Katie and Sam are crushing it on a tandem!  Amazingly strong riders and I hope they make the whole length!

 I know, they're impressive!

Is anyone very familiar with track leader?   I can see JV on the main leader board, but when I go to his individual page, it shows him stuck outside of Elkford.  Not that big of a deal, because I can see his actual location on the main page and on the spot page, but still… it's kind of driving me crazy.  I was glad to hear Mark Witcher's call in, we met him a couple different times while in Banff and chatted with him…  good guy and I wish him well!

Hello!!   Hubby is getting ready for the Grand Depart tomorrow and I am glad to be here this time to see him off.  I imagine lots of time spent checking in on track leaders and here.   Last time he raced, another race follower sent me a link to some really great photos taken of him along the route that I did not even know were out there!    T - 10 hours 42 minutes.   

here is a link the bikepacking trip my daughter and I did from Mexico to Colorado along the CDT and GDR June 2011
https://sites.google.com/a/greyrock.org/new-mexico-s-continental-divide/

How do you access the web site?

It is asking me for a password....

Day one is posted!!

Yeah, things looked slow for JV last night.  Now, he seems to be cruising out of Silver City, and hammering for the finish line.  Hope his desert heat experience goes well.

I talked to him briefly this morning when he was in Silver City.  He seemed anxious to get moving and sounded to be in pretty good spirits.  I think he was definitely "impressed" with the Gila section and the desert heat.  He said he even drank soda, and he hates soda.  I'm glad the riding will be easier through the finish.  So...  is there just some random soda machine out there or something?

Anxiously awaiting everyone close to Silver City to wake up and start moving!   I expect hubby (JV) to finish today.  I'll miss him in Antelope Wells due to scheduling/flight/work issues, but will be seeing him on the 3rd.  I'm sure he'll enjoy those few days of rest before I start making him be a tourist for a couple of weeks.

I'm really exceptionally touched that I can inspire! Remember, it's all you gals/guys that make the community what it is. I just push the pedals. This is amazing news. Thanks for continuing to inspire me to keep pushing those pedals.

Justin S, your race is particularly inspiring (as are all of them in their own way).  I read up on Dave B. the other day, seemed like a pretty inspirational guy.  Thanks to the donor who is matching, I'm happy to do a small thing for this family in his honor (and get a pretty sweet book out of the deal too).  

JVs Spot Dots have been sporadic for ~28 hours now - consistent with partially drained Alkalines.  If you hear from him when he reaches Cuba, tell him to put in a new set of batteries.

Thank you!  I will let him know.  Now I can quit worrying for a few hours :-)

Congrats to the finishers, what a huge accomplishment!!     I'm going to throw a question out about my favorite racer, JV.  I notice that his spot hasn't moved in about four and a half hours.  I would figure his batteries just wore out, I'm concerned because when I checked the views, it actually appears that he is off of the road.  I know as an Alaskan, he has been struggling with the heat a bit too, so perhaps he is just waiting out the worst of it.   Anyone have any ideas?

No, here's the ironic thing.  Your wife will agree and then be awonder at all of the time you spend in front of the computer each evening in chat rooms scheming for your ride.  Happy that you're working toward your dream, she'll still think "Get out and DO something!", secretly looking foward to when you finally take off for the Grand Depart, imagining all of of the things she'll get accomplished while you're gone and all of the ME time she'll have.  Instead, she will spend the next 3+ weeks every evening (plus solid weekends) in chat rooms and following your ride.  THAT's what you need to prepare her for.         
(I think the rest of my family would also have appreciated being warned about the TD Effect.)

This sounds frighteningly familiar.

I'm glad Aidan is back in the race too.  I felt horrible after as well as he was doing that he suffered such a setback.  Also, what is the total mileage this year with the re-routes?

J Voss - sleepin' in or next to the outhouse at the boat launch for Stagecoach Res, by the looks of his spot.   

Sounds heavenly. :-/  At least it's dry I guess.

...and a few more...
rainy and cool here today...(as you can see from the pictures)

...bear still nosing around...

no Dave G yet....
and Mike Hall is sleeping in...taking care of a painful knee...

enjoy the pics.

Thank you for the photos.  It is good to "see" the riders.   Thanks also for taking care of them so well!

I turned off my spot because I thought I was here!

My home made profile sheet was off just a tad....

Other than that, theyhave really helped out in this race! I have tons of tactical advantage...

You're doing great!  We missed you today at the birthday party, but you were quite the topic of conversation.  Everyone is impressed with what you're doing and surprised at how well you are doing.  Not that we didn't think you would do well, but you are doing REALLY well.  Keep it up and I'll see you soon!

All these blue dots are quite amazing to follow BUT

Just a quick shout out to all the “guests’ following this thread, all the friends and family members of all these many TDR racers. 

So far lots of time/comments spent here on the leaders, naturally, and also about racers some of us already know from this forum or other races

But why not please sign on and chime in with info about your racer! Photos, links, race or route comments made by your racer during their calls to you , etc etc

I for one would like to know more about all the ‘other’ racers, not just the leaders.  imo many times the most interesting adventures are happening further back in the pack and part of the spectator fun is to hear about them.

I'll chime in as well.  My husband, Justin Voss is a Southbound Rider.  He's currently showing in 9th place, and apparently passed Paul Spencer sometime today.  I talked to him this morning and he said that he had not seen anyone in about 48 hours, but that he seemed to be following someone's bicycle tracks and every town he went into, people told him that someone else had JUST been there.  I guess somehow he got ahead.  Unfortunately I am at work and only chatted with him briefly before he left Pinedale.  He said not to expect to hear from him probably until Rawlins.

A little background on Justin.  He has more drive than anyone I know.  Justin is a former triathlete and police officer.  He was hurt in the line of duty a couple of years ago when he was rear ended while stopped on the highway and was no longer able to wear the gear and the daily duty requirements the job requires.  Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he finished school, applied for and got accepted into medical school, which he starts this fall. He still is unable to run, but found that he is able to ride a bicycle without intolerable pain and has gone at riding 120% since then.    As he told me, a lot of the guys he is riding with are far better riders who weigh much less (Justin is 6'4") but I think his mental strength and willingness and ability to persevere through low times are getting him far in this race. 

He had a pretty fun story from earlier today.  After a long climb, he stopped to chat with a local road bicyclist who was asking about the race.  He asked Justin what route he was taking and when Justin told him the local recommended he not take that way because of the snow.  Justin told him he had to stick to the route and the guy again suggested that he not go that way and made an alternate route suggestion.  He said the local just looked incredulous that Justin was planning to go down the way he did and just shook his head and rode on.  When Justin told me that story, it made me realize how treacherous this course is compared to just riding the highways and maintained roads.  It makes me really impressed with JS and his chosen route!

Justin had a few rough moments early in the race, but he sounds stronger and more optimistic every time he calls.  I'm curious to see if he's able to keep the guys behind him behind him and maybe even catch up to Aidan Harding.  He's definitely keeping this race exciting for me, although it doesn't make up for him being gone (we've only been married six months).  He has a lot of supporters and cycling friends who are keeping tabs on him.  He certainly is doing us all proud and we look forward to getting him home!

The leaders are in Wyoming!   I heard from my husband, JV, today.  He's in great spirits and happy with his performance.  I really appreciate all the real time updates on here, it's great to get home from work and catch up with the happenings of the day.  

I'm also following Justin Simoni's progress closely.  He appears to have been travelling very slowly on the Flathead route (?) for 18 hours.  I hope he's ok.

I know, he's moving so slowly, but there was a reason they did the re-route.  I image the conditions and snow are horrible through there.  Hope he pushes through, I would love to see him finish.

I'm wondering if anyone can help me figure out what my husband is up to on the course.  He's just to the north of a body of water called Brush Bay.  I'm wondering why they (he and two others) stopped only 7.5 miles out of Whitefish instead of pushing through to town.  It looked like they were traveling pretty well prior to stopping.  Is the terrain poor again heading into Whitefish or were they just exhausted from trudging through snow all day.  Any ideas? Anyone know if they're at a campground or just off the side of the road somewhere?   Somehow I didn't imagine myself worrying until the race started, now I can hardly quit looking at updates!

Actually that body of water would be Whitefish lake, I was zoomed in pretty far.  Doh!

I'm wondering if anyone can help me figure out what my husband is up to on the course.  He's just to the north of a body of water called Brush Bay.  I'm wondering why they (he and two others) stopped only 7.5 miles out of Whitefish instead of pushing through to town.  It looked like they were traveling pretty well prior to stopping.  Is the terrain poor again heading into Whitefish or were they just exhausted from trudging through snow all day.  Any ideas? Anyone know if they're at a campground or just off the side of the road somewhere?   Somehow I didn't imagine myself worrying until the race started, now I can hardly quit looking at updates!