The Tour Divide 2014 starts tomorrow. Here's a bunch of links you might find interesting.

Track leaders - http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide14

Start list - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc ... _web#gid=0

Bikepacking.net general discussion thread: http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=6102.0
Jump into roughly page 50 for the current info.
Race progress thread here: http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index. ... ic=10540.0

MTBCast podcasts and rider call ins: http://mtbcast.com/site2/tour-divide-2014/

I would also like to give a big slap on the back and wish good luck to our very own Andy Lawrence (chicken legs) who flew out yesterday evening to Banff. Spoke to him earlier in the week and he was "totally fair chuffed" to be going out there. I told him to use the MTBCast and give us a call in... we'll see if he does.

Yes, good luck Andy!

Good Linking!

Cheers

composite wrote: I would also like to give a big slap on the back and wish good luck to our very own Andy Lawrence (chicken legs) who flew out yesterday evening to Banff. Spoke to him earlier in the week and he was "totally fair chuffed" to be going out there. I told him to use the MTBCast and give us a call in... we'll see if he does.

He's kept that quiet! Good luck to him.

Good luck Andrew!
I did the WRT with him last year and I am confident he will kick butt on the TD.
Looking at his Strava he has been clocking up the miles and he has been spotted a few times whizzing around Essex on a fully ladden bike!

Just checked his direct link on track leaders and he's out and about in Banff!

http://trackleaders.com/tourdivide14i.p ... y_Lawrence

FLV wrote:Good Linking!

Cheers

+1

The small insight Andy allowed me as we rode in Wales this April and now knowing he's under way leaves me with this true feeling of plain joy. You can't be anything else but really fortunate for him.
Big slap from me too. Good going Andy. Good going all.

I realised that Greg May's not riding. Was it a new job or something? Would be an issue to be fair chuffed about too

Aye good luck everyone.

Can I just say that I'm from the UK, so I'm not fair chuffed for anyone. 'Chuffed' maybe, 'made up' certainly and possibly even 'happy' but certainly not bloody fair chuffed.

s8tannorm wrote:
Can I just say that I'm from the UK, so I'm not fair chuffed for anyone. 'Chuffed' maybe, 'made up' certainly and possibly even 'happy' but certainly not bloody fair chuffed.

I didn't expect a 47 year old from Essex to come out with it ether but I guess Andy is just rad like that.

If you speek the local language, or even try to, it opens you many a door.

If you speek the local language, or even try to, it opens you many a door.

Agree completely ... if I were in France I'd speak French, if I were in Germany I'd certainly try to speak a few words of German. However, I think there's a difference here ... I wouldn't expect (or want) people to use words like 'reet' and 'nowt' when they were talking to me

Starts in a colony doesn't it?.... on which basis Queen's English to the border please gentlemen!

s8tannorm wrote:However, I think there's a difference here ... I wouldn't expect (or want) people to use words like 'reet' and 'nowt' when they were talking to me

You are of course right. I was being a tad sarcastic.

bloody ell Stan, I thought I was the grumpy one ;-)

but yes, I concur....

fair chuffed = chuffed

super fair chuffed = quite pleased

rad = great

and another particular favourite

sessioning = practicing



and yes, Greg got a new job that meant this years race is on hold

You forgot:

Gnarly=exaggerating to justify 160mm travel

fair chuffed to me means having a poker shoved in and out. I'm not 100% sure I'd like to be fair chuffed about anything?

What's the conversion for "Lairy"?

The gnar = fun, techy singletrack

SteveM wrote:and yes, Greg got a new job that meant this years race is on hold

That's... err... epic!

Back on track: Are there actually any trails, singletracks on the TD? Is it gravel grinding with some 10 % or so of tarmac?

Alpinum wrote:Are there actually any trails, singletracks on the TD? Is it gravel grinding with some 10 % or so of tarmac?

Very little if any singletrack. Less than 1% in total. ~5% road and the rest is gravel roads of varying grade. You could ride the whole route on a CX bike apart from getting beaten up by the distance.

Complete opposite end of the scale from the HTR/CTR. Think of it like an offroad Sustrans route.

Good luck Andy! Starts in a few hours..

You couldn't pay me enough to try to go at a fair pace there on a cx bike : ) it's not techy tho, just a few rocky or rough sections.

Rod Gemmell from these shores is riding as well. Met up with him briefly at the National Handbuilt Show in Stratford. Even older than me but did JOGLE in a week a few years ago.

I see Alex Harris is riding again. Will be interesting to see how he goes this year with some route knowledge.

Alex is 6 miles ahead of Jefe now!

Just over 48hours in and Andy is at 246miles which is pretty good going. That's faster than his target pace I believe. Add into that the snow and he's making really good progress.