Tour Divide 2023
Ulrich's Winning Ride
14 days 3 hours 23 minutes
That's how long it took ambassador Ulrich Bartholmoes to ride 4,345 km (2,745 miles) with over 51,000 meters (167,000+ feet) of climbing.
Not only did Ulrich win the prestigious race, he did it through torrential rain, unprecedented headwinds, knee-deep mud, and many more unexpected challenges.
This was Ulrich's first Tour Divide — a statement of what he can achieve, and what's to come.
Images by Nils Laengner, Ulrich Bartholmoes, and BikesorDeath
Rain from Day One
One of Ulrich's first photos from his ride.
Relentless climbing has its perks.
Day 9
#FitCheck
Challenge From the Start
On the first day of Tour Divide, Ulrich covered over 450 kilometers (280 miles). Only Justinas Leveika was able to keep up. One reason for this: Ulrich and Justinas simply rode through the first night.
Despite the large distance traveled, the beginning of the race posed its own challenges - the rain started at kilometer 160 and it didn't stop, resulting in unrelenting mud.
"The mud-clogged drivetrain made riding really hard and exhausting. Add to that the brutal climbs and the cold at night, and I was already suffering"
Shelter in a Porta Potty
Seven days into the race, Ulrich had reached the the half way point, averaging 326 kilometers per day. Perhaps the toughest section of the entire Tour Divide lay ahead — 150 kilometers of straight road consumed by a crushing headwind. And thanks to the rain, gravel had turned to mud. Ulrich had planned on 9 hours to cross the expanse, it took 26.
The mud was knee deep, it was raining, it was windy, and it was cold. The horrible conditions forced the leading riders to seek shelter in a Porta Potty. Wrapped in their emergency bivys, three riders squeezed into the toilet – and spent more than 10 hours there waiting for the rain to pass and waiting for the mud to dry up until at least walking or pushing the bike became possible again.
Done & Dusted
Ulrich took his last nap in Pie Town, about 550 kilometers before the finish line. From there he rode consistently to the end.
After 14 days of almost non-stop riding, it's best practice to first remove your shoes, then celebrate.
Final Numbers
- Arrival at the Finish line in Antelope Wells / New Mexico: United States on the 23th of June at 10:23 am local time (GMT-6)
- Final position in race: 1
- Total Kilometers in race: 4,345 kilometers (2,700 miles)
- Total time in race: 14 days / 03 hours / 23 mins — second fastest time in course history
- Total Elevation gain: 51,509 vertical meters (168,993 feet)
- Total calories burned: 121,000
- Total sleep time: An average of 3 hours per night for 14 days
