Can you guys pick up any clues on whether the Hamburg/Les Monthairons Pit Stop lasted ~12h or ~36h? It could help us solve the Reims Pit Stop question...
Steve/Allie's train into Hamburg arrived at 8.35pm. Assuming that the fastest time to complete this leg is no shorter than an hour and a half, they would have checked in at no earlier than 10.05pm. Jeff/Jordan check out of Les Monthairons 2h 22min after Steve/Allie, meaning that they checked in at or after 12.27am on the morning of the 6th.
They've had some time to freshen up and change a shirt - Jeff changes his T-shirt before they board the bus at the hotel. With the post-leg transport and logistics that need to be done, which would take at least half an hour, I suppose the earliest they can leave Hamburg is at 12.57am.
Les Monthairons is 773km (480mi) away from Hamburg, a journey taking 7h 16min by car according to Google. That puts them into the Pit Start after 8.13am, possibly an hour or two later depending on the speed of a bus relative to that of a car. Louie/Michael leave the Pit Stop at 9.35am, after giving probably a short confessional about where they think they are. Are we cutting it a bit too close for it all to happen within the same evening?
Tangentially related: I agree with Woden that the Seychelles leg took place on the 11th. The difference is when the previous leg took place, which depends on how long the Pit Stops were.
Unrelated: We know that the Reims leg took place the day after the Verdun leg; Carol and Brandy mention "yesterday" in their Mat Chat. Given that Jordan/Jeff arrive just before sunset at 4.46pm (it turns dark before Phil eliminates Joe/Heidi), and they leave for the next leg at 10.28am, I'd say a ~18h Pit Stop in Wargemoulin?
I thought you said they checked into Epernay on the eve(ning) of the 7th??
Yes, assuming the Hamburg Pit Stop was ~12h. Teams released from Epernay on the morning of the 10th would give us a 60h Pit Stop. If Hamburg lasted ~36h then the Epernay Pit Stop would accordingly be 36h. It is impossible for a ~48h Pit Stop as the early teams checked in under daylight at Epernay and left in the middle of the night.
10 Dec, morning: Teams released from Epernay
10 Dec, evening: Flight from Paris to Mahe
11 Dec: Race in Seychelles
EP08: Praslin, Seychelles to Penang, Malaysia
EVIDENCE: Phil spotted in Dubai en route to Malaysia (12/12 EK342 arriving 10:30am); team spotted en route from Kuala Lumpur to Penang (12/14)
Yes, we have been using these flights for our calculations (although EK 342 departs
, not arrives, at 10.30am). It is reasonably certain Phil was on these flights on 12 Dec:
EK 708 from Mahe to Dubai, 0145-0615
EK 342 from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur, 1030-2125
Which is what we used, before the season started, to ascertain that the Seychelles leg took place on 11 Dec.