flatfish’s link above has the CS retiring story and http://tourdivide.org/leaderboard has the current positions (click “riders by category” on the left hand side, then leaders)

The leaderboard still has CS in third, but didn’t see the other page. What odds on a GB 1-2?!

This is also useful to keep abreast of discussion [/url]

Mike has blown stapler apart, broken man, came to win and couldn’t, he must have gave his all!

Really stoked for mike, this race is really what he needs after the highs and lows of last years RTW and Guinness messing him about with the rules.

I liked Cjell’s description of mike at the golden spoke as being like a scared bunny too! I suspect he was just apprehensive to get going again after hanging around a while for C$ to get there!

I followed the RTW wasn’t aware of Guinness messing him about! Linky please if there is one?

Bit disappointed in CS, says he is good but quitting, is it because he feels he can’t win now, which I see as bad form.

When mike set off he was allowed reasonable time in ports to transit where the clock was stopped. Afterwards it was changed to include transit times and someone else did it a day quicker later in the year, supported! That was the other bug bearer, they wouldn’t differentiate supported and in supported!

Either way you look at it his time of 106 days or 92 riding shat all over the other guys time of 105 days supported. I think the next closest unsupported time is about 150 days. So he is the people’s champion if nothing else!

CS dropping out: if you listen to his voice on the call in (mtbcast.com) he sounds very depressed and broken. I think he is suffering mentally from the days riding alone etc. He stated he has only 30 odd days experience of that. Very hard for anyone who hasn’t experienced it to understand. We should congratulate him on the achievement up to the Kremlin.

has anyone checked if MH is actually human? Amazing effort and nearly 2000 miles done in 6.5 days moving time. wow.

Perhaps I misunderstood the call!

I thought he said he had exhausted his quota of big racing days so to speak

I am probably the only person around here to have met Craig so maybe a bit defensive about him. A really nice, helpful guy. Can’t believe he quit because he was not winning. Mike is going great though.

I heard his call in the same as bland, he had done all his racing days already, maybe his prep was not all it could be. (He was 5th in the Trans-Portugal mtb race in May.

But correcting bland on the RTW bit; the calculation to days ridden was made after Mike finished and he believed he could have gone a little quicker under the new rules. The old rules allowed you to ride across the USA and take 6 weeks out before attempting to ride across Europe. Now the clock is constantly ticking.

Mike took 2 days off the old record of Alan someone, a British guy living in Thailand (?) Alan was partially supported, not really feasible for Guinness to follow everybody so self or unsupported is not distinguished between.

Richard Dunnett (Diss) took around 123 days and Simon Hutchinson (Cavan, Ireland) were also RTW finishers and Juliana Buhring (Germany) did an ITT in 152 days.

P7270954 by blackhound59, on Flickr]Simon’s finish[/url]

A photo here of Simon’s finish on the day the Olympics opened. Simon (with Irish flag) and family with Richard Dunnett and Mike Hall on the right hand side. On the left is Sean Conway who rode a shortened version (14,000 miles) after having a bad car crash.

Here’s a good news report about the weather Mike Hall is riding into at the moment.

West Fork Fire

It’s going to be touch and go as to whether they’ll be able to ride through.

lets face it – craigs ridden further faster than nearly everyone(my self included) on STW with the exception of few.

Better to die trying than to give half measures and be an also ran you have to respect that.

It would be a shame of Mike lost the chance of an official course record due to fires.

jameso’s SPoT has stopped again by the look of it. Kirsten at BML is very hospitable but 11+ hours is not correct.

Jesse in second place is having problems in Como – knocked off bike by lightening? – which could elevate James to second.

Yeah, I just read ttat on one of the above links.

Pasted for all.

Now in second position, Carlsson reportedly arrived in the small town of Como, Colorado, in a state of shock. David Tompkins, the operator of a bed and breakfast in town, reported that Carlsson arrived shortly after ITT rider Kerrin Walker. “We had a major electrical storm, thunder, lightening, a little bit of moisture, Kerrin just missed it,” Tompkins wrote. “What we think happened is that halfway down Boreas (Pass), Jesse had a flat, he was running tubeless and put a tube in. Coming into Como, it is pretty open; he was found on the town limits dazed and confused, cycling with a totally flat tire saying he was looking for a guy called Como. We sat him down, got some water and coke into him. We thought he had major concussion. He had obviously come down on his right side, knee and wrist hurt but no cuts or major abrasions. Now he is now lucid, but it took him sometime to come around, he was insisting he was third in the race, all he rembers was the thunder and lightening. We think he was near a lightening hit and was blown off his bike.”

jebus , this race is going mental this year.

What could be more scary? A confrontation with an angry bear in a thunderstorm???

Blimey!

craigs ridden further faster than nearly everyone(my self included) on STW with the exception of few.

Better to die trying than to give half measures and be an also ran you have to respect that.

Definitely. I don’t think anyone needs to defend him, there was only one person who commented that his quitting might be bad form…

I wonder how this will impact Mike Hall’s race? Will he not be spurred on quite as much? Will he do better as he can ride his own race now?

What could be more scary? A confrontation with an angry bear in a thunderstorm???

A confrontation with an randy bear on a pleasant spring morning!

What could be more scary? A confrontation with an angry bear

Quote from here: http://suited.myomnipod.com/tony/tony-cervati-tour-divide-journey/

“In 2011 Tony Cervati attempted the Tour Divide, a world-renowned, off-road, cross-country mountain bike race spanning over two thousand miles from Banff, Canada to the U.S.-Mexico border. During the race, Tony survived a near-fatal experience when he fell off a ridge into class III rapids and 40 degree water in an attempt to steer clear of a grizzly bear. He was carried down the river until he was able to climb back to land, where he tracked down his bike and rode seven miles with fractured ribs and hypothermia until he found assistance.”

😯

I knew there was a reason I’m not doing the race.

Jesse Carlsson is “only” 180 miles behind Mike so about a day’s racing at the speed these guys are going. A major mechanical could burn time and there’s always the desire to post a really hardcore finishing time 🙂

http://suited.myomnipod.com/tony/tony-cervati-tour-divide-journey/

That’s scary 🙁 – thank you so much for that….just what a mother wants to hear when her son’s Spot has been silent for 18 hours!! It just adds to a few other scenarios I had already thought of, but I’m sure James O can look after himself 🙂 !

Hope he is OK and it’s only a SPOT issue.

My mother says she never wants to know what I’m doing until I’ve already done it and got home – that way she doesn’t have to worry 🙂

Jameso Back in third according to his spot.

Thanks everyone – it’s good to know that there is support out there. 😀

Alex – yes, normal practice in our family, too, but this time was a bit different – he couldn’t “hide” this trip!

Thank god you never found out about that week in Bangkok.

….oops I think I may have said too much!

James in Second now. That’s Brits One and Two. Yippeeee!!

C

Has Jesse Carlsson scratched then?

Ah, bollocks, no Jesse Carleson was hiding behind another icon.

Sorry!! – first snd third!!

C

To see the leaderboard click on the “Riders By Category” link on the right hand side of the tracker screen, then select “Leaders”

Looks like Mike Hall is in the Peace of Art cafe in Del Norte. If anyone ever heads that way it’s the best eatery in town – I had a fantastic carrot soup last time I was in, but I’m sure Mike is sampling something a little more calorie dense!

Not any more he’s not – back on the trail 🙂

whats happened to max morris – anyone know ?

hes in a vehicle doing 50mph by the looks of it and well off course near pocatello pulling out of the hills via the valleys.

mechanical, injury or other.

Max Morris had achilles problems early on and then a mechanical in Yellowstone and he is out. Max won the AZT750 by nearly a day a few months ago (the one where they carry there bike through the Grand Canyon).

I remember that Tony Cervati moment. Think he came around a corner and they were both surprised one another. Tony was doing it for charity and was very upset when he had to pull out about letting people down. Was a bit worried for him really.

Cafe that Mike was in is certainly a fine one. I had a mid morning snack there before lunch. That was after breakfast 1 and another snack. I was in a bad state in Del Norte.

Mike’s in New Mexico 🙂

Looks like race is to be re-routed due to forest fires in Beaverhead work station area. Means that Mike’s quick time will not be a record run as you have to ride the full ACA route to qualify for the record.

If it is re-routed that will be the third time in four years. Nature eh!

Wonder how Mike will continue if race is re-routed? Continue to batter himself or back off a bit and save himself a bit for the transcontinental race in August. I would back off if record was not on, but then I am not Mike.

It’s a shame that the fires appear to have blown his chances of getting the record.

that is a bollocks – like i said before , its not over till its over.