Tour Divide: Contenders?

Who should I be keeping an eye on? Any brits worth looking out for in particular?

I’d have a tenner on Jefe Branham. Fast US SSer, second to Kurt Refsnider in 2011. Alex Harris (SA) is racing again (got 3rd in 2013) and he’s got a lot of experience with this sort of thing.

7 or 8 Brits doing it this year according to the start list –
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AnV6xT65HkPRdE5WZ2c4S0pyZnd5Tk51cko1ZzJneFE&usp=sharing

Oh and how could I forget Max Morris. Hoping he has a great ride. He was riding fast and light in the HLC with a rain jacket and silver car windshield reflector as bivi kit.

Max Morris.

Sounds like a retro car porn star!

Got chatting to the last Brit, on that list, Andy Lawrence… on a train the other week. He was returning home after doing the southdowns way as a training ride !!

Can you track the riders? (I can’t seem to work it out)

He’s a character that’s for sure!

Ro5ey – via trackleaders, here http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide14

The spread of bikes is interesting.

Tonnes of Salsas, with ti being quite prolific – lots of Moots.

Isn’t flange, of this parish, doing it this year?

Yorkshireman Mike Hall is doing the TransAm. He smashed the Divide last year and is currently 100 miles out in front.

Isn’t flange, of this parish, doing it this year?

He’s not on that list! I’m riding with him Sunday, I’ll ask!

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/preparation-for-the-tour-divide

Perhaps he’s pussied out changed his mind?

I hate this race… it makes me want to go and ride the route again. shhhhh. 😮

They start mid afternoon UK time tomorrow..

Seems that the bridges on the Spray River trail just south of Banff that were washed out last summer have fordable water levels or makeshift bridges and the trail’s not too bad overall. A few talking about starting further down the trail perhaps? No idea of snow levels around Elk pass. Wondering how far the leaders will get on day 1. Last year was a pretty fast-running first few days and Mike Hall and a few others made it to Butt’s Cabin ~195 miles in, in the Flathead Valley. There were a few others at Corbin mine 170 miles in. Sparwood (140) or Elkford (110) are the usual day 1 targets in average conditions years.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/preparation-for-the-tour-divide

Perhaps he’s pussied out changed his mind?

Not long after he posted that thread I got in touch with him. We were going to be doing some training sessions together but he hurt his back apparently and said he was going to be out for a while. Never heard any more after that.

Thanks folks. Interesting spreadsheet!

I never thought I’d mutter those two words in the same sentence. Kill me 😯

Looks like some chap called Leo Pershall is reckoning 14 days.

Ambitious!!

Nearly time to go!

Molgrips FTW 🙂

Tags thread

I will be watching my mates dot on trackleaders.

This will be his 2nd attempt and the training he has done has been quite the eye opener. I don’t think I can quite comprehend how people race this, even *just* riding it seems like the most daunting prospect to me.

Good luck to all who are participating!

35mins until it all kicks off.

Who’s riding from this parish then?

I would so like to ride this. I just can’t comprehend riding 180 miles a day, in fact I can’t comprehend riding 80 miles a day except on a flat tarmac road.

it is a massive itch though. Maybe just take the plunge and if it takes 35-40 days, so what…..

C

Pretty grim conditions on the first day by all accounts. Snow, wet, cold, and sloppy.

Maybe not so jealous. I guess the time of the grand depart is a bit early if it’s been a harsh winter.

Link to the blue dot tracker?

http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide14

First rider through the US border. Interesting to see how they speed up if yesterday was super bad.

I wonder how they’ve calculated the record? If it’s just a ghost, then JB is doing a good job, especially considering the conditions!

Very early days though. This race is definitely on my ‘to do’ list.

Looks as tho Jefe Branham is destroying them…!