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It's about to begin! Dot watching and general race discussion starts here. Follow the dots here:
http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide16
Lots of interesting entrants this year, including STWs Greg May, Mike Hall gunning for a record, Josh Kato, and possibly Guy Martin.
Greg reports a pre-start position at Banf, as does Mike Hall. No sign in from Guy Martin yet.
Guy might not be racing with a spot tracker. Can't imagine why he wouldn't do though!
"Can't imagine why he wouldn't do though!"
He's pretty famous you know. Perhaps he just wants to get away without a mob at every town.
The TT is a premier international event on the motorbike scene.
anyway as reported on the other thread taken over from bearbones, gregs bike was delayed and they were shuttled to banff once it arrived.
the ugly bike has started already and iirc expects to be passed on day 4 was it he said ?
Rob Colliver is underway, started yesterday. Hes doing it as an ITT and has done 140miles in his first day.
Do we think Mr Martin will be using a non de steed?
guys on a fargo according to twitter.... with a rohloff and minimal baggage
I'm hoping Guy will switch on at the start line - what's Terrahawks real name?
Trevor Hork. He has a lisp.
terrahawk isn't riding.
terrahawks off to sri lanka instead to get chased by elephants and tigers.
Ah - ok, ta.
& whys Rob set off on an ITT when he could do a grand depart? i'm guessing its his personal preference that just happens to coincide with the grand depart. To [i]win[/i] - do you have to be on the Grand depart start line?
I think if you were planning an itt then a day or two before would be great. You'll have the leaders coming past you for a chat.
no and no .
cant see the leaders stopping for much of a chat. if you have been caught up after a few days your moving MUCH slower than they are.
EG - day 1 Grand depart riders will do 200 miles on day 1.
how ever it has been touted by other people leaving just before grand departs that their reason is that they want to feel included in the event and not just slip to the back of trackleaders out of the minds of those watching the sharp end. Their own mini race if you will.
but i think robs had snow and fire diverts on a previous attempt and believes this is his best window of opportunity.
who said anything about [i]stopping[/i] for a chat? I'd be reckoning rob might speed up a little to say hello, even if only for a minute or likewise they may slow up. 🙂
So... if you don't have to be on the Grand depart start line & don't have to have a spot tracker.... could Guy Martin already be racing it???
Could be but i figure it would be at a disadvantage to do so.
the blue dot watchers that hold open the mountain top lodges etc till late into the night for a blue dot arrival etc.
depends why he is there though. personal journey it would be pretty awesome imo.
figure of speech - stop , slow down etc i just cant see it happening when they are traveling at a much faster pace and gunning for the lead.
Looking forward to following this again this year.
Greg's bike has turned up at last.
Thats good news. many likes Shaggy.
Just seen this pic
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http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n155/the-milkybar-kid/C2011FD2-26B6-4172-B134-ED667E5BD931_zpsdqaajjlp.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
Is the grand depart at 4pm our time?
Edit: just spotted the countdown on the tracker page: 3pm
There's a race preview here http://bikepackersmagazine.com/2016-tour-divide-preview/
Hmmm, maybe Guys under an alias Spot Tracker... all the benefits of a tracker without the faff of fan stalking...
Good point qwerty. Someone with Greg's number text him and ask if he has seen guy there.
And, we're off!
Wow, what an experience. Good luck all. 😀
I assume if Guy is doing it, there will be a TV crew tagging along ?
Again?
I think Greg has stopped for coffee and pancakes.
his tracker wont have gone bing yet.
I assume if Guy is doing it, there will be a TV crew tagging along ?
Novel idea, he might just be doing it as an ordinary person for fun? It's not exactly an expensive undertaking (compared to renting a warehouse and building a massive wall of death for example) so maybe doesn't want/need a TV crew following him in return for footing the bill.
Also, dunno if the TD is the same but TV crews are against the rules of the HT550 as they constitute a sag waggon. I guess because you could travel light/fast and rely on them if the excrement hits the fan, so even if you never use them you're taking less gear (or using lighter wheels, not taking a first aid kit, etc).
NOTE: A time trial completed with friends, family or media following the ride, effectively acting as a sag-wagon, is not a true self-supported effort.
Perhaps if Terrahawk shows up on this thread he could enlighten us as to guy's tracker alias (if indeed he's riding with a tracker) but you know just for us 😉 spoiling our fun if we can't trace his progress. 🙁
qwerty - Member
Hmmm, maybe Guys under an alias Spot Tracker... all the benefits of a tracker without the faff of fan stalking...
Shouldn't take STW long to work it out. 🙂
i think jekyll has a man crush .
Anyone got a list of the British riders?
Where on earth is Mike Hall going?
Dodgy gps reading?
Or maybe giving others a sporting head start?
Getting some hill practice in? Looks a dodgy GPS reading. Zoom in far enough and quite a few of the riders are "in the woods".
Looking at the sat image of the map that surely can't be accurate for Mike Hall...
Epicyclo, that I know of,
Nigel Leech / Johnnystorm and SSer Tom Rowntree / Newretrotom
Ian McNab, 2013 vet
Greg May, Mike Hall and Guy Martin, and not forgetting Rob Colliver 'in yellow' as an ITT
Is "Terry Smith" Guy Martin? He's 34 and a Brit so it's a good guess
[quote=ElShalimo ]Is "Terry Smith" Guy Martin? He's 34 and a Brit so it's a good guess
Good call! In that case he's doing the ITT and started three days ago.
Terry Smith. A quintessential English name. Not very original though. I'd have gone for an anagram of Guy Martin
Martin Guy
OR
Gary Tumin
Any others?
God I'm bored. Nearly home time.
Mary Nugit? Bored too!!!.
Quite strange to think that if he did start today it would be on the same day as the big Pokerstars TT race. Looking forward to that tonight at 1015pm. On late because some odd game involving kicking a round object about. Sounds dull.
Tina Murgy? Three hours on a ferry and that's the best I can do
Guy Martin = Aunty Grim? unlikely I know!
there's an Adam Martinez. can't get anything from the rider's names.
jekkyl - Member
there's an Adam Martinez. can't get anything from the rider's names.
There's a bloke of that name who has cycled from Montreal to Florida, so maybe same guy. Right age.
Okay so 2 other STW'ers to look out for and their forum handles:
Nigel Leech - Johnnystorm
Tom Rowntree - NewRetroTom
Mike Hall's SPOT seems to be FUBAR'd.
C'mon MIKE sort your tracker out!
I really want him to win this in the fastest time ever
If Guy is Terry and matches his target 20 days he should be finishing at about the same ti e as the race leaders
Can't see guy doing it as an ITT, otherwise why not do it the week after the TT?
Unless there's some other reason to set off early?
Terry Smith looks to be doing a ride inspired by the Tour Divide rather than the actual route.
Eg Early on rode along the road on the East side of Spray Lake Reservoir.
My guess is he's aiming to stay in front of the lead guys as long as possible while getting some interesting filming done (possibly off route at times).
Looks like difficult conditions this year so far, lots of cold wet riders.
Whoever is running Mike Hall's FB page
https://m.facebook.com/Mike-Hall-245897802144495/
Suggests that his tracker isn't working and to watch Josh Kato's dot for where he might be. There's also a picture of all the riders before the start, can anyone spot Guy?
Mike's tracker is working now and ..... he's up n out early n in the lead!
Looks like someone got the message to him at Eureka that his SPOT wasn't working.
Guy Martin, top right, wearing blue.
whisky711 - Member
Guy Martin, top right, wearing blue.
link? Or have I missed something?
[img] 
[/img]
Thanks
No, top right and wearing blue is Crazy Larry
[url= http://mtbcast.com/site2/2016/06/11/mtbcast-tour-divide-16-mike-hall-called-in-from-the-u-s-border/#t=2:45.955 ][/url]
Checkin here from mike. Tracker seemingly cream crackered but looks like he's got it working fine so not sure on that one! Great lead he's pulled out though, all seemingly going to plan!
Has anyone seen the start list? TD website doesn't look to have been updated since 2011.
It's on Trackleaders - http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide16
Is that the actual start list, or just the list of people who've got Spot trackers on?
there isn't really a start list as such afaik.
my understanding was that anyone can just turn up and set off with all the others, although presumably most or nearly all probably have spot tracker on the trackleaders thingy, and do declare their intention to participate.
Mike Hall is smashing it! He's not far off catching Rob Colliver (off here) who started 4 days before Mike.
Mike's nearly 100 miles further on than Josh Kato was at this time last year on his record ride.
Is that the actual start list
There's also a googledocs list that is used as a delclaration of intent and to get contact details for riders in case of fire diversion etc but that won't be a complete list either. It's all a bit loose and unofficial in that area.
The problem if you intend to "race" the TD is that
"[i]There is no finish time cut-off, however, current convention considers a competitive Divide Route finish time as approximately 1.5 times (x) course records. [/i]"
So if Mike Hall does drop the record to say 10.5 days that means only Josh Kato and Jay Petervary would currently record a "competitive" time if they repeated their record runs.
Having done a "mere" 210Km (130 miles) in the Dales yesterday I'm in awe of the distances these riders are doing day after day.
10.5 days
Optimistic : )
13 and a few hours? The sub 2-week barrier on a full course with no fire or snow re-routes seems to be a marker to hit. That'd make a competitive time 20.5 days ish, still very good going.
looks like Greg's riding with Tom and 2 others, currently placing 25th out of 148 on the group start southbound. Keep it going Lads!
Mike Hall just 30 miles behind Rob.
Who'd like to take a guess in which position Guy might be running?
jekkyl - Member
...Who'd like to take a guess in which position Guy might be running?
Anyone worked out the pseudonym yet? 🙂