photos by Ryan Hill
In a highly anticipated effort over the summer, 31-year-old Australian pro cyclist Lachlan Morton pedaled the iconic 2,670-mile Tour Divide route across five states and a couple of Canadian provinces in a mind-boggling 12 days, 12 hours, and 21 minutes, making him the fastest person ever to complete the route between Banff, Alberta, Canada, and Antelope Wells, New Mexico.
Morton cranked out the highest-mileage days of all time, finishing a full day faster than the late Mike Hall did in 2016 with his incredible time of 13 days, 22 hours, and 51 minutes, which stands as the official course record due to a route deviation and the presence of a media crew during Lachlan’s ride, which is officially forbidden by the Tour Divide’s visitation rule.
As captured in The Divide, Morton says he felt “more scared, more cold, more capable, and more alive than ever,” while he was out bikepacking the ruggedly beautiful route, battling the elements, exhaustion, and vast stretches of time alone with his thoughts.
He was cheered on by locals and tourists and heartened by interactions with kind strangers throughout his time along the often remote route, something nearly all Tour Divide riders report as making it a special experience.
After years of dreaming about immersing himself in the visually extraordinary route, the intrigue of new vistas and environments beyond the horizon surely helped spur along his progress too.
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