Andalucia Bike Race - couple downsides

Exponential growth of riders is great... for business. What isn't great is congestion on the trails. They can technically accommodate wave starts with the timing system, meaning the actual timing system in use currently can do this with our number plates... but it's hard for towns to shut down traffic a few times instead of once. It delivers a sub-par experience. Going back to the timing system, it's not even real times, meaning we start at 10, and when you finish, your time is finish time minus 10am. It isn't based on your chip, so if you're person 500 to start, you're 3 minutes down already given the start queue maze. Naturally this doesn't really impact those in spot 500 much because they don't care. A counter is "well, the first x km are neutral anyway, so it doesn't matter." Not so... that's exactly the reverse incentive that people starting at the back are maximally incentivized to ride sketchy and "work their way up" the peloton even in the "neutral" start to overcome that deficit. It's a recipe for a gong show. For this race to be this size, I think at least minimum 200 person waves by three, and start nearer to edges of towns. Give them 2 minutes apart. Better would be 6 by 100 person starts.

Mechanical: I'm pretty self sufficient. There's some things you can't bring on planes, or by volume of luggage. The SRAM truck here won't bleed a Shimano brake. Ok I can see that. But they won't even give me any oil even though it's same stuff. They just say we aren't going to help you in any way shape or form. I also have XX shifter pods that are loose. But its not the clamps, it's the internal piece to the pods. Kate says hers at home have been like that always too. Junk. They say I can try tomorrow because they close at 7 (this is a giant semi truck/shop trailer front that's pulled out). Hello, close at 7? Have you heard of the mechanics on BC Bike Race or TransRockies that work all night to keep people rolling? Racers only come in at 1 or 2pm for the winners, so you're working max 6h days? Get real. Couple other little things... basically I think they adjust SRAM derailleurs a quarter turn.

Mechanical support was offered for whole race at a completely excessive price, "neutral support" sketchy at best (or not neutral), and not much availability of parts... examples: Jon can't find tubes; and separately, despite the announcer bragging every time on microphone that there's people from like 30 countries which would imply airplanes, CO2's are virtually impossible to find commercially. Then it's also people looking for pumps. Or patches. Or saddle bags to replace ripped ones. Or tires. Or multitools that were lost.