Keeping track

OK, a lot to report today, after some good work by Jeff Potter trying to keep track of where everyone is and how they’re doing compared to where they were and who they were with earlier in the race. It’s not easy.

Jeff has done some sterling work comparing things now with about three days ago, and noticed how steady things had been. Indeed, most of the racers are in groups with pretty much a day or so riding in between. Nicolas Senie, Matthew Arnold, Cricket Butler, Stephen Huddle, Jon Billman and David Tremblay are all in Pinedale, about a day behind Tom Moriarty, Jacob Johnsrud, Derek Richert, Grant Crosby and Dave Preston who are camped within a few miles of each other in the Basin proper.

Another day or so ahead in Rawlins are Marshal Bird, Mike Prochasaka, David Goldberg and John Foster. Then Dave Blumenthal is near Forest Baker and Aidan Harding, who are few hours short of Eric Nelson in Steamboat. Eric seems to have stolen a bit of a march on the others in the past few days, but bike repairs and food consumption could see them all regroup in the morning. Then Blaine and Erik Lobeck are the best part of another day ahead, in turn a bit more than half a day behind Matthew Lee.

At the rear, Brad Perry is about a day out of Pinedale, with Kent Peterson only a few hours behind him and Patrick Tsai another half a day or so behind that. International man of mystery – aka Shawn Sheppard – called in from Pinedale yesterday morning so could be with the boys on the Basin, or maybe just behind them.

Jeff pointed out that the only changes he’s noticed have been Matthew Arnold, who was previously with John Foster and David Goldberg, and Brad Perry, who appears to have dropped off the big group now in Pinedale. Hopefully they’re just plugging away at the pace they know to be sustainable and not being sucked into racing just yet – after all, Matthew Lee’s latest call-in says the race is just about to start, and several other riders have said they are aware of the opportunity to put in big days in Colorado (the hills are high, but the surfaces are good, and the major Wyoming headwinds – 40 mph said Erik, reduced me to pushing, said Matthew – are likely to have been left behind).

He also confesses to having had mechanical issues (bottom bracket – fixed by a peripatetic bike doctor in Frisco called Gary, if anyone needs to know) and being concerned that Blaine and/or Erik might catch him. Erik stopped for his own repairs at Orange Peel Bikes in Steamboat yesterday (for some reason he felt it might be useful to have a front brake), hence his late start, and both he and Blaine have been playing down their chances against the other. Both also said the burgers and watermelon at Brush Mountain Lodge were the best they’d ever had.

Elsewhere, and if recent progress is any guide, then Aidan Harding – who called in to complain the race was ‘too long’ but that he was ‘ticking along nicely’ (we’ll put that down to English understatement and sense of humour) – has been showing well, now up a day on John Foster, Marshal Bird and David Goldberg who he was with in Butte. That’s all the more impressive given that Forest Baker, who Aidan is now riding with, put in a 210 mile day across the Basin (including going over the handlebars). Mike Prochasaka has also made up a day relative to where he was, as have Jacob Johnsrud, Tom Moriarty, Grant Crosby (who likened the Great Divide Basin to the Great Beyond - not an inappropriate comparison), Derek Richert and David Preston.

The cycling ahead for the next few days is generally good for all, notwithstanding the risk of headwinds in the Basin and the climbing in Colorado, so it will be interesting to see if this provokes further stability or the chance for people to make up or recoup lost ground. It doesn’t really turn rough again until New Mexico. I’ll maybe see if Jeff or I can enter the dangerous game of predicting likely finish times, and see how close people are to record pace over the next couple of days, time permitting. All contributions welcome.

Paul Howard

Two Wheels on My Wagon

PS: For those who don’t know, a backhoe is a small construction machine, known in the UK as a JCB.

PPS: For those who want to know more about the big group of eight who raced last year, have a look at Steve Wilkinson’s write up, which I think might also be in the Cordillera (or at least a version of it).

PPS: Devian Gilbert is out, and wishes all the best to the other racers. That's 26 still racing now.