 Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1840 on: July 13, 2013, 11:28:42 AM
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sthig
Location: Birmingham, Al
Posts: 318
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« Reply #1840 on: July 13, 2013, 11:28:42 AM » |
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"While some Tour Divide racers ride with partners, others take on the course alone. First-time competitor Kerrin Walker of Windsor, England, finished in less than 20 days without any support."
(this isn't directed at KW, more about the first and last part of the quote)
Since when is this a 'team' event? And where does the support come in? I know that some folks end up riding with others along the way, and likely sticking with folks going a similar pace... but... headscratcher here. Again, the whole 'touring' vs. 'racing' thing comes up in my head.
I rode solo mostly  |
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My book on the 2013 Tour Divide|http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Magic-Art-Soft-Pedaling-ebook/dp/B00NJQZ6GK  |
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1841 on: July 13, 2013, 12:23:36 PM
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Pollyhound
Location: UK
Posts: 38
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« Reply #1841 on: July 13, 2013, 12:23:36 PM » |
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 The Florida Family Kraft are on the move! Everything crossed that no more troubles come their way.
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1842 on: July 13, 2013, 04:40:50 PM
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qbilly
Posts: 1
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« Reply #1842 on: July 13, 2013, 04:40:50 PM » |
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The Florida Family Kraft are on the move! Everything crossed that no more troubles come their way. Yesssss!! |
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1843 on: July 13, 2013, 05:06:08 PM
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1844 on: July 13, 2013, 11:01:16 PM
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jape
Posts: 10
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« Reply #1844 on: July 13, 2013, 11:01:16 PM » |
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Hi everybody!
I am sitting at the airport and waiting for my flight back to Germany. Unfortunately I was not able to make any Call In. I don't know why. Just a view words from my side about the race.
I haven't won the race, but I guess I get the crown for the most missing turns and the most additional miles. Overall 95 miles and about 7500 feet of climbing.
The second crown I get for all the lost or demaged items with an overall value of $1300.
Two sunglasses, my GoPro Hero 3 camera and 500 feet before I hit the pavement in Pie Town I rolled over my smartphone.
For me the race was the mental overkill. There was nearly no day I not thought about to quit. Every day was a fight and filled with so much suffering. New Mexico turned into a disaster for me. A lot of stuff went wrong. I have a lot of to tell. I am gonna write something for the cordillera. I promise. But one thing is for sure: I'll never never come back!!
With my husband now done with this ordeal, safe in a motel in El Paso, with no more miles to ride (well, for a while, at least) but just to fly (back home to Pittsburgh) - I can finally breathe. Michael, after briefly talking to him yesterday, here is what I wrote to a friend of mine: "I talked with him a couple of hours ago and he told me he had another day from hell: in the middle of a desert, in the middle of a thunderstorm, surrounded by lightning, carrying his bike through above knees muddy waters of torrential streams ...... Whenever we talk in the evening - he talks about pure agony, pain and misery, but then he also talks about great people he meets along the trail and of breathtaking scenery. Once he comes home and digests all of this - I'm somehow sure the "people-scenery" part will prevail." Michael, and all of you riders who are now back home and all of you still out there riding - I so hope that the "people-scenery" part will be the one that stays with you forever. J.D.Pauls said every day consisted of "12 miserable hours out of 13", and Greg called the Race "brutal but beautiful". I hope all of you can find and remember your "13th beautiful hour". The beauty, kindness, help, camaraderie, support, encouragement and so much more my husband found in the scenery; in his fellow riders (Rick A., Richard C., Greg, Mike Hall, Stappy, and some more whom I cannot remember now); in "trail angels" that showed up when he didn't even realize he desperately needed them (Keer and his wife with his mother Corina - taking him into their home from the sleet and lightening to give him hot tea and dry his frozen gloves, a lady and a guy stopping by him and Rick after a brutal dehydration of the Basin and giving them drinks, a guy giving him sodas, food and sausages when he just asked for the direction to the water fountain, and many more I haven't yet heard of); in Kirsten and Sylvia and other dedicated TDR followers and helpers; Lloyd and Roger; in his "generalshtab" friends back home in Pittsburgh (Bob, Jack, Dave) and all of our co-workers, neighbors, friends, Thick Bikes shop experts (especially Larry); Gina; family back home in Croatia and Slovenia; business partners in Miami and even Haiti (yes, you guys out there - you have been watched and followed and cheered on all over the world!), and many, many more = that is what will stay with him forever. Wow! And I just know that your story Michael (and everybody else's out there) is as rich and as beautiful and as deep and as life-confirming/enriching/changing as my husband's is. You did it, you survived it - now celebrate it! Congratulations to all that finished it, to all still grueling it, and even to you who gave up this time for the reasons you only know but you showed up and gave it your best! The champagne I will be drinking with my husband and our daughter (who cheered and supported him and me throughout this event) when he returns home is for him and also for all of you who became a part of his important life-event. Thank you all! |
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1845 on: July 14, 2013, 06:32:58 AM
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1846 on: July 14, 2013, 06:59:26 AM
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sthig
Location: Birmingham, Al
Posts: 318
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« Reply #1846 on: July 14, 2013, 06:59:26 AM » |
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With my husband now done with this ordeal, safe in a motel i....of his important life-event. Thank you all!
I really enjoyed hanging with Michael (and Thomas). It's not everyday I get to hang out with Germans so that was really cool! Wish we could have spent a few hours around a pint of beer chatting rather than always on a bike! |
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My book on the 2013 Tour Divide|http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Magic-Art-Soft-Pedaling-ebook/dp/B00NJQZ6GK |
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1847 on: July 14, 2013, 07:48:40 AM
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wickerer
Posts: 13
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« Reply #1847 on: July 14, 2013, 07:48:40 AM » |
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I really enjoyed hanging with Michael (and Thomas). It's not everyday I get to hang out with Germans so that was really cool! Wish we could have spent a few hours around a pint of beer chatting rather than always on a bike!
Scott, this beer is waiting for you in Germany ;-) |
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1848 on: July 14, 2013, 09:57:47 AM
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mtbcast
Location: Sugar Hill, GA
Posts: 2455
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« Reply #1848 on: July 14, 2013, 09:57:47 AM » |
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JP - MTBCast.com
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1849 on: July 14, 2013, 04:27:59 PM
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Veco
Posts: 7
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« Reply #1849 on: July 14, 2013, 04:27:59 PM » |
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Rick Ashton, you are phenomenon! Congratulations! For me, you are the winner of Tour Divide Race 2013.
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1850 on: July 14, 2013, 05:27:06 PM
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ETURK
Location: Gilpin, CO
Posts: 113
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« Reply #1850 on: July 14, 2013, 05:27:06 PM » |
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Hi everybody!
I am sitting at the airport and waiting for my flight back to Germany. Unfortunately I was not able to make any Call In. I don't know why. Just a view words from my side about the race.
I haven't won the race, but I guess I get the crown for the most missing turns and the most additional miles. Overall 95 miles and about 7500 feet of climbing.
The second crown I get for all the lost or demaged items with an overall value of $1300.
Two sunglasses, my GoPro Hero 3 camera and 500 feet before I hit the pavement in Pie Town I rolled over my smartphone.
For me the race was the mental overkill. There was nearly no day I not thought about to quit. Every day was a fight and filled with so much suffering. New Mexico turned into a disaster for me. A lot of stuff went wrong. I have a lot of to tell. I am gonna write something for the cordillera. I promise. But one thing is for sure: I'll never never come back!!
It was an honor to ride with you Michael. I knew you were down but I saw through your stoic demeanor and enjoyed your presence, particularly through the Great Divide Basin (ALL night). I know you were down when you lost the go pro -and when we started rolling together I had no idea I was about to pull 237 miles that day (Pinedale to Rawlins). Thanks for being part of the most physically hardest and miserable thing I have ever done in my life. While I am amazed, I promise myself to never do that again  I look forward to reading your post to the cordillera. Turk |
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1851 on: July 14, 2013, 06:13:45 PM
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Veco
Posts: 7
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« Reply #1851 on: July 14, 2013, 06:13:45 PM » |
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Congratulations, Richard! It was my honor and privilege meeting you and riding with you. I already miss your "Hi Vel, how are you doing?" each time when you passed me by. Thank you for not letting me give up in Del Norte.
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1852 on: July 15, 2013, 04:31:41 AM
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1853 on: July 15, 2013, 10:28:19 AM
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mtbcast
Location: Sugar Hill, GA
Posts: 2455
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« Reply #1853 on: July 15, 2013, 10:28:19 AM » |
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Erick Armentrout called in to say he is OUT! Too many mechanicals took their toll. http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/td13/ |
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JP - MTBCast.com
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1854 on: July 15, 2013, 10:39:07 AM
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desertrat
Posts: 44
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« Reply #1854 on: July 15, 2013, 10:39:07 AM » |
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It's so good to see the Krafts moving southward!  |
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1855 on: July 15, 2013, 10:48:47 AM
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Dumpster Juice
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
Posts: 62
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« Reply #1855 on: July 15, 2013, 10:48:47 AM » |
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Peter Sr sent me a text and said they are going to finish sometime hopefully in the morning if all goes well. Peter is a great guy on and off the bike, I hope all goes well for them...Just think if there was a cut off they would not be able to get a finishing time. With the problems they have had and are pulling through it would be ashamed to get cut...they are what the whole tour is about!
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The older I get, the better I was...
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1856 on: July 15, 2013, 11:27:43 AM
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chainagent
Location: Germany
Posts: 95
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« Reply #1856 on: July 15, 2013, 11:27:43 AM » |
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It was an honor to ride with you Michael. I knew you were down but I saw through your stoic demeanor and enjoyed your presence, particularly through the Great Divide Basin (ALL night). I know you were down when you lost the go pro -and when we started rolling together I had no idea I was about to pull 237 miles that day (Pinedale to Rawlins). Thanks for being part of the most physically hardest and miserable thing I have ever done in my life. While I am amazed, I promise myself to never do that again I look forward to reading your post to the cordillera. Turk It was a honor for me also. The loss of my camera was one of my darkest days on the Divide. If you ever plan to come over to Europe or Germany we will spent some time together in the Alps with some more relaxing day trips without any rush! I'll be your guide! Kind regards Michael |
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1857 on: July 15, 2013, 12:34:14 PM
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Stumpy+Cranky
Location: Asunción, Paraguay
Posts: 9
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« Reply #1857 on: July 15, 2013, 12:34:14 PM » |
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Peter Sr sent me a text and said they are going to finish sometime hopefully in the morning if all goes well. Peter is a great guy on and off the bike, I hope all goes well for them...Just think if there was a cut off they would not be able to get a finishing time. With the problems they have had and are pulling through it would be ashamed to get cut...they are what the whole tour is about!
+1. Go Krafts!! |
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- Jochen
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1858 on: July 15, 2013, 12:41:05 PM
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mathieu
Location: Eindhoven, Netherlands
Posts: 134
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« Reply #1858 on: July 15, 2013, 12:41:05 PM » |
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... With the problems they have had and are pulling through it would be ashamed to get cut...they are what the whole tour is about!
How pathetic! This is a comment from the world where misfortune has no place. Fortunately, it is not the world we live in. Ever cared to dig in the history of the TD race? In 2009 Erik Lobeck caught giardia south of Pie Town. He had to withdraw. Next year he returned and gave Matthew Lee a strong battle until his rear derailler ripped off in the sticky mud on the Old Bannack road. He finished in joined 2-3 position, but was later disqualified because he had made a move against the rules to get his derailler repaired. In 2009 Per Eklof hit a pothole 30 miles south of Silver City. He never saw the finish line. In 2011 Justin Simoni crashed on the CDT alternate, some 15 miles north of Silver City. He had showed true TD spirit by going in the snow-covered Flathead valley, bypassed by all other racers. He didn't get to the finish line. Yes, shit happens and in a race with cutoff time (not this TD'13) it may drop you behind the cutoff. So what? It may earn you the respect that an unbounded finish time doesn't. |
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Topic Name: TD`13 Race Discussion
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Reply #1859 on: July 15, 2013, 12:46:46 PM
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MattL
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 97
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« Reply #1859 on: July 15, 2013, 12:46:46 PM » |
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On the drive home in the rental car, this comes on the XM radio. The unofficial anthem of the "paved" sections of the Basin?
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I finished the 2013 TD. I did the whole damn thing,
excluding the 2013 detours, in good style and—as
far as I know—totally in accordance with the rules.
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