Tour Divide 2013

Not a bad cv beckoning for mike at all, add in a strathpuffer solo win and bike design and its shaping up for him

I know he did – and he wasnt alone in breaking that design there …. but the company worked on that.

Looks like Mike will pass Craig today only a couple of miles in it.

4 miles in it……!

Still not sure I am looking at the tracker right, but it would appear James O has blown past into 4th spot by a good 6 miles now.

The bloke in 3rd is very lonely with 2 ahead by 100 miles & James behind by 100 or so..

Yep, Alex Harris who was fourth pulled into a town for supplies by the looks of it and James O motored on. Good on him, I say!

mmm, you can zoom in a real lot, that town had only 14 roads!!!!

There’s an interesting post from Jay Petervary about how doing the ITT is closer to the feel of the Tour Divide than the Grand Depart. His thinking is that if two riders are riding together their competitive nature will take over and they will start competing against each other and thus do it faster. As the race is meant to be done solo this breaks with the tradition of the TD.

Sour grapes or valid point I’m not sure

CS and MH seem to have met up in Pinedale. Outside a motel. Opposite a liquer store. I wonder if CS looked back and saw MH gaining. I can imagine him having his head down on the fairly flat road and being suprised by a bike approaching.

Mike takes the lead.

I can only imagine what that does to Craigs moral.

By about 300 metres

Still a lead.

It’s a whole mile now!

Or as I was working in metres, 1609 metres !!

This is where jameso was less than 2 hours ago:

[/url] 101_0077[/url] by blackhound59[/url], on Flickr]Red Rock Pass[/url]

Next 50+ miles are generally pretty quick

“Beaverhead”

*sniggers*

mike and craig have made friends again and are riding together…… make em or break em …. i imagine either one would probably be rather riding alone right now as its going to be impossible to get the jump unless someone breaks ….

craigs probably going to be glad on the rest though as mike seems to be taking longer than him

“Beaverhead”

snortles

Day 7 report[/url]

Mikes made a gap, putting in a longer day i presume, still a long way to go mind!

sounds like he had favourable conditions and a decent tailwind to cross the basin – makes sense to hud chappin . yer man craig stopped at about 9.30 – mike was still riding at 12am.

Go mike 😀

54 mile gap now 🙂

I am quite surprised at how some are portraying the race. I just don’t see it as the kind of event where the competitors try to “out psych” each other, I see it very much as being a very mentally internalised competition to drive yourself to you maximum, rather than focusing on your competitors.

MSP – have you listened to the call ins ?

craig openly admits to trying to build a gap between him and mike as it was the only way he was going to beat him if he did as hes a very hard man to shake. Mike probably doesnt care tbh and is riding his own race and thats why he is still going hard.

MSP these guys are racers, this is just a very long one. You can’t take away the inter rider competition!

Lets just say the scenery is an added bonus!

Mike clearly wanted distance an his good night sleep the night before was clearly in preparation for a long old stint to put in some distance between the two!

I always remember mike asking if I fancied joining him and TT on a 24 hour ride, basically see how far you get. Where you planning, Leeds, Scarborough, Blackpool way, into dales and drop back down to Leeds

Yeah I’ll pass at but have a good one

and mikes off again at 5 am .

craigs had a long sleep . hell sounded like he needed it

Craig moving again. Think he’ll be slower now as his bottom lip keeps getting snagged in the front spokes.

I’m hooked in watching this!

C

By my reckoning, Mike set off from mile 1190 where he kipped the night before and finished his day at around mile 1490 – chuffin’ 300 mile day.

Gooo ooooonnnnn my sannnnn !

He is nails !!

Think he’ll be slower now as his bottom lip keeps getting snagged in the front spokes.

Think it’s a bit harsh to say things like that unless you’ve ridden the Divide before.

Have you?

only in my dreams,,,…..

can imagine though what it feels like to bust your balls for a week, dreaming that you will win, then hear the sound of wheels coming up at the back of you. I’m sure my lip would be out!

C

He’s a racer though, that should be stoking his fire not pissing on his chips. 🙂

it aint over till its over.

it aint over till its over.

Dead right. Just pray there’s no mechanicals.

Bet these do a good breakfast.

pymwymis – Member
By my reckoning, Mike set off from mile 1190 where he kipped the night before and finished his day at around mile 1490 – chuffin’ 300 mile day.

Gooo ooooonnnnn my sannnnn !

He is nails !!

@bland 300 mile days – really?

I know Mike is capable of 200 mile days which he did on his round the world record but 300 miles off road is simply mental.

Obviously Mike’s first stab at the TDR resulted in him picking up an injury, plus his recent blog on facing his demons makes me wonder whether he’ll push hard until some way after the half way mark.

Who knows. To my mind he’s definitely the favourite.

Dont like to say i told you so……….

have google street view covered the route?

looking like kerrin and craig are riding together – within a mile of each other and their spot trackers are up dating a couple minutes out of sync with each other.

Not drafting though, 😉

Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men —Douglas Bader

To thine own self be true —Hamlet