Tour Divide race discussion

[salsola]

TD14: Brian Remlinger called in from Pinedale to say he is OUT! He’s going to pedal home to Jackson.

http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/td14/

Good effort Brian!  Hard decision, but at least you can pedal  home.  I have often wondered about the psychology of having a hometown on or near the route... gotta be tough to keep pushing on if things aren't going as well as you'd hoped. 

Sounds like the headwinds in the basin were pretty tough for NOBOers.   Last year was bad too as I recall (watching Dave Nice's Spot was wrenching).  The basin headwinds and Fleecer Ridge sure do take the shine off going NOBO.

[dream4est]

In Atlantic city
I am having a grand day

Pedal insert on a carbon truvativ noir crank arm came loose
Fixed it with superglue
The Italian macgruber strikes again!!!!
I am loving life out here

Rode with Sheila and steamboat John
Hanging with Shane until he blows my doors off
Trying to catch the arndt brothers but they hauling butt.
They are all great people - the TD is so much fun even when it ain't !!!

Also
Miners grubstake
150 east main st
Atlantic. City
307-332-0915
Open till 7
Restaurants and very minimal supplies
Owner laurel is the bomb

This info should be available to all- I spent weeks trying to find it
Google sucks sometimes
Aca needs to have this kind of info available - many racers thought they had to carry from pinedale to Rawlins
Not so

[vivalavelo]

Any idea whether he was getting a lot of fan email?

No mention of it this morning, Joe . Perhaps the patient liaison gal delivered some messages after I left.

[THE LONG RANGER]

The existing rules have yet to be amended to reflect the taco truck boom.

Worse problems to have!

[Kattamah]

Got an update from Scott McKinnon. Apparently rear derailuers don't take kindly to rocks riding through them when they hide in mud. He snapped it off and is now on a fixxie! They will be limping to the mail drop, I forget which town. But he's got two days to get there... He also had yet another flat, for a total of 5, only this one was a side wall slash. He's got tenacious tape holding it together for the moment... He's staying positive, but it's starting to sound slightly strained. (Positive thoughts and prayers welcomed!) He knew hell week was coming and was prepared for the mental battle. He's still got a good giggle going. Hoping it stays with him through the remainder of this trip. I know him, if he can keep a grin on his face, he will prevail. He's also still sticking to the rules and I'm not to try and mail drop him a new chain. He's going to try and rebuild the one he just disassembled... (Good luck with that one, honey!)

I know they are all being tested out there... God, are they being tested... Whew!

[Veco]

Separ Road, 7/11/2013  5:04 PM - 5:14 PM

[BobM]

Got an update from Scott McKinnon. Apparently rear derailuers don't take kindly to rocks riding through them when they hide in mud. He snapped it off and is now on a fixxie! They will be limping to the mail drop, I forget which town. But he's got two days to get there... He also had yet another flat, for a total of 5, only this one was a side wall slash. He's got tenacious tape holding it together for the moment... He's staying positive, but it's starting to sound slightly strained. (Positive thoughts and prayers welcomed!) He knew hell week was coming and was prepared for the mental battle. He's still got a good giggle going. Hoping it stays with him through the remainder of this trip. I know him, if he can keep a grin on his face, he will prevail. He's also still sticking to the rules and I'm not to try and mail drop him a new chain. He's going to try and rebuild the one he just disassembled... (Good luck with that one, honey!)

I know they are all being tested out there... God, are they being tested... Whew!

You can ship him parts under the rules:

"Once a race clock begins, a rider may be assisted by a third party in receiving emergency repair/replacement items only. Food resupply is not considered an emergency. Emergency items must be shipped using a commercial shipper such as USPS, UPS, Fed-Ex, DHL, etc. Items may not be delivered privately by family, friends or even anonymous persons. Items may only be shipped to a commercial address (P.O., motel, bike shop, restaurant etc.), provided that address is equally available to all racers."

[Kattamah]

Yes, I know... He still said no cause he wasn't sure where he'd be and it would be easier for him to go off route than find somewhere he could pick it up at. But again, prayers and happy vibes/thoughts are welcomed!

[mbeardsl]

Allllllright... Is this the big pull we've been waiting for?  I'm keeping fingers crossed for a steady slope on Jefe's Race Flow through the end.  If ANYONE can do it, it's him.  He's cut 2 hrs off his projections in the last 8 or so but not sure that means much either way.  

And boy o boy is Calvin putting on the afterburners!

[mtbcast]

In Atlantic city
I am having a grand day

Pedal insert on a carbon truvativ noir crank arm came loose
Fixed it with superglue
The Italian macgruber strikes again!!!!
I am loving life out here

Nice! McGyv-aniti!

Miss hearing your calls too, Mark, when you can!

[JayP]

In reference to calories:
Jefe's move in and out of Pie Town in less then an hour is honorable. Seems as if he only went to Toaster House to boot. Its a long ways to Silver and nothing but quick calories of soda pops at the Work Station.
At this point in the run I know I cant eat enough food and sometimes end up going on an eating binge on the trail to then realize I didn't bring enough.
There are some fast miles ahead as well as some slow ones.
These nights are the longest.
If you cant tell I am missing the feelings and the grit it takes to keep driving and Ride Forward all the way to the end.

[mbeardsl]

Love your input JayP!  And yes, it comes through pretty clear you want to be out there again

[desertrat]

I know they are all being tested out there... God, are they being tested... Whew!

It's not easy watching from afar, either.... praying for your man!  

[Angler]

Go Jefe Go!
Go Calvin Go!
Go Tandem Two Too!

Go Lorenzo Go....another really nice guy we got to talk to.  He's backkkkkkk!!!!

[Angler]

So it looks like there is no official SOBO caboose this year.  How unfortunate.  Looked like it was going to be 72 year old Charles Sasser and  we of Ovando were going to applaud his arrival, because let's face it.....he's 72 years young and riding the Divide!!!!  But then noticed he was off the trail and on the highways.  His spot is  over 13 hours in Seeley.  And I could have sworn I saw him [okay it was an older man with a very determined look on a self supported bike] pedaling in the rain along highway 200 heading for Lincoln.  Anybody know his status? 

[kato]

Go Calvin!!!  You must have found your fruit bowl.  Or else you are pouring it on to find one

[THE LONG RANGER]

In reference to calories:
Jefe's move in and out of Pie Town in less then an hour is honorable. Seems as if he only went to Toaster House to boot. Its a long ways to Silver and nothing but quick calories of soda pops at the Work Station.
At this point in the run I know I cant eat enough food and sometimes end up going on an eating binge on the trail to then realize I didn't bring enough.
There are some fast miles ahead as well as some slow ones.
These nights are the longest.
If you cant tell I am missing the feelings and the grit it takes to keep driving and Ride Forward all the way to the end.

Oh, did no one tell him? The soda pop machine at the work station is busted! Jefe's got this and all, but no soda until Silver City!  

[mtbcast]

TD14: Jessica Green called in from near Dubois, WY. She was invited to stay at the Lucky Dog Ranch but after discussion with another racer realized this would be a rule infraction and left to sleep on the route!

Good for her!

http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/td14/

[Unai]

Question for the branch dividians:

Trying to comprehend how the rule structure deals with on again off again , haphazard, or dumb luck food service that is commercial in nature (somewhat in response to the "dubious tortilla salesman" scenario played(ing) itself out near Atlantic city).

Divide racer arrives in a town and is looking for food. Options are "usual franchise" or tasty goodness food truck that is on a cross country tour and happens to be serving in that town on that day. If the divide racer elects to eat the fare at the food truck, is this the apogee of moral turpitude and grounds for relegation since it is not available for all divide racers?

Or scenario 2, divide racer stumbles upon a business that is open only during the month of June. Not available for itt'ers obviously.  The "pure" divide racer will ....Pedal on, right?





 

In the case of the food truck I think there is  not any rule violation, because the truck is available for all riders that are there at the moment.

[Done]

Bill Littmann appears to be on his way again after a break at Flagg Ranch. I've been wrong about his status before, but it looks like he's back in the saddle.