Tour Divide 2010

[Jeff Tomassetti]

Great race - and with the poor conditions, it looks like a real challenge to achieve. If anyone is running a book - my money is on Erik Lobeck, I can see him slowly cathcing up with Mat.

Last year I decided to ride the GDMBR as a through ride and came across this race while searching the web for help in preparing for it. Its purity - no support sounds great but putting it into rules has created a minefield for everyone. I probably won't ride the route as an ITTD, as I don't need others to rubber stamp my achievement. Similarly the crazy position where the rules get too zelous - such as when an independant race watcher turned up with a new wheel last year, or now when Erik is apparently in breach of the forward moving rule, doesn't affect who I think completed the race distance. They  have in my view, and hopefully theirs, the credit for that achievement, and nit picking the rules can't change that.

Ditto! My nephew and I are fast touring the GDR this year and I am glad that the first time on the route we will be able to "blue blaze" (deviate from the official route) without any "penalty" . We are planning to go through Glacier and Yellowstone , And if it rains buckets, we will be under our tarp, chillin.

[Bounce]

The rules state that he couldn't move forward "on route" which he clearly did. He was able to see the forward route twice before doing it again on his bike, and the rules are in place to prevent reconnaissance of the route.

I guess, then, that all veterans should be DQ'd.  After all, they have the advantage of "reconnaissance" of the route.

I totally agree that this is sad, but Erik clearly has to scratch unless the rule is changed. Continuing is good experience for next year however.

What's "sad" is taking what should be a very simple rule to ridiculous extremes and DQ-ing people for nothing.  Gee, that sure makes this event fun!  NOT!

[bruce.b]

    What a mess. Bummer. Rule 4a is pretty clear. Unless he took a completely different route getting a ride forward into town he's relegated. There's no wiggle room there. His intent is completely irrelevant.
    
     The rules are pretty simple and straightforward. The worst thing to do is to start adding exceptions and complicating them. It totally sucks but as someone said, that's life, it happens. If he moved forward on the route I'm sure he knew at the time he was relegated. Everyone can still enjoy the race at the front. Who really cares about the official results anyway, it's all about the competition.
     There's always next year.
     bruce.b

[murphyo]

I heard from a reliable source that before Eric accepted a ride to Lima, they blindfolded him and spun him around in circles until he fell to his knees -- he honestly had NO idea which direction he was heading. Then, before the return trip, they bought him 10 rounds and a side of bacon at the local saloon, forced him to sing karaoke tunes until he slurred the words to Ring of Fire, and drove him back in the dead of night so that, again, he had absolutely NO idea which direction he was heading. Wasn't until the hangover and pork wore off the next morning that he realized where he was. So I'd say he's totally legit. No unfair advantage (except maybe for the pork)... Give it a rest, naysayers. The guy's laying his heart and soul on the line. I'm sure he'll fill us in when he gets done. Best of luck to him and anybody else who's out there.

[BobM]

I think Kent Peterson should get the Jay Petervary Attitude Award (or perhaps honorary British citizenship).  His calls are so upbeat - he's always having a great time and just keeps motoring forward.  If it gets a little chilly he just picks up a pair of longjohns and keeps right on going!  Energizer Turtle.

[fneilsimms]

Wow, Matt should be in Boulder about an hour under the record pace, and with a 110 mile lead. Incredible considering how behind the pace he was after the muddy bit...

[fneilsimms]

So did John Nobile start yesterday? Does he have a SPOT?

[luckylarue]

I think what's interesting is the extremes of mental attitudes expressed w/ some call-ins.  From positive vibes and bliss (Kent P.) to some who are clearly miserable and not having fun at all - excluding those w/ serious mechanical issues.  I'd like to think that if I were in the race I'd lean towards the more positive side.  But talk is one thing - I may have to walk the walk next year to find out!

BTW, slowersnot - is it Dave?  I believe the correct expression is TOEing-the-line, as in keeping your toes on the little yellow line, etc.

[jbroadwater]

Has anyone heard the latest on Kevin Dean?  His position hasn't changed since Friday around noon.

[afinemess]

As a long distance road cyclist and road racer with no MTB Tour/Race experience, I've got to say that I hope you guys are kidding about relegating the one person who has been keeping this race interesting (from a racing perspective). What is the real reason for this rule about not moving forward in a vehicle on the course? The reasons offered here have been all over the map. If it's about keeping racers out of cars, why not simply make any use of a motor vehicle for any reason during the race against the rules? If it's about stopping people from previewing the course ... well, are you really trying to tell me that you can gain time by getting off your bike, riding up and down the road ahead in a car to see what it's like, then getting back on your bike and riding it? Wouldn't the time you lost fooling around in the car almost certainly be greater than any time advantage you would gain from better knowledge of the route???

I've been drawn into following the TD this year because it's (so far) been a first class endurance bike race. All sporting events need rules - I've got no argument with that, but the rules should clearly make some kind of sense. If they don't, the event becomes unnecessarily unfair to unlucky participants and much less interesting to spectators (online or otherwise).

[ScottM]

So did John Nobile start yesterday? Does he have a SPOT?

He did not start, no.  It may be a while yet before he starts riding.  I will post something here if he does, and he will show up on the main Tour Divide tracker.

[ScottM]

Again from Todd in Idaho:

More pics from the Tour Divide.  The first shot is Forest Baker riding solo along Red Rock Road, Island Park, Id.  The second photo is Dave Blumenthal (left) and Eric Nelson at the Subway in Island Park.  These were taken Friday afternoon, June 18.

[Bounce]

As a long distance road cyclist and road racer with no MTB Tour/Race experience, I've got to say that I hope you guys are kidding about relegating the one person who has been keeping this race interesting (from a racing perspective). What is the real reason for this rule about not moving forward in a vehicle on the course? The reasons offered here have been all over the map. If it's about keeping racers out of cars, why not simply make any use of a motor vehicle for any reason during the race against the rules? If it's about stopping people from previewing the course ... well, are you really trying to tell me that you can gain time by getting off your bike, riding up and down the road ahead in a car to see what it's like, then getting back on your bike and riding it? Wouldn't the time you lost fooling around in the car almost certainly be greater than any time advantage you would gain from better knowledge of the route???

I've been drawn into following the TD this year because it's (so far) been a first class endurance bike race. All sporting events need rules - I've got no argument with that, but the rules should clearly make some kind of sense. If they don't, the event becomes unnecessarily unfair to unlucky participants and much less interesting to spectators (online or otherwise).

Well said.

People like that make you want to reach through your computer monitor and 8itch-$lap them.  They remind me of the people running the Coast Guard - stopping the oil clean up to check fire extinguishers on the barges - after all, them's the rules.  LOL

[riverfever]

I wasn't going to respond because....sometimes...you just can't win. However, I think that's where I wanted to get to last night but the pain killers weren't allowing it to happen.

Great stuff Owen. 

[luckylarue]

Right - what is there exactly to preview?  There's a dirt road up ahead...and after that, some more dirt...and...wait a minute, I think I see more dirt...etc., etc.

[bruce.b]

    Whether the rule makes sense or not is irrelevant. The rule is in effect for this race, changing it now would apply to the next one in 2011. It's interesting that you're new to following this race yet you think you know better what the rules should be than Matthew Lee. I suggest you check out how much experience he has with racing the Divide. BTW, it's easy to come up with hypothetical situations where it could be an advantage to scout ahead. I have no opinion if the rule should be changed, that's entirely up to the people putting in the effort to run this race.

    >>4a. In the event of a serious mechanical, medical, or other emergency, a racer may be assisted[3] by a motor vehicle in moving backwards or directly off the route, but never forward (on route). <<

      That's pretty clear to me. It's only a question of if he broke this or he didn't. Nothing else.
      It would be completely unfair to make an exception because he's near the front. His ride is no more important than any other racer and I'd hope everyone can agree that all racers must play by the same rules. A lot of people have been relegated for breaking rules, usually they relegated themselves. This isn't a special case because the rider is near the front, if anything it's more important for someone fighting for the win or a record to not break the rules. It's like this in all sports pretty much.

    It's not about being a stickler for the rules, it's about being fair. How about all the other people who were relegated for minor infractions? Do you want to go back and change all of them to finishers?  Everyone who loves this race I'm sure feels bad when someone is DQ'd. We all know how much time, effort and sacrifice they've put into the race. It's tough, but this race has only a few simple rules. It's not difficult to follow them...... except for maybe staying on course sometimes.

    The person I feel the worst for is Matthew Lee. This puts him in an impossible situation.

   bruce.b

[riverfever]

   It's interesting that you're new to following this race yet you think you know better what the rules should be than Matthew Lee.

Who is this directed towards Bruce?

[bruce.b]

   Aidan Harding is having a great ride! He's up near the front of the race on his singlespeed. The rest of the SS riders look to be pretty close together.
   Go, go, go!
   bruce.b

[bruce.b]

Who is this directed towards Bruce?

   Sorry, forgot to quote. Afinemess.
   bruce.b

[MrsPivvay]

Boy it's a bummer when your internet goes down! No blue dots to watch walk over passes!! Can't wait to get a call in about Togwotee/brooks lake (or find the one I missed).
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I'm not going to weigh in on the rules discussion too heavily but I'll make a few comments.

1) The racers are under obligation to know and follow the rules. If they don't like them they can ride independently from the race. If they toe the line then I expect my fellow racers to follow the rules.

2) The rules are to try to make the race fair. They are not for the benefit of the spectators. The change of a large number of people participating in the race has in effect caused an increase of rules and rule clarifications. This is unfortunate because it makes things unnecessarily complicated. I'm not sure what a practical solution to this problem is because it is fun to have a race and a "record" to strive for but that's still secondary to the experience. Racer driven self-relegation is still the ideal and we'll always have situations come up that could not have been envisioned (see Pete vs Pilot car).

3) If you have not been part of self supported endurance racing in the past, you should think twice before excessively weighing in on the rules. The history of these events plays a huge part in why certain rules "are the way they are." You may not like, agree or understand that and it doesn't mean they may not need to be changed to reflect new realities but before you adamantly start arguing about them I'd suggest instead maybe spending that energy cheering on the racers. At the very least, let's argue about rules in a new thread.

In the end we have all this to argue about because MikeC and Matt have grown this race from nothing and now it is a popular summer pastime, both people racing and SPOT spectating. For many it is a magnum opus to strive to achieve. Overall the GDMBR and self supported racing have been an extremely positive thing. Let's try to keep those positives in mind and keep rule discussion minutia in focus. Racers have all day to think about their actions out on course and by the time they make it to AW they'll certainly have come to terms with their rides and be proud of them regardless of what anyone else says.

Ride the entire course under your own power is and always will be the guiding principle. Everything else is truly secondary IMNSHO.