Tour Divide Day 1

Tour Divide Day 1: 110 miles, 7000+ft ascent and a lot of rain!

Banff to Elkford

This is my third attempt at this bloke, the previous attempts disappeared into the ether and I lost motivation. Apologies for the perfunctory and artless prose but it's this or nothing!

Day 1 started with my usual pessimistic multiple alarms planned that generally prove unnecessary as I wake up in good time anyway. I met up with John (Russell) and Greg (May) and we waited out front of the YWCA for the Grand Depart, group photo and most importantly.....the Salsa "free-pie" top-cap to be handed out (The stem cap when presented in Pie Town would get you two free slices of pie!)

John, Greg and Me

 The Grand Depart started much like the mass start at every XC event I'ver done, a mad rush and multiple slown downs and mashed gears as if every climb came as a big surprise. As we rode along together John and I laughed about how this was it and we were really on the divide!

Everyone decides to stop and get their rain kit on

90 minutes of euphoria elapsed the harsh realities of the TD emerged. Rain, gentle at first, heavy soon after. Along with most others, I donned my rain kit and grit my teeth. First stop was the Boulton trading post at the 60 mile mark, a welcome supplier of hot coffee but I could tell the staff were getting tired of wet cyclists dripping water and grit all over their shop.

Thoroughly soaked

Past Boulton there's one last big climb and then it's downhill all the way into Elkford. Well, the elevation charts say that but I remember it being a pain the whole way! By this point people start falling into their natural rhythms and the adverse weather brings you together with your shared adversary. I chatted with Matt (Godwin) from Oregon until I stopped for a call of nature (We'd meet up again) and rode the last few miles into Elkford with Steve Dickson.

One last big climb.....

 Rolling into Elkford gave me two options. Do I push on another 30 miles in the rain? Or, do I stop as 110 miles is still a decent figure, besides the rest might pay dividends rather than riding until complete exhaustion!

There has to be *some* benefit to riding in the rain!

 It didn't take long for myself and Steve to decide that sharing a Motel room with a bloke you've only just met was the sensible option. We hosed ourselves off and bought snacks at the Gas station and set about finding a motel. Once we'd stowed our bikes in the basement and rinsed all the grit from our clothes we headed out in search of food.

Yep, that's an Oreo/Reeses cupcake mash-up!

Pre-rinse kit

The hotel manager pointed us towards a Pizza restaurant and as we arrived I recognised it as Kapp's Pizza from Ride the Divide. Sadly there was no Pizza to be had, the staff thought that the Grand Depart was going to be next week and hadnt the staff or the dough to deal with demand. I settled for Chicken & Chips. Despite a week in North America and having ridden 100 miles I still hadn't acclimatised to the portions so donated my leftovers to a fellow rider waiting for the overworked kitchen to get his dinner prepared.

Steve and I headed back to the Motel and I drifted off to sleep while Steve waited up for his pal Joe who was still out on the trail.