We went. I rode the People's ride, did so-so, could have done much better, but I'm satisfied anyway, because last year I placed 1140th.
My place in 2011 - 416 out of 2790
Time 1:05:18, gap to the leader +0:12:03, average speed 33.5.
Reasons in order of importance
1. Didn't buy a battery for the bike computer, the old one died, so I rode without a comp. Didn't know how fast I was going or if the finish was near, and in the end saved my energy way too much.
2. The tires were wide and knobby, didn't take off the rear rack (see the point below).
3. The day before, we rode 80 km from Ogre to Sigulda, in the rain. The ride was boring to be honest, on asphalt, the only thing that brightened up the trip was the swampy forest at the beginning.
4. We slept in a tent.
5. My socks were wet, and I dropped my water bottle close to the start of the race.
For next year, the bare minimum goal is to make the top hundred.
Tracks are below the cut, if anyone is interested.