Tour Divide Day 16

Day 16

Chris Seistrup Final sunrise and some good ol’ fashioned CDT Hike-a-Bike before the downhill into Silver City. Slept through the rain last night to start at 2 am. Eating at least 2 breakfasts at Denny’s and blasting off to Antelope Wells!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzTAs3GFIbb/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

(Pic Chris Seistrup)

(Pic Chris Seistrup)

Chris was up early at 02:30 to close his race out. Riding swiftly through the CDT Alternative he was in Pinos Altos after 5 hrs and soon after was spotted in Silver City by a welcoming parade through Silver City, including Cjell Mone of the La Manga $ Challenge:

(Pic David Hawkins)

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(Pic David Hawkins)

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Chris took a 90 min resupply at Silver City including a couple of breakfasts and blasted off at 09:30 for the finsh line at Antelope Wells. 4 hours later he was passing through the Continental Divide Trading Post at Separ for a quick resupply before hitting the last paved miles to the border. A short stop in Hachita a couple of hours later and then he was on his way to the finish.

15 days 11 hours and 22 minutes after leaving Banff, Chris Seistrup reached Antelope Wells as the 2019 Tour Divide winner.

(Pic George Harris)

(Pic George Harris)

Chris Seistrup has taken "the win with an incredibly patient, confident, and mature ride for a TD rookie.... Hats off to him - it's been dang inspirational to watch." wrote Kurt Refsnider, TD winner in 2011 and second placed in 2009, commented.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BzUTJ8ploTB/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Chris will be also be happy that he has raised $30,000 for the hemophilia charity Save One Life (Chris is also hemophiliac):

https://saveonelife.net/?fbclid=IwAR0hsBd_TSJ-piLXbFqD_qzt7SpCKL76Itjbt9r0xkwHCjzFVAu-4anstiY

Chris rode a measured race and held his own pace throughout as these splits to the front runner of those still racing show:

US Border: 8th, 4 hours 30 mins behind Steve

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Lincoln: 8th, 11 hrs 30 mins behind Nate

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Butte: 5th, 11 hrs 30 mins behind Steve

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Lima: 5th, 4 hrs behind Nate

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Flagg Ranch: 2nd, 1 hr behind Steve

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Atlantic City: 1st, 1 hr ahead of Steve

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Steamboat: 3rd, 30 mins behind Nate

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Salida: 1st, 4 hrs ahead of Steve

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Abiquiu: 1st, 7 hrs ahead of Steve

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Pie Town: 1st 11 hrs ahead of Steve

Back on the route though it is all to ride for. Nate Ginzton passed Steve Halligan trail side last night around 21:00. Steve is having problems with his knee locking up, and decided to give it a good rest which would hopefully let it recover enough to finish. Nate carried on for about 13 slow and likely muddy miles past Steve before stopping for the night at 22:35. It was to be a short sleep though as Nate was off at 02:30 and will try to hit the Mexican border before he sleeps next. Behind him Steve took a stop of 14 hour, and by the time he was going at 08:00 Nate had already been biking for 5.5 hours and was 50 miles ahead.

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Peter Sandholt, who had slept 52 miles back at the Toaster House in Pie Town, had been on the move since 06:00 and was now on 27 miles behind. Peter stopped at Beavehead Work Camp for about 30 mins. Leaving there he was about 10 miles back from Steve. Peter likely knows from the fire crew at Beaverhead that he is pretty close on Steve, but time gaps or distances given by passers-by are notoriously inaccurate (some would say not as inaccurate as these summaries though!!)

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Back in 5th, Tony Lesueur is holding out the elite chase pack amazingly well. Coming off a years touring, he's got the staying power but is not so sure if his straight line speed can keep him ahead. He's managing to increase the gap though with Kai Edel the first to leave Pie Town now 72 miles behind at 15:00 Tony, up from 51 miles when Tony started this morning.

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Of the chase pack, Stefano Roumaldi rose first and overtook Evan Deutsch, Lucas Ratliff and Bear Stillwagon whilst they were still sleeping and trailed Josh Ibbett into Grants around 7:30 as Kai Edel exited on the Route 66 off towards El Mapais. Evan stopped in Grants and currently is still there.

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Kai and Josh Ibbett left Pie Town close together around 14:30 with Stefano about 45 mins back. Bear and Lucas got their pie slices at the Gathering Place and then were swiflty off with Kim Raeymaekers not far behind in pursuit.

Kim Raeymaekers posted to Instagram from Pie Town: https://www.instagram.com/p/BzUVwtmFu9g/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

. In the race for third as getting tighter by the mile through the Gila, and Steve must have been in sight of the chasing Peter for some time, with Peter only a minute behind as they exited the Gila onto the short road section prior to the Sapillo Camp Ground and the CDT. By 21:00 Peter was a couple of minutes ahead as they hiked up the first steep climb onto the CDT single track section. Across the single track traverse though Steve pulled away again and stretched out to a 20 min gap by the time they reached the road to Silver City. At time of writing Peter is leaving Silver City and Steve's spot is stationary at the non-stop McDonalds where he'll be eating up a storm and likely watching Peter's spot and working out whether to sleep or push through the night to Antelope Wells in pursuit of third place.

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Tony Lesueur in 5th is still riding, or hike-a-biking over the CDT Alternate - it's a tricky section in the dark as it is genuine rideable single track but in the dark there's a lot of pedal strikes on rocks. Josh Ibbett and Kai Edel have stopped back at Black Water Canyon. Stefano Roumaldi is still biking at 02:00, probably headed for Beaverhead Work Camp. It looks like Tony has a good chance to be able to hold onto his 5th position if he gets his sleep strategy right.

Back on the paved road through Navajo lands, three are racing through the night like it is day 1. Ryan Simon is racing to hold on to his single speed lead, 20 miles from Grants, with Beau Troesch and David Langley 20 and 30 miles back respectively. Alexandera Houchin has put in another solid day to remain well ahead of her goal of breaking Alice Drobna's women's single speed record. She's crossed Polvadera Mesa and is sleeping a bit out of Cuba.

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Josh Ibbett on his current strategy after 15 days racing and being so far back from the leaders: “Am only doing this one to get to know it, I don’t care if am first or whatever, I just wanna finish it and then go to Pie Town cause Mike always used to say how great it was.”

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Kim Raeymaekers posted up some pics of his past days: https://www.instagram.com/p/BzT7gBBoXbu/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

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Alexandera Houchin south of Abiquiu:

(pic anonymous spectator #1)

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Dylan Morton, close to Del Norte: https://www.instagram.com/p/BzS-ZuSgwf2/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

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Geof Blance, close to La Garita: https://www.instagram.com/p/BzS_QH4FGCg/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

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Andrew Hunt of South Africa was photographed a couple of times in Salida:

(pic Jaqueline Guthrie Rice)

(pic Janet Blessington)

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From Brenda Wiard in Salida:

Four more happy riders arrived in Salida just now (around 5:30 pm Saturday) : Tim Roberts, Daniel Nickel, David de Sotomayor and Steven Moatt. They had a GREAT day - no big headwind in South Park and not too hot. After their big feed in Salida, they plan to ride up and over Marshall Pass before stopping for the day.

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David de Sotomayor leading Tim Roberts and Steven Moatt into Salida just ahead of the rain: (pic Brenda Wiard)

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Steve Moatt: (pic Brenda Wiard)

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Tim Roberts: (pic Brenda Wiard)

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Daniel Nickel: (pic Brenda Wiard)

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Steven Moatt (left), T__im Roberts__ (middle), and David de Sotomayor showing just how wonderful it can be to eat (a lot!). What a wonderfully personable bunch! (pic and caption Brenda Wiard)

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Could a restaurant have a more appropriate sign for starving riders than this one at Mo Burrito? (pic and caption Brenda Wiard)

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Steven Moatt and Daniel Nickel digging in to the first course. Daniel took a break partway through to pick up a new chain at a nearby bike shop. His current chain had been troublesome since Steamboat Springs. (pic and caption Brenda Wiard)

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Jimmy Bisese in Salida. (Janie Hayes has had to scratch due to illness.): (pic Janet Blessington)

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Robin NeJame got this pick of Jackson Lester in Salida:

John Schilling: TD Day 16: First, I'd love to Congratulate fellow Team Binary Bicycles mate, Christopher Seistrup on WINNING the Tour Divide!! Holy smokes, dude, do you realize what you've just done?? BTW, I'm fairly certain I beat you to Brush Mountain Lodge before you reached Antelope Wells... maybe 5 minutes!! Amazing ride!!

Today was more of the same, 50+ miles of Wyoming headwinds on crappy gravel roads & seemingly endless climbs. The good news? I'm now in Colorado!! Onward.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzUkmSJFdtT/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

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Hal Russell and John Schilling were at Brush Mountain Lodge:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzUlGZkllBc/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

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Current Positions at 01:30

Chris Seistrup: FINISHED! 15:11:24

Nate Ginzton: 2,677 riding south of Separ

Peter Sandholt : 2,607, riding out of Silver City

Steve Halligan: 2,607, stopped in Silver City

Tony Lesueur: 2,582, still riding on the CDT

Kai Edel: 2,527, stopped trailside at Blackwater Canyon

Josh Ibbett: 2,527, stopped trailside at Blackwater Canyon

Stefano Roumaldi: 2,500 still riding north of Blackwater Canyon

Kim Raeymaekers: 2,478, stopped trailside south of Episcopal Church

Bear Stillwagon / / Lucas Ratliff: 2,474, stopped trailside south of Episcopal Church

Peter Kraft : 2,399, stopped trailside north of Pie Town

Evan Deutsch: 2,356, stopped in Grants since before noon

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In the NOBO race, Dan Thrush is in Lima and Maxwell Southam a day back at Squirrel Creek.

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Did Chris Seistrup have a celebration dance?

https://www.facebook.com/lostonabike/videos/480617862767550/