TD 13 - Detours

[sdrffpp]

How do racers learn about the detours?

[Veetack]

This is speculation, but Matthew Lee I thought said he spoke personally with Mike Hall and gave him the cues for the reroute. As for other riders, word of mouth travels pretty fast, and they should all get the message. There are plenty of people along the route that read these forums and are enough in the know to pass along word. Also, I think Joe put something on the MTBcast message.

[Majcolo]

This is an interesting question, especially for the "purists" among us. WWTD? 

[ScotRoutes]

This is an interesting question, especially for the "purists" among us. WWTD? 

If I'd put in a lot of training, taken time off work, bought new/additional kit and paid for flights to and from the US (from Scotland) I'd be doing the route, the whole route and nothing but the route

[mikepro]

If I'd put in a lot of training, taken time off work, bought new/additional kit and paid for flights to and from the US (from Scotland) I'd be doing the route, the whole route and nothing but the route

2011 was your year, then.

[mtbcast]

This is speculation, but Matthew Lee I thought said he spoke personally with Mike Hall and gave him the cues for the reroute. As for other riders, word of mouth travels pretty fast, and they should all get the message. There are plenty of people along the route that read these forums and are enough in the know to pass along word. Also, I think Joe put something on the MTBcast message.

I often do put something in the greeting but didn't this year. Not that I'm leaving it out but it hasn't been needed so far. As you mentioned, people learn along the route. Routes can change too. If needed, I will.

[MikeI]

If I'd put in a lot of training, taken time off work, bought new/additional kit and paid for flights to and from the US (from Scotland) I'd be doing the route, the whole route and nothing but the route

Understood.. but you can't do the original "whole route" because it's closed.  In Canada, it's washed away, and in New Mexico you just simply have to take the alternates.   When you take the re-routes, you have done this year's "whole route".  And the finishers this year have done an AWESOME job of it.   Comparing this thing across years is akin to comparing apples and oranges.  It's not going round and round on some racetrack, but across a chunk of wildness that continually changes.

[Pizzaz]

Would have really loved the reroute detail to be on MTB cast... Cell coverage is patchy and cell data coverage is worse... Word of mouth is unreliable... Local business interpret (yeah... Apparently FR150 is opening by lunch according to one 'source' :/ )

Even local officials aren't a good guide (spoke to USFS fire guys near the start of the reroute and they thought FR150 had reopened... Of course this was not the case...)

At least a word on mtbcast (even something like 'there is a reroute, check email / trackleaders etc) means we should have the best chance of getting the info. )

[liney]

I am now totally confused on the second reroute....first I heard that there was flooding and people were getting through and the original route might soon be opening up and that you can go either way. Now the word on the street is that the second reroute is closed and you are supposed to go the original way......?  I am also assuming many riders won't get ANY of this info......

[james-o]

If I'd put in a lot of training, taken time off work, bought new/additional kit and paid for flights to and from the US (from Scotland) I'd be doing the route, the whole route and nothing but the route

I thought that before I set off, said as much in the pre-race thread referring to the optional sections (El Malpais / Chaco alts), but it's a race and it depends where in the pack you find yourself and how important that feels to you at the time. I was glad of a bit of tarmac to rest aching feet as I was told I would be! If I was touring I'd push on to do the full route, if possible, but when I got to the Abiqui roadblock (felt it was right to go all the way to the closed point and back, not just blow through onto the diversion) there were 2 rangers in a jeep waiting - no sneaking past. Top marks to Billy Rice though - lessons for us all there.

[james-o]

This is an interesting question, especially for the "purists" among us. WWTD?  

I had no phone or gps so it was potentially a headache. But that was my choice, I knew the risks beforehand as fire diversions had been likely since before the start. I was close to a rider (Liam) with full comms (iphones etc) who shared the re-route info after pie town, and at Abiqui Alex and I agreed that the only realistic and obvious route was the one we'd use, which in fact was the re-route although we weren't able to be sure at the time - no wifi at the gas station to check emails. Alex lost over an hour trying to get info there. It felt a bit like the whacky-races briefly but isn't that how it should feel at times?
I guess the only 'fair' way would be for a BP.net network of volunteers to post a note at the diversion split, but that's no more reliable and removes responsibility from individual riders. For me, the co-operation among racers to share route info despite being in heated racing was the highlight of the TDR. We only wanted to win on leg power and endurance, not by a lack of info or other means. Reminds me of this image I have hanging on my wall -



Coppi only wanted to beat Bartali fairly, so shared water on the Izoard so they could race as equals. A meaningful image for me. Now I know how Bartali felt, somehow.