Tour Divide 2015 - race discussion thread

[bikee]

Great pics from Silver City on Gila Hike and Bikes FB page

[HawkeyeGreg]

Last time popping in here before the big finish, but want to leave my prediction.

Neil and JayP catch Josh and finish together for the win.

Regardless, cheers to all the finishers!

[Pearson100]

I notice that Bethany Dunne hasn't moved for over 3 hours. Problem with her spotter, or a bike issue?

[ZWorkman]

It was his breakway from Dylan at hour 178.85 that marked the start of his participation in podium contention.  

Agreed. Do you think Taylor and Harris will ride all night to try and finish under the record time as well? Trackleaders has their projected times as under Petervary2012.. but they have a ways to go yet.

[LittleOldLady]

Thanks to all for this forum and the discussions on the race!  This has been an exciting watch.  It is wonderful to see cycle racing in it's pure form.  Pro cycling has become such a fiasco that it is heartening to see bicycle racing back to it's roots.  For those of us who have loved the sport for years it is refreshing.  

[saskawhat]

I was just glad to discover I wasn't the only one dogging it at work for most of the last two weeks (and especially today)!

[SimonK]

The problem is that the more rules that are in place, the more enforcement that is necessary. Who's going to enforce the rules? Once there is rule enforcement, then all the sudden there are entry fees, podiums, cash payouts etc. I hope these event continue as they are....grass roots self supported racing.

It hasn't worked out that way in New Zealand. We have mandatory rest periods in most of the big dirt brevets. That's only one extra rule (which, with Spot Trackers, it's very easy to see if it's being honoured). On the flip-side, we allow drafting (and the no-drafting rule is much easier to dishonour). So, we have the same number of rules, just a bit less suffering on the sleep-deprivation front.

There's still no rule enforcement, no entry fees, no prizes, no support, etc. Everything else is pretty much the same.
When I started this style of event in NZ (after doing the Great Divide race) I wasn't constrained by the tradition of Great Divide racing. I was a road safety coordinator at the time, so was dealing with the issue of fatigue-related, road crash fatalities during my day job. Added to that, we crossed a large, private farm where the land-owner didn't want people riding at night. Since that first 'Kiwi Brevet' had the mandatory rest rule, and it's been respected/enjoyed by 99% of the riders, the other long dirt brevets in New Zealand have followed suite.

Anyways...Go Josh!!! So impressive. I doubt they 'let him go', as such. He's blazing! Did he even stop for a Coke and an ice-cream in Separ (hope that store hasn't closed down).
And good luck to Jay and Neil working out the whole sprint/no-sprint issue!

[ZWorkman]

I was just glad to discover I wasn't the only one dogging it at work for most of the last two weeks (and especially today)!

Get back to work, we`ll all take one for the team and watch the finish without you

[rileyl]

Big thunderstorms moving into the area.. Looks like they will have a cross tail wind to the finish. Should be fast

[samh]

Agreed. Do you think Taylor and Harris will ride all night to try and finish under the record time as well?

I hope so, but Dylan has only sat still for two hours in the past 60.  He is a badass but pushing through another 280 miles will require digging extremely deep.  

[geekonabike]

Deming, NM is showing East wind 9mph. I'd call that a wash. Just vectored enough to be very slightly cooling.

[jmh]

Just saw Josh crushing it down the frontage road of i10. Then I headed west to the gas station and JP and Neil were reapplying. Josh is flying. He has a huge tailwind down 146. JP and Neil are a bit back and are getting hammered in a rain storm that Josh is ahead of.

These guys are racing.

[Mangobike1]

Wow, I'm so jealous that you're getting a chance to see this go down live. More updates... please. I can only use my imagination and I can see Josh out in front of the storm while JP and Neil race in the rain. Frantically trying to catch Josh. Wowzers.

[Angler]

This is simply a bloody insane finish.  In that I have known him via soc med for 3 years......Ride Fast Neil!!!!!

[robotfury]

someone just posted a vid of Josh on FB at Endurance Rides and Bike Packing page.  No idea how to post it here. Josh looks fast and making a great argument to buy a Fargo. Crushing it.

[geekonabike]

Wow, I'm so jealous that you're getting a chance to see this go down live. More updates... please. I can only use my imagination and I can see Josh out in front of the storm while JP and Neil race in the rain. Frantically trying to catch Josh. Wowzers.

Here's the radar:  http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=EPZ&product=NCR&overlay=11101111&loop=yes

[samh]

Thanks for the real time insight, jmh!  The tailwind you speak of has opened up Kato's lead by 11 miles.  Will the intrepid duo be able to make that up in the remaining 60 miles!?!

[ZWorkman]

Kato is widening the gap! 10.5 miles now

[kiwidave]

Allez Allez! Josh has pulled out to a 10 mile lead with 57 miles to AW - incredible riding. Surely that is a winning gap - to ride 20% faster than him for the last 67 miles to catch him is a Herculean task. I can't wait to hear the stories of the top three guys about how this all went  down - fingers crossed they'll contribute to the Cordillera.

[jmh]

At 60 miles to go Josh has 27 min lead over JP with Neil about a minute back.