rumbledethumps – Member
I love these! What ever happened to Matthew Lee? He seemed to drop off after starting a family a few years back. Like Mike, he was great too.
Matt is still active. Family now, busy man. He’s one of the two people who keep the trackers live.
Last time i saw Rickie she said she planned to ride it this year to suss out the logistics and then go back and race it in ’18. But she is competitive…
Interesting. Lee had a pair of Lauf forks on the bike last week at the HT550 (she just rode the first day and a bit) but looks like she’s gone for the rigid option.
Long distance needs more race-blind attitude .. more enduro : )
Being a bit more serious .. there’s really not much that needs planning that far imo – if you have cues and you can ride >150 miles a day to be up there and get between resupply points relatively comfortably each day then you can mostly manage logistics as you go. The weather can mess plans up so much or vary it all so much year to year that I’m not sure how the recce run really gains much over some basic prep and references to the route. But that’s just a thought on it not a fact. Greg, how do you feel about that after last year?
Rickie & Lee just went live with their Spot Trackers with 5 mins to go. 😀
FWIW – i’ve only met & chatted with Rickie a few times. She comes across as a real nice person, highly motivated, positively charged… and when a race commences i reckon she’ll see red and go for it. IMO she could ride it as a recce anytime. For a competitive cyclist to line up on a race start line can only mean one thing….
In the women’s event also look out for Margeta ‘Peggy’ Marvanova from Czech Republic – very high profile at home – with Adam Zaviska, first ever finishers the Lapland Extreme 900
Just looking at Trackleaders and it seems the route has changed since last year and the Fernie alternate is now the main route. Anyone know the details on this and if there are any other significant changes?
Rickie & Lee are making a film of their ride this year with Rickie def on for having a crack at the record next year. I saw Rickie last week and they weren’t 100% sure they were getting a spotter this time. Good to see they sorted that one.
I’m supported by ENVE and hoped they would help them 😉
Rickie could easily take the record for most words spoken per hour during the TD!
Anyone know the details on this and if there are any other significant changes?
Bridge out after Corbin I think. They rejoin at Lower Harvey Creek in the Flathead Valley before Butts Cabin, so still do the Wall, Cabin pass and Galton Pass. Think thats the only change.
Lee & Rickie seem to be doin alright, especially if their filming their way round. Be good to see the pair of them go full throttle – 2018 i guess, but still addictive dot watching and a crackin effort.
So, approx 49.5hrs in and Josh Kato (USA) & Ben Steurbaut (DE) are the lead pair, they have put in around 425 miles each & only 2 miles between them. Thats an average of 8.6mph for the 49.5 miles (not accounting for sleeping).
Not sure, but I believe Rob Colliver is currently in the US on a 5000 mile off road race, he’s Spot Tracked on that too if you fancy some endurance dot watching.
Hi, I a dot on trackleaders. Holed up in a motel in Seeley Lake: hypothermic worries stopped at lot of riders here today. The day one re route was horrific, made the wall look like a joke. Ran accross 3 mountain lions yesterday with Mark Burton: he’s up ahead at Ovando. Incredible that Lee can pump out that power given her stature. Long way to go but loving it. Mac (aka James Macpherson on Trackleaders).
Incredible that Lee can pump out that power given her stature.
– i think she towers over Rickie!!!
Thats harsh for Ben, but i guess its all part & parcel of this kind of event – he’s holed up in Buttes, Comfort Inn right now. Seems to be a couple of outdoors / bike shops in town, not sure how “specialist” they are though, hope he can get sorted quickly.
Anyone know the reason for the orange route deviation from red is that Brian Lucido is on in Tres Piedras, Carson National Forest? He’s at the post office!!!
qwerty – Member
Anyone know the reason for the orange route deviation from red is that Brian Lucido is on in Tres Piedras, Carson National Forest? He’s at the post office!!!
The Gila is on fire. Simple enough.
Happens frequently that the latter stage gets a re-route.
I see from the event FB feed that Lee Craigie has decided to opt out the race and continue in ‘touring mode’. I understand that first week weather and trail conditions were atrocious and that many are now suffering the consequences
This morning’s update from Eddie: “Yesterday was tough. Finished up around 2 am, up for more today. It rained off and mostly on until 6pm. Then the reroute (orange line on trackleaders) to avoid a washed out Bridge. It was a brutal hike a bike that took 2.5 hours to ride/push for 6 miles total.” When Asked his current strategy he said “no strategy, just keep moving forward.”
Looks like Rickie missed the Golddust trail. Stopped in Como, hope she realises, rides back up, then goes down the correct way.
Crap video – but as you come over the top you hare past this turn off. Many riders miss it each year. Bloody good trail. One of, if not the best, piece of singletrack on the whole route.
Dovebiker – Lee’s BB failed – she took a ride forward, got it sorted, is scratched but touring.