Keep
Going.

Out of Times Square, across New Jersey and up into the Pennsylvania ridges. A long opening day to settle into the rhythm.

Climbing the Alleghenies ridge after ridge, into the heart of central Pennsylvania.

The last of the ridges, clipping the tip of the West Virginia panhandle on the run toward Pittsburgh.

Over the border into Ohio and off the high ground. Rolling foothills easing into tempo country.

Long, flat tempo across western Ohio. Big ring, honest pace, eat and drink.

Cyclist-friendly highway country into Indianapolis. Big, straight, fast miles.

The longest day of the ride — across Illinois and over the Mississippi. Distance is the difficulty here.

Missouri River bluffs and wine-country rollers. A shorter day to recover the legs.

Rolling Missouri heartland, turning for the plains. The State Fair town at the end of it.

Into Kansas and the open plains. Head down into the wind — the long grind begins.

Deep into the plains. Big distance, bigger sky, the horizon never moving.

The longest of the prairie days — straight into the high plains of western Kansas.

Over the Colorado line and still the prairie rolls on. The Front Range finally rises on the horizon ahead.

A short day up to the foot of the mountains at Golden. Altitude work begins — sleep high, save the legs.

Over the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass · 3,655 m. The highest and hardest day of the ride.

A long, fast descent through Glenwood Canyon and down the Colorado River into red-rock country.

Across the San Rafael desert into remote Utah. A long, hot, exposed day with next to no shelter.

Climbing up through the red rock and onto the high plateau. Big elevation for the distance.

Down off the plateau and through the Utah–Arizona–Nevada corner on the Virgin River Gorge. Long, and into the first real heat.

A shorter day into Las Vegas. Calm before the furnace — bank the recovery.

Across the Nevada line and into the Mojave. A 4 AM start and a long midday rest to dodge the heat — the crux of the finish.

The Mojave behind them, down out of the desert and a long final run to the coast — reaching the Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific just before midnight on the twenty-second day.