What is this race, you ask? Well, there is a cycling route that goes from Banff, Alberta to the border of Mexico at Antelope Wells, NM and is 70% on dirt. Of course, when I found this out a couple of years ago, I told myself that I was going to ride it one day. Then I found out that you can actually race it. Coming from an ultra racing background where you often suffer endlessly, I asked myself why not, and I signed up for this race. It started on June 14th.
Grand Teton National Park, WY
The race, or the Tour Divide, as it is called, is a very non-organized affair. This is because if it were organized, then permits would have to be procured, insurance and other things would be an issue and someone would be liable. In this case, we are all just cyclists riding the same route, at basically the same time. However, let me give you some facts.
Total mileage of ~2,700 depending on weather, reroutes etc. and ~ 150,000 feet of climbing. Fastest Known Time (FKT): males Laughlin Morton (2023) 12:12:24, supported (not official). Justinas Leveika (2024) 13:02:06 unsupported/official, female Lael Wilcox (2023) 16:20:17 official. Yes, this is over 200 miles per day in some cases!
The route goes through Alberta, BC, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. The full route map from 2024 with elevation details and points of interest can be found here. The race is fully self supported. This means you cannot book anything in advance and there are no aid stations. When you are hungry, you must find food; you must carry everything you need on the bike with you. You cannot ride in a group; you cannot have supporters along the route. If it is something that every rider has equal opportunity to use (i.e. motel, trail magic, gas station, restaurant) you can use it, but you are not supposed to have an advantage over any other racer. If you get a mechanical, you can get a ride to the nearest town but you must get back to the same place and start riding again. Only about 40% of the people who start normally finish.
How did it go? Well, it was hard! I ended up averaging about 73 miles per day with my highest being over 100 miles. However, this was not the hardest part. The hardest part was that there were lots of hills, some of the dirt roads were in very poor condition, the weather did not always cooperate, and there were mechanical issues from time to time. Here are some stats.
Boreas Pass, CO (11,500 ft)
Most beautiful province/state: British Columbia, due to endless views of glacial rivers and snowy peaksHardest province/state: New Mexico due to heat, thunderstorms, dust, fatigue, dogs off leashBest roads: Colorado or MontanaWorst roads: New MexicoFavorite province/state: Colorado due to good roads, gradual climbs, mostly good weather and nice peopleRandom act of kindness: In New Mexico a family let me camp in their yard and then they also let me use their shower and they fed me!
A few highlights:
- In Canada, I got snowed and/or rained on almost every day, and they had the worst mud and steepest and longest one climb of the entire race. I also had my first trip to the bike shop on day two in Fernie, BC.
- In Montana, a snowstorm came in and luckily I am slower, as the elites got stuck in the storm at the passes. I started later and got minimally snowed on. Two days after that, it was about 100 degrees and I spent most of the day going from shade patch to shade patch trying to stay cool.
- In Idaho, they had the best section on nice forested roads with rivers and creeks nearby, but it was the shortest at only around 60 miles total.
- In Wyoming, I saw three badgers and wild horses as I crossed the basin, which is a 100 mile stretch in 90 degree heat with no trees or water and a horrible cross/headwind. I had my second trip to the bike shop and now my amount of money spent on repairs for this trip has exceeded the original cost of my bike.
- In Colorado, I climbed to almost 12,000 feet, saw a bear and a rattlesnake, went through Steamboat Springs on the (4th of July) holiday weekend, went swimming and camped in the yard at a firehouse.
- In New Mexico, I rode on the singletrack of the Continental Divide Trail three times, saw tarantulas, stayed at the Toaster House in Pie Town and stayed in the yard of a Navajo family (see above).
- Overall, I ended up finishing in 37:06:xx, had six punctures, replaced my chain and cassette twice, and replaced my bottom bracket, crank, pedals, handlebar grips, derailer, shifter and shifter cables.
Red Mountain, CO (San Juans)
The best part is that I got to see parts of the country that I had never seen before, met a ton of people racing who were so inspiring and was impressed with the kindness of the people I met along the road who offered me conversation, water, food and a place to lay my head. Would I do this again? Maybe, but I would probably want to do a different route next time, just because there are so many places to go and things to see. If you want to do it, or part of it, you don't have to race through it; you can definitely do it slower and spend more time eating ice cream! Here is the official route on the Adventure Cycling Association website.
Finished! (Antelope Wells, NM)
Have you ever attempted to tackle something that was way out of your league? Have you ever heard of the Tour Divide? Catch me up: what have you been up to this summer!?