Paul Howard

Listen to the latest call from this racer here!

Listen to the latest call from this racer here!

Listen to the latest call from this racer here!

Listen to the latest call from this racer here!

Hello! This is Paul who has now defected to Cuba. Well Cuba, New Mexico, anyway. Message for Molly and Benjamin. I've been eating cheese straws for lunch like you get at Burley Pig Grandad's house and they're very tasty. Message for Thomas and Freddie. I went down the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Road today with lots of grass growing down the middle of it but I wish I could fly like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang because it was very, very bumpy and it took a lot of time to get where we are today. So, a quick recap, for the past two days. We set off from Horca and it was very,very rough going, very beautiful (probably the most beautiful bit of the route so far) as we left Colorado and came into New Mexico. Potentilla flowers (bushes) growing wild in meadows very high up at about 11,000', scruboak growing underneath Ponderosa Pine. Very, very pleasant except for the roughness of the riding. It was very difficult going. We only made 40 miles in the first 5.5 hours yesterday. Then we managed to catch up. We actually had a race into Abiquiu because when we got to El Reto, apart from it being a nice Ovando or Atlantic City kind of place, it was completely empty; devoid of all services that might be of any use to Tour Divide riders. So we had to race down to Abiquiu to get there before the inn closed because we were a bit low on provisions and we didn't want to camp but we made it with six minutes to spare thanks to a two mile burst in six miles along the last bit od road. I wish I could keep that pace up in a time trial at home. We made it there but unfortunately another rough day today. Steve has not been well. He was sick last night and this morning so he didn't join us today. I hope it means he can recuperate and push on tomorrow maybe. He said he was going to take a day to think about it. We wish him well. A tough day from Albiquiu but there's great downhill to appreciate. Then, what else? We rode through the Rainbow Gathering. We've had everything. Read more »

Hello! This is Paul calling in from Horca, or Orca as the locals seem to call it; er Salida isn't "Saleeda" but SalIda" as in "saliva" and Del Norte isn't "Del NortA" just "Del Nort" - the "e" must be silent. Anyway up over Indiana Pass today which was quite a thrill really (11,910'). Rod, Seaford's very own "Mr. Cycles", I would like to enter my Marin Nail Trail 29er(?) in the world's highest mountain bike competition. I know that there's some other competition for that title at the moment but at least we may be equal first. Anyway "touch wood!", which is what I'm doing right now, it's doing me proud, but I did think that I may have to call you out to help me with punctures. I didn't need any help as such but I just got fed up with doing them as I had three two days ago. I know your repair service normally only goes as far as Lewes and Ringmer in Sussex in the UK but if you fancied a trip to the Rockies I was about to call. The tyre has subsequently held good, the tube that is, so you may not get your trip to the Rockies after all. What else? We're staying in a very nice camp site tonight near Horca. The ACA maps are wrong as there's no motel or other accommodation in Horca itself so we are about a mile down the road, and a very pleasant gent at the campsite found us a spot even though it was full and let us stay there, use the showers and use the laundry. So that will prep us us for a big day through to Abiquiu tomorrow. Then maybe down to the flatlands after that and then hopefully as long as we are resilient to the heat we'll make it to the finish in a few days after that. O.K. that's as far as we dare look and I'll try and ring shortly. Thanks to all the people who have sent messages that I haven't been able to acknowledge via the internet. I haven't had the chance to look at any computer since Pinedale I don't think. So thanks very much. It does help with the motivation. Read more »

Hello. This is Paul calling from Sargents where we've found a beautiful cabin to stay in and we've got a lovely restaurant to eat in. Its been quite a gruelling day what with one thing and another. I don't know why but I had the blues a bit this morning and I was very tired. I think it was just general fatigue catching up and was very tempted by the idea of stopping in Salida but part of me realised that if I did stop in Salida I would probably have difficulty getting going tomorrow morning. So I kept going with the boys who were very enthusiastic and encouraging. We made it despite a big thunderstorm and rainstorm over Marshall's Pass. Hopefully Del Norte tomorrow and maybe a bit of karaoki in the bar this evening to cheer our spirits. O.K. Bye from me.

Da! This is comrade Howardovic calling from the official Tour Divide Staff Newsagency in the Kremlin(g) just to report that ve had a very good day two days ago rolling from Rawlins to Steamboat Springs - a new record of communist productivity 135 miles on mountain bike in one day and then yesterday ve were seduced by capitalist laziness and go very slowly and ve went only 77 miles to the Kremlin(g) - to come home. Now today ve hope to go very far again and hope to roll through Breckenridge and make it over the big hill Boreas Pass and then into Hartsel maybe and at least down the other side. A message for comrade Rodovic - they checked the Super Marin bike at the bike shop in Steamboat Springs and they said it was working very, very well and it very good only needed a new chain. Also a message for comrade Eddieovic at Open Spaces in Brighton - your tent stay on the ground in very strong wind. I sleep snug as bug in rug. Comrade Rodovic is at Mr Cycles of Seaford of course. Da! that is all I think. Time to go. [Various greetings extended in a sort of Anglo-Russian?] Which I hope means - thanks very much - I love you all - I'm going to Mexico. Bye, bye.

Hello! Captain's log. Star date 27/06/09. This is Captain Jean Luc Paul Howard of the HMS Tour Divide here along with crewmates Per, Trevor and Stephen. We've made it. We've all crawled into Rawlins, having crossed the Great Divide Basin today, which was pretty successful in the sense that we did it quite quickly but it was kind of sapping so we're now looking to explore new territories further south. Hopefully going boldly into Colorado tomorrow having crossed half way. We also met some natives today: Joe, Tucker and Jason. Joe and Tucker were horses. Jason was a genuine cowboy who shared some of his whisky with me last night and some of his coffee this morning, and made me feel a lot better for the storm, which we initially endured out of the Basin today, and which threatened to tear our tents away but fortunately it decided to leave them with us. So hopefully off to Colorado tomorrow and hopefully going to make it there before Matthew Lee finishes because then we can say we were only one state behind him. This is Captain Jean Luc Paul Howard. Over and Out.

Hello everybody.  This is Paul calling in from Pinedale....where the deer and the antelope play on the Wyoming ranges, but not the grizzly bears I hope or at least all the guidance says grizzly bears don't roam....or roam as far south as Pinedale.  How they know they're only allowed to go as far as Pinedale I don't know.  Anyway, we've seen off the grizzlies, only the black bears to go....and the moose...and the mountain lions...and the rattlesnakes and tarantulas...oh well, what joy.

Message to Molly....glad you're wobbly tooth has come out that Mummy successfully operated on.  Message to everybody else who's been leaving me messages on the blog, which is that I've finally found out a way of realising that you're doing that and even answering some of them and thanks very much...it really does help.   Erm, that's it...

Over Union Pass today - it all seemed very tough...we all felt very lethargic.  Maybe it was the altitude or maybe it was the fact that it was a late day yesterday.  But that's three 100 or 100+ mile days and hopefully the flatlands over here in the next couple of days mean we'll get some mileage coverage so hopefully we can get to the finish and hopefully get to the finish in time for Per to be able to fly home.  That's it from me.  I don't know when I might ring again as we'll probably be camped in the middle of the Basin somewhere tomorrow, maybe from Rawlins or from somewhere after that....and my goodness, we might make it Colorado.  Bye