The fourth-annual Great Divide Race has begun. 24 riders will pedal the longest mountain bike route in the world, Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. The race, arguably mountain biking's greatest and toughest race, will continue for 2,490 miles from Colorado to the New Mexico. And if this wasn't tough enough, the riders will be without support, meaning they'll have to tote everything from food to tools.

"People who ride the Divide Race have no interest in a pit crew, in having pacers, in having support, or anything like that," says race organizer Mike Curiak. "They want the all-encompassing race, where not only do they have to ride, they have to make their own meals, fix their bike, navigate, all that stuff. They want the ultimate challenge."

Curiak, the current godfather of endurance mountain biking, predicts his inhuman course record of 16 days, 57 minutes will fall this year. Several riders are eager to prove him right, including Alaska's Pete Basinger, who came in second to Curiak in the race's inaugural year by a scant 24 minutes and who admits that, like Curiak before him, he's "obsessed" with setting the course record. Basinger is setting a blistering pace in the race's first days, with several riders, including two-time winner and Cannondale-sponsored Matthew Lee, in hot pursuit. Lee, back for his third race, is making another attempt to break the record after coming agonizing close in 2006. Surprisingly, high-energy newcomer Jay Petervary of Jackson, Wyoming, is leading the pack in the race's early going - on a pace that, if sustained, would decimate the course record - but it remains to be seen if his high-revving internal motor can hold up over the entire GDR.

The rest of the field is encountering the kind of adventures the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is famed for; many have encountered grizzly bears, one was chased by a bull moose, and a pack of riders faced a bone-chilling June snowstorm in the mountains above Seeley, Montana, that left many near hypothermia. According to racer Kevin Montgomery, eight racers descended on Seeley seeking cold-weather supplies and are now riding with heavy-duty, hunter-orange gloves purchased at the local hardware store.

Cyclists looking to experience the Great Divide Route and mountain-bike travel at a more relaxed pace can simply pick a scenic stretch and go ride - Adventure Cycling's detailed maps for the route make finding your way easy. For those who would rather pedal the route with an experienced guide and a group of like-minded riders, Adventure Cycling leads small groups on the Great Divide every summer. This year there's the Great Divide, Colorado, the fully supported Cycle the Divide Montana, and a ride along the spectacular 221-mile Canadian extension of the route led by a fresh-off-the-race Matthew Lee.

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