# Lael Wilcox Crushing Tour Divide... Again.



## pierre meux (Dec 1, 2008)

Below: Lael Wilcox flying through the neighborhood in Salida on Tuesday--all smiles--on her second Tour Divide challenge this summer.

She crushed the women's record earlier this summer after having ridden to the start from Alaska. Now she's back, weeks later, challenging again.

Dot watching here: Race Tracker | Tour Divide

Heroic. Rad.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Yup :thumbsup:

Awesome


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## attaboy (Apr 4, 2008)

Wow, it even looks like she is riding with no gear at all! I hope there is a saddle bag behind her at the very least.


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## pierre meux (Dec 1, 2008)

attaboy said:


> Wow, it even looks like she is riding with no gear at all! I hope there is a saddle bag behind her at the very least.


Frame and seat bags, no bar bag.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Previous women's Record 19 days 3hrs 35 mins

Lael July 2015 = 17 days 1hr 51mins :thumbsup:

Lael Aug 2015 = 15 days 11hrs 2 mins :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## TheirOnlyPortrait (Dec 30, 2014)

vikb said:


> previous women's record 19 days 3hrs 35 mins
> 
> lael july 2015 = 17 days 1hr 51mins :thumbsup:
> 
> Lael aug 2015 = 15 days 11hrs 2 mins :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


FELICITACIONES Lael!!!


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## Spec44 (Aug 17, 2013)

Wow!


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## Mojave G (Jan 30, 2015)

vikb said:


> Previous women's Record 19 days 3hrs 35 mins
> 
> Lael July 2015 = 17 days 1hr 51mins :thumbsup:
> 
> Lael Aug 2015 = 15 days 11hrs 2 mins :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


That is amazing! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## pierre meux (Dec 1, 2008)

vikb said:


> Previous women's Record 19 days 3hrs 35 mins
> 
> Lael July 2015 = 17 days 1hr 51mins :thumbsup:
> 
> Lael Aug 2015 = 15 days 11hrs 2 mins :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


Wow, wow, wow!

So awesome.

Leal's taking the TD by storm this summer is in my opinion one of the most heroic and badass mountain biking stories in a long time.


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## Welnic (Feb 6, 2013)

vikb said:


> Previous women's Record 19 days 3hrs 35 mins
> 
> Lael July 2015 = 17 days 1hr 51mins :thumbsup:
> 
> Lael Aug 2015 = 15 days 11hrs 2 mins :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


Previous men's record set by Jay Petervary in 2012: 15 days 16 hours 14 mins


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## Co-opski (Oct 24, 2013)

Nice job!!!!


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## Harryman (Jun 14, 2011)

It is the most baddass mtb story this summer, agreed. Why did she do it again so soon? For giggles?


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## Welnic (Feb 6, 2013)

She was sick for the first week when she did it the first time and knew she could do it faster.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

Harryman said:


> It is the most baddass mtb story this summer, agreed. Why did she do it again so soon? For giggles?


She also did not ride the entire official route because of a GPS track update confusion issue and there was some polite conflict around how her time would be accepted relative to the other 2015 racers and the previous records.. I can only read between the lines, but I suspect that and her illness made her want to take the "*" off her route time.

Which she has done.


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## TobyGadd (Sep 9, 2009)

Absolutely incredible. I'm hoping that she comes back next year to set a new record--for both men and women!


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## She&I (Jan 4, 2010)

It gets radder: She rested a month after the first run, got a job in Austin, then again rode to the start from AK. You know, as long as she had to go south...

Pure, genderless badassery.


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## Harryman (Jun 14, 2011)

Details:

https://gypsybytrade.wordpress.com/tag/lael-wilcox/


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## that guy again (Oct 6, 2006)

She&I said:


> It gets radder: She rested a month after the first run, got a job in Austin, then again rode to the start from AK. You know, as long as she had to go south...
> 
> Pure, genderless badassery.


The second time she took the ferry from Anchorage to Bellingham, Washington, and rode to Banff from there.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

pierre meux said:


> Leal's taking the TD by storm this summer is in my opinion one of the most heroic and badass mountain biking stories in a long time.


Agreed. This is a phenomenal accomplishment. Who else has even _ridden_ the Divide twice in one season, let alone crushed the existing record both times?!?


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## wdonegan (Feb 11, 2011)

> Who else has even _ridden_ the Divide twice in one season,?!?


Billy Rice.... http://bikepackersmagazine.com/billy-rice/


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

wdonegan said:


> Billy Rice.... Billy Rice - Yo-Yo - Bikepackers Magazine


Yup. That makes...two people? And maybe there are a few others out there as well, _but still..._


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## Welnic (Feb 6, 2013)

My own personal ranking of recent Tour Divide runs:

1) Beating the old record by a lot while having a head to head race with two other guys, all finishing within an hour of each other. That's for all three of those guys, not just first place.
2) Racing the Tour Divide with your 16 year old daughter on the back of a tandem.
3) Crushing the women's record twice in one year.
4) Doing the Tour Divide yo-yo.


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## Mojave G (Jan 30, 2015)




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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

You would think they would have put her on a bike they sell, or at least shown her in a REI shop.

I also t lest hope they paid her well.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

big_papa_nuts said:


> You would think they would have put her on a bike they sell, or at least shown her in a REI shop.


I'm sure the marketing wonks were shaking their heads at REI's willingness to do a film about her, even though she isn't shilling for the corporate sponsor in all the usual blatant ways. But I actually think REI gets credit for this - they are trying to promote bike adventuring in general, and kudos to them that it didn't manifest as just another thinly-veiled commercial.


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## bikeeverywhereny (Oct 14, 2014)

Lael crushed it. Kudos to her for sure. I toured this route from NY to CA. Took me 75 days slow pace fully loaded. I've seen the 2014 race with many riders I've passed in the opposite direction. It changed the way I looked at touring that's for sure. Major props on her win! The REI AD is great! I think it's good to shed light on bikepacking, touring so people can look at alternative wars to travel and seek adventure.


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## shredchic (Jun 18, 2007)

I LOVE her story. What an inspiration. Flat pedals and tennis shoes. Kickin' ass!!!


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## wahday (Mar 23, 2012)

She's fly like that!


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