finisher Georgia Drew, an excellent ride on a borrowed Surly!!! Kudos.

So what does it take to do this? It's not just a case of being physically fit and able to pedal fast. Its about effort management, minimisation of fuss and faff off the bike, basically just keep moving!  Lets take a look at a couple of the front runners stats.

Moving vs stopped time is a great metric to look at from the front runners of any of these unsupported events. The stopped time covers any point a rider is stationary, be it to open gates, resupply food and water, mechanicals, bodily functions, you get the picture. 

Lets take a look at second place finisher Alan Colville's Strava stats, moving time 16hr16mins, total ride time 17hrs12mins, so a total stopped time of just 56 minutes! impressive

Glancing over to our third placed rider and first female, Naomi Freireich's stats, moving time 17hr47min, total ride time 18hr16mins, so a stopped time of just 29 minutes -  so impressive!  Its important to say that both these riders are seasoned 24hour experts and some of the very best at this type of riding in the country, so the 'keeping moving' skills over this sort of duration will be well honed over many years.

Scratch reports: with the conditions still warm out there, the toll of riders scratching has also increased. Superb efforts all round, despite not making the finish.

#18 Ben Jarratt - stomach issues
#63 Anny Devoy - flare up of old injury
#64 Megan Abel - gutted but already planning a return for an ITT!
#29 Kenneth Riches - heat related

Best of luck to all the riders out there this afternoon, hope the weather gods are kind!


Sub 24, you know the score!

After a solid ride through the night by the three leading riders, they have all arrived at the finish in Gravesend. 

06:57 - Christian Romero (16hr52mins)
07:16 - Alan Colville (17hr10mins)
08:23 - Naomi Freireich (18hr16min) 
![alan finish](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6SfvT2qqo4CgsKTrmLFRX4/51459034b7678807e07611150ccf6139/alan_finish.jpg) Alan Colville
![naomi](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5cCMNLUBGdbFhRyEw95aT2/23f2b0270e55e034bc11f5324cbd12a5/naomi.jpg) Naomi Freireich

Most riders pushed on well into the early hours, to bivi or not to bivi was the question for many.
![nite lights](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2Kj4a6F2oJadGgSc7tmlgU/446a80fc15f7abc266ff8d054f0963fb/nite_lights.jpg)

Reports on conditions through the night were generally favourable with warm mild conditions however there were a few riders who earned a cooling wash by mother nature, this forced a few to stop and bivi. There were reports of tired eyes and unsighted gate interface moment - luckily with no injuries! 

![bivi 2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/302AjB8B3R1GvpxiOEh6h3/985c58e5e5cd094fd7ff956be9cdc92f/bivi_2.jpg)

The weather looks pretty favourable to the day for those out on the trails with only the threat of the odd isolated shower or roll on thunder this afternoon. 


Podium complete

Shortly before 7am we've had our first rider reach the finish line! #54 Christian Romero looking remarkably fresh! A beautiful sunrise at the finish this morning too!
![sunrise](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4FelLrlijAQ8d5MIKudm0p/52b75d150d1578093248fc42faab7ac6/sunrise.jpg)
![romerofinish](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/13iFxAclMGmV6NEso2BjcW/e70590977b6679bc8b0fe866d70048c9/romerofinish.jpg)
#54 Christian Romero looking remarkably fresh!
![tracker finish](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5DrM0Irqg62sucCd4iAqBz/0dbd15661af46466c6dfdc6b4d10c1a6/tracker_finish.jpg)

#4 Alan Colville and #11 Naomi Freireich are both closing in on the finish and should be in shortly. More to follow


Our first finisher!

The day shifts to night and with it a changing of the guard. Out front and solo is #4 Alan Colville with around a 15 minute lead. He's followed by #54 Christian Romero with a small peloton of riders forming including #11 Naomi Freireich, #59 Greig Higham and #58 Reece Bezwiedenhout. Distance wise the leaders are at around 110 miles, so the faster riders who plan to ride through may be finished by the time some of us wake up! 

The two highest points of the route await riders in the next 20-30 miles, Holmbury hill and Leith hill in fairly quick succession.

![christian eve](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2PJoPB4a8fz2t6XXy93CQq/9cf448366aa1ab5152035d5517840eb5/christian_eve.jpg) #54 Christian Romero
![greig naomi eve](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1X6cvnYYwEDZQqsccQzptN/70fc8c89869641be97b63f1330212642/greig_naomi_eve.JPG) #11 Naomi Freireich, #59 Greig Higham 
![reece eve](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3bgrJglTMZsO424JJShSSv/59fb31df2908e870ab3c0e954821dd4f/reece_eve.jpg)#58 Reece Bezwiedenhout

Scratch update: Unfortunately #21 Johnny Lynas has decided to pull out citing mechanical struggles coupled with heat and cramp. Great ride in such hot conditions.  No additional info on Connor to share either.

The rest of the race is moving along nicely, ice creams have been swapped for raids of Burger king and Chinese takeaways, continuing the scrappy rolling picnic.
![chinese](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6yu1gG2XdkskCuPHMYO0ME/4883772be235c7ce1f3495d39da58d43/chinese.jpg)


The night shift begins

Details are scarce but word on the ground is that Connor is scratching from the lead of the race which is such a shame, he's been at the head of the race from the very start. More to follow

Connor scratches

Six hours have elapsed since the race began in what has been a sweltering afternoon in and around the big smoke. The pace from the get go at the front has been just as hot. 
Our crew on the ground report that #40 Connor Price is leading the charge, his tracker isn't working but has around an 11 minute lead over the chase group. In second and third place are #4 Alan Colville and #59 Greig Higham, these two have been very evenly matched all afternoon. 
![connormaybe](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1smYoAvv6OGUmcGtQhePLt/f375a0b412917ffd47cf897209e25675/connormaybe.jpg)  lead rider #40 Connor Price
![2nd 3rd](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7pLTbtPXJlOxz1MSbUAYfv/a1d78a33dd14648c010c047d5ec2d5a3/2nd_3rd.jpg)   #4 Alan Colville and #59 Greig Higham
![4th5th6thsa](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1OwYJ8zHIfxxeywIqmmcvV/89b437c3e7e453480323f35440717176/4th5th6thsa.jpg) #58	Reece Bezwiedenhout	and #55 Clayton Drotsky

Hot on the heels of Alan and Greig is a group of another three riders including #58	Reece Bezwiedenhout	and #55 Clayton Drotsky. Not far behind is our leading female rider #11 Naomi Freireich.  That's a gaggle of 7 riders all within maybe 20 minutes or so of each other so its really its now down to tactics and approach for the evening stint which will play it's part on how this race pans out.

Its obviously not hot or hard enough for William Ogborne, he's been sharing many a smiley selfie en route!
![will ogborne](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1lmbVpddda4FLYX0WEY8W9/41ca3392e3ef7254e3be0bfef25bc31a/will_ogborne.jpg)

Further back the party peloton has been easy to track down. Rumour has it that Epping has almost run dry of mr whippy ice cream and flakes! 
![manning ice](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3kHDD88KhCsbFPkTCegMGK/6c91804c4395d58dc979393e2c72d840/manning_ice.jpg)
![epping ice](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5isRh2nSiVzYIBNNWsmd72/2ab252b7c16f568ca7cc47df640fea21/epping_ice.jpg)

Lots of riders have been finding the heat tough, perhaps the cooler, comfortable summer evening conditions will allow riders the confidence to push on and make the most of the break from the sun beating down.

It also wouldn't be a bicycle race without a mechanical or a puncture. Harry and Chris Roach here taking one for the team
![puncture](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4002h7kdSuSe5XzhqGTrpz/c584b7c898af1b510df1fbff23d725d1/puncture.jpg)

Six hours in

Hey it is British Grand Prix weekend after all! Hopefully we will have most riders back by the time the lights go out on Sunday at Silverstone but who knows? 

We are underway, the sun is out and its a warm one. Riders assembling at the start have been seeking the limited shade available.
![shade](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7oMwqRZzuuQbZwOTBryJYT/b4a7aeb2d9295d01c2b521368e263235/shade.jpg)
![sign on](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7mvV8mCzbWzKQPqavXARdi/d57fa28f1ad5e2f838fc1837b8c78f91/sign_on.jpg)
Most riders appear to have navigated the ferry crossing in good time, however there's a couple of stragglers who arrived not long after the mass start.
![ferry](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6Aw0b7JbdewQKuGb72AHQM/8b5cbba9495189ebbc07f83cea84363f/ferry.jpg)
It's worth mentioning now that a couple of riders who were on a super tight schedule set off earlier this morning on an ITT. #52 Renzo Puccini, #28 Franco Puccini and #14 Simon Harris set off at around 0920am giving them a 4hr40 head start over the mass start. There's also a few who have been caught up by traffic and will start later this afternoon.


Lights out and away we go!

Hello and welcome to coverage of the Smoke ring challenge! Most riders are currently en-route to the start of the race - here lies the first logistical challenge to overcome. 

The event finishes in the rather ominously titled 'Gravesend' but starts in Tilbury dock which is but a stones throw away. There's many a theory as to the origins of the name, some suggest links to it being a burial ground from the bubonic plague in 1665, however the area was listed Gravesham in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it belonged to Odo, Earl of Kent and Bishop of Bayeux, the half-brother of William the Conqueror, its name probably derives from graaf-ham: the home of the reeve or bailiff of the lord of the manor. Lets home nobody has totally buried themselves with an all out effort by finish! 

![start map](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7HJGlicCVidypL6rzO8CRB/b1c8142d8bc2da38f795761bde03985f/start_map.PNG)

Standing in the way between the finish and start is a short hop on the ferry. Logistically it makes sense for those who have lift shared or driven to park near the finish thus facilitating simpler logistics at the finish for weary eyes and heads.  An early morning tussle awaits for a prized spot on the ferry crossing over the Thames. 

Hopefully nobody will come up short for the 'last chance saloon' ferry which leaves at 1:30pm. This could be cutting it fine for the 2pm get go!

67 riders form the start list with a strong variety of experience, background and aims for the event. For some, this event is a warmup for something bigger - a chance to give setups or kit a final shakedown before a big event. This is likely true for Alan Colville who lines up to take on GBDURO next month. He certainly has the skills and ability to be right at the front but may opt to keep it steady.

For others this event is their one big hurrah for the year so will be tackled as an all out assault to achieve the shortest possible time to set the coveted first Fastest known time (FKT). 

For many, this event is a step into the unknown, the first event of this length that they have entered and here lies the excitement with plenty of unknown quantities on the list.  There is also a very healthy dose of names from last years Cotswolds200 that have come back for another dose of Vince's legendary routing skills. Others will be here to have a proper good time on two wheels. Spotting and tracking where the party peloton is at will be one of my first jobs!

Wishing all riders a safe and hassle free journey to the start line and we will be back for updates this afternoon as the race gets underway.

Race Preview

Andy Deacon

The Smoke Ring Challenge Tracking and Commentary: An intrepid, off-road loop around the Big Smoke, AKA London. This route takes in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, forests and national trails as it takes its riders around the entirety of the UK's sprawling capital city.

The Smoke Ring Challenge Tracking and Commentary

An intrepid, off-road loop around the Big Smoke, AKA London. This route takes in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, forests and national trails as it takes its riders around the entirety of the UK's sprawling capital city.

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