TD'12 Race Discussion

[ComoDepot]

Proper re hydration is very important.

[tori]

Proper re hydration is very important.

agreed. looking forward to rehydrating at comodepot in about one month from now.

[DenisVTT]

If I remember correctly, there was an informal results page put together for the 2011 riders, by the 2011 riders themselves.  A google docs spreadsheet or some such wizardry, and I never got the impression that it was ever complete.  You'd have to look back through older threads to find the discussion and link, but maybe Denis will chime in as I believe he had a hand in maintaining it as did Justin Long Ranger Simoni who's presently pre-occupied with this year's race.  Although, it was such a drastically different course last year that it won't be useful to compare to what's happening this year, and 2010 time check comparisons are only good up until Abiquiu, since the Mesa south of there was not in play that year due to forest fire.  Time check comparison is good for 2009 and some 2011 ITT's, for which a link was posted way back in this thread.  But, I'm sure you've got other reasons for wanting to see 2011 results.

Here is the informal 2011 results page: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhrUeVyiFtrJdGY5Y2o3SW9ieG9melMyMmZ5TVE5d1E#gid=0

It was done by Justin Simoni (I did the Start List). As mikepro said, these are informal lists, not official ones. They are community-based, meaning that anyone can edit them. Also, some results might have to be changed (riders relegated,) others need to be confirmed. Having said that, AFAIK, this is as close as to a correct result list as you'll find anywhere at this time.

The spreadsheet posted by ridingman1 seems to be a copy of the 2011 Leaderboard, but just like this year's Leaderboard, it doesn't include NoBo riders and ITTs. That's important, especially for last year, because the record was set by an ITTer (Jay Petervary) and there were 15 NoBoers at the AW start line. The NoBo winner (Paul Attalla) was 3rd overall.

[Pivvay]

Before my 2 runs TD was all I could think about. Right now it's not that much at the front of my mind because I'm not committed to ever doing it again. Still it's something that doesn't exactly go away...

[ThatDudeOnABike]

Do we have any reports as to how Josh got rolling? ThatDudeOnABike -- are you one of the Many Josh friends or someone in the Helena area? This is Travis previously from Crested Butte and now in Moab.

Jarral (my brother), Josh S., and Eszter are who we call "team Gunny", because they are from Gunnison/CB. (Jarral and Eszter were neck and neck in last year's CRT, and Jarral just beat her to Durango--though since then she's revamped her bike.) They traveled up to Banff together with our parents. Josh has been in contact with my mother and she was planning on picking him up from Helena had he not been able to continue. Josh got financial help from a friend back in CB to fix his bike in Helena, and is riding really well now. I heard Josh had lost his front brakes in the snow and glacial muck, and they were still not working when he tumbled on the road into Helena--I think he said he was doing 40 mph. His bike went off the road and struck a tree, damaging his rear wheel such that he had to straighten it with a rock so that it would spin enough to limp into Helena. He has road-rash on his arms, shoulders, and legs, and his feet swell when he takes his shoes off, but he's making good time now regardless.

Jarral is suffering from sore ankles and is hoping to work through it by taking it a bit easier--hopefully it's not turning into what sidelined Erik L. Otherwise he's feeling good.

No word from Eszter, but her pace speaks for itself.

Derek

[29singlespeed]

Jarral (my brother), Josh S., and Eszter are who we call "team Gunny", because they are from Gunnison/CB. (Jarral and Eszter were neck and neck in last year's CRT, and Jarral just beat her to Durango--though since then she's revamped her bike.) They traveled up to Banff together with our parents. Josh has been in contact with my mother and she was planning on picking him up from Helena had he not been able to continue. Josh got financial help from a friend back in CB to fix his bike in Helena, and is riding really well now. I heard Josh had lost his front brakes in the snow and glacial muck, and they were still not working when he tumbled on the road into Helena--I think he said he was doing 40 mph. His bike went off the road and struck a tree, damaging his rear wheel such that he had to straighten it with a rock so that it would spin enough to limp into Helena. He has road-rash on his arms, shoulders, and legs, and his feet swell when he takes his shoes off, but he's making good time now regardless.

Jarral is suffering from sore ankles and is hoping to work through it by taking it a bit easier--hopefully it's not turning into what sidelined Erik L. Otherwise he's feeling good.

No word from Eszter, but her pace speaks for itself.

Derek

I rode with josh sat before the Ryder banff shuttle happened. Both josh and eszter were through Moab this spring putting in the miles. Jarral will work through it! Thanks for the update!

[sluttyduck]

Sometimes I thought I was riding the "Tour De Small Town Diners" in search of the perfect chicken fried steak.

hands down Del Norte

[mtbcast]

Calls overnight: Eric Knudstrup called in from Ferndale. Had to throw down his sleeping bag in the woods. Thinking about getting back out there again. Jim Standsbury called in from Ferndale. Left Whitefish this morning after sleeping and taking care of some bike business. Rolling out of Ferndale early tomorrow after 2 nights of good recovery time. Sara Caylor called in from Lincoln. Had a bit of a rough day, experiencing various delays and hampered by adverse weather. Knees and achilles really sore from crash a few days ago. Resting in Lincoln, hoping for a better day tomorrow. Tracey Petervary called in from Butte at Outdoorsman. Magic Wanda is all fixed up! The ride is spectacular! Hoping to make it to Beaver (with a nice Primus ref!) next. She encourages everyone to try parts of the trail, or at least get out there and ride! Eric Foster called in from Big Fork where he’s resting his knee today and possibly tomorrow hoping to be back on the bike by Friday. Feels lucky that he’s still in the game. And Robin Borstmayer called in from Butte. Storms and mud today. He’ll get some repairs done in Butte today.

[29singlespeed]

Proper re hydration is very important.

Dave -- looking forward to your pictures again this year!

[JayP]

well i think its time to wonder when and if the front guys will ever stop rubbing tires...

go to bed at same time, wake up at same time?
if one goes to the bathroom does the other wait?
will one try and ever get up earlier then the other?
if one cracks do they both crack?

clearly they are encouraging each other (and hopefully not helping each other) but as they ride more and more together they will have a harder time leaving each other.

i sort of understand riding together, here and there, but day in and day out with the same dude for 6 days now. just not my style.

they are having a stellar ride and it is beautiful here in Idaho today! shoot up after work today to see some...

it is early and yes i am on edge with 2 records being threatened and my lady out there!

[Pivvay]

I really enjoyed riding with Kurt and Joe, JP but if you want to win then someone's got to make a break at some point.

[mbeardsl]

I've been wondering the same things.  
Do you have a conversation with the other guy at some point (if not already) that at some point it's on?
Or just keep riding one night/get up earlier one morning?  
Start camping just a few more yards away?

I'd expect a break at the next mechanical maybe?  (haha)

[29singlespeed]

some good blog material / pre-race video http://gooneyriders.typepad.com/

[JayP]

I've been wondering the same things. 
Do you have a conversation with the other guy at some point (if not already) that at some point it's on?
Or just keep riding one night/get up earlier one morning? 
Start camping just a few more yards away?

I'd expect a break at the next mechanical maybe?  (haha)

its a big boys "game" and a "race". i would tell the guy one thing and do another !

[RonDog]

Speaking of the ladies... Its interesting to compare Katherine and Eszter. Katherine is about 65 miles behind Eszter this morning but her moving average speed is actually faster than Eszter's. Unfortunately for Katherine, Eszter has been moving 17 more hrs! So it may come down to who does best with the least sleep and which stategy is best---hit it hard and require more recovery or slow and steady for extra long days. You go girls.

[mbeardsl]

Speaking of the ladies... Its interesting to compare Katherine and Eszter. Katherine is about 65 miles behind Eszter this morning but her moving average speed is actually faster than Eszter's. Unfortunately for Katherine, Eszter has been moving 17 more hrs! So it may come down to who does best with the least sleep and which stategy is best---hit it hard and require more recovery or slow and steady for extra long days. You go girls.

Seems this always wins out. 

[RonDog]

Seems this always wins out. 

Yes, but my real question is "How might it change over the course of this long race?" Katharine does seem to be moving up for now.

[DenisVTT]

Seems this always wins out. 

I've always said, the TD isn't about who's the fastest, it's about who can ride the longest.

As the TD site says, 'decidedly not for sprinters'.

[bobloblaw]

Speaking of the ladies... Its interesting to compare Katherine and Eszter. Katherine is about 65 miles behind Eszter this morning but her moving average speed is actually faster than Eszter's. Unfortunately for Katherine, Eszter has been moving 17 more hrs! So it may come down to who does best with the least sleep and which stategy is best---hit it hard and require more recovery or slow and steady for extra long days. You go girls.

Some of the stopped/moving times look innaccurate though - due to delayed spot transmissions first thing in the morning.  If you look at the two girls' speed vs time plots then they actually look quite similar as far as breaks at night but it looks like Eszter has sometimes started her spot after she had moved a distance, thus it essentially shows a low speed all night instead of true stopped time.  If you look at Ollie and Craig's stopped times then you also see a big difference, even though it appears they are riding and stopping at the same times.

[DenisVTT]

The leaders are now on the 40-mile long Idaho rail trail.

I hated that portion. Loose black sand/gravel on top, extremely washboarded, rutted. Pure torture, and I suspected riding it it was on the Geneva Conventions' list of prohibited practices!

It's not even real pretty, but even if it was, you can't really look at anything around you but your front tire, as deviating an inch from the "best" (meaning not the absolute worst) line means you're gonna catch the loose sand and stop or/and fall off your bike.  

Aren't there better routes in that part of the world out there?