We continue our Tour Divide coverage with an interview from this years 2nd and 3rd place finishers, Manu Cattrysse and Adrien Liechti. This year I drove to the finish line of the Tour Divide to meet with finishers and record some podcast with anyone who was willing. On last weeks episode I chatted with First Place finisher Sofiane Sehili. This weeks episode takes place at Jeff Sharps kitchen table in Hachita, NM the day after Manu and Adrien finished their Tour Divide.

Visit BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup and pictures from the end of this years Tour Divide.  

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This past weekend Sofiane Sehili became the 2022 Tour Divide winner with a time of 14d 16h 36. This concluded a journey that started 8 years ago when Sofiane toured the Tour Divide for the first time. He would return in 2016 to race it for the first time and claim a very respectable 3rd place, while Mike Hall would go on to win and set a new course record in the process. A record that stands to this day. In 2019 Sofiane came back to try again. Everything was looking promising as he was leading the race and contending with Mike Hall's record until a massive snow storm stopped him in his track, forcing his return to Brush Mountain Lodge and taking him out of the race. 

Please visit BikesorDeath.com for a full writeup and gallery of images from patricks time at the end of the Tour Divide.  

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Quad Lock ~ The best phone case and bike mount combo in the known universe!

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🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Jeremy Chesler Huckansawyer (Kevin)

Join him won’t you? This weeks episode includes over an hour of raw conversations between Sofiane and I, available only to Patrons!

Last week I put a call out to anyone currently racing the Tour Divide to come on the podcast. I knew it would be a bit of a challenge, but I thought it would be really neat to hear from someone who is currently racing to give us a live account of this years Tour Divide. Nick Marzano answered the call via instagram and after a few days trying to make our schedules align we were able to chat while he was posted up in a hotel room in Pinedale, WY.

Nick Marzano - Trackleaders / Instagram

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In 1997 the Adventure Cycling Association released the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. What was billed as a touring route, caught the attention of ultra distance mountain biker John Stamstad. In 1999 John set out on the first ITT (individual Time Trial) of the GDMBR and set a the first FKT (fastest known time) of 18 days and 5 hours. His record stood until the 2007 edition of the Tour Divide Race.

Visit www.bikesordeath.com for a full writeup on todays episode

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🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Andrew Holt

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This year the East Texas Showdown welcomed 100 riders from all over the US, but it was two road cyclist from nearby Austin that would push the pointy end of the race. Kuya Takami was our 2022 East Texas Showdown winner with a time of 23h 56m, setting a new Fastest Known Time (FKT) and Dennis Lastochkin was the second person to cross the finish line, but his time did not officially count after he accepted assistance on course. Read the full report with a full gallery of pictures at www.bikesordeath.com

Community Spotlight

Velo Cruces, ‘Every Body Rides with Grace’ is hosting adaptive cycle parade in Las Cruces, NM on Saturday June 4th. Please click the link for more info on how you can attend and be part of the important work Grace and her family are doing.

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On Friday the 13th of May, 25 racers gathered at the Oark General Store early on a foggy morning to take on the first ever DOOM race. By the end there would be only 10 finishers and Jacob Loos would take 2nd place overall and set a new Single Speed FKT (fastest known time) with a time of 2d 11h 18m.

Read the full writeup at bikesordeath.com

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Ruby Coffee - Today we want to focus on their certified organic year-round coffee options. You can check out Organic August Seasonal Blend, which is designed to be a bright, easy-drinking all-day coffee blend, or Organic Tomorrow Seasonal Project, which highlights coffee from a single farm that’s transitioning to quality focused coffee farming. 

Athletic Greens ~ Visit www.athleticgreens.com/bikesordeath to get a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase.

🎉 New Patrons 🎉 Ashely Manuel Busse Joel Freudenberg Nic Fox

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We all have our own path to cycling and bikepacking and each is special and unique. However, Jerri's introduction to bikepacking was much different than any I have heard before. Her story is tragic, sad, romantic, inspiring, and real, and it all started when she fell in love with a cyclist named Kyle.

When she met Kyle she wasn't a cyclist, when she married Kyle she wasn't a cyclist, and when Kyle passed away, she wasn't a cyclist. So what lead her to take on the Tour Divide only seven months after laying her late husband to rest? The answer to that question can only be told in Jerri's words, and they are powerful and inspiring.

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Just last week Hailey Moore became the fourth person to ever complete the Doom Route, created by Andrew Onermaa. She didn't just finish though, she set a new FKT (fastest known time) with a time of 2d 15h 30m, setting a new benchmark for racers this weekend. Hailey drove herself from Boulder, CO to Oark, AR so she could do an ITT (individual time trial) on a seriously tough route. This is bikepack racing in one of its most pure forms, just you, your bike, and territory unknown, finishing only to an empty parking lot late at night.

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Recently Sofiane sent me an DM that said, "Hey Patrick, what's your take on Lael's Arizona fkt? I'd be happy to discuss it on the Podcast". Instead of answering his question, I just scheduled an interview and answered his question on the podcast. Going into this conversation I had no idea what his thoughts were, but he was already on my list of people I wanted to talk to and I know him to be a thoughtful person who cares deeply for this sport and community.

Not surprisingly Sofiane had an important message and some valuable insights as a top athlete in our sport who has dealt personally with media as well. There are very few people who have been doing this long enough to be exposed to every manor of race environment as Sofiane, because of that he is in a unique position to share thoughts from a personal perspective. Maybe most important is the love and passion he has for this sport as evidenced by his thoughtful and honest approach to our conversation.

I'm a big fan of listening to as many perspectives as possible on issues like this. There is a lot to consider as we evolve as a sport and it's important to be able to have these discussions. I appreciate Sofiane for taking the time to chat and I hope it adds value to the larger conversation surrounding self supported events.

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On Thursday Lael Wilcox set a new FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the famous Arizona Trail Route. Now the AZT boast 827 miles thanks to new sections that race director John Schilling added. Lael completed her ITT of the route in 9 days, 8 hours, and 23 minutes, besting the previous FKT set by Nate Ginzton who came in at 9d, 10h, 23m.  But almost immediately after drama insued online. Read the full story at www.bikesordeath.com EPISODE SPONSORS Mulberry Gap ~ Looking for something to do this summer? Mulberry Gap has you covered, check out their events page on their website for a full list! Use code “BOD10” at checkout for 10% off!

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