Felix Laberge has claimed the singlespeed title—and new overall record—at the 2026 Tour Divide after an astonishing ride from Banff to Antelope Wells. Battling New Mexico’s blistering heat, relentless headwinds, thunderstorms, and even a dog attack, the Montreal rider never wavered, crossing the finish line seventh overall after one of the most consistent and impressive rides of this year’s race. Find all the details about his race and the Tour Divide singlespeed record here…

Photos by Eddie Clark

Felix Laberge wins the singlespeed division of the 2026 Tour Divide
At approximately 2:36 p.m. Friday, Felix Laberge of Montreal, Canada, became the first singlespeeder and seventh overall to arrive in Antelope Wells. His finishing time of 14 days, 7 hours, and about 36 minutes was nearly 25 hours faster than the singlespeed record of 15 days, 8 hours, and 1 minute, set by Chris Plesko in 2016.

For the past few days, he’s had to run the gamut of New Mexico challenges: Heat, headwinds, dust, storms, mud, biting dogs, and more heat. As he wrote on Instagram: “It’s melted Haribos warm here, wtf.” He left Silver City around 12:30 a.m. Friday and rode a fairly solid push for the final 135 miles, no doubt spinning like mad on the flat stretch of highway to the border.

The race

Like the other winners of this year’s race, Laberge established a dominating lead from the start. He spent his first night in Fernie, resting for only five hours. In Whitefish and Lincoln, he took similarly short breaks and then camped the next four nights. His efficient stops and steady pace let him ride to a top-ten position in the overall standings for most of the race. In a strong singlespeed field with 15 riders, Laberge steadily increased his lead. By the time he crossed into New Mexico, he was more than 400 miles in front of second-position singlespeeder Scott Petrie.

He also continued to distance himself in front of Chris Plesko’s historical dot, a singlespeed record that stood for a decade. By the time he crossed the hot and windy Great Divide Basin, he was riding more than a day ahead of Plesko’s pace. But he said he never intended to contend for the record. “I keep the same game plan, which is to be consistent and see what happens,” he said during the race.

On the steady grades of Colorado, he found his gear ratio to be ideal. But steeper grades demanded much more energy and calculations, which he described as “a fine line between over- and undergoing it.”

By the time he crossed into New Mexico, he was in sixth position overall. There, the difficulties piled on quickly. He struggled with 105-degree heat, headwinds, and storms. Outside Cuba, he was attacked by a dog and had to stop in Grants to seek medical care. He continued to Pie Town, but arrived after midnight, too late for pie. He was back on the road at 4 a.m. after resting for only four hours. After Pie Town, he didn’t appear to make another significant stop for the next 33 hours during a 300-mile run to the border.

Focus on simplicity

For the 2026 Tour Divide, Laberge chose a minimalist setup designed for mechanical simplicity. His bike is from Cycles Tulipp, an independent bike manufacturer based in Montreal, Quebec. He used a steel frame for “bulletproof reliability” and chose a 34x18T gear ratio. The wheels were Stan’s Arch rims with a SON28 Dynamo and Hope Pro4 hubs with 2.25” Mezcal tires. He used a MICA rear rack with a Revelate Designs frame bag along with repurposed rear and handlebar bags. He wanted to ensure he had enough free space for food and water to ride for long periods of time without resupply.

Laberge’s stops were an even mix of nights in towns and camping. He usually kept his stops short, often in the 4- to 5-hour range. Unlike most top riders, he did not report any mechanicals during the event. He also appeared to stay healthy while others dealt with bloody noses, saddle sores, and swollen legs. The dog bite seemed to be the only major mishap he suffered during the race.

Felix Laberge’s background

The 30-year-old from Montreal, Canada, describes himself as a “dumb pedal pusher, gas station food enjoyer, and dirt nap enthusiast.”

He rode the 2024 Tour Divide using a geared bike and finished in 18 days, 6 hours, and 26 minutes. In 2025, he won two races while riding a singlespeed — the inaugural edition of the 1,650-kilometer Golden Horseshoe Race in Southern Ontario and the 800-kilometer Log Driver’s Waltz, securing singlespeed course records in both. He also raced the 2025 Transcontinental Race, the Vermont Super 8, and Follow the Water 500.

“Monsieur Felix” — his Instagram handle — seemed to go through his 2026 Tour Divide with good humor and gratitude, sharing camaraderie with other riders while crushing miles with a single gear.

The Tour Divide Singlespeed Record

In the Tour Divide, the men’s singlespeed record has always been held by Chris Plesko of Colorado. Plesko established the first official record during an individual time trial in 2009, battling frequent heavy rain and mud to finish in 19 days and 21 minutes. In 2016, he returned to the Grand Depart and smashed his own record by four days, lowering the standard to 15 days, 8 hours, and 1 minute. Although it had to happen someday, one wonders how Plesko feels about stepping down after 15 years of watching other singlespeeders chase his ghost dot down the Divide.

2026 has been a near-grand-slam record year, with three new provisional records for the Tour Divide. Victor Bosoni won the men’s race in 11 days, 8 hours, and 27 minutes, and as of this report, Meaghan Hackinen is well on her way to winning the women’s race in record time. With no women singlespeeders left in this year’s race, Alexandra Houchin’s women’s singlespeed record will stand for another year. Congrats to all!

Check out the 2026 Tour Divide Tracker page to follow along on the live tracking map, and stay tuned in for more event coverage. Find it here.

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.