If you ride the Tour Divide while a media crew films you, are you in violation of the rules? A new rule says ‘yes.’
For over 2 years, the debate over whether or not media constitutes “support” on “unsupported” endurance missions has raged. In 2019, the Tour Divide race was embroiled in controversy involving perhaps its most high-profile athlete, Lael Wilcox.
Wilcox sought to become the first woman to be the overall race winner. A film crew planned to document her attempt along the way. But then-Salsa rider and prominent distance cyclist Jay Petervary publicly took issue.
Petervary (better known as JayP) and others argued that a film crew constituted support, violating what many see as a critical part of the Tour Divide’s legacy: fully unsupported riding.
Wilcox ultimately withdrew from the race. The film still ran; it’s called “I Just Want To Ride.”
Now, Tour Divide race organizers have taken a big step toward one side of the dispute. The goal? To ensure that the spirit of the race, and all the elements that are part of a race like this one, forge on as fairly as possible.
Check out our podcast interviews with Jay Petervary and Lael Wilcox.
New Messaging in All Caps
On Wednesday afternoon, Petervary put up a social media post that grabbed our attention. An apparent screenshot looked like a document that condemned media presence at the Tour Divide, maybe or maybe not posted by the Tour Divide itself.
View this post on Instagram