Tour Divide racer struck by car just 60 miles from the finish

On July 2, 35-year-old Alyssa Secreto was just 60 miles away from becoming the second woman to roll across the finish line of this year’s Tour Divide when she was struck by a car and severely injured. Following the crash, she was airlifted to El Paso, Texas, for emergency surgery. A GoFundMe campaign to fund estimated medical expenses and recovery has raised over $62,000 toward a $130,000 goal.

The crash occurred at 4:30am on New Mexico Highway 146 in a remote area just south of Interstate 10. It’s estimated the driver of the vehicle that hit Secreto was traveling at 50 to 60mph at the time of the collision. According to the GoFundMe, “The crash has left her with severe injuries: 8 fractured vertebrae, 6 cracked ribs, a broken arm, internal bleeding, a brain bleed, lacerations to the kidney, spleen and liver, and a completely destroyed bike.”

An update posted today says, “Alyssa is undergoing her second surgery. The surgeons are working to address both her abdominal injuries and her broken arm. Their focus is to ensure the internal bleeding has fully stopped, and they plan to stabilize her arm with a plate.

“Our hope is that tomorrow she will be able to come off the ventilator and begin communicating with her loved ones about her wants and needs.”

Hailing from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Secreto had just come off of a win at The Grand Loop race, a notoriously challenging event considered to be the first established ultraendurance bikepacking race, and a precursor to the Tour Divide.

“To make things heavier, [Secreto] lost her bike, which wasn’t just gear to her… it was her trusted companion on some of the most gratitude-fueled moments of her life,” the GoFundMe organizer wrote. “She had just built her dream bike, only for it to get destroyed.”

To donate, visit the GoFundMe page here.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time a rider has been involved in a serious collision along the route. In 2010, Dave Blumenthal was struck by a vehicle in Colorado while riding the Tour Divide and tragically lost his life. And in 2023, Jay Petervary was seriously injured when he was struck by a vehicle in Colorado 2,000 miles into an FKT attempt on the Great Divide Route.