TD'11 Race Discussion

[gpe]

My advice is to buy a copy of the Cord and leave it on the bedside table. They'll eventually come around.

It is a great book.  Just don't let her read the story about the wild dogs.  After having come to grips with the threat of bears, snakes and scorpions, that will have her worried all over again.  (Yet I think I just read on Aidan's blog the other day that it's the moose one has to worry most about.)

[bjamin]

I got this response on mentioning Tour Divide:  "you'll be gone a whole month, not to mention all of the training"
 
My smart*ss response: And that's a bad thing?

didn't go over too well.

P-B-P might be more suited to a family event (everyone goes to Paris, while parent rides).

used to sleeping in the dog house

[Cosmo K]

I have a suspicion that Jefe is ahead of Kurt.  They were very close last night.  Maybe I'm reading the stats wrong but it looks to me like Jefe got moving almost two hours ahead of Kurt this morning.    Interesting move if he turned his spot off upon leaving.  This is getting very interesting.

[29singlespeed]

I have a suspicion that Jefe is ahead of Kurt.  They were very close last night.  Maybe I'm reading the stats wrong but it looks to me like Jefe got moving almost two hours ahead of Kurt this morning.    Interesting move if he turned his spot off upon leaving.  This is getting very interesting.

I am no expert, but knowing Jefe - I think it's more plausible the batteries ran out.

[Georg66]

so we need someone out in the real world of NM
watching them personally
(this shows the limits of the net)

[DaveH]

I just looked at how the last few hours went by in Topofusion's SPOT instant replay.  Damn that is cool stuff!

It looks like Jefe's batteries crapped out, and Kurt extended his lead a little also.  Kurt rode later and (I think) started earlier.  In any case from my eye there is no chance that Jefe is in front of Kurt.  But I could be reading it wrong too...Jefe's last few points are flakey.

What is really interesting is that Kurt and Jefe seem to be stopping about the same.  Kurt & I have talked quite a bit about the various pros/cons of riding faster & sleeping more vs. riding slower and sleeping less.  He is super inquisitive as to where the boundaries lie.  Despite this year's TD not being eligible for course records, I bet we'll see Kurt further investigate those  boundaries in the coming days.

I almost feel guilty about being able to watch it...almost

Maybe I'm wrong and Jefe is in Cuba!

[delilo]

We need a live feed from a motorbike crew.

[Coop]

I can't see any tactical advantages to turning one's Spot off at this point... unless you are dropping weight in the form of batteries

[DaveH]

This race is 80-90% mental, so I'm told...

[ZackR]

Jefe generally has a low opinion of high tech gadgets (gps aside) and he has had a lot of time to think about how the technology might be affecting the race. If I had to bet, I'd say either his Spot is dead for one reason or another or he doesn't know it's off. But it is an interesting twist, especially that far out in the boonies.

Then again, Kurt can read tire tracks quite well. 

[Marshal]

3 day sprint is on

In the area where Kurt and Jefe are they both will be able to easily see tire tracks.  So if Jefe passed Kurt both know it without any Spot checking.  

Jefe may feel the need to build a cushion as he will soon be at a fairly big disadvantage on the SS.  

Kurt on the other hand can rely on his gears to close down a break any time from Cuba to AW.  

As Dave implied, I suspect Kurt will simply be looking to min his finish time and will only respond to Jefe if forced

ahh, but anything can still happen, knees, chains, tires etc etc

 

[DaveH]

Jefe's last call-in reveals how he is able to cover so much ground without stopping.  Something like:

"I fell asleep on the bike.  It wasn't bad but it wasn't fun either" followed by a giggle.

[elobeck]

"and Stamstad set the detour precedent, Curiak upheld it, so it's tough to eliminate it now."

help...does not compute. The route in it's current form is considerably different from when Stamstad and Curiak pedaled it. Significant Sections have been added- Canada for example. Soon possible new sections after wise river-gold dust, new mexico CDT. Why is TD  adhering to precedent by retaining this particular stretch of New Mexico pavement, a notorious drunk driving corridor? Help me understand....

[Mathewsen]

It looks like Jefe's batteries crapped out, and Kurt extended his lead a little also.  Kurt rode later and (I think) started earlier.  In any case from my eye there is no chance that Jefe is in front of Kurt.  But I could be reading it wrong too...Jefe's last few points are flakey...
...Maybe I'm wrong and Jefe is in Cuba!

Flakey is right. When you're that tired sometimes you forget to turn off the unit, which could be a partial explanation for the blackout (no reset). He didn't show many points overnight but it's possible flagging batteries make the unit appear as if it were shut down when it wasn't. Last point at 6am could be a typical time for daily reset. Don't recall Jefe traditionally having been one to veil his location, but this event is new territory for him.

[Mathewsen]

"and Stamstad set the detour precedent, Curiak upheld it, so it's tough to eliminate it now."

help...does not compute. The route in it's current form is considerably different from when Stamstad and Curiak pedaled it. Significant Sections have been added- Canada for example. Soon possible new sections after wise river-gold dust, new mexico CDT. Why is TD  adhering to precedent by retaining this particular stretch of New Mexico pavement, a notorious drunk driving corridor? Help me understand....

You should ride it and you will understand. Ideally a whole new route is created--which TD is not against. It's really the sum that conspires to keep it out of TD. Main route thru here is dangerous in a different way. There are 3 or 4 deep arroyo crossings that run deep with mud during monsoons; San Mateo closes at the drop of a hat for fire danger, and the past two years this section was 'closed' according to ACA for private land problems. It simply hasn't been aggressively pursued. There is also a section of road in there that must be 3-4mi long and is 6" deep sand, totally unrideable and hotter than blazes. More than any desert section, it's one where things could go wrong and you'd wither.  There is no water for the entire segment. When I rode it in `04, I was hazed by the same drunken fools that cruise the highway. indeed there's perhaps a more lawless element in there.

[Erick L]

I'm most certainly over analyzing this as it sounds the most likely scenario is that is batteries ran out, but for the sake of discussion...

Kurt rode later and (I think) started earlier.  In any case from my eye there is no chance that Jefe is in front of Kurt.  But I could be reading it wrong too...Jefe's last few points are flakey.

Jefe's last recorded point this morning was only 4-5 miles behind Kurts camp and was a full hour before Kurts first point this morning.  I tend to think that it is entirely possible that Jefe got the jump on Kurt, and the way he was tearing up the climbs in MT and CO makes me think that he could be trying to open up a gap before Cuba, as that seems to be his best chance for a win at this point.

Either way, if he's not doing it on purpose, and has been able to take the lead, his spot failure could actually work out to his advantage as it will put Kurt on the defensive to bridge an unknown gap.

[gpe]

The ironic thing is that my wife unknowingly created this monster when she gave me Paul Howard's Eat Sleep Ride for my birthday this year.  

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.)

[saintbazza]

Just found out about Aidan,what abummer,but get news that hes carrying on.

True british grit.

Go on Aidan me son.

[Spoonie]

"I fell asleep on the bike.  It wasn't bad but it wasn't fun either" followed by a giggle.

Can someone ask these guys to slow down a little? I'm having too much fun watching...

Cheers
Craig

[6thElement]

Looks like David Horton spent the night in the Great Basin and is up early and on the move. He likes early starts. Maybe he will call in?

Do we know why he skipped the section through Cora leading into Pinedale? I was making my lowly exit at that point and was worried he might have a problem, but there was traffic and no where to stop the car. Good on him for being out there