I wonder if we'll ever know why JP and NB spent the last part of the race riding together.  A single pace might have suited one of them, couldn't have suited both of them and might have suited neither. Plus, it gave JK a single quarry to pursue.  If he took down one, he took down both. Which is what he did. Extraordinary race.

Excellent point. That single target would provide a psychological boost if nothing else.

But what a race. Whenever I need inspiration to get on the bike now, I'll just look at those finish photos JMH took and start riding.

Congrats Josh! Awesome comeback over the last 7 days or so, just chipping away at Neil and Jay. Fantastic performances by all of you.


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:headbang:Holy Smokes.The only thing this race needs right now is a little Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin commentary.
What a battle.

I'd rather hear Carlton Kirby and Dan Lloyd, but I get the point...

Looks like Jill Homer has run into some problems, according to this new Tweet. I hope she's OK:

https://twitter.com/AlaskaJill/status/614186954054348800

Looks like Josh stuck around Pie Town to eat some pie!  However, with this stop, he likely lost sufficient time to get back into the lead, with Jay and Neil pulling away.  Maybe he decided he wouldn't be able to cover the gap anyway and decided to relax a bit and eat some pie (after all, he deserved some pie after his huge effort!).  In any event, I am all for either a required 30 minute stop in pie town or 10 minute bonus for each piece of pie you eat (like Eszter mentioned)!

This is great race! Kudos to all the racers!

Kid Riemer was handing out stem caps at the GD in Banff - one stem cap in Pie Town was good for two pieces of free pie, IIRC.

Maybe Josh got more than one? 

Hal Russell for President!

2016  ...out.

+1. And for Prime Minister of Canada as well.

Thank you for the photos Russ Kipp!   AMAZING! 

+!!

Thanks again Angler for the photos from Ovando. Gives us spectators and fence-sitters an idea of who's who and what kind of gear they're using. And a huge shout out to Travis Waters, who looks as fresh in Ovando as he did when I chatted with him at the GD in Banff. Super stuff.

I suffered through Shermer's Syndrome (long before I knew it was called that) during a week-long road ride across France and Belgium in the early '90's. We were popping painkillers on a regular basis to the point where the ride's subtitle became "Better Cycling Through Pharmaceuticals." I have an idea of what Larry's going through and it's no fun; rest seems to be the only real cure. I hope he can work through it and get back to business.

Others will probably have different opinions, but I don't really see the TD as a 'Mountain Bike' race, just a bike race. As such, I think people should be allowed to ride whatever bike they think will work best for them. Drop bars, riser bars, Jones bars, whatever works. 4" tires, 3" tires, 35mm tires, whatever works! I kind of like that fact that you can use whatever equipment you see fit to use.

One thing I find interesting is the almost universal use of aero bars, those probably would be frowned upon in your average mountain bike race!

Wondering what type of rigs the riders will show up with is a big part of the intrigue for me. I can understand closed-course, mass-start MTB races (or road races, for that matter) having bicycle type and other, stricter rules, but this run-what-ya-think-will-work-best thing is a big part of the allure. Not only that, it has sparked design and manufacturing innovations to try and find the best possible platform for bikepacking in general and ultras in particular (the Rocky Mountain Sherpa and new Salsa Cutthroat fr'instance).

I wouldn't want to see the rules get to that point; it would take a lot of the mystique and relative simplicity out of the sport.

But, hey - back to the racing! Will JayP and Neil be sharing a steak at the Peat Hotel tonight?

Great photos as always, Angler.

Interesting to see the difference in the amount of gear carried by Eijai and Anthony.

Hang in there, Connor - lots of time left to make a real impression.


Just these two notes made all the difference.  Thank you.  We may have talked him into  resting for a day.  If it feels good enough tomorrow to push onto Lincoln and have the Docs at the clinic there check him out.  And I told him to quit self diagnosing on the internet.  It will make you think you're dying!

Good work, Angler. There are obviously worse places to spend a rest day than Ovando, Montana. 

So, after spectating at an exciting and inspirational TD GD in Banff on Friday past (not to mention following the dots of amazing riders like Hal Russell, Travis Waters and Tom de Vries), I've ordered the first two maps in the GDMBR series. For future reference, of course...

The first step on the slippery slope?

Angler, tell Connor that spending a day resting and trying to recover isn't the end of the world! There have been plenty of racers in past years that have managed to recover from injuries and push on, finishing strongly. He might not be able to meet his initial goal if he slows up a bit, but he can still have a great experience on the route and come back next year to make use of all he learned.

+1. Hang in there, Connor - lots of time left to make a real impression.

A big shout out to Idahoan Travis Waters who is just working his way off the Flathead. I spoke with him at the start yesterday and he seemed pretty nervous, but he is lighting it up and making great time. Hal Russell is doing well too; he's a huge inspiration to us older guys who dream of doing something like this.

And I just can't believe the pace up front. Phenomenal.

The rider positions don't appear on Trackleaders map. Is anyone else having this problem? I could see them prior to the race and could see the Trans AM positions but now none appear. Any ideas for a solution?

I'm seeing everything clearly (which I know doesn't help your situation). Did you try refreshing the riders' positions?

Good to hear that Robin B is back on track.  Fours hours is nothing in this race, its a blink of an eye ;-)

To have to descend into Canmore and then climb back up to Spray Lakes is a bit of a bummer; adds more elevation to his first day.

It was a real treat for me to see the riders off this morning in Banff. I can only wish someday to have the strength and bravery to do something like that.

I haven't had a chance to look at my photos yet; left the trailhead and directly back to the office grind in Calgary. I'll try to post some somewhere if they're any good. And yes, I think that person with the dog (and the Bob) was racing; she at least joined in the GD. When she rode by me, the dog almost pulled her off the trail.

And a final shout out to Travis Waters, whom I met in the Y parking lot and was ready to launch on his first TD attempt.

Good luck and tailwinds to everyone on the #TD2015!

Ride on.

Good luck to all the TD2015 riders. I'll be in Banff on Friday morning to see you on your way (before heading back to the 9-5 grind in Calgary for the rest of the day). I'll be following the dots thereafter.

Ride on!

Here's the Spray Lakes Banff trailhead (mile 0, I guess) today. Looks a little forlorn and lonely and obviously needs some TD racers to liven things up.

It was a great day in Banff, BTW. Sunny, 17C and little wind. Not bad for April 20.

Gary

Gary ... or someone who understands the bears in Canada or Montana.  What does the the earlier appearance of the bears bode for us later?  Have they had time to train to chase us faster? Or ?

Regardless, Thanks for the report.  I was worried about that green truck.

I don't want to make a prediction on bears or their behaviour (it's safe to predict they're entirely unpredictable, if that makes sense) but I would hope an earlier rising would allow them to get over their early-season hunger before June 13. I also think that hunger has little to do with the attitude of a grizzly separated from her cubs or otherwise aggravated, so that early rising may be moot depending on the circumstances.

Gary