The forever entertaining Guy Martin has done it again. This time he sacrificed the Isle of Man TT for a much lesser known race hidden away in thick forests – the Tour Divide. An MTB race which is considered one of the toughest in the world, and therefore sees a small percentage of people actually completing it every year.
As we had reported in January, Martin did not race this year in the Isle of Man TT. Instead he was supposed to race four wheels. But speculations were rife that he will participate in the Tour Divide, since the dates clash with the TT. Rumours in the TT paddock even suggested that the Lincolnshire man might retire entirely from the TT, but that seemed a bit preposterous. Tyco BMW, the team that he races for did not replace Guy and this was probably a one off. Though he has been on the podium multiple times, he hasn’t yet won a race at the TT, and with each year it gets progressively more difficult. As we saw this year at the TT, records tumbled.
But not participating at the TT has seen Martin busier than ever. He set a world record of 125KMPH on the wall of death in March. He was also offered the role of the host of Top Gear, but he turned it down, saying that it would require him to give up his time as a mechanic and bike racer. He then confirmed that he would be participating in the Tour Divide in his post –
Plenty of folk have been asking what I’m up to this year.
I fancy a change of scenery. I’ve been racing the TT for 11 years. All I’ve really done since I was 18, except the trucks, is race motorbikes and my brain needs something else. Every year’s the same: testing, racing, then start again. It brought it home to me when I was lying in hospital after the Ulster Grand Prix crash. I’ve been on about the Tour Divide, the toughest pushbike race in the world, for three years and I thought I’ll blink and next thing I’ll be 45, so I’m going to do it this year. I like breaking myself mentally and the Tour Divide will be tough, but it’s same time at TT, so that’s forced me to make a choice.
I’m not done with motorbikes. I’m attempting the Wall of Death record in the spring and having a go at the land speed record in the summer and if I do race on the roads it will be with TAS.
After the Tour Divide I might never want to see a pushbike again – or never want to go road racing again, I don’t know. But I do know Bruce Anstey and John McGuinness are still racing the TT, and they’ve got a few years on me, so maybe I’ll come back next year. Or maybe I’ll find something else interesting to do. I’ve got more interests than just motorbikes and I just think let’s bloody have ‘em.
Thanks very much as ever for the support.
Guy.
After the end of the race, this is what he had to say about the Tour Divide.
Martin completed the Tour Divide race in 18 days, six hours and 23 minutes, averaging 150 miles (240 km) + in the toughest conditions imaginable. Three weeks is the average time it takes to complete the race, though this year’s winner did it in a record breaking 13 days. As always, he tried to be as inconspicuous as possible and used an alias of ‘Terry Smith’ instead of his real name to avoid media attention. He even chose the Individual Time Trial format instead of the mass start for the same reason.
MCN reported that Martin was lost multiple times during the ride, being a first timer, and by his own guess he rode 100 miles extra! He only carried an old Nokia phone as a means of communication, besides which he was pretty much alone for the ride. Click on the MCN link to see pictures of Guy during his Tour Divide Ride.
The Tour Divide (TD) is a self-supported multi day, single stage, off-road, MTB race, which starts in Banff, Canada and ends in New Mexico, covering 2712 miles, which involves 2,00,000 feet of climbing. Or as the organisers like to say, it is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest from sea level 7 times! The TD runs the course of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. This is the world’s longest off-road route. Racers are not just expected to be proficient ultra-distance cyclists where they will spend 16+ hours in the saddle and manage just 3-4 hours of sleep each day. They also require navigational acumen, since the route is unmarked and circuitous. To add to that, the route goes through dense vegetation, which is filled with Grizzly Bears and Mountain Lions! To top it off, essentials are available every 150km on an average, and the rider has to carry supplies accordingly. As the website describes it –
Tour Divide is the longest–arguably most challenging–mountain bike time trial on the planet. It is a challenge for the ultra-fit, but only if ultra-prepared for myriad contingencies of backcountry biking.
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