Today, June 11th, at 9 a.m. on the dot, the kickoff of what some call “the world’s toughest cycling race,” otherwise known as the Tour Divide, begins. The race itself takes participants along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR)–From Banff, AB to Antelope Wells, NM–over 2,700 miles. Along the way, riders will experience a 200,000 foot elevation gain from start to finish, which is a feat in and of itself. What’s more, race participants are required to complete the route and battle its challenges without any outside help, as the race is entirely self-contained.
This year’s ride in particular is dedicated (albeit unofficially) to the Flathead Valley in British Columbia–a portion which was recently added to the GDMBR itself.
We commend those who are partaking in the journey that the Tour Divide is sure to be, but for those of us who can’t make it, a SPOT tracker will be updating racer positions via satellite every ten minutes, which you can follow online here.
And, in honor of the Tour Divide, Adventure Cycling is offering 25 free memberships–on a first come, first serve basis (new members only)–who will receive nine issues of Adventure Cyclist magazine. What are you waiting for? To register, go here.
[Via: Adventure Cycling]
[Photo Via: Singletrack.com]
