TD`13 Race Discussion

[BobM]

I believe so.

Sounds like a huge mess up there, but given the economic importance of those roads and trails for tourism and mining I would expect them to be mostly fixed by the end of summer so long as more flooding does not occur.

[caseygreene]

casey,
do you need folks to looks at some parts of the canadian section- i could go in the wigwam/galton section pretty easily

I'm expecting that section to be fine. It would not hurt to check it out thought, and thank you for offering. In the south, we are most concerned with the Flathead River drainage.

I'm not in a position to lead any volunteer effort though. I'll be off the radar starting tomorrow night, another fire lookout bikepacking trip w/ my girlfriend. And when I get back from that, Ill be heading out for 4 weeks to finish up the research on ACA's next mountain bike route (bit.ly/14yxGFF).

If you want to pass info on, the best way to do it is by posting here, and on the ACA forums here: http://forums.adventurecycling.org/index.php?board=15.0

Again, thank you,
- casey

[mtbcast]

Episode 157 - Tour Divide 2013 Day 13! Mosquitoes, winds, rules reminder, and we true up today's calls!
http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/podcasts/

[AZtrailertrash]

My yearly warning, when in Grants avoid the Three Bs.  That is unless you want tomato soup that has already been rejected by someone else's body.

Is that you Fixie Daver than Snot?

[AZtrailertrash]

Has Mike Hall got a pick up /ride from Antelope Wells to Phoenix arranged yet?  Pivot folks?  What is his recovery plan immediately after the ride?  Plane ticket dates?   I would be able to help him out if absolutely necessary.

[davidhaile]

My son, Peter Haile's bike has a broken seat stay. He's fixed it with JB Weld! He was at the bike shop in Steamboat so I hope he had someone look it over. Anyone along the route in CO who has an extra 29er frame to use for the duration of the race?  :-) Are there any rules about finishing on the same bike that you started with? I'd assume not. If I were there I'd bring him a bike.

[Mathewsen]

In a nutshell i am a huge fan of the race and racers however i will not respect anyrider that shows up in Banff by breaching any of the closers at this point. There is significant trail damage and calamity going on. While i am not part of the Admin it is time the Admin posts a re-route alternative that is going to be a big bad ass road timetrial from the boarder.  

Kucey out.
I will post more info as it becomes available

Thanks, Jason. No reroute need be posted b/c no TD Nobo riders are going (on route) beyond the CA border. Truly sorry for all your loss up there.
~Matthew

[Mathewsen]

My son, Peter Haile's bike has a broken seat stay. He's fixed it with JB Weld! He was at the bike shop in Steamboat so I hope he had someone look it over. Anyone along the route in CO who has an extra 29er frame to use for the duration of the race?  :-) Are there any rules about finishing on the same bike that you started with? I'd assume not. If I were there I'd bring him a bike.

There are no rules about borrowing a bike, however, it it is against the rules to fish for help via a forum. No broadcasting for help via MTB cast for BP.net. Sorry to be a party pooper but this disadvantages a pure ITTer riding the route without the profile of a grand depart rider. Help along the way is acceptable from bystanders only. Bystander is defined as a person who happens to witness a problem simply because they live along or are recreating along the route.

[davidhaile]

There are no rules about borrowing a bike, however, it it is against the rules to fish for help via a forum. No broadcasting for help via MTB cast for BP.net. Sorry to be a party pooper but this disadvantages a pure ITTer riding the route without the profile of a grand depart rider. Help along the way is acceptable from bystanders only. Bystander is defined as a person who happens to witness a problem simply because they live along or are recreating along the route.

Whoops - OK. I apologize. I knew the rules but forgot when I mentioned that.

[lmc81224]

Has Mike Hall got a pick up /ride from Antelope Wells to Phoenix arranged yet?  Pivot folks?  What is his recovery plan immediately after the ride?  Plane ticket dates?  If he still has no ride please contact me at eight 1 eight three70  eleven29. I would be able to help him out if absolutely necessary.

Other than Lloyd, no.  He'll be too late for me to get him as I leave town Friday evening...  He has lodging with Pivot when he gets here he flies out the 4th or 5th.  His friends in the UK have sent me some cards to give him, they have been emailing me since the start!!  

Can you help?  email Lisa@pivotcycles.com  WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR MIKE!!

[serge]

casey,
do you need folks to looks at some parts of the canadian section- i could go in the wigwam/galton section pretty easily

Galton pass and the lower flathead are fine. The south side of flathead pass, the part that is a running creek most of the time is gone.
Corbin rd is reopening to mining traffic but will remain closed to public traffic due to road construction.
the upper elk valley rd took a lot of damage the bridge 65 km north of elkford is washed out. There is a rd on the east side of the river that can be used once the creeks have subsided.
For the long term the only questionable part is wether the upper flathead rd (squaw ck) will be rebuilt. it won't be passable by car for some time but may be rideable by bike.

[davidhaile]

There are no rules about borrowing a bike, however, it it is against the rules to fish for help via a forum. No broadcasting for help via MTB cast for BP.net. Sorry to be a party pooper but this disadvantages a pure ITTer riding the route without the profile of a grand depart rider. Help along the way is acceptable from bystanders only. Bystander is defined as a person who happens to witness a problem simply because they live along or are recreating along the route.

Along that same line of thought, we have a friend who lives in Cora, WY right along the route. He didn't know about the race until it was too late to help. However, I've given some thought to developing him into being a Trail Angel for riders in the future. I shall assume that is OK. But - here's the question for the TDR 2013 group - If he doesn't want to help everyone but instead wants to pick and choose, is that OK since he is right next to the road?

[SlowDave]

Is that you Fixie Daver than Snot?

No

[Mathewsen]

Has Mike Hall got a pick up /ride from Antelope Wells to Phoenix arranged yet?  Pivot folks?

I spoke to Mike Hall this evening in order to give him the Gila reroute cues. He told me if he finishes by a certain deadline, the Pivot folks will come, if he doesn't meet that deadline, Lloyd Payne will be scooping him. So, He's covered...not that it's our concern. That's one of the challenges of the race for racers themselves to sort.

Mike also wanted me (and anyone else who cares) to know he is totally OK with the reroute and he's not gutted at all about the record. He said he missed the impetuous Craig provided and the closure had taken a bit of steam out of the mission, but all was OK. He believes what matters is he demonstrated what is possible, and that's enough for him. He's considering riding the Sapillo CDT singletrack backwards once he reaches Silver City if he can make a loop of it via Hwys 35 and 15. Pie Town is a high priority this year so he plans to hang back if necessary, to get the full experience, as in 2011 he missed it entirely.

[Mathewsen]

Along that same line of thought, we have a friend who lives in Cora, WY right along the route. He didn't know about the race until it was too late to help. However, I've given some thought to developing him into being a Trail Angel for riders in the future. I shall assume that is OK. But - here's the question for the TDR 2013 group - If he doesn't want to help everyone but instead wants to pick and choose, is that OK since he is right next to the road?

Abso-freaking-lutely not OK. "Developing a trail angel..picking and choosing"? What do you think the answer to that would be? That kind of talk really gets my goat. Please tell this fellow enjoy & look but don't touch. The Place in Cora serves the racers just fine. Inconsistent trail angeling is what TD needs like a hole in the head. Perennial trail angels needs to be on the ACA maps, anyway.

[Done]

Along that same line of thought, we have a friend who lives in Cora, WY right along the route. He didn't know about the race until it was too late to help. However, I've given some thought to developing him into being a Trail Angel for riders in the future. I shall assume that is OK. But - here's the question for the TDR 2013 group - If he doesn't want to help everyone but instead wants to pick and choose, is that OK since he is right next to the road?

[Mathewsen]

Galton pass and the lower flathead are fine. The south side of flathead pass, the part that is a running creek most of the time is gone

Thank-you, Serge for your help with feelers out on all this terrain. We can only hope the route will be doable in 2014.

[multisportscott]

I spoke to Mike Hall this evening in order to give him the Gila reroute cues. He told me if he finishes by a certain deadline, the Pivot folks will come, if he doesn't meet that deadline, Lloyd Payne will be scooping him. So, He's covered...not that it's our concern. That's one of the challenges of the race for racers themselves to sort.

Mike also wanted me (and anyone else who cares) to know he is totally OK with the reroute and he's not gutted at all about the record. He said he missed the impetuous Craig provided and the closure had taken a bit of steam out of the mission, but all was OK. He believes what matters is he demonstrated what is possible, and that's enough for him. He's considering riding the Sapillo CDT singletrack backwards once he reaches Silver City if he can make a loop of it via Hwys 35 and 15. Pie Town is a high priority this year so he plans to hang back if necessary, to get the full experience, as in 2011 he missed it entirely.

I think Mike will have to hold back to get any experience of Pie Town going on where he is at the moment. Go Mike Go

[AZtrailertrash]

Other than Lloyd, no.  He'll be too late for me to get him as I leave town Friday evening...  He has lodging with Pivot when he gets here he flies out the 4th or 5th.  His friends in the UK have sent me some cards to give him, they have been emailing me since the start!! 

Can you help?  email Lisa@pivotcycles.com  WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR MIKE!!

Check your email, for contact info and advise me..

[Donald]

You're right. I was oversimplifying the situation. In 2008 there were actually an equal number of riders in both the Great Divide Race and Tour Divide, I believe 18 each? Jen Hopkins established the women's singlespeed record that I believe still stands. I love covering these events — it's like watching a novel unfold. I'm blogging daily updates of Divide racing again this year if you're interested at http://halfpastdone.com.

To those who are questioning the record parameters, historically in this type of racing, the idea was for individuals to challenge the entire route as it stands. Choosing the right time to avoid snowy passes, fire detours, etc., is part of the strategy, in a way. The Tour Divide "race" is actually the contrivance in this case, held for the benefit of competition and camaraderie. But it's intended to be viewed as a concurrent ITT. The race has a winner but there are always those who contest the record outside the race, as JayP did last year. The "record" is not the fastest completion of the Tour Divide; it's the fastest completion of the latest incarnation of the GDMBR, which, it's true, is continuously evolving.

Is there a contradiction here? In the first part of this post you suggest that there is one annual race consisting of ITTs and GD combined. If that is correct, in 2012 JayP won the race and set the record.

You then say that JayP contested the record outside the race. That is, Whalley won the race and JayP set the record.

I think the first interpretation is correct. The Tour Divide website is not up to date, but it used to list the General Classification for each year which combined all the year's rides, both ITTs and GDs. Record keeping has passed to the Trackleaders site and for 2012, all participants, ITTs and GDs, are listed with their times.

If there is in fact just one annual race, what is the status of those who are obliged to take detours? They are clearly excluded from record attempts, which require the full route, but are they excluded from the race as well? The fact that in earlier years General Classifications were not issued when there were serious detours, suggests that they are excluded from the race.

This opens up an intriguing possibility. All the GDs and current ITTs are detoured except the man proudly carrying the lanterne rouge. "Yukon" Krauss turns up just in time for the fire detours to be reopened and is the only racer to complete the full route. Future ITTs are excluded by the closure of the Canadian section and so "Yukon" wins the race in 2013.

Could be the only way an American will win the race this year!