A cyclist from Idaho hasn't been idle this year as he finished three endurance challenges to call attention to pollution caused by idling car engines.
On Monday, Jay Petervary completed the Tour Divide ITT (individual time trial) in the record time of 17 days, 9 hours and 1 minute.
That's Petervary at left with his 32-pound Tour Divide rig at his Facebook page.
The 2,745-mile bike ride from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, was his third endurance challenge this year.
3 challenges
Petervary's No Idle Tour also included Alaska's Iditarod Trail Invitational (which he won) and a self-supported Race Across America that took him 12 days, 23 hours and 35 minutes.
The Victor, Idaho, man is well known in endurance cycling circles. He has set previous records long-distance events, but never attempted all three in one year.
Petervary undertook the challenge in cooperation with the Willie Neal Environmental Awareness Fund. Named for a young Nordic ski champion who was struck and killed by a car while roller skiing, the nonprofit runs a campaign to cut emissions caused by idling vehicles.
Tour Divide
His latest challenge — the Tour Divide ITT — ran the same course as the annual Tour Divide Mountain Bike Race that uses Adventure Cycling Association's Great Divide Bicycle Route. Instead of a mass start, however, the ITT cyclists ride the course individually.
Still, Petervary had to abide by the Tour Divide rules that require no assistance. He had to carry or buy his food along the way. No sag support allowed for water or food over the high mountain passes, isolated dirt roads or desolate deserts along the route.
His time of 17 days, 9 hours and 1 minute beats the previous record of 17 days, 23 hours and 45 minutes set by Matthew Lee in 2009.
Iditarod and RAAM
The Iditarod Trail Invitational from Anchorage to Nome was Petervary's first challenge of the year. He had competed in that race previously and won the 1,100-mile race in 2011.
He also followed the route of Race Across America from Oceanside, California, to Annapolis, Maryland. Instead of being followed by a support team and sag wagon like the official RAAM competitors, Petervary carried all his own gear and rode the course self-supported.
Petervary completed the 2,989-mile RAAM route in 12 days, 23 hours, 35 minutes. The official winner was Christoph Strasser in a time of 8 days, 8 hours and 6 minutes.
With the three challenges behind him, Petervary will be leaving the Mexican border soon for a trip to Las Vegas where he'll appear at Interbike, running through Friday in Las Vegas.
Also, check out story at Teton Valley News.
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