I'm curious to see the gear list. Where does the food go? Warm clothes? Sleeping Bag? Bivy? It seems like there is room for just one of those things on that bike.

I imagine the weather was anywhere from inconvenient to downright brutal today. Driving outside of Durango today the wipers had to be in fast mode and there was flooding everywhere. While I was out hiking, the trail turned into a river. This probably has caused at least a few to miss the store closing. I'm curious to see who will stock up at the gas station and press on and who was carrying enough food from Durango.

You got to give it up to the guy who reportedly stopped for 90 mins! There's insane and then there's inhuman.

With how much work he's done to this point and the extra sleep Jefe got I'd be surprised if Neil can catch him but I'm pretty sure he's going to beat my time from last year!  I was 3d20h14m Trailhead to Trailhead and that gives him about 16 hours once he can resupply in Silverton and get rolling for the final leg.  It wont be a leisurely ride but I'm certain he's using every cell in his body to get there as fast as he can.  The record is his if he can get to Durango befor 2:14am.  Get it Neil!

Oh records (I hate to sit and speculate before it's written in stone - isn't there a saying about chickens or eggs hatching? count your chickens eggs?) but with different directions, thoughts on which way is easier, timing starting in town last year, 1000 more vert this year, there is only one way to determine to the ultimate ctr champion.... dramatic cinema shot pans to Jesse's garage... the race bike... sitting in dust... just gets brushed off.

Ryan Franz is also looking really strong right now and put some distance on Aaron Denberg. As for Neil making the catch, with him being a day behind the others, and both Ben and Jefe well positioned at this time to break 5 days....

Looks like Jefe slept a good deal and timed the opening of the store at 7am just about perfect. He really made up the ground he lost while sleeping! Ben kept moving most of the night but maybe got an hour of sleep. It'll be interesting from here! 15 hrs, 20 hrs, more to go? Still so unknown what could happen.

I'm baffled by that too!  There has to be more to the story though because I cant imagine they both picked up 3 days worth of fuel in LV and you just dont carry 25,000 extra calories 'just in case'!  And as for them making it to Silverton, unfortunately I dont think either will make it there before 10pm with what they have left to ride (it will be very close for Jefe) but maybe they will pull out another magic trick and not get stuck in the Sliverton penalty box till Neil shows up!   And speaking of Neil, he's 3.5 hrs ahead of his last effort in 2014 with great weather ahead.  History in the making folks!

I couldn't imagine either of them not stopping in Silverton for food. If you ration and slow down you can really make the calories last.

Talked to Teresa and she decided to scratch in BV with bad stomach problems. In 2013 she completed the CTR but wasn't able to eat enough and it could be categorized as an unhealthy experience. I think she was trying to avoid that again but was seeing herself heading towards a similar situation.

Exciting to watch it unfold and way easier than being out there

True, but... sorta makes me want to start training for next year!

Very proud of all the people I know out there racing. Ben is up front, riding very smart I'm sure, but with this being his first bikepacking race, he's carrying a bit more that the usual leaders on this course. With food and water he's powering a 50+ lb rig! I've watched Teresa pop into the top ten a few times. She's pushing a proportionally heavy rig for her 115 lb body weight and rides with hiking shoes and flat pedals. She has so much determination I'm sure she'll keep moving whenever she can. Also, a friend from college, Alyssum, decided a few weeks ago to do this. She hasn't been riding much and pretty much just threw some stuff in a backpack. She didn't have a bad first day and then took a good rest. It's literally an off the couch effort for her. And you all know who Jefe and Neil are so I don't have to say anything further!

... from my cold, dead hands. 

I think this is a fair topic.  Sleep deprivation is definitely not good for the health, long term.  And it *is* a major reason that people who really push it and go for records sometimes do not return -- or pick their races very carefully.  This sport has seen many strong riders that have stepped away, sometimes not by choice, or because they are tired of paying the huge recovery cost post-race.

Interesting to think about whether the races need to be sustainable? Can they not be great, wonderful, adventures that push you like nothing else ever has, and you don't go back to them? Given my limited experience, it's hard to imagine a 4 hr safety break would change too much in terms of the recovery but probably would keeps peoples minds a littler straighter, at the cost of slightly less adventure. 20 hrs of riding is a ton of riding. Break for 6 hours and you'll have to give me something just to stay asleep. I think it's more about cutting down the riding hours, than actually sleeping to make it sustainable, but then you're talking about a different race.

I started the Coconino race in the stage format for this reason.  It was an attempt to make it more fun, perhaps a bit more safe and certainly more sustainable.

Super fun! Funny how most of us are so resistant to change. But still a very different race experience.

As the RD of AZTR (and de facto, semi-RD of TD) I have seen some poor decisions being made by racers and have to wonder if sleep dep has played a role.  It's hard to say, but it is pretty well documented that our decision making suffers without sleep, especially when presented with new or unexpected situations (like a crash, or other mishap).

You definitely have to manage yourself. One of the reasons I didn't roll with a spot tracker some years of racing was I didn't want to get in over my head and have help just a push button away. Take small steps to discover your limits and you'll probably keep yourself safer.

I have to disagree. I don't see a problem with the racing as it currently stands but there is always the possibility for ultra racing to evolve. The easiest answer to the problem as you see it would be to create a new format and see if it catches on. For example, I bet many bros were tired of pedaling uphill so hard during cross country races when it's the downhill that's so much fun (or was it past their prime downhillers that constructed something they'd still be dominant at?). Boom, we got enduro! I've raced in one sort of hybrid bikepacking race with stops, the Coconino in Arizona. You can do it in one push or you can break it up into stages. It was tons of fun! I think there should be more of those types of races - long self supported stage races - except personally, I'm not into pedaling hard uphill at the moment. I think your reasoning for why ultra racing has to change is just your personal preference regarding what sounds like fun, what constitutes the strongest rider, and what you can personally deal with or wrap you mind around regarding sleep.

Thanks Stefan for continuing to organize this great midsummer adventure. I've finally gotten to write some words about the experience. https://travelingwild.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/i-am-not-a-dog-in-china/

For anyone interested, I took a GPS of the ride and uploaded to Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/219675
Probably my last time riding without a tracker.

I can't seem to find a gps track for this route.

In regards to Jesse's killer ride, I'll keep it short with words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPjvDE-rKo0

Pretty sure I saw Matt Finishing this morning.  I headed up Waterton to ride the Indian Creek Loop and he was about half way down the single track from Lennies at about 8:15am....I'm guessing an 8:40amish finish?   

Andy
pedal of Littleton
Littleton, CO

correct (8:44). if spoken to, i might have only pointed at my throat or lips which were sealed shut with a 4 day layer of sugar!

Sounds like a bunch of pretentious bullshit to me.

I think selfish is a better description, and without writing a page worth of crap, there are certainly things I omitted. But it has to be realized as well, that was a dramatization, enlarged to show texture, prove a point, that sort of thing. Point being some people would rather be left alone out there for a variety of reasons.

The whole idea of obsessing, and taking time off of work, and having a friend or partner drive you down, it's all self centered and selfish but that's besides the point. This is dirtbag racing, even if you aren't a dirtbag. Everyone owes someone something for helping them get to the start line, but I don't think anyone owes a stranger anything. That's what happens with no prize money, sponsors, salary, etc. Everyone has the chance to keep people posted via smartphones, mtbcast, but I don't think the obligation because its not about the fans.

I think the enthusiasm among the online followers is great. I'm refreshing the trackleaders page all the time on the major races. But I hope the stalking stays with following the blue, pink, or yellow dot online and not people going out to track down riders. I'm sure other people have chimed in with their perspective on this, but I'm going to offer mine.

I think people that go out to follow racers have good intentions but I find them out of touch and obnoxious. For me the race unfolds as so: Day 1 - lots of nervous and anxious racers and I almost think this thing is a lap race with people rushing in and out of the stores. More importantly, my head is still on straight. I can look strangers in the eye and talk with them. I haven't gone off the deep end yet. If people line the trail and want to cheer everyone on like a parade, so be it. Day 2 - Depending on sleep I’m a zombie or maybe just tired enough to be a little irritable. I have fun but things need to go my way. Day 3 – If you’ve done this right, you’re tripping balls. Children cry all night and strange animals appear from the shadows only to move through you and vanish. During this delicate state all outsiders are evil and only those in your clan, people on the same drugs as you, fellow racers, can be communicated with in confidence. Day 4 – This is not a bike race. In a bike race you make attacks, hammer out of the saddle, you have power. You’re on your own journey now and why you need to keep moving forward to finish this personal test in unclear at the moment but sure to leave you with regret if you give up now. Day 5,6,7,etc – you vs the CT, you vs mother earth, you vs the storm cells that try to wipe you off the hill. Every experience is so raw. It’s so easy to give in, but walking away is permanent.

Now mindstates may vary among participants depending on general sociability, sleep deprivation, drugs ingested while on the trail, day to day circumstances, and your genetic predisposition to lose it in the wild, but don’t be that guy yelling out of his truck, trying to get his social media interview, or that person at the top of the hill, shouting out and giving time back splits from the rider ahead.  APPROACH ALL RIDERS WITH CAUTION, BECAUSE LIKE WILD ANIMALS, NOT ALL ARE FRIENDLY!!

Any interest in a pre-race gathering at Carvers again?  Say 7pm?  I could hand out rental SPOTs there, otherwise it will have to be at 3am before the start...

Yes! having a chance to trash talk each other while wide awake before the event is important!