TD Race Updates

Hey y'all, it's Kurt, calling from my cell phone, high above Abiquiu. It's 5:00, I've been riding since five this morning, and feeling really good. Last night, I was worried about getting across Brazos Ridge and some of the sections around there that were supposedly really muddy. They were on the verge of being impassable during riding, but not quite. I was able to ride 'em, and was running hard from a storm that was coming in. Fortunately, I beat the storm just barely to the really rocky stuff. So I was able to ride all that wet stuff, but there were some nasty tracks from other people who had tried to ride it, tourists maybe, or Matt, and it looked like they didn't have so much luck. But that really wasn't that bad, and I slept somewhere up high in the northern New Mexico mountains last night, in some nice Aspen.

Had another strange encounter with a porcupine this morning that came flying out of the bushes at me. I think I startled it and it fell out of the bush it was in or something. It was... strange. Porcupines are out to get me, I think.

Up high on the south side of Abiquiu, it's just really nice up here. I'm loving it. Tomorrow, lots of road, road riding, so I'm trying to get psyched for that, but that's just tough at this time. But we'll see! That's the way it goes. Alright, later.

(Call came in at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 27)

Hey, Eric Bruntjen calling in from Salida, Colorado. It's a new day.

Didn't have any rain yesterday, woke up under pretty gray skies and pedaled into Silverthorne, and the skies opened up and starting pouring down rain. But instead of pushing on, I remembered what (honorary starter) John Stamstad said to the racers last year, to be flexible. So I pulled into a coffeeshop and sat there for about an hour, hour and a half, waiting for it to stop raining. Let me tell you, if you ever want motivation to get on your bike and ride, sit in a coffee shop and listen to rich folks talk about the problems in their lives. It's a mind-numbing experience.

So about an hour, hour and a half later, a little window opened up and I busted over the hill to Breckenridge; kept up going up Boreas Pass, and the weather just got nicer, and nicer and nicer. I ended up going over the pass, flying into Como. Kept on pedaling out of Hartsel into, really, the sage area there. Kept on going until almost midnight, having a 150-mile day, either 145 or 150. A couple of big passes, too, I went over, so I feel great about yesterday, feel great about today.

The sun's out, just going to go as strong as I can today. I'm feeling really strong. As long as the weather holds, I think I'm good.

Hi. Blaine Nester calling in - can't remember the last time I checked in but calling in from Sargents.  Came over Marshall pass today - was pretty good weather - a few rainstorms and that but dodged most of them.  Can't remember the last time I phoned in but - (have) run into some great people again.  Birch Mountain Lodge back just outside the Colorado border - Kirsten was great and nice people at Pomo last night - its a new kind of a resurrected bed and breakfast - awesome people - very helpful. Had a few weak days - kind of got the legs back this afternoon and hopefully they stick around.  I see Leighton White is hot on our tail again.  He broke his rear derailler a few days ago, got it fixed and it looks like he'll catch us - looking forward to seeing him again.  So will check in next stop somewhere.  Things are going great - bikes holding up good - body's holding out so hopefully we'll make the end.

Listen to the latest call from this racer here!