The honeymoon period is over on the 2026 Tour Divide, as sore legs, sleep deprivation, and mounting fatigue begin taking their toll. Yet Victor Bosoni continues to ride as if the laws of endurance don’t apply, tracking near last year’s record pace. Meanwhile, Meaghan Hackinen is quietly stringing together a potentially record-defying ride of her own, and the singlespeed leader is also putting down the hammer. Find that and more in our day three recap…

Photos by Eddie Clark

The miles are beginning to weigh on Tour Divide racers as the adrenaline of the first day wears off and fatigue settles in for the long haul. This can be the toughest part of the race for many. It’s still so early, and yet everything hurts: legs feel like mush, Achilles tendons squeak, saddle sores throb, and the first few pedal strokes are agony on joints that feel like they’ve rusted in place. Stomachs lurch and grumble. Nothing sounds appetizing. Without a calculated calorie plan, energy deficits grow exponentially. And sleep—like a siren song echoing in the darkness—can be so overwhelming that it becomes impossible to ignore.

And yet there are still so many miles in front of the riders, so much toiling and hardship ahead. This early fatigue is often the crux of the challenge. If riders can get over the hump, they have a much better chance of finishing.

David Tschan

Victor Bosoni appears to have escaped the typical third-day slump. He continues to blaze the trail more than 60 miles ahead of the chase group, tracking closely to the pace Robin Gremperle rode last year on his way to a sub-12-day finish. Yet Bosoni has shown no signs of flagging. On Saturday night, he made a six-hour stop in the town of Seeley Lake. Throughout the day, videos on social media showed Bosoni smiling in the saddle, filming mountain goats bounding across the road, and showcasing the mountain scenery. Later that day, Bosoni was spotted at a convenience store, clutching four quarts of lemon-lime Gatorade, a banana, and a pile of snacks. In the photo, he’s grinning like a kid stocking up for a birthday party.

Left: Laurens Ten Dam

The question remains whether Bosoni can hold this seemingly impossible pace, or whether the sleep monster or bodily breakdown will catch up with him. It’s fair to say it’s been accomplished before—by Gremperle in 2025. Also, Bosoni, a 24-year-old former sprinter at the National 1 Tier in France, is no stranger to long days in the saddle. Last year, he won the Transcontinental Race after pedaling more than 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) from Spain to Romania in just over 10.5 days.

Bosoni’s chase group is holding on as well. Coming into Helena, Alex McCormack, Angus Young, Laurens Ten Dam, and David Tschan were riding within 15 miles of each other, but still more than 60 miles behind Bosoni. Some in the early chase group, such as Xavier Chiriboga, have fallen back. Chiriboga reported intense foot pain and saddle sores, along with discomfort in one of his knees. Chriboga said he would take a longer rest in Lincoln before moving forward.

Meaghan Hackinen

Notable in the top 10 is the leading woman, Meaghan Hackinen, who was holding strong in ninth overall and about 15 miles ahead of her own 2024 Grand Depart record-setting pace as she rode out of Ovando. She was also ahead of the overall women’s record pace, set by Austin Killips during an individual time trial in 2024.

Recent stories from Felix and Victor illustrate some of the challenges up high, and Meaghan reports in with her day two audio call, which you can find here. Eddie Clark reported that snow isn’t an issue from past the Whitefish Divide to Union Pass, Wyoming (he spent a night south of Union on the way up, and it was 30 degrees that night with fresh snow on the Wind Rivers when he woke up).

Hackinen took two five-hour rests in Fernie, British Columbia, and Columbia Falls, Montana. She reported that regular rests are part of her plan to continue pushing toward the record. She rolled through the town of Ovando more than 120 miles ahead of the second-position rider, Karin Pocock. The gap she has on her competition continues to grow.

Karin Pocock

Left: Felix Laberge rolling riding through downtown Eureka; Right: 17-year-old Cruz Blue

This year’s singlespeed category is also a competitive one, with leader Felix Laberge of Montreal, Quebec, tracking near Chris Plesko’s 2016 singlespeed record pace into Lincoln, Montana. Alex Malex, Bailey Newbrey, and Scott Petrie were about 50 miles behind him, pedaling in a close procession over Richmond Pass.

Days two and three brought nearly ideal conditions for riders pedaling through Montana, with clear skies and fast, dry roads. At lower altitudes, temperatures were in the mid-60s with a light breeze. Skies were forecast to clear in the evening, bringing another cold night with temperatures in the 30s. Monday’s weather should be warmer, climbing into the mid-70s with light winds out of the west. A stronger west wind is forecast for Tuesday, but the weather in Montana should remain relatively warm and dry for the next few days.

Scott Petrie and Dylan Taylor (both TD veterans) at the first gas station from the border

There are no wildfire closures along the Tour Divide route, although there is one fire in New Mexico that racers will need to keep an eye on. The Bear Fire is burning in the Mangas Mountains south of Pie Town. As of Sunday evening, the fire was listed at 6,920 acres and was 11% contained. Light moisture and clouds have tempered the fire’s activity in the past few days. On Sunday, the wind was blowing from the northwest at 14 to 18 miles per hour, which could be driving smoke toward the northbound racers on the route. Sixty-five-year-old Scott Baste is leading the race to Banff. He did not appear to experience any difficulties while riding through this section as he approached Pie Town.

Two other riders on the descent further down from Whitefish

Back in Montana, Kathy Schoendoerfer is again welcoming racers to Ovando. The owner of Blackfoot Angler & Supplies has become a fixture in the Tour Divide community. As she watched cyclists ride through the small town on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route over the years, she recognized an economic opportunity for her town. She made a point to stock bike supplies and energy food at her shop. Under her direction, the town built specialized amenities for cyclists, such as a refurbished jailhouse cabin and a public outdoor shower. Thanks to Schoendoerfer, Ovando has become one of the most welcoming pit stops of the Tour Divide.

Schoendoerfer took photos of the first seven riders and reported, “One saw a black bear around Rice Ridge, another two grizzly bears before Rice Ridge. All bears reported as being very courteous.” Based on Instagram posts, both grizzly and black bears have been spotted frequently on the route through Canada and Montana. It’s a nerve-wracking year for bears, as there have already been two confirmed grizzly bear attacks in Montana that resulted in injuries, and another suspected encounter that was fatal. In July 2021, a grizzly bear attack in Ovando resulted in the death of a touring cyclist from California. Riders still have many miles to pedal through bear country, so hopefully they’re staying aware.

Shots by Kathy Schoendoerfer (left: Victor Bosoni; right: Alex McCormack)

On Sunday night, Victor Bosoni was closing in on Butte, Montana, after appearing to be slightly slowed down by Lava Mountain Trail south of Helena. This jeep track is rugged and steep, and it’s easy to get lost in the maze of trails through the forest. Earlier in the day, a local hiker named David Slaughter reported, “There is a fair amount of blowdown near the ‘Lava Mt Trail 244’ sign on the back side of the mountain. Usually, the ATV crowd keeps this pretty well cleared, but be prepared for some possible lifting as well as all the other entertaining features of that segment.”

But Bosoni got through the mess and was back to blazing a seemingly unbeatable pace south. As one commenter put it, he seems to be “a man with hydraulic pistons instead of legs.” No one is infallible, though, especially on the Tour Divide.

Notes by Eddie Clark from the field:
The past two days in Montana have been bluebird, with perfect bike-riding weather and fast, dry dirt roads. Although there looked to be some strong upper-level winds coming down from the north this morning, so maybe a change is coming? I spent yesterday around Eureka, Montana, and last night and this morning up near Whitefish Divide (Pass). Obviously, VB is slaying miles, but it remains to be seen how that will hold up for him. Sleep is impossible to escape, and a wall of bodily rejection is fast approaching his effort and pace.

Going the next 12 deep, they are all in it for the win or, at the least, a top finish, as evidenced by their pace and sense of urgency at the refuel stops—further back, that urgency is obviously (to me, seeing them in person) not on the same level. It’s an interesting dynamic with people riding through the night vs. tent camping/bivying vs. hotel’ing it. Something to be said for each decision, but I would not be sleeping in a tent in the mountains here. I was already a bit spooked about Grizzlies when I got here, and yesterday, I overheard some Eureka locals trading recent bear stories, and three people have been attacked in Glacier and nearby this past month!

Stay tuned for more coverage from the 2026 Tour Divide, and be sure to check out the Tracker page to follow along on the live tracking map. Find it here.

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