How much does that job pay?

I can exclusively reveal that web commentary for the past two years was paid at a rate directly linked to Phil Ligget's TdeF salary according to the following formula: $Phil Ligget earns - $Phil Ligget earns = TD commentators salary. Any retrospective donations from Ekloco gratefully accepted (to be shared with the TD website slackers, of course).

Cordillera - Volume 3 has arrived!  Thanks to all who put this together. 

Excellent news. Hope you enjoy it - spread the word.

How many calories do these racers burn per day?

Here's my recollection of a typical evening's calorie consumption mid race in 2009:

"Secure in my tent, and once again ravenous, I delved into my goody bag. As an appetiser I had two packets of cheese biscuits and some mini Baby-Bel cheeses. Then came the main course: four waffles, remarkably still in tact, smothered in mashed bananas and drizzled with honey. Desert was two packets of chocolate chip cookies. It was all accompanied by a locally produced sweet wine known as Gatorade. This was the highest of haute cuisine.
Short of reading material, I totted up my calorific intake from the information plastered over the back of every food packet. With an estimate for the bananas, it worked out at just under 2,000 calories, or four-fifths of my recommended daily intake. Not bad for a light supper."

Remember, that was after a meal in Breckenridge that had been so heavy I'd fallen asleep afterwards and then nearly seen it all again on the climb over Boreas Pass.

Denis - that pic is the one I recall. As I say all gone when I got there.

Is The Cordillera V3 available in ebook format?  Or will it be? 

Update from Eric - The Cordillera V3 should be available in e-book format in a week or so.

Following on from the discussion about possible race tactics between the front two, here's an edited excerpt from the article written by Kurt Refsnider, last year's winner, after meeting up with Jefe and Ethan at Brush Mountain:

"Ethan was the one to finally break the silence.
   “Should we get going?”
Now we were a “we.”  The dynamic of the race was about to shift dramatically....

...Ethan led the way, and Jefe followed a few yards behind. We would ride as a group into the next morning, often joking and poking fun at one another’s miserable looking states. But an uneasiness persisted among us as we would each periodically cast a subtle crooked glance toward one another. How tired are those legs? How sore is that knee? How late can he stay awake tonight? I thought ahead to the climbs in the Rabbit Ears Mountains, the long and steep grade out of Gore Canyon, and the more distant high passes of central Colorado. Which one of us was going to be the jerk to restart the racing?"

As for the answer to that question, you'll either have to look back at last year's race or, better still, buy V3.

Oh, maybe then. I'll ask Eric and let you know. But you'll miss out on a great cover.

Have had three TD riders pass by already this morning.  Martin R. says that this country is so beautiful-beautiful-beautiful.  Elena M & Marco C are really enjoying the ride.  They mentioned they live in the mountains of Italy, narrow valleys and steep mountains...no wide open spaces like southwest Montana.  They also mentioned Montana was a very large state.

Is that really Martin Rendl from Austria who first ventured onto the TD in 2009 with an immaculate set of bright red, brand new Ortleib panniers? Looks like a much leaner set up now, and much faster progress this time round. Schnell schnell Martin.

Denis - that pic is the one I recall. As I say all gone when I got there.

Is The Cordillera V3 available in ebook format?  Or will it be? 

I'll have to ask Eric about that to know for sure, but I think 'no' is the answer for now as it's the first I've heard of it as an option. We might look into it I guess.

Also, a thanks to all this year's contributors and helpers. And a reminder for you all to get your thinking caps on - just as last year's epic race has provided much of the appeal of this year's journal, much of what is going on out on the route now is the raw material for next year's edition.

Any word on the estimated release date of Cordillera volume 3? 

Pleased to be able to report that the Cordillera volume 3 is now available...

http://www.lulu.com/shop/eric-bruntjen/the-cordillera-v3/paperback/product-20177206.html

Hope you all enjoy it as much as when Eric was in sole charge (don't worry, his guiding influence is still strong). You've got stories from Kurt Refsnider and Paul Attalla relating the historic golden spoke, as well as Joe Polk metamorphosing into a cockroach and Justin Simoni's original snow epic (pre Lone Ranger days).

And it's still raising money for Linnaea Blumenthal's college fees - an excellent cause, I'm sure you'll all agree.

Bye it now, spread the word.

Paul

And thankyou from me too for the vibrant discussion that has helped inform the race commentary on the Tour Divide website. I hope it's gone some way to helping those who didn't have access to the combined wisdom of all those who post here.

It's also time for a confession: I've never posted on a forum of any sort before; I've always felt they're a bit like a rather muddled conversation in a bar, but without the compensation of being able to drink beer at the same time. However, I've so enjoyed the stories about racers, as well as reading insights into the race from others who've been through it, that I might be enticed to give up my role as a lurking curmudgeon - the forum equivalent of the grumpy guy in the corner of the bar reading his newspaper and ignoring everyone else - and become a regular visitor, even outside TD time.

Cheers,

Paul