Tour Divide riders on their way to Mexico

Published on June 15, 2017, 8:03 pm

Published by The Free Press

On the morning of Friday, June 9, 190 brave individuals set out from Banff, Alberta, on a 4396 kilometre race, south to Antelope Wells on the border of Mexico. The Free Press talked with the top riders as they arrived in Fernie, B.C. after the first full day of riding. Over the course of this journey, the unassisted mountain bikers will travel through two Canadian provinces, and five American states. The riders will endure nearly 200,000 feet of vertical climbing, and some aim to complete this in just 14 days. As an unassisted race, the only means of direction racers have is their GPS. Their positions are live-fed online, so those viewing can see if they went off course. Those crazy enough to sign up for this journey must not only be a skilled biker, but also a survivalist. As some complete this perilous journey in 14-20 days, others may be up to a month behind them. Sometimes, services and amenities are over 250 kilometres apart, and riders are forced to camp wherever they can find shelter. In this race, there is no entry fee, and no prize for first place. Follow the racers live on their journey south. Read the full story here.





new ssl iframe style  

  

Up Next