As one of the toughest off-road bikepacking races in the world, the Tour Divide has an unmatched prestige among those that know. Whether you're one of the few who has attempted it, the even smaller number who has completed it, or simply dream of one day entering, the Divide has a special kind of cachet within the ultra fraternity. It's a superhuman endeavour that exists as much to enrich as to be participated in. Some even consider it the origin of the pursuit of competitive bikepacking.

The course begins in Banff, Canada and ends 4,400 kilometres away at the border between the USA and Mexico, racing along the Great Divide MTB route. Along this awe-inspiring and long-established parcours, participants must contend with drastic changes in conditions, from the crystalline air of the high mountains to the exorbitant heat of the New Mexico desert. Riders encounter glorious wide gravel roads and plenty of spirit-testing trails. It's a full-on test of the machine, the mind and the human endeavouring to take it on. 

Breaking down the Divide

Distance: 4,339 kms (2,696 Miles)
Ascent: 149,664 ft. (45,618 Metres)
Highest point: 11,913 ft. (3,631 Metres)
90% unpaved, trails, dirt, gravel roads
Average days to complete: 37

Enlightenment on the ultimate test

No stranger to fantastic feats in the great out-there, Chris Burkard, MAAP athlete, dad, director, and internationally renowned photographer, marked Tour Divide 2023 as the most ambitious moment in his ever-packed calendar. With customised Alt_Road kit and bike at the ready to tackle the challenge of riding in the presence of one of the most demanding routes in the world.

"The only way to put it without mincing my words is that it's the biggest bikepacking race in the world. I think nothing else can hold a candle to the type of terrain, the exposure, the altitude, the climbing."

"To step up and add my name to the list of those who have tried it felt really good and I definitely think it taught me more than I could have imagined. The reason I did it was that I wanted the experience and to learn, more so than winning, I just wanted to learn."

Learning during the event is one thing, but you have to prepare to get to the startline first. Admittedly, Burkard's cycling at home can be erratic, but he enjoys having goal events to focus his training on. 

"A lot of times when I'm training for something like the Tour Divide I try to keep things pretty regular in terms of riding in the morning and doing a big ride at the weekend."

"Usually my training methods are less about volume these days as I have found that trying to put in maximum amount of miles creates diminishing returns. It's better for me to simulate what certain experiences are going to be like."

Ride. Sleep. Repeat.

Training in and around Burkard's homebase of Pismo Beach, California for events like the Tour Divide can be somewhat limiting for such a challenge. It's difficult to take enough time off to ride for days at a time prior to the event, let alone riding through the night or learning how your body responds to the extreme stress you're going to be putting it under.

"I remember doing an ITT on the Stagecoach 400 which is a bikepacking route along California, it's a really wild, rugged and beautiful route. I also did a ride to the Los Pod race that's on even harder terrain, real rough. And then I also did a number of 200 mile rides to put myself into the mind frame of doing 200 miles a day on the Divide.

"I really wanted to get comfortable with that range of riding 200 miles and sleeping in the dirt before getting up the next day and doing it again after four hours of sleep. That's the kind of pace you have to keep up in order to be competitive, of course it's super condition-dependant, but that's how I train."

Even with the best preparation in the world, the Tour Divide is meant to challenge, serving low lows as well as the highest of highs.

"The most challenging part was having a strong lead and then having mechanicals that took 8 hours out of your day. That's all time when you could be eating or sleeping or even riding. Watching your dot get slower and eventually get caught by others is the most painful feeling in the world. It feels like all the effort you've put in has been wasted. It's the psychological factors that eat away and if you don't have a strong mind you will start to crumble."

The act of letting go

Holding onto psychological strength is more difficult than it sounds when adversity is constantly thrown your way, but Burkard provides poetic enthusiasm for the vulnerabilities riders feel during these events.

"I think there is a spirituality of moving in rhythm with your body and mind for so many days. Having everything you need in a couple of small bags, you feel so independent, and you feel vulnerable but in a beautiful way. You do feel exposed but protected, it's a weird dichotomy where you're constantly ebbing and flowing on this line of being totally out of control and competent.

"It really taught me to ride that line and understand that you're never fully in control and let go of the idea of control. For somebody that is fairly controlling in running businesses, it was a good experience. I learnt to let go but also trust oneself. You really learn to trust and like yourself or you don't, and things fall apart. I'm grateful for finding out a bit more about who I was."

People often feel altered by events like the Tour Divide. It's almost the point of these endeavours. Burkard is no exception.

"The Tour Divide has absolutely changed me, it honestly made me realise how vast and expansive the United States are. It's such an immersive place and I didn't know some of those landscapes even existed, despite having seen so much of the world."

"Knowing that there are so many who have tried this route and adding my name to that is like some odd form of camaraderie like people who have gone through war together, even the people I rode with this year I just felt so close to because I was able to experience something at the same time as them."

Completing something like the Tour Divide can likely alter one's perspective of the event, compared to when they were in the thick of it. So would Burkard ride it again?

"You sure bet I would! Probably in two years however as I need some time. I honestly feel mentally broken still, I also have nerve damage in my hands. I do wish I was more of a robot and could just start riding again straight away, but I need to find out how to conserve my body more to ensure these events continue to happen."

Burkard finished 7th overall in the 2023 Tour Divide, completing the course in 16 days, three hours, 55 minutes.

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