Tour Divide Mountain Bike Race Starts Today

The 2,475-mile Tour Divide mountain bike race kicked off today in Banff, Alberta. 42 burly mountain bikers signed up to ride this year, including a couple riding a tandem mountain bike.

The Tour Divide is a fully self-supported race along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, the world’s longest off-pavement bike trail, from Canada to New Mexico.

Besides having to pedal 16 hours a day for 3 weeks straight, riders also have to navigate the unmarked route (not an easy task), find shelter or bivouac each night, survive possible grizzly and mountain lion encounters, and remain self-sufficient for the 100+ miles between services. (Not to mention out-riding the fickle Rocky mountain weather that can turn deadly in an instant.)

Decidedly not for sprinters, this battle royale braves mountain passes and windswept valleys of the Continental Divide from hinterlands of the Canadian Rockies to badlands of the Mexican plateau.

At the end of the ride, finishers will have climbed almost 200,000 vertical feet – like climbing to the summit of Mount Everest from sea level 7 times! Only 9 riders finished last year, including winner Matthew Lee, who completed the course in 19 days, 12 hours.

For more information on the race and route or to keep an eye on the GPS leaderboard, visit the Tour Divide website.

Via GetOutdoors