Tour Divide 2015 - race discussion thread

[Smithhammer]

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.

My thoughts exactly. The introduction of a bunch of new rules like "mandatory sleep breaks" would be the slow death of this event.

Gonna be hard to get any work done today without continually checking Track Leaders! What an amazing finish, and I'm not just talking about the guys - Lael is absolutely stomping all over the women's record!! 

[danwiz]

this is just me being wishful, but what if, NB wins...and then recovers enough to go on to and do the CTR....and wins that.......anyway back to the real drag race that is happening in the good old state of NM

[Adam Alphabet]

.........Victory is one of many worthy dynamics in play. (...Sleep dep not being one of them.) (I wouldn't even mind seeing other rule changes so good thing I'm not writing them! Go team, go drafting! Share the work, share the load! But that's too crazy. Or at least another new category.)

No. each their own, but the above...not here atmo.

...a mandatory, auto-pause for shuteye is a great rule for long distance truckers- not ultra mtb racing.

Perhaps it can be incorporated, but it's a different event at that point. It's not the TD or CTR or AZT or... as we see in their current forms. Sleep strategy just as gear selection, nutrition plan/style, etc.. are all part of the overall strategy of these types of events. It's part of what makes these all encompassing races so spectacular. You have to have *everything* dialled in to be great, including your sleep strategy.

Anyways.. just my 2. Back to a phenomenal finish!! They're classy dudes, they'll pick the appropriate way to conclude this thing as they see fit. I don't see any hand holding over the line for this one though. 

[gringo]

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.

Indeed, you are right, it would mean changing this from what it is into something much less beautiful.

Anyway, I was more or less thinking as I typed.....something to discuss while watching dots creep by.

[B_Bock]

Sorry!!! I didn't mean to get into rules discussion. Now back to the Race. It's gonna be hard to get any work done today. Go Neil...Go JP... Go Josh!

Anyone have an guess on what time these guys will finish?

[metalartgate]

Sleep strategy just as gear selection, nutrition plan/style, etc.. are all part of the overall strategy of these types of events. It's part of what makes these all encompassing races so spectacular.

Well said Andy.

Take a look at  JP's full history you can see he is taking around 5 hrs a night off.

Back to the race.

GO Alice!

[mikepro]

Anyone have an guess on what time these guys will finish?

Ah, yes!  Friendly wager time.  Like years past with "can you guess the winner's finish time?" Cordillera give-away initiated by original TD Cordillera editor Eric Bruntjen.  JoeP of mtbcast ... what say you?  Mr. Bennett, a throwback Cordillera giveaway perhaps?  Ha, better yet: Salsa jumps into the forum and offers up a new Cutthroat frame for anyone that can guess the winner and the finish time within a 10minute window, before the current top 3 leave Silver City.  Or, even better yet, Cjell Mone offers a custom frame build to anyone that can guess Team Ricer Burner's finish time before a certain cut-off.  How's that for subtle hints? ...

Edit: and perhaps something for correctly guessing how much time LaelW will break the record by?

[metalartgate]

Tom Chen who is following the TransAM race wrote this nifty app to compare riders down time.

Shows I am wrong on JP's down time.
Look how consistent Josh has been.

App will work for any trackleaders event just change the name.

http://45.55.173.141/tourdivide15

[pbarsom]

Anyone have an guess on what time these guys will finish?

The winner will roll up to the Antelope Wells gate at 9:03:27 tonight MDT, just as twilight fades into darkness, look around and try to let what they just did sink in.  Those two podium girls may or may not be there, depending on just how sleep-drunk that worthy fellow happens to be.  This will be repeated in some fashion over the next couple of weeks.  

All three pushing along on the CDT.  Couldn't have crafted a much better script up to this point.  Anybody got the last page handy?  No, wait.  Save it.  

[jakomait]

The slope of the race flow for the top guys is getting steeper = speed is increasing!  Even after 14 days and almost two thousand seven hundred miles they are finding more power in the legs.  Neil's 3 hour nap last night is a gutsy effort to get to the finish line first!  

160 miles to go!  Looks like they have another 12-14 hours of pedaling??  That would put the finish tonight just after dark tonight??  I have no idea of the road surface so I'm just guessing based on their current speed and terrain.

[mikepro]

Ah, yes!  Friendly wager time.  Like years past with "can you guess the winner's finish time?" Cordillera give-away initiated by original TD Cordillera editor Eric Bruntjen.  JoeP of mtbcast ... what say you?  Mr. Bennett, a throwback Cordillera giveaway perhaps?  Ha, better yet: Salsa jumps into the forum and offers up a new Cutthroat frame for anyone that can guess the winner and the finish time within a 10minute window, before the current top 3 leave Silver City.  Or, even better yet, Cjell Mone offers a custom frame build to anyone that can guess Team Ricer Burner's finish time before a certain cut-off.  How's that for subtle hints? ...

You know, like this:
http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/ultra-racing/td%2711-race-discussion/msg21792/#msg21792

[Wayne]

A quarter mile from JP to JK. Good grief!

Wayne

[cccniuk]

I definitely hope they race it out.  A 2 or 3 way tie would be extremely disappointing. This is a race and hopefully everyone races it to the end.

I don't think it would. If you cycle alongside someone along a self supported route for the final few days, and then outsprint when at the end it shows a complete lack of class and is very disrespectful to your travelling companions. its different if you are yoyoing along. But they are not. If you ride side by side you should finish side by side. If you can't break some one over 2700 miles, you shouldn't try in the last flat 50. Imo.

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[hopscotchmcgee]

In JayP's record run he did Silver City to the finish in 11 hours on the dot. It is worth mentioning that he was riding alone and already knew he had the record - I have a feeling these three will bust out Silver City to the finish in less time than the record shows, because there is such a high level of competitiveness right now. If they depart Silver City by 11am this morning, I wouldn't doubt they could finish between 8pm - 9pm tonight. Maybe even sooner as these three have already exceeded everyones, and I'm sure their own, expectations.

[bikeny]

A quarter mile from JP to JK. Good grief!

Wayne

It's less than that if you look at when the points are broadcast. The three of them are riding together at this point.

[mikepro]

In JayP's record run he did Silver City to the finish in 11 hours on the dot. It is worth mentioning that he was riding alone and already knew he had the record - I have a feeling these three will bust out Silver City to the finish in less time than the record shows, because there is such a high level of competitiveness right now. If they depart Silver City by 11am this morning, I wouldn't doubt they could finish between 8pm - 9pm tonight. Maybe even sooner as these three have already exceeded everyones, and I'm sure their own, expectations.

Some other comparatives: KurtR, circa 2011: ~9hrs Silver City to AW (through the night); MikeH, circa 2013: ~9hrs Silver City to AW (mostly daytime)

[bikeny]

I don't think it would. If you cycle alongside someone along a self supported route for the final few days, and then outsprint when at the end it shows a complete lack of class and is very disrespectful to your travelling companions. its different if you are yoyoing along. But they are not. If you ride side by side you should finish side by side. If you can't break some one over 2700 miles, you shouldn't try in the last flat 50. Jmo.

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I don't agree with you on this point. I think it comes down to what the three of them agree to. If they all decide on a sprint finish, then there will be one winner who will have everyone's respect. If they decide on a group finish, that is great as well. The only way there would be a lack of class is if they all decide on a group finish and then at the last minute one of them sprints ahead. I can guarantee that will not happen though!

My guess is they have decided on a neutral roll for a certain distance, and then a sprint finish from some predetermined point.

[hopscotchmcgee]

Some other comparatives: KurtR, circa 2011: ~9hrs Silver City to AW (through the night); MikeH, circa 2013: ~9hrs Silver City to AW (mostly daytime)

And Jefe last year was about 12 hrs. I think 9 hrs is completely realistic for this group. Also depends on the way the wind is blowing...

[the tortoise]

Guesses as to win place and show??

1. NB
2. JP
3. JK

And can Dylan hold off Alex??

[mikepro]

And Jefe last year was about 12 hrs. I think 9 hrs is completely realistic for this group. Also depends on the way the wind is blowing...

Right.  Temperature perhaps, as well.  Probably not fickle and random border patrol stops along the Lonely Highway during the day, through.  Got the photo finish camera set up yet, Lindsay?