Shoot...looks like Eric B is off-course.  Hope he's just taking a detour for lunch.

Looks like Erik Is Reeling Blaine IN.  NICE!

 
Can't really call it reeling him in since Blaine was backtracking for 45 minutes, but the end result is the same.  Sucks for Blaine.  Erik is just flying now.

edit: Just noticed that Blaine's last SPOT marker is 56min old, while Erik's is only 2-3min old, so Blaine is actually likely a bit further ahead on the trail, but I Erik is still likely to catch him before too long.  Either that or Blaine back-tracked and stopped for some reason.

edit2: Blaine's SPOT just updated.  I'd guess that he and Erik are riding almost side-by-side now.

Yeah, looks like Blaine just backtracked quite a bit, but it looks like he was on the trail.  Maybe a mechanical?  Dropped something?

Wow, Erik is FAST.  He just blew by Eric a bit ago and kept on trucking...that must be humbling for Eric...it's a long race, but wow.

So sorry to see that Eric Lobeck is having problems hope he gets going soon.
Here is a BIG  WAY  TO  GO  for Eric Bruntjen moving on up to 4th maybe
even 3rd

I'm not sure how Eric Bruntjen is doing it.  I've been on rides with him and he is a monster, but ALL of these riders are phenomenal, yet he is eating up the course.  Everyone else seems to have slowed down and he seems to be actually going faster...Go Eric.  All of us in Yakima are pulling for him.  I want to see all the training pay off.  He said he was feeling sick in his only call-in so far.  Maybe that just makes him angry like the Hulk or something like that.

I think that since this is a fundraiser for the ACA, this should offend anyone:

If anyone is interested, Eric Bruntjen put together a small publication that is a collection of writings from Tour Divide riders and a few other people related to the Race in some way.  The proceeds from the purchase go to the ACA, the organization that defined most of the race route.  If you're interested, it can be downloaded as a PDF or purchased in 'dead tree' format from here: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-cordillera-volume-1/11051486

"If you have fun watching the race please pick up a copy of The Cordillera, a collection of essays about Divide Racing. The Cordillera is a fundraiser for the Adventure Cycling Association so every copy sold goes to a good cause. I was lucky enough to edit this first edition and can tell you that we have some excellent authors including Jon Billman (Outside Magazine), Mark Jenkins (Outside Magazine and National Geographic) and 2009 racers Paul Howard (Two Wheels on My Wagon published by Random House) and Jill Homer (of Up in Alaska fame).

The book will be available on Amazon.com and bookstores soon but if you order direct from the printer the ACA will get more money per copy. The link is below:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-cordillera-volume-1/11051486

More information including links for purchasing can be found at www.thecordillera.org"

This is great this year.  I know 3 people in the race this year: Eric Bruntjen, Derek Richert, and Grant Crosby.  Last year Eric Bruntjen just wanted to finish the race.  He realized somewhere around Colorado that he was actually doing well, 'turned it on' and managed to actually gain a few places before the end of the race. This year he is trying a bit harder and seems to be keeping up rather well.  Derek Richert is also doing well.  Grant seems to be holding his own as well.