The Tour Divide Gears Up and So Should We At The Outdoorsman

The Tour Divide 2011 is fast approaching its June 10th Grand Departure from Banff, Canada. As of today, some 133 days out, 67 racers have registered for the Banff departure, while 6 riders will start from the south in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Interestingly, there are only 15 previous race hardened veterans registered in this year's event so far. That leaves the balance of the field dominated by rookies who may have no first hand knowledge of the magnitude of what this 2747 mile race demands of the human spirit, mind, and body. We wish them well and hope they will have done their homework long before showing up at the start.

I've seen over the past two years the faces of the racers as they make our shop in Butte, Montana after just 4 to 6 days of racing in some extreme weather conditions across the rugged Montana landscape. This is not a race for the ill-prepared or anyone without the steel of will to endure the hardships and solitude of the trail.

What we work hard to provide at the Outdoorsman is a quality service and hospitality experience to all Divide riders whether they are racers or not. At the core of this philosophy is Outdoorsman owner, Rob Leipheimer. Under Rob's leadership and through the hard work of all shop staff, Tour Divide racers and the casual Great Divide Mountain Bike Route riders receive a warm welcome and the best mechanical service that keeps them rolling toward the horizons that lay ahead.

With such a large race field this year, the Outdoorsman will play an important role in keeping folks moving as they seek new adventures down the trail.