The Hardest Bicycle Race In The World

If you missed it, the 2011 Tour Divide kicked off Friday morning. The TD is a 2,700 mile race from Banff, Canada to the US-Mexico border in New Mexico. The route has over 200,000 feet of accumulated elevation gain. That's the equivalent to summiting Mount Everest from sea-level 7 times! The riders cover the route completely unsupported. If you want to know more about the race check out 'Ride The Divide' ... its a fantastic documentary covering several riders as they struggle through the course (available on Netflix). This year's race features a record number of bikepacking racers so it should be an interesting year to watch. You can see up to date progress at TrackLeaders.com. Good luck to all of the riders!

Chris Plesko (current TD singlespeed record holder) - 2,700 miles in 19 days!