Mohican 100: NUE #3

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KENDA Mohican 100k Exclusive Report

June 2, 2012

By Ryan O'Dell

On its tenth Anniversary year, The Kenda Mohican 100 also made history by recording the oldest racer to ever complete the 100 mile race. Mike Dietlin, (Kenda) will celebrate his seventieth birthday but he is not letting that slow him down. Out of 27 masters who started, eighteen finished, with Dietlin placing fourteenth despite having twenty years some of this field of young bucks in their fifties.  At the awards, BikeSource of Columbus recognized Dietlin’s achievement with a $75 gift certificate.  As he picked up his award, Dietlin, who has completed three Mohican 100 mile races in a row yelled out to the crowd, "I think I may be done with the 100 mile and may enter the sissy race next year!” (tongue firmly planted in cheek) referring to the Mohican 100k.      

 

Women’s Open 100k

Emily Ponti (team bicycle hub) took the Women’s 100k 6:03:00 leading a tight pack with less than thirty minutes separating the top six.  Two Time OMBC (Ohio Mountain Bike Championship) Women’s defending champion, Heidi Shilling (COMBO Race Team/Whole Foods) rolled in eight minutes later and Janet Edwards (Team Bicycle Hub) rounded out the top three at 6:16:20.

Lauren Mika (Pro Bikes) , who has become Shillings closest competitor in the Ohio Series, last year coming down to the final race, finished fourth 6:24:48, less than two minutes in front of Bridget Donovan (BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing) 6:26:27. Three minutes later, Alexa Storoniak (Cycle Solutions/Angry Johnny’s) rounded out the top six for the podium at 6:29:41.

Afterward, Bridget Donnovan had this to say, "My whole plan was to not go out so darn hard this year (I cramped like crazy last year!), and to pick up momentum as the race went on. Unfortunately, I think I lost a lot of time in the first five to ten miles with a lot of bottlenecked sections in the forest trails. I cruised through the aid stations going in with only fluids (Infinit Nutrition).

I only stopped at the Buckhaven aid station to refill my Camelbak and was neck & neck with Kelly Ayer and Alexa Storoniak coming into that aid station so I rode out of there as fast as I could. I caught up to Lauren Mika with about eight miles to go and we went back and forth until I felt like I was on the verge of quad cramps so I backed it down.

It was probably the most ideal conditions I have ever seen at an endurance race. The trails were in fantastic condition, temps were perfect, and nice breezes on the road sections. I ended up doing it a full hour faster this year. Great race and maybe I'll be woman enough to do the 100 next year!”

 

Men’s Open 100k

Twinning goes sub four and a half, hangs with Tanguy for Eight miles!

The largest field of the day was in the Men’s Open 100k with three hundred twenty racers and Steve Twinning (Team Lake Effect Cycling) was leading the way!

Earlier this year, in preparation for the Mohican 100k, Twinning won OMBC Ohio Series race #2 at Mohican in 1:52:18, breaking his own course record on the 26 mile race course that includes the singletrack loop in the Mohican Forest plus a mile of out and back to the race finish at Mohican Adventures!

At the Mohican 100k, Twinning held onto second place overall while hanging on to the wheel of NUE Series Champion, Christian Tanguy for the first eight miles of the race. Just minutes separated him from the NUE Series Champ through Aid Three where the 100 mile and the 100k course split.

According to Twinning for finished in 4:29:00, "My 80+ year old grandma walked herself with a walker out of her assisted living home near the high school, to the bottom of the start climb in town. She was amazed at the spectacle of all of us going up that climb!  The guns went off and the guy who got the $200 preem from Kim’s Bike’s and the Loudonville CVB for the first finishing racer to reach the city limits, Jordan Wakely, went on the middle of the steep part of the climb. I have never seen anyone go so soon. He smashed it, by at least three hundred yards on the field of more than six hundred and forty.  We absorbed them before the hog barn.  A train of thirty, or so, were together before the big climb past Josh Gray’s house. 

After the climb, there were about ten remaining. By the start of the forest entrance, it was down to about five with others not far behind. Tanguy was the first in, then Draugelis, then me, then the SiMonster.  By mile two of the mountain bike trail, Tanguy had one hundred yards on a group of four or five of us. Then Draugelis just pulls over and I ask if he is ok, and he says yes. I am now lead of the chase group. 

I bridged up to Tanguy fairly comfortably by mile four and alone to my surprise!  I let him know I was a 100K racer. On every incline, he was noticeably faster than me and on every technical or downhill, I made time back, but only because I know the trail.  We yo yo’d all the way to the covered bridge where I caught him just before entering the park road. He put a minute+ on me to aid one. Given his climbing ability, I knew not to chase because I could never draft with him on the road anyway. I rode steady and created a plan to try to stay alone until all the hard climbs were done after aid two. 

A group of one hundred milers that included Draugelis, Simonson, Rob Spreng, Chris Peariso, and preem winner, Jordan Wakely, caught me at the top of hard climb up Giffin Road right after Balz Alley.  I drafted them to Mohican Wilderness, with Simonson doing the majority of the work. He is a beast on the road! I was a crampy mess because of the pace. 

Transitioning through aid three fast, I saw familiar faces that give me energy, and I rode for home looking at my watch leaving aid three and started laughing out loud.  It read 10:30.  I realize I am going to break five hours for my first time in, like, fifteen million tries. I crawled up the big climb at Valley Stream Road and just managing cramp twinges all the way home.  Once I reached the final major climb not far beyond aid five, I know I have it!  I rode fast, but smart.

Entering the finish was fantastic. It was a ghost town. The scoring team looked shocked. My dad, who hasn't been to a race in years, is sitting in the bleachers all alone.  I hear him saying "No Way! No Wayyy!"  I had told my family I would be done by noon, best case.  My wife, and two of my four kids, along with my step mom, showed up by 11:35, missing my finish!”

Finishing second was Ross Clark (Edge Outdoors) 4:41:00 with last year’s race winner (4:55:57), Brian Schworm (Pedal Power) arriving just thirty seconds later. Less than ten minutes behind Schworm was OMBC Ohio Series Champion, Tim Carson (Cannondale/Probikes/Bruce Construction) in fourth place (4:51:00). Bradley Cobb (Motor Mile Racing/SCV) at 4:59:00 and Thomas Franek (Edge Outdoors) 5:00:18 rounded out the top six on the podium.

 

Singlespeed 100k

Malone goes sub five!

Joseph Malone (Bad Lads Cycling/Pro Bikes) took the 100k Singlepspeed in 4:58:00 with Montana Miller (Industry 9/Dirt Rag/YnSSr) came in next (5:07:00) with Justin Mace (Motor Mile Racing) blowing in less than two minutes later (5:08:51). Riding alone was Aaron Shelmire (KYnSSr/ProBikes/XXCmag) finishing 5:17:25 putting seven minutes between himself and the final two podium spots that went to John Lorson (Soupcaninsoles.com) 5:24:35 and Kristopher Karwisch (BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing) 5:26:49  

 

Master’s 100k

Goetz GETS his first Mohican 100k win!

For two years in a row Rudy Sroka (Lake Effect Cycling) has dominated the Men’s 100k Masters division finishing 5:41:02 to win his second Mohican 100k in 2011 and was the odds on favorite at the starting line, however, this year, it would be OMBC Grandmaster Champion, Jim Core leading the race until the final one hundred yards before disaster struck, giving Bob Goetz the opportunity of a lifetime.

According to Core  Besides leading the race until an unfortunate flat tire late in the race eliminated his comfy gap, Core was also the April 22 winner of the Grandmasters (50-59) division of the OMBC Series #2 at Mohican finishing 2:27:46 along the 26 mile loop. He had this to say about the race, "Since my first Mohican 100 in 2006 this race has been the biggest event on my MTB annual schedule. 

But every year brings a new setback. Flat tires, shifting issues, nasty crashes, and severe cramps have cost me time each year. So imagine my growing euphoria as I fly through the final campground section this year.  I crushed the singletrack.  I blitzed the aid station food and water stops. I stayed in the saddle all the way up the sadistic gravel road climb after aid 3 that I had to walk part of last year.  I’m on pace for my best finish ever! 

Then I blow it.  I overcook a sharp left off a downhill campground road and somehow manage to rip a hole in the sidewall of my rear tubeless tire.  The tire is pancake flat with less than a mile to go. Thinking maybe I just popped it off the bead I try to re-inflate using my Big Air CO2.  It seems to work….until I realize the sssssss sound from the inflator is really coming from the tire.  Crap!  Now my spare tube is useless because I only had the one CO2.  As racers fly past me I consider options.  Run it in or ride the flat.  I ride the flat.  Was it worth a sixth place finish to damage my rim?  For any other race on my calendar, probably not! For the Mohican 100: Hell yes!"

Goetz made a final pass that would garner victory on Saturday, pounding out the distance in just 5:32:45! The two-time defending winner, Sroka, was blasting down the final descent to the finish, a mere forty five seconds back of Goetz in what became one of the most hotly contested finishes of the day. Sroka would finish 5:33:30 on the day for third place. OMBC Series Grandmaster Champion, Scott Young (TriTec) swerved in less than ten minutes back at 5:41:32.

From Michigan, Jeff Doerr rolled in 5:50:40 with Charles Richter (6:10:43) with Jim Core (6:22:30) riding on only his rim yet holding on to the final podium spot.

 

Other Award Winners

Bike Source of Columbus awarded the youngest finishers award to seventeen year old Peter Joyal (Cycle Youth) who finished the 100k distance in just 8:23:48. Two-time defending Champion, Amanda Carey, also received a $75 certificate for the Bike Source first woman to reach Aid Station One award. The Aid station is directed by the team at BikeSource, led by Dan Earsley.  The final award went to Stefan Garcia (RideOn Wooster Bike Shop) not only finished 6:08:26, he also won the hairiest legs award as determined by the team BikeSource along with crews and spectators. "It was a really close call between our award winner and race finisher, Garcia, Andrew Norris (EVMA), finisher James Wolfe (ADVICS) and one hundred mile finisher Glen Catalano.

Next Stop NUE #4: The Kenda NUE Series heads north, to MICHIGAN for the, sold out Lumberjack 100, three solid flowing loops in the Manistee National Forest near the town of Wellston on June 16!