As of today we have six teams who've paid their entry fees, and a lot more who are talking about it. There are also a number of people who are looking for a team to join. So we definitely have an event.

If you are thinking of entering a team but haven't yet got it together, remember that the cost of entering goes up on the 1st May, so get your entry in before then. You can download the form from the website. If you want to enter and you're looking for a team get in touch with me because I know of at least three teams looking for riders!

State of play on route sheets is that I need to check one junction between Ae and Lockerbie, and then they're done; if anyone wants route-sheets early please let me know, there would be no difficulty in emailing out a draft at this stage. Also, let me know whether you are happy to collect your route sheets and other documentation at the start, or whether you'd prefer to have them mailed out a couple of weeks in advance.

State of play on control posts is as follows:

• Glen Trool (start)      Start at 11am
• Kirroughtrie            Opens 12.30pm, closes 4pm,       1 volunteer
• Dalbeattie (Richorn)    Opens 2pm, closes 7.30pm,        1 volunteer
• Mabie                   Opens 3.30pm, closes 10.30pm    1 volunteer
• Ae                      Opens 5pm, closes 1.30am        [no volunteer yet]
• Newcastleton            Opens 7.30pm, closes 7.30 am    1 volunter
• Glentress               Opens midnight, closes noon     [no volunteer yet]

Obviously more help with control points would be a good thing - I'm sure all of the control officers would be grateful of deputies. I also have three points on the route where, in an ideal world, I'd put marshalls, and I want to have two 'floating' control points. So I need six more volunteers and, frankly, if I had eighteen more, I could use them. If you would like to volunteer, please let me know as soon as possible - I'm going to have to start twisting arms shortly.

Insurance is being arranged through British Cycling.

I haven't yet checked the waymarking of the Glen Trool 'orange' route in the clockwise direction. I will be riding it a fortnight before the event and I'll take waymarks with me in case they're needed. There are half a dozen road junctions on the route which aren't adequately signposted and which I will waymark in the week before the event.

I still don't know the total distance of the route - that may seem amazing, but I don't! The road stages total 266Km. The off-road stages amount to about 130Km, plus or minus 20Km. My estimate of the total for the whole event is about 400Km, which means you need to average 17Km/h or 10.5mph over all.