Tour Divide 2015 - race discussion thread

[mountainjah]

I proposed this a couple of years ago. My idea was to see if a couple of people wanted to try racing TD with the self imposed rule of having to make a 6 or 8 hour stop in every 24 hour period, say from noon to noon each day. I wanted to see if just a couple of people might like to try it. I got ripped a new one by Toby Gadd, who freaked out at the idea. He basically said that the only people who would want this are those not tough enough to do the real race. He and about two other guys were amazingly insulting about it. I have no idea why or how it challenged their manhood, but they sure got upset. It was a shock to me that a couple of people, mostly Toby, could be this rude over this idea.

You have a link to that thread?

EDIT- http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/ultra-racing/2015-td-with-one-added-rule/     Still looking for the ripping...this thread is fairly white bread duder....Not seeing the rude insults? Free Toby!

[Majcolo]

I miss Toby Gadd on this forum as he was fearless about pointing out breaches of the rules as he saw them.  

Quoted for truth.

Sleep strategy: I completely get the safety issue, but you've got to let people race their race and choose their own risk levels. Some will ride down Fleecer Ridge; some will walk. Some will free camp with the bears; some will sleep in motels or camp grounds. Some will hang their food; some will fall asleep with half eaten food on their chests.

That's a great ideal that only works when things are very small and underground. We don't operate in a vacuum no matter strongly we may wish it - see the Oregon Outback debacle for a totally douchy example...

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[pbarsom]

   How much do you think the excellent weather and conditions played into all the fast times this year, or are there just more fast riders? The records are being crushed. Any short reports from the finishers yet?

Weather is everything so far this year, plus the fact that a few points along the route were cleared of debris that we had to literally scramble/carry through last year in the rain/snow.  Whitefish Divide was transited at less than 1mph last year and this year everybody seems to have basically just ridden through it.  But lack of snowpack and generally more genial weather in the first week seems to have made most of the difference across the whole field so far.  For example, only SIX finishers got to AW in less than 21 days last year.  The projections for this year (at this point) show that 26 or so will finish under that mark.  26th place last year was over 27 days.  Last year my finishing time was 15th place and the top 50+ time by over a day.  This year, as of right now, that would be 48th place and mid-pack for the gray team, a few of them returners from 2014.  Totally different year; different race.  That's why it's kind of hard to get too caught up in the whole "record" thing aside from the amazing accomplishment of finishing the route at such a fast pace.  It's a different race every year and things like time splits and so forth that make sense in other races are so subject to vagaries of this course from year to year that they don't mean as much.  Having said that, "number" goals are good from a motivation standpoint, though I encountered more than one racer last year that ended up scratching who was very discouraged by the fact that they were way off the time split goals they'd set for themselves.  That's part of what makes the Grand Depart a useful way to TT the route: you've got competition on a relatively level playing field (at least for the first week) that can be powerful incentive to hurry along.  I wonder how this year's top 3 would have clocked out if they'd all done ITTs.  I suspect it might not have been quite so fast but who knows?  If it was last year's race, I'm not so sure we see that record come down at all.

[ZackR]

You have a link to that thread?

EDIT- http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/ultra-racing/2015-td-with-one-added-rule/     Still looking for the ripping...this thread is fairly white bread duder....Not seeing the rude insults? Free Toby!

I strongly suspect that thread is a lot shorter than it used to be.

[yz129]

http://www.rei.com/product/877990/novara-sprint-bike-jersey-mens

I happen to see that jersey in the store recently

thank you

[the tortoise]

I thought this was a 2015 race discussion thread and not a drag it up from the past thread!

Anywho, Will Bodewes is now in tenth place and within striking distance of being able to move up to 7th place!

[Krampus Snail]

I   

Sleep strategy: I completely get the safety issue, but you've got to let people race their race and choose their own risk levels. Some will ride down Fleecer Ridge; some will walk. Some will free camp with the bears; some will sleep in motels or camp grounds. Some will hang their food; some will fall asleep with half eaten food on their chests.

The problem with people choosing their own level of risk with respect to bears is that they are risking more than their own safety. People who are careless about leaving food unsecured are risking the safety of the other riders, because if a bear learns that camping mountain bikers have food, it will go after other riders. And that bear will soon be a dead bear. People should be able to put themselves at risk, but they shouldn't put other people or wild animals at risk.

[Mxhdroom]

He's OK. Doesn't want to continue it seems ... listen to his MTBCast.

Thanks kiwidave. I missed that mtbcast post.

[jmiked72]

It looks like Jill Homer is back on the route again, after almost two days stopped in Silverthorne. I recall she had a health issue earlier in the race. Has anybody heard anything from her recently? I learned practically all I know about the race from reading her book.

I have to admire the determination of these riders. Since I'm an older guy (70+, but still riding a mountain bike on the trails), I'll never get to ride this route, but following the race makes my day.

[Krampus Snail]

Jill Homer: "I am lying low in Silverthorne today. In deciding to give myself a rest day to recover from illness, it feels as though my body let go of whatever survival mode it was clinging. I feel like the last time I had bronchitis, in 2005, when a lead-like weight in my lungs reduced me to laying on the floor. Suddenly the tour divide feels so far away. I think about breathing fire up fleecer ridge in montana, eating miles with so much joy, back when I could breathe. It was just a week ago, and now I am a shadow of that, weak and small. It's a good allegory for life, and why I seek these experiences - to live while I can. Today i need to find strength just to ride to pharmacy for new antibiotics. Will I be able to get back on my bike and continue to Mexico? I will need to readjust my expectations and goals. For now I just need a few more hours of sleep, and maybe then some solid food." (from her Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/jill.homer.1)


I'm glad she's back on the route. Go Jill!

[AndyAmick]

Mrs Flyboy here. Not sure if this is the right spot to ask this, but I have a question for the wives/partners of TD riders who have met, or have arranged to meet, their partners at the finish line in Antelope Wells. I'm heading over with our 2 children to meet Flyboy at the finish line. We'll be flying into LAX and will then fly to Phoenix or Tucson. More likely to be Tucson to shorten the drive to AW. Just looking for tips/advice on what to do, what not to do, where to stay, etc.

Mrs. Flyboy, not sure if you already got the info you needed. If you're coming from Tucson, Lordsburg is the closest town to AW. As far as what to do/not to do, here's my take:

Once he gets to Separ and I-10, take pictures, videos, and let him know you're there supporting him. At that point, he's going to finish so the fact that you happen to be there doesn't truly break any rules, in my opinion. You're travelling a very long way so don't wait until the finish to see him. As long as you don't give him food/water/drinks and he doesn't draft off of you, get some more pictures/videos of him on his way to AW.

Whatever you do, make sure you're at the finish in plenty of time to catch the actual finish and have your kids cheering on dad. It's a special moment that you'll all remember forever.

[woody]

On my way back to home (Cortez, Co) I pulled into a gas station in Del Norte this morning and ran into Bill Peschka. He is doing well and I took a couple of pics for family and friends.

[AZAnn]

Woody - Thanks for the photo. I was wondering how much weight he had lost. Bill is racing against last year's finish time, hoping to improve it by 5 days. He is pretty much on track. Not too bad for a old guy!


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[woody]

You bet
He's doing GREAT!!!!

[Erik_A]

Here is a Word doc with each athlete's data from trackleaders.com that you can download.  It is interesting to see what frame everyone is riding (Fargo and El Mariachi it seems...).

[ndevries]

I've just noticed that fellow Alberta resident Tom de Vries is listed as scratched as of 20-odd hours ago and 85 miles north of Del Norte. Does anyone know why and/or if he's OK?

Gary

Hey Folks, I think Tom DeVries (Dad) may fill in some more details once he has rested up, but primarily he has been dealing with bleeding saddle sores for about a week, and he had a close brush with heat-stroke on Friday; it scared the heck out of him.  I will let him detail more. I know all of his friends and family back at home are totally proud and amazed at his accomplishments.

[mtbcast]

‪#‎TourDivide15‬ - Charles Bumgardner called in from Steamboat to say he is OUT.Brian Jett called in from DIA to say he is OUT! And Marty Johnson called in from Steamboat!

http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/td15/

[mtbcast]

‪#‎TourDivide15‬ - Erik Richenberger called in from Wamsutter!
http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/td15/

[mtbcast]

‪#‎TourDivide15‬ - Glen Carter called in from Silverthorne to say he is OUT!
http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/td15/

[Joe13]

Less than a hundred miles to go for Lael.

Amazing ride.