The Tour Divide is not for the faint of heart. Transversing over 2745 miles, the route starts in Banff, Alberta, Canada, and follows the Continental Divide to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. For those familiar with the race, they know of the mountain passes, the cold, snowy nights, and the unforeseen obstacles that present themselves each year. For those unfamiliar with the event, it's a non-stop effort to perform your best over 14-24 days.

On June 9th, 2023, Daniel Connell set out with 200+ other competitors looking to tackle the 2,745-mile course. Daniel finished in 16 days, 16 hours and cracked the top 10 overall. Below are his top 5 tips for ultra success and how they helped him achieve his best result.

5 Tips for Ultra Cycling Success

Daniel Connell enjoyed the best finish of his life at the 2023 Tour Divide. Finishing in an official time of 16 Days, 16 hours, and 4 minutes, Daniel noted, "It was Awesome! I'm so happy with it. Even with losing 20 hours due to a mechanical". Perhaps no quote better represents the thrill of long-distance racing mixed with the agony of the unknown. When breaking down his performance, Daniel noted five items he focused on daily to achieve his strong finish. Navigation, dealing with mechanicals,  pacing, nutrition, and camping. With these five focus points for any rider, they should be able to maximize their performance.

Navigation

Navigation Unit: COROS VERTIX 2 GPS Watch

Perhaps the most important topic for any ultra-cyclist is Navigation. “It's paramount to have navigation in ultra cycling events. Losing time on a lost route is one thing, but the frustration that builds over time is the main concern". When following a 2,745-mile course, it’s critical to not lose unnecessary time due to wrong turns. “you’re just so tired all the time, so when little things go wrong, it magnifies over the days." Prior to the 2023 Tour Divide, Daniel downloaded the course GPX file to his COROS VERTIX 2. "In the past, I have missed turns, and it took me a while to identify I was on the wrong route...The VERTIX 2 was EPIC!" Daniel's worst mishap this year was a 2-minute deviation due to flying downhill and not making a correct turn. "It beeped at me, I glanced at it and backtracked to the correct route."

Another feature of proper navigation over a multi-day event is having a unit that stays charged for reliability. "I charged my watch maybe five times overall. It was never dead, but I would throw it on a charger when available. It was never a close call or a thought...The display was always on. It blew my mind."

The VERTIX 2 has 140 hours of full GPS battery life.

Mechanicals/Mindset

When you're racing for an extended amount of time, you'll experience adverse circumstances. On Day 5 of the 2023 Tour Divide, Daniel experienced a broken rear hub axel. Prior to the race, Daniel had prepared for most mechanicals with a repair kit + tools needed to fix his bike. That being said, nothing could have prepared him for a broken axel. "50 miles out from Butte, Montana, I took a nasty crash. My body was fine, but I snapped my rear wheel hub axle. It was miserable, my cassette was not attached, and I pedaled 50 miles with my bike constantly changing gears with a severe wobble." To make matters worse, Daniel had climbed his way into 7th place but ultimately had to sacrifice 20 hours in Butte while he waited on a replacement wheel to be driven in from Bozeman. Daniel started riding again in 27th place when it was all said and done.

"The placement made me sad, and I had to reset my mind to focus on myself and forget about the other rides in the race." When athletes focus on overall results, they become heavily dependent on outcome goals. Daniel noted a return to his internal motivators, which helped him regain excitement and enjoy the challenge of the course itself. "The biggest lesson is to focus on yourself, your abilities, and ultimately, if you can push yourself, it will be a win regardless."

Pacing

Within Ultra-cycling, pacing is a big part of a successful race. " I learned valuable lessons this year in regards to pacing. The first four days, I was going all in and giving everything. Following my crash, I returned to an internal mindset and pushed what I could sustain".

Within COROS training data (Collected from Daniel's VERTIX 2 Watch), athletes can see how stressful activity is on their body. "I'm an emotional rider, and I would put in a massive 255 miles a day and then feel fatigued the following day." "When you look at the top riders, they are a bit more robotic and maintain a steady pace, but one that is sustainable."

While Daniel only had his VERTIX 2 for one month prior to race day, he noted that in the future, he will input a more strategic pacing strategy going forward. To maximize this approach, Daniel will utilize the heart rate zones associated with his COROS account to ensure he doesn't go beyond his capabilities.

Fueling

As part of any successful ultra event, nutrition and fueling are of the utmost importance. Or as Daniel Connell notes, "Don't stop eating!!!" "Part of Ultra-cycling is eating and eating often... It's a job".

To help Daniel with his constant need for food, he set up 30-minute nutrition reminders on his VERTIX 2. "Setting nutrition reminders was a huge deal for me. Between the navigation on my wrist, and a reminder to eat every 30 minutes, it likely saved me a few hours overall."

When discussing the type of food an athlete should eat, it all comes down to sugar (glucose) to fulfill your energy needs. "I chased the most calorically dense foods I could find with a lot of sugar. Generally, this was gas-station food such as hostess donuts and other similar items." Ultimately, athletes need sugar (glucose) to power their bodies. As you go out on your next ultra-cycling event, identify what foods you can tolerate that will provide you with the calories and sugar needed for your efforts.

Camping

While ultra-cycling will likely require camping, it's impossible to plan from the start. "On such a long route like this, you can’t really plan anything. It's too long. You can’t expect to have a plan on day 1 and know where you’ll be on day 6, it's impossible." That being said, you still need to ensure you have the right equipment for when a rest is needed.

Daniel used a few tips/tricks to ensure he had shelter when needed. "I packed a minimal sleep kit, so it was lightweight but would provide me with the comfort I needed." While a sleep kit is a nice tool, there are other times when you take what you can get! "I was constantly seeking shelter when possible. Areas such as cutaways off the trail with trees to guard against wind, or even a pit toilet which provides warmth in those colder conditions." While the amenities and facility may not be ideal, finding a warm sheltered place can pay dividends in protecting your body and allowing you the rest you so desperately need.

For tips on preparing for your event, Daniel notes, "Test it out in training! You don't want to have anything pop up during the race that you haven't experienced before...try out your equipment!"

Overall

Daniel Connell finished the Tour Divide in 10th place overall after experiencing a major mechanical issue. While his time may have been better without this mishap, the mental approach and tools he had at his disposal made this possible. When preparing for such a long event with grueling conditions, it's essential to have what is needed to keep you on track and fueling properly. COROS is honored to have partnered with Daniel on this amazing accomplishment and hopes that these tips and tricks help guide all readers to their best ultra-cycling performances yet! As you head out the door on your next training ride, be sure to have the tools and focus you'll take into race day. If you're looking to up your game regarding navigation, pacing, and fueling, check out the COROS VERTIX 2, which helped Daniel to his best result to date.