Tour Divide 2018 Race Discussion Thread

[taprider]

WOW, conditions must be really TOUGH at the northern end. Over half the pack at less than the 30 day pace, but still plugging on with so few official scratches or extended stays in one place.
KEEP GOING.  we are cheering for all of you.  Maybe no record finishing times this year, but maybe the record for finishing under the toughest conditions (maybe even including Long Ranger's 2011 option)
By keeping going you will get closer to WARMTH and DRYNESS :-)

[hanyo66]

Rooting for Lewis Ciddor since he's riding a Giant. Seems like Richard Dunnett has been keeping ~10 mile buffer on Lewis and Gareth Pellas all day. After looking at yesterday's progress into today, seems like Richard is sleeping less than everyone else.

Also looked into Dominic Irvine who is crushing it NOBO...he rode a tandem with another fellow 846 miles across England in 44 hours (breaking the record). Crazy.
https://dominicirvine.co.uk/world-record/the-record/
https://dominicirvine.co.uk/world-record/the-ride/

[Angler]

Ovando Montana reporting in with late afternoon arrivals.  May I present to you in Tenth thru 14th place:
Eating around the table:
-  Rob Davidson, 51 of New Zealand
-  Dan Roberts, 40 of Australia
-  Stefano Romualdi, 37 of Italy
When asked who the ride has been thus far with the hail, storms, rain, snow....Rob an Dan in unison said WONDERFUL.  They are having a great time.  Stefano simply nodded.  His English is far far better than my Italian but in hand signs he kinda admitted that with exhaustion and hypothermia and hunger his language use declines.  They all admitted it is COLD out there.

-  Seth Woods, 37 of Oklahoma whose buddy and fellow Oklahoma biker Riely jetted out of here in his quest for Gareth and
-  Manu Cattrysse, 29 of Belgium.  Welcome back Manu it has been a longer number of years since your return than most.

All except Manu ate, and hurried on their way, except Manu who is going for that logger burger at Trixi's.

Looks a few may still come in tonight.  Will hang out for a bit longer.
Cheers!

[mjc]

A bit tardy, but here's a link to a Google Drive folder with a bunch of pics from the High Rockies Trail on Day 1.  I took photos until my phone died!  I haven't gone through them so all of the good, bad and blurry are in there.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LMcbSXAuWaxz8d8u33kautyZPCSUrOlc?usp=sharing

[megand]

Here are my photos from Day 1 as well, from the Grand Depart and on the High Rockies Trail and Spray Lakes Road, and then the suspension bridge down at the southern end of High Rockies:

https://evilmoose.smugmug.com/Bikes/2018-Tour-Divide

[jjmundt]

That bridge looks totally awesome!  I hope someday to ride on that bridge...

[cloudrider]

Watching with interest some of these names I'm not familiar with. I have been looking at their personal sites and FB pages. There some extremely accomplished riders/races putting in some long and blazing fast days. Dom, the NB'er has an interesting history of cycling and some significant records.

Bit of background on the Southern boys an girls here ... from my Monaro Cloudride 1000 Facebook page

TOUR DIVIDE

Without doubt the strongest Antipodean representation since Jesse Carlsson and Liam Crowley mixed it with the frontrunners in 2013 following Kiwi Ollie Whalley’s 2012 winning ride.
The known form riders are Seb Dunne out of Canberra and Melbourne’s Lewis Ciddor. Seb, back for a third attempt after suffering a broken fork when running fourth in 2015, lost three days and finished. In 2016 Seb became ill and withdrew on day three. Lewis Ciddor is a TD rookie but put in a very strong ride in the 2016 Hunt 1000 winning ‘it’s not a race’ in a little over four days of challenging riding that you don’t get back to back on the Tour Divide. Also out of Melbourne, Gareth Pellas SS and a top ten TD finish in 2016, Ben Hirons who rode well in last years IndiPac. John Wright has an overnight GDT [Vic Goldfields Trail] win and a weather deviated 2016 Race to the Rock finish in his saddlebag. Father and son duo Nic & Sam Wardenaar also hail from Melbourne but with an eta around the 30 day mark would appear to have settled for a touring ride.
Dane Roberts also out of Canberra has a very decent 13 day Tour Aotearoa finish to his credit in 2016. Wendy Stevenson long time XC and 24h Solo racer from Sydney. Wendy’s been sighted out on the trails in Kosciuszko National Park perfecting her bikepacking skills and will be a very solid competitor in the womens classification.

The Kiwi’s, as always, have a very strong lineup with Rob Davidson heading out for the fourth time, already with a 5th, 7th, 11th place finish to his credit. Jacob Roberts achieved infamy in the inaugural Tour Aotearoa in 2016 when he smoked down the course in 8 and a bit days and was subsequently the sole disqualified rider for finishing inside the mandated minimum 10 days [it’s not a race]. If Jacob can re-produce that form and hold it together for a couple of weeks he’ll do some serious damage amongst the front runners this year.
Other Kiwi’s are Russell Shanks [DNF17] Stephen Hull, Craig Moss, Chantal Hindrup, Mckayla Holloway, Kane Pottinger and Russ Lory. I’m not abreast of the recent years NZ Brevets so can’t expand on their form/experience.

Of the American and European riders, Richard Dunnett GB and Bailey Newbrey USA [a 19 day finisher in TD16] have declared themselves with and eta of 15 days. Dunnett has some serious ultra distance form with a 2nd and 3d behind Kristof Allegaert in the early Trans Continentals and 2nd to Mike Hall in the 2012 Round-the-World race.

[davew]

Some of the 4am temperatures are looking mighty frigid getting down to 2degC/34F in some of the towns - Ovando through to Helena. I'd hate to speculate how low the temps are riding up some of those passes.

Those behind the 30 day marker will be riding into more inclement weather in Montana too.

[flyboy]

This has probably been answered somewhere in the past but how does the Koko Claims reroute compare to the old Elkford, Sparwood, Corbin, Flathead route? Yes Koko is a nasty climb but there was a big climb out of Elkford on the old route, then another up from Corbin too. Just asking as to the relevance of the green pace flags being the old route versus this new one?
Cheers.
P.S. Go the Aussies!!

[pro_out]

Unlike Seb Dunne to stop for over 10 hours? sick, tired, or over sleep, or going Stealth?

[Iowagriz]

flyboy - I haven't ridden it, but Koko Claims does appear to add a few hours to the overall route.  On the map, the descent from the top of Koko looks fast, but there is a climb or two in there that sure seems to slow people down this year and last year.  Then, out of Fernie, the climb up and over a pass to the Sasquatch sign is a tough one.  I rode that last year and was surprised at the length and steepness.  Bigger than Cabin Pass in my opinion.

[andrew k]

flyboy-  I think Koko is about 5 hours longer than the original route.  2-3 hours of hiking, longer and no pavement.

[bobloblaw]

At least the ride through Fernie gives them access to bike shops - which would have been a big deal to anyone who had issues to that point.  One shop opened early on Saturday in anticipation of TD racers and also had a mechanic on call in the night.  

[kato]

This has probably been answered somewhere in the past but how does the Koko Claims reroute compare to the old Elkford, Sparwood, Corbin, Flathead route? Yes Koko is a nasty climb but there was a big climb out of Elkford on the old route, then another up from Corbin too. Just asking as to the relevance of the green pace flags being the old route versus this new one?
Cheers.
P.S. Go the Aussies!!

Dave, I think that koko does add some time.  It's a bit hard to say exactly but I'd say maybe 2-3 hours.  It's really hard to say for certain yet as the weather plays such a pivotal role as well and we don't have enough runs through Kokos to say for certain yet.  The thing that koko does do, in my opinion, is add a potential for early injury if one isn't careful.  Namely Achilles strains.  It is a very steep, long walk up.  Also, the descent down isn't anything to sneeze at.  Fairly risky downhill in TD terms.  Definitely feels like more climbing to the point of rejoining the old trail in the Flathead.

In 2016 I made it over the top of cabin pass on night one.  In 2015 I made it about 40 miles short of Cabin Pass.  In 2014 I made it to Sparwood on night one.  Last year, via Kokos, I made it just past Fernie and didn't reach to the top of Cabin pass till a few hours later on the morning of day 2.  However, I was in superb fitness in 2016 and mediocre in 2017 and regularly fit in 2015 and 2014 but fairly inexperienced and with much heavier kit than 2016 or 2017.
I would say on average that just past Fernie, via Kokos, is the equivalent of getting to Butts Cabin on the old course.
Kokos is much prettier than the old route as you don't have all the mining to ride by but I do miss the "rivulets" on the road we all had to wade through after passing Corbin pass area.

[skoogs]

Unlike Seb Dunne to stop for over 10 hours? sick, tired, or over sleep, or going Stealth?

I just met Seb this morning here in Helena.  He told me he will probably withdraw.  Tough decision.  Super nice fellow!

[Rob Colliver]

Bill Littman's charge down the Bull River (where he didn't do the left turn to Fernie) is brilliant. Its a good condition trail but as soon as he hit H3/93 he would have been on a busy road with a lorry passing lane. I think he then got on a TD alternate through Baynes Lake area.

[ranger_s2]

I remember watching Bikepacker.com for daily race updates in years past.  DotWatcher looks to be nice this year.  Other than here, are there any other TD update sites?

Will it be re-routed now that Santa Fe, and maybe Gila, National Forests are being closed due to fires/fire hazards?

[bikelite]

Facebook has a TD page. With no reroute (for Santa Fe NF or Gila) put out by TD organizers yet, maybe they are waiting until the SOBO riders are closer to see if it reopens?

[cobbnat]

With no reroute (for Santa Fe NF or Gila) put out by TD organizers yet, maybe they are waiting until the SOBO riders are closer to see if it reopens?

At this point it's likely that there will be more closures before SoBo riders get to NM. Cibola National Forest just closed today - not a problem for the TD because the route (with Chaco bypass) stays on roads through that section. But watch for Carson National Forest - if it closes, the northern NM section becomes problematic.

[pro_out]

And Mike Hall just keeps pulling away from the pack!