Dot watching is oddly addictive, but this year has been particularly fascinating. The Tour Divide is a race that is, ostensibly, a mountain bike race. Full suspension bikes (albeit some with drop bars) have had the run of things as of late.
But if you're following the dots this year, you'll see Victor Bosoni over a 100 miles ahead of the second place rider just a few days in. He's mirroring almost exactly Robin Gemperle's time last year.
Not only that though, he's on a rigid gravel bike, the brand new Factor Sarana, wearing the full aero suit.
Does this signify perhaps a shift in how racers will approach the Tour Divide and other ultra-endurance mountain bike races, given the increasing raw capability of gravel bikes today?
I don't know about y'all, but I'm locked in and here for it.
by wheels_n_masks
15 Comments
The Sarana is a very very capable bike. I’m surprised he didn’t go with the optional front suspension for some of the rougher terrain. Victor is a stud though, going back to back at the Traka 560.
I think it’s pretty cool but I’m not really a fan of the full aero suit….
He’s flying! Very exciting to watch.
Anymore the lines of bike type are so blurred it’s hard to say anymore. This bike can clear 29×2.2” tires, which is huge. Obviously it’s hard to generalize across 2700 miles, but my understanding is also that the GDMBR isn’t a bunch of super technical singletrack, so not exactly necessary to run a traditional mtb.
I also think former pros’ ability to withstand discomfort can’t be ignored here either!
ETA: pretty sure Mike Hall also did the TD on a rigid fork and 29×2.2” tires.
I heard he is also using rim brakes. (This is a joke)
Rack instead of seatbag, you saw it here folks
Second place rider is Laurens ten Dam. He made a video why he specifically went for flat bars this time around. It’s on the ‘Live Slow Ride Fast’ Youtube channel. There are quite some technical parts of the trail that just match flat bars better. Victor is also just an absolute out of this world endurance beast (and 20 years younger than Laurens)
The frame on his bike looks tiny.
No 32″ wheel bikes?
I just checked. He says that the tires are 2,3″ but Hutchinson seem to be very generous in terms of what they call their tires.
The ETRTO value is 55-622. However, they have like 3×127 TPI, the Vittoria Mezcal that many use for the Tour Divide only has a 60 TPI casing (no mention of how many layers).
This alone MIGHT be enough for him so that he doesn’t need suspension.
He raced the Atlas Mountain Race with the same tires (albeit on a fully) and won that race too. I think Hutchinson isn’t as popular as some others but I think may very well be coming up strong.
The Caracal Race is already the fastest tire, with a 50mm apparently coming soon (according to the [Bicycle Station](https://youtu.be/lPIrkdfUwv0?t=315&is=D7ccICAKcgT4KH24))
Riding the Tour Divide while being pregnant is wild as well
I dunno, I really dont think the divide is a mountain bike race. its crossing into the leadville land of like, kinda? were racing drop bar mountain bikes but strictly out of comfort? its that weird cross over gravel/xc land that can go either way depending on how ballsy someone decides to be. looking at the last few years, im not entirely surprised to see someone just say fuck it, slap some thiqq ass bois on a gravel bike and give it a whirl. Surely there’s gonna be some shit spots. overall probably fine, if they can deal with some extra fatigue.
more importantly what is he smuggling in that jersey? an extra human? 1000 gels? a Renault Twingo?
I think this is interesting as well, at the Tour Divide drop bars MTBs have increased in prominence the past few years but regular non-Salsa Fargo gravel bikes seem rare. Jay Petervary won in 2021 on a Rodeo Flaanimal with 2.1s. It did not seem like this caused a significant shift but perhaps did provide another piece of support in the long run as gravel bikes are continually improving.
[https://i.postimg.cc/9f3DvZb9/jay2412.png](https://i.postimg.cc/9f3DvZb9/jay2412.png)
This is not typically a full sus race. Mostly hard tail or rigid.
The Surly Cutthroat is a fully rigid carbon-frame gravel bike, it was designed specifically for the Tour Divide, and very popular. It’s totally normal to do the divide on a gravel bike.
[Drop bar rigs of the 2026 tour divide](https://bikepacking.com/bikes/2026-tour-divide-rigs-part-two/)
How do you follow this race? Is there any coverage on Youtube or is it all on the site and through socials?
I live in Pinedale,WY. Anecdotal I know, but I’ve seen nothing but gravel bikes come through on this stage.