Eric Bruntjen

(Call came in 11:30 a.m. Saturday, July 4)

Hi. Eric Bruntjen, Tour Divide rider, calling from Deming, New Mexico. All done with the race. Finished up last night on the 3rd, at 10 o’clock exactly. I think it was 10 o’clock and 18 seconds when I pulled into Antelope Wells.

Big day, about 175 miles, I think one of the other riders was saying, so I feel pretty good about that. Mother Nature gave us one last tweak and put some rain on my head — and a pretty stiff headwind, too. But when the sun went down, the moon came up, the rain stopped, the headwind calmed down, and I just let my legs go one last time.

So, good race, boy, thank you to my wife Melanee and my mother-in-law Fran ... and my mom for watching the kids, for letting me go crazy on this ... my buddy Frank for being remote support ... Stephen Gleasner, wow, man, everything you said was right. Who knew that safety and security smelled like a moldy, wet, muddy bivvy sack, but you were right about everything. We’re going to commission a piece of art from you, I think -- one of those plywood landscapes. Those are awesome. I’m going to commission one from you, inspired by the Tour Divide. So I’ll get in touch with you about that.

I think last night there were eight finishers. There were a lot of people there at Antelope Wells, a lot of family, and Kevin from Tucson was there, and all the racers that were coming in that day. So it was a special night at Antelope Wells, for sure. It’s an amazing race. Read more »

(Call came in around 11 a.m. Friday, July 3) Read more »

Hey, Eric Bruntjen calling from Cuba, N.M. Been a pretty good day today. I spent the night in the desert outside of Abiquiu yesterday and rode back up to 10,000 feet today. New Mexico is tough riding — a lot of rocks, pretty technical. But it’s just a terrific state. It’s so beautiful, and the riding’s been a lot of fun — challenging but fun. On a technical note, right now I’m going to take an approved alternate. It’s the only alternate you can take in the race so I’m going to be on pavement to avoid some dangerous areas if there’s a storm between Cuba and Pie Town.
Something kind of interesting in the mountains today, there’s a rainbow gathering. It’s thick with hippies; they say there’s 2,000 of them up there, and I rode right through their camp. So for a little bit today I wasn’t the only funny-dressed, stinky guy in the woods today. So that was quite an experience, to ride through the hippies like that.
Other than that, I’ve been chasing ghosts all day, just tracking down these tire tracks that I see. It’s been fun but challenging. So tonight I’m going to be out in the desert. Tomorrow, Grants. And keep heading south.
I’m feeling pretty good. Bike’s hanging in there. I’m optimistic right now, but there’s a long ways to go before this thing ends.

Yeah, hi, Eric Bruntjen calling from Platoro, Colorado. Pulled in last night, pulled my bike up in front of the local bar -- it’s a one-bar town -- there was three people on the deck waiting for me. They’d been watching me on the Internet, and I pulled in and they said ‘Come on in,’ and they made me sign a leaderboard they had printed out on the wall. There were a couple lumberjacks in there, fishing guides, they all had laptops open watching the race and talking about it. I’ll tell you, if you ever forget this is a competition, the locals will remind you. There’s no other race like this. Matthew Lee’s out front, he may be shutting this thing down today, there’s no telling. But anything can happen -- I think there’s at least three or four guys that could catch him.

There’s only one Italian left, or I should say there was only one Italian left. I caught him for the last time day before yesterday outside in the desert between Salida and Del Norte. He was pushing his bike with a broken seat post -- just snapped clean in half out there in the desert. Just shook his hand and left him there; nothing I can do. His race is over, I think. I guess I don’t really care what they’re saying on the Internet; that guy, he’s got guts. If you don’t speak English and you come from a different country to do this particular race, boy, your guts are bigger than the Montana sky, because this is a tough, tough race, even if you know the language. And it was great fun racing against him. I guess I got about eight guys ahead of me. They told me in the bar yesterday they’re at least half a day ahead of me, which is probably too much for me to make up, but you never know, so I’m gonna try. I’m getting an early start today to try to beat the afternoon thunderstorms. Read more »

(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, Eric Bruntjen calling in from Kremmling, Colorado. Been running in some rain today; came over Lynx Pass and really got hammered by a thunderstorm. That was on top of a tough morning getting out of Steamboat. The guys at Steamboat Bike & Ski really gave me the NASCAR treatment: new drive train, new brake pads, gave me a good tune-up, but it took most of the morning.

Ended up undoing a lot of that good work on the way down Links Pass. I lost my rear brake pads. Mud and the rain just slows everything down. Combined with my late start, I ended up pulling into Kremmling around 8:30 with only about 88 miles for the day. I probably could have kept going, but somewhere on the other side of Lynx Pass, I'd broken a snap on my rear rack and lost my tent and my sleeping bag and my dry clothes. I was in a pretty rough spot at that point, but Reid, the clerk at the hotel here, immediately offered me his car. So I jumped back back in his car and drove back to where I'd come from, up Links Pass ... wasn't really optimistic, but did end up finding my gear bag on the side of the road. And it was completely soaked, so I had to keep the hotel room, but at least I'm dry and my gear is drying and I have my gear, which is really good news.

So it's been tough. The rain and the mud just wrecks everything. It slows me down, makes me cold and saps my energy, but I'm hanging in there, and I'm hoping for a bigger, better day tomorrow.

(This came in at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday but got missed. Sorry.)

Hey, it’s Eric Bruntjen calling from Rawlins, Wyoming. I just want to leave one more message in the morning before I take off. The bike’s holding up pretty well. I’ve got some stuff going to Steamboat and I’m going to have the NASCAR treatment done there so I might be hanging out in Steamboat a little bit tomorrow morning assuming I make it there tonight.
Wyoming’s been great. I love the antelope. They’re terrific; I can’t believe how they even run so fast through that sage, even through some trees. Some of them will run next to you -- not too close, maybe 100 yards away -- and then they’ll kind of look at you and just hit the gas and fly across the road in front of you, like you’re the train and they’re the drunk teenagers in Dad’s borrowed car. One, maybe two steps on that road and they’re just gone. They’re amazing creatures.
About ready to have some breakfast and then get going. Got a big pass today. I’m definitely learning a lot about the Continental Divide; getting to know the dirt and the animals. That dirt just gets in you, it becomes you, you’re eating it all day long and you’re just absorbing this amazing geological and sociological feature of our country. It’s been a good ride. So I will hopefully check in from Steamboat. Probably going to camp tonight outside of Steamboat and then cruise in in the morning, hit the post office, get my bike tuned up. New brake pads are a definite necessity and I’ve got to reload the GPS with coordinates, so ... thanks. Bye.
 

(Call-in about 11 p.m. Tuesday)

Hi, Eric Bruntjen calling from Rawlins, Wy. Had a pretty good day today. It’s the 23rd. Had about a 140-mile day. I camped near the rest area north of South Pass City, made it through the Great Basin today in one shot. That was a real nice experience for me; I know that’s a tough spot, but today the weather was nice and I really had a nice time. I used to come out there with my dad, not far from there, when he was doing work with some of the Indian tribes. And it was just nice to ride along and think about him. It was a pretty easy day, I think. Went through quite a bit of water. If any of Tour riders are getting these messages, I can give you a little tip that the [unrecognizable; sounds like Diaganas] Well is flowing and Arapaho Creek is, also. But the Alkali Creek, there’s water there but there’s also about 1,000 sheep and they’re using it, but they’re not using it as a drinking fountain, so I wouldn’t get water there.
Ended up in Rawlins, got lost looking for the campground -- it’s a pretty tough town, Rawlins, so I just went ahead and got a hotel. Tomorrow I’m going to have one big climb and hopefully drop into Steamboat (Springs) for tomorrow. Other than that, things are going really well. Every restaurant I stop out, the waitress tells me about the Petervarys, and they always say ... “That guy ... that guy, he’s crazy. He just eats so much food and then he buys all of our candy and then they’re gone.” So I’m hearing all about the leaders; it’s real fun. I’ll check in tomorrow. Thanks. Bye.
 

(Call made 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 23)

Hey, it’s Eric Bruntjen calling in from Atlantic City. Just about ready to hit the Great Basin. I tell you that Tour Divide riders have guardian angels out there, and mine is Evy at the Sawmill Lodge halfway up Union Pass.

I came in there soaked to the bone wearing everything I own, blown-up ankle, I had to sit on the front step of the lodge for 15 minutes just to work up the courage to be able to walk across the lobby.

The lodge was closed, kitchen was closed, but she hooked me up with a hotel room, I had a hot bath and she cut up some fresh fruit and made some Danishes for me. I thought I was out of the race, but the next morning I woke up and, after going over Union Pass -- which was frozen solid, just a sheet of ice up there -- I caught a tailwind out of Pinedale and made my biggest day yet. I can’t believe it, but ... Evy fixed me up.

So if there are any riders still back there going over Union Pass, stop in there and give her a thanks for me. I never even had a chance to say goodbye or give her the Web site. I told her I was gone and she was going to bring me food from town the next day, so I had to leave some cash for her and never got to say thanks. But I’m back on the road. I’m feeling great. I can’t walk, but I sure can ride. And I’m going to make it to, hopefully, Rawlins by tonight. I might have to camp in the Great Basin, but I don’t see a problem with that.

(Call came in 6:24 a.m. Monday, June 22)

Hey, Eric Bruntjen calling from Union Pass at the Sawmill Lodge. Got into quite a bit of trouble yesterday on that Forest Road 515, hike-a-bike. Sprained my ankle really bad and had to stop here last night. I was pretty sure last night that I wasn’t going to be able to go any further, but this morning I’m in my biking clothes, getting ready to head out. I’m in a lot of pain, don’t really know what the future holds. It’s really frustrating to injure yourself walking in a bike race, but that road was awful. Just sticky mud. You couldn’t even push your bike through it; I had to carry mine. I know a lot of guys took the road, which is the official route; I know some guys actually went around it, too. That just makes it even worse; they took the highway. Like I said, not sure what’s going on. Try and make it as far as I can today.