Author Archives: Shannon Boffeli

NUE Announces 2017 Race Schedule

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“Celebrating our first ten years as the premier XXC Race Series”

The 11th Annual National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Series www.nuemtb.com announced the 2017 race schedules this week that included several exciting changes.

The NUE Epic Race Series Schedule, comprised of races at or near 100 miles in length, will witness the return of the Breckenridge 100 mile in Colorado, a new race, the Marji Gesick, located in the upper peninsula of Michigan and a new date for the Big Bear Grizzly in California which will also serve as the new Championship race where all ties are broken.

In 2016, NUE introduced the first Marathon Race Series schedule, comprised of races at or near 50 miles to 100k in length. In 2017, the Marathon race series will expand to include three new locations in 2017, the Carrabassett 100k in Maine, the B-68 in Breckenridge, Colorado and the Marji Gesick 50 in Michigan.

“On behalf of The NUE Race Series, I would like to thank all of our sponsors, many who have been with us for up to a decade now, for believing in our vision and supporting NUE. We are proud to promote our NUE sponsors including Kenda Tire, Hammer Nutrition, Sigma Sport of Germany, Darn Tough Socks of Vermont, KMC Chain, Lauf Forks, Voler apparel, Squirt Lube, and Chris Eatough Coaching, for providing training plans for NUE Racers, many tailored to specific NUE race courses based on his success with NUE.

Singlespeeder Gordon Wadsworth mixes it up with the lead group. Photo by: David Smith Photos

Born in 2006 to fill a need for XXC racers, the NUE Series began with just six races before growing over the last decade to now include twenty four races held within thirteen different states and now internationally in Costa Rica and Spain. In 2016, NUE made the leap to the International stage by introducing the Rincon de La Vieja Challenge, held in Costa Rica, as its first Latin American venue. Race attendance doubled this year to nearly 700, making Rincon, now known as the Volcano 100, one of the largest races in the NUE Race Series.

Rincon Race Director, Juan Carlos, “The Volcano 100 MTB race has gathered momentum being the first 100 miler of Latin America. It is truly a giant step forward to become part of the NUE (National Ultra Endurance) Race Series. We are honored and thankful for the opportunity and look forward to growing with the NUE, helping the NUE grow and promoting this wonderful sport of endurance MTB cycling internationally.”

The NUE Marathon Race Series will be made up of ten well known races plus two new venues. Distances will vary ranging from 50 miles to 100k. Like the NUE Epic 100 Mile Race Series, the NUE MARATHON Race Series will be governed by the same rules and will require the same number of races (BEST 4) to become eligible for series awards and recognition. It is important to note that these are two separate race series. Points will not transfer between the Epic 100 Mile and Marathon Race Series. Marathon Series finishers will receive a national ranking and qualify for series awards, including a share of the minimum $4000 Cash purse, Custom Voler NUE Champion Jersey or discounted NUE finisher jersey plus prize packages for ALL NUE Race Series Finishers.

To claim the NUE Race Series Epic 100 Mile title, racers best four finishes will count. NUE requires a minimum of four races to receive a national ranking. ALL racers who complete four of the NUE 100 Mile distance races will receive a national ranking and qualify for series awards, including a share of a minimum $10,000 cash purse, Custom Voler NUE Champion Jersey or discounted NUE Finisher Jersey plus prize packages for ALL NUE Race Series finishers.

Additional Travel awards for NUE Division leaders or Champions, and randomly drawn NUE Racers,  including  the Volcano 100 and The LaRuta de los Conquistadores, will be announced publicly soon.

All ties will be broken at the Big Bear Grizzly in California to be held on a new date, September 30. An attractive feature of the NUE Series is that there is NO LICENSE REQUIRED in order to participate. Everyone is welcome to compete on a level playing field alongside top Pro’s. ALL finishing racers receive a score based on their race finishes with a “lowest points wins” formula. The best possible score is 4.

Taylor Lideen leads the chase group. Photo by: Cody Downard Photography

Nearly ALL NUE Race Series events sold out again in 2016, some within mere minutes.  The NUE Race Series presents racers with a balanced schedule, east and west, plus Central America. Costa Rica is now served by Southwest Airlines making airfare to the capitol city of San Jose and Liberia, located farther north, as affordable as traveling across the US.

NUE is currently soliciting the support of additional partners to promote products and services that racers can use. Potential sponsors can receive more information by contacting Ryan O’Dell at nolimit@mohican.net

What is on tap for each event for 2017

The 2017 NUE Series will roll out on March 11 in the southwest at the True Grit Epic and True Grit Epic 50 in sunny St. George, Utah.  According to Race Director Cimarron Chacon, “The True Grit Epic is long, tough, and technical. The first twenty miles are along rocky and steep terrain that requires excellent bike handling skills and upper body strength. This course is a roller coaster of desert riding with over 70% of the 89 miles on single track and slightly over 13,000 feet of elevation gain.

On April 29, NUE returns to Ducktown, Tennessee for the Cohutta 100 and Cohutta Big Frog 65 now under the direction of Justin and Amy Mace.  In 2016, the Cohutta 100 took on a fresh route, drawing up the southern end of the course that went into Georgia and displacing it west across more of Tennessee’s Cherokee National Forest and the Ocoee region.  Staging for the race takes place along the banks of the beautiful Ocoee River — site for the 1996 Olympic White Water Events.  The 100 miles of race course traverses the mountain terrain by world class single track and fire roads. The single track is fast and flowing, but can get tight and technical in spots. The fire roads are demanding but rewarding with long ascents, fast descents, and spectacular mountain views.

Out of the gate, the race makes about a three mile climb on pavement up highway 64.  This warm-up serves as a good field displacer and pole position before entering into the fast and flowy single track for the next twenty miles. Next is an out-and-back trip on beautiful mountain fire-roads.  Road texture alternates between hard-pack gravel and smooth moist dirt. Expect tenacious climbs (over 12,000’ of elevation gain overall), hundreds of curves, and peaceful mountain streams.  Upon return, racers will re-enter the single track for about nine final miles of the best trails in these mountains.

The weather in Southeastern Tennessee in late April ranges in expression. Expect a chilly morning for sure on race day, but a quick warming up in the early miles.  Eight Aid Stations provide supplemental support throughout the course and a delicious meal and coveted “Finisher” mug await at the Finish Line.”

Hundreds of racers charge off the start line and through Loudonville, Ohio, at the start of the Mohican 100. Photo by: Butch Phillips Photography

Next up is the 16th Annual Mohican 100 and Mohican 100k on June 3, the largest attended NUE Race where racers compete for a $10,000 cash purse, the highest single day cash award in the NUE Race Series. Like the Leadville 100, Mohican features a downtown start in Loudonville leading racers up a long climb for a $200 prime at the city limits. From there, the course covers several miles of double track before treating racers to Ohio’s top ranked pristine, flowing single track within the 5000 acre Mohican State Forest along a single loop spanning three of the counties that make up what is known as “Mohican Country”. Due to tremendous growth, The Mohican 100 mile and 100k imposed a limit of 700 racers beginning in 2015. This race may sell out quickly so it is recommended to register soon. 100 Mile Race finishers receive a custom Mohican finisher growler to be filled and refilled with a truckload of microbrew provided by Great Lakes Brewing of Cleveland.

From the Buckeye State, racers wither head north toward Michigan or west toward Colorado! The NUE Series will feature two great races, east and west on June 17. Marathon racers will enjoy the Bailey HunDitO 50 in Colorado, a not-for-profit event invented by a Colorado State Senator benefiting youth biking initiatives in Colorado including Trips For Kids Denver/Boulder, which offers mountain biking opportunities to underserved youth, changing lives “two wheels at a time”, the Colorado High School Cycling League, a new resource for high school students around the state to be exposed to the world of mountain bike racing. Bailey also continues to support the advocacy and trail building work of the Colorado Mountain Biking Association as it builds new trails in the Platte Canyon area that both serve the local community’s recreation needs and is developing Bailey into a mountain biking destination.

Starting from the heart of Bailey, the race features over 45 miles of single track as it winds from Bailey through the Buffalo Creek Trail system and along the Colorado Trail to the South Platte then on to Deckers up Stony Creek Pass to Wellington Lake, and, finally, finishing to a fabulous new festival-like finish area in a private meadow by the river.

One the same day, NUE Epic 100 mile racers will be heading into the Great Lakes State of Michigan for the Lumberjack 100, also on June 17. Located deep within the Manistee forest in Wellston, Michigan, The Lumberjack will cap off the spring portion of the series.  If you like fast flowing, mostly non-technical single track, and Founders Brewing, this is your race. Perhaps that is why this event always sells out early, sometimes within minutes, so don’t miss your opportunity to register on January 8 at high noon.

Riders are treated to the spectacular scenery around Ducktown, Tennessee. Photo by Sara Kristen/SaraKristen.com

As summer arrives, The NUE Race Series returns, to the Black Hills of Sturgis, South Dakota July 8 for the Tatanka 100 and Tatanka 50k. The Tatanka 100 is NUE’s first and only point-to-point race beginning beneath Iconic Mount Rushmore and finishing in Sturgis! From the shrine of democracy to the city of riders, racers will test their mettle as they navigate South Dakotas famous Centennial Trail. The Tatanka 50k will retain many of the same challenges albeit over a shorter distance that offers NUE Marathon Race Series points.

One week later, think Big Foot and Volcano’s as Mudslinger Events hosts The High Cascades 100 in Bend returning for its eighth year to represent the state of Oregon on July 15. The Trails around Mt. Bachelor are truly epic and racers are treated to quality craft brews from Deschutes Brewing. With just 350 spots available, racers are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

Also on July 15, a new race has been added to the NUE Marathon Schedule located in Maine. The Carrabassett 100k located in the Carrabassett Valley adds some northeast flavor to the NUE Series.

On July 29, The Wilderness 101, directed by Chris Scott, is located in the Rothrock and Bald Eagle State Forests just outside of State College, Pennsylvania, home of the Penn State Nittany Lions. If you enjoy technical backcountry single track and hair raising downhill thrills, nothing rocks quite like PA! W101 was one of just six races included in the inaugural NUE Race Series.

Also on July 29, NUE heads west for the return of the Breck 100 and B-68 in Colorado. Breckenridge can take your breath away, literally, as it begins at an altitude of 9000 feet before crossing the continental divide three times, eliciting jaw dropping views throughout in a three loop Clover shaped race originating from Carter Park in downtown Breckenridge.

The final four races will occur within two month period, as usual, has a tendency to create some chaos in the series standings before the final tie breaking event.

Josh Tostado attacks the DH with the Grand Teton in the background. Photo by: Jakes Hawkes

First up is the 9th Annual Pierre’s Hole 100 and Pierre’s Hole 100k located near Alta, Wyoming on August 5. “Pierre’s Hole, a mountain valley tucked up to the Wyoming border on the western side of the Tetons, was once known as the strategic center for fur trade in the Northern Rockies. Today it is known as the strategic gathering place to ski unfathomable deep powder and ride some of the best unknown single track in the nation.

According to race director Andy Williams, “The Pierre’s Hole 100 and Pierre’s Hole 100k at Grand Targhee Resort  newest course layout adds even more new single track without the nasty climb down to the ranch from the early years of the race that many old timers may recall. The 2017 course will take racers through fields of wild flowers, aspen trees and old growth forest right in the shadows of the Tetons.”​ The “Grand Loop” which is all a part of the Pierre’s race course was recently named as an IMBA Epic trail!”

On Saturday, August 19, The Hampshire 100 mile and 50 mile races return as the Crotched Mtn. Hundred. According to race director, Andy Gendron, “Crotched Mountain Ski and Ride, a ski area located in Bennington, New Hampshire is continuing the tradition of the Hampshire 100 race hosted in Greenfield at Oak Park. The race has been a huge success over the last decade and Crotched Mountain is looking to build on that success for the future. The ski area will now host the staging area, on-site camping and event venue at their location in Bennington, which has been a part of the race course in the past. In addition, an outdoor BBQ and beer garden are planned for 2017 and the event date will be moved to a Saturday, Aug 19. The new event organizers are excited for this shift in the Hampshire 100 event and look forward to hosting in August.”

On September 2, The NUE Race Series goes Latin to beautiful Liberia, Costa Rica for the Fifth Annual Volcano 100, formerly known as the Rincon Challenge and Rincon Challenge 100k, a 100 mile and 100k loop around a volcano that features both jungle and desert conditions. Now served by Southwest Airlines, racers should note that travel to Costa Rica has become much more affordable with airline pricing about the same as a ticket from the east to the west coast in the US. Enjoy Costa Rican cuisine and hospitality competing alongside local Tico’s and fellow mountain bike racers from all over the world.

The next day, on September 3 over Labor Day Weekend in the USA, The Shenandoah Mountain 100 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, will send up to 650 racers into the George Washington National Forest. Shenandoah is the grand-daddy of them all, and the largest strictly 100 mile race in the NUE Race Series! Shenandoah not only has a great reputation for amazing trails but is also well known for the outstanding support of volunteers and aid stations that many racers would agree sets the bar for excellence.

One September 23, NUE shifts north to the upper peninsula of Michigan to Ishpeming for the Marji Gesick 100 and 50 mile races.  100 miles and 13,000 vertical feet armored with rocks, roots, drops, jump lines, flow trails, grueling climbs, dangerous technical descents and a final fifteen miles designed to push riders to their mental and physical limits.

Over its ten year history, the NUE Race Series has alternated the Championship race from east to west several times in an effort to keep the playing field level for racers. In 2017, the final NUE race will break all ties and determine the new NUE Champions on a new date and location returning to the west coast of California for the Big Bear Grizzly 100 and Grizzly 75k in Big Bear Lake. Big Bear has attracted racers from nine countries and eighteen states!

Tinker Juarez on course at the 2016 Big Bear Grizzly 100

 

Directed by Derek Hermon, racers familiar with the 100k Grand Fondo course will be treated to an extended portion of trail along a ridgeline with amazing views with the altitude beginning at 7000′ and reaching 8500′ with enough single track racers will beg for a fire road.

The NUE series schedule is tentative and subject to change as race organizers are still in the usual process of procuring forest service permits and other logistical race planning details. Stay tuned here for upcoming information about NUE Series Sponsors, Prize Money, and other race details. www.nuemtb.com

 

2017 NUE Epic 100 Mile Race Series

Date Race Location Limit
March 11 True Grit Epic St. George, UT 600
April 29 Cohutta 100 Ducktown, TN 275
June 3 Mohican MTB100 Loudonville, OH 700
June 17 Lumberjack 100 Wellston, MI 450
July 8 Tatanka 100 Sturgis, SD 300
July 15 High Cascades 100 Bend, OR 350
July 29 Wilderness 101 State College, PA 400
July 29 Breck 100 Breckenridge, CO 750
August 5 Pierre’s Hole 100 Alta, WY 150
August 19 Crotched Mountain 100 Bennington, NH
September 2 Volcano 100 Liberia, Costa Rica 500
September 3 Shenandoah 100 Harrisonburg, VA 650
September 23 Marji Gesick 100 Ishpeming, MI 650
September 30 Big Bear Grizzly 100 Big Bear Lake, CA 500

 

2017 NUE Marathon Race Series

Date Race Location Limit
March 11 True Grit 50 St. George, UT 600
April 29 Cohutta Big Frog 65 Ducktown, TN 275
June 3 Mohican MTB100k Loudonville, OH 700
June 17 HUNDitO 50 Bailey, CO 200
July 8 Tatanka 50k Sturgis, SD 300
July 15 Carrabassett 100k Carrabassett Valley, ME 400
July 29 Breck-68 Breckenridge, CO 750
August 5 Pierre’s Hole 100k Alta, WY 150
August 19 Crotched Mountain 50 Bennington, NH
September 2 Volcano 100k Liberia, Costa Rica 350
September 23 Marji Gesick 50 Ishpeming, MI 650
September 30 Grizzly 75k Big Bear Lake, CA 500

 

Titan Tropic by GAES – Stage 5: Vinales to Cayo Jutias

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Written by: Shannon Boffeli

After 5 stages, 4 nights of tent camping, 271 miles, about 100 stream crossings, and countless gallons of bottled water we had finally reached the final stage of Titan Tropic.

The final day of any stage race has always left me with mixed emotions; excitement to sleep in a bed again and give my butt a well deserved day off, but sadness that tomorrow I’ll wake up and not be racing my bike, instead I’ll be packing and returning to the real world. There really is nothing better than putting all your focus on racing your bike and recovering for the next day.

Sadly, all stage races must end and I was thankful that I woke up Friday morning feeling good. No stomachache. No vomiting every time I looked at food. I wasn’t shoveling in breakfast like normal but I got in some cereal and bread. Way better than yesterday.

Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

The final stage took us out of the Vinales Valley, out of the shadows of the mogotes, and up to the northern coast to finish on the pristine, white-sand beaches of Cayo Jutias.

Ourselves and the small contingent of U.S. riders in Titan Tropic were looking to cap off a successful week. We held the lead in the mixed duo category, despite losing time the previous day. Mountain bike super-legend Tinker Juarez (Cannondale) was wowing the field by leading the senior 50+ category but more impressively hanging on to fifth in the overall GC. Tinker was accompanied by second-placed senior rider and Cape Cod resident Kevin Hines (Corner Cycles) who sat in the top-10 on GC. While Selene Yeager (Bicycling) was solidly placed in 4th in the women’s competition. Everyone was looking forward to a good final day and that refreshing dive into the Atlantic following the finish.

Today’s roll out was fast, heading downhill on a paved road. Without warning the lead car sped off and riders ripped down to the first section of singletrack. The course bottlenecked quickly with riders battling for position.

The lead group crosses a river on stage 5. Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

After the first few climbs and trail sections we began to settle in and tackle the progressive rollers that stood between us and the coast.

The final stage was shaping up to be a good one. The first 60km was almost entirely dirt with steep, short climbs making the legs burn. The second-place mixed duo team had gotten in front of us on the opening downhill road start as Jen was spun out with only a 30-tooth ring up front. We climbed our way back into the lead with some fancy trail navigation in the early singletrack and then hooked onto a group of drafting partners when the singletrack turned to logging road.

We were going good now and cruised past the final mogotes saying goodbye to the high cliffs and hanging gardens making our way into palm forests as we approached the coast.

With 10km left we exited the last of the dirt and entered a long causeway that would take us to our final destination. The road was dead flat but the wind was mercifully light and cool as it came off the water on both sides of us.

Finally, we made the turn off the road and onto the untouched sand. I dropped into the surf a little too deep and was immediately gobbled up by a wave that came almost up to my handlebars – my bike is not going to be happy with me tomorrow.

Jen Hanks on the beach at Cayo Jutias. Photo by: Shannon Boffeli

Higher on the shore now, we scrambled through the mangroves and palms dotting the sand and made the final turn toward the finish line arch.

It’s always a great feeling crossing the line after days and days of hard efforts, even more special we would get to enjoy taking the overall win, for the first time, in a multi-day stage race.

Just one last thing to do. We both dropped all our gear and raced into the clear turquoise water of the Atlantic.

It seemed like everyone had a great last day and a memorable week. The Titan Tropic was like nothing we had done before. The unparalleled cultural experience of Cuba fused with a week of bike racing and the excellent support of the Titan Tropic promoters combines to make a wicked stew of challenge, enjoyment, and unforgettable memories.

Once we complete a stage race Jen and I don’t typically do the same race again, always looking for a new experience and challenge, but Titan Tropic may change that for us. We are already looking forward to another week in Cuba, December 2017.

Us at the finish. Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

Titan Tropic by GAES – Stage 4: Vinales to Vinales

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Written by: Shannon Boffeli

We had been looking forward to stage 4 all week; 84 kilometers of dirt! The excitement was high going in and we felt like we would have fun and probably open up our lead a bit more doing it.

Unfortunately, that plan quickly went down the toilet as I woke up with a nasty stomach ache and some unfriendly diarrhea. I thought maybe I could power through but once I sat down for breakfast the mere sight of food made me want to barf.

First placed mixed duo team of Jen Hanks and Shannon Boffeli on stage 4. Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

I nursed down a glass of orange juice and went back to the tent to get ready for the stage.

Yesterday had been long and hot with a humid night of sleep to follow so I wasn’t sure if I was suffering some dehydration or a stomach bug. Just in case I started taking an antibiotic I brought down.

I was excited to start the day because sitting on my bike was actually easier than trying to stand or walk. The first 10km went by mercifully quick but I had pretty much burned any matches I had at that point.

Race leader Diego Tamayo controls the front of the field from Vinales to Vinales. Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

I was walking all the climbs. Jen took my heavy pack with all the tools and let me carry her lighter one but that barely helped. The second-placed team quickly passed us and I could tell by their urgency they wanted to put some time into us.

When I could ride Jen would push and pull me the way I do for her most stages but I still couldn’t keep up with her. Finally, after about two hours of suffering and harboring serious doubts that I could finish the day I managed to get some Honey Stinger energy chews in, the first calories I had eaten all day. I followed that with a little water and things were looking brighter.

Racers power past a tobacco drying barn in the Vinales Valley. Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

I could at least keep up with Jen on the flats. After a bit more time we actually passed a few people and were getting a good chuck of kilometers behind us.

At the third and final aid station I was feeling good enough to drink and force down a banana. We were off again. I gulped down one final drink and that put me right over the edge. Everything came back up. My mouth was like an uncontrolled fire hose ejecting every bit of water and food I had eaten the entire day all over my bike.

Shannon Boffeli rolling his way through stage 4. Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

With nothing left in me I actually felt the best I had all day. The final 20 kilometers of the day weren’t fast but I could easily keep my legs moving unlike earilier in the day.

We crossed the line having lost just 18 minutes to our rivals. I immediately headed for the medical station.

Upon seeing me they put me on a stretcher and carried me into their makeshift clinic. My color was pale and skin was dry despite the 90-degree temperature and matching humidity. The team quickly placed an IV and started giving me fluids to replenish what I had lost.

Stage 4 offered up the most dirt of any stage in the 2016 Titan Tropic. Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

It helped. A lot! After 2 hours, a liter of saline, and something to help with nausea I was feeling much better.

Today was a real struggle but also a great test of the mixed duo team category. Today it was the female partner pulling her teammate along. Doing everything possible to put in the fastest time and it worked. Without Jen’s help I very well may not have finished and definitely would have lost a lot more that 18 minutes.

Now I just need to get some food in me before tomorrow. It’s the shortest stage of the week but 68 kilometers could be impossible on two days without food.

IV fluids and oxygen after the finish. Photo by: Jen Hanks

Raul Hernandez and partner Laura Ortiz look to pick up time on stage 4. Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

Titan Tropic by GAES – Stage 3: Soroa to Vinales

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Written by: Shannon Boffeli

I apologize in the lapse in coverage from Titan Tropic 2016 but internet service on the interior of Cuba is fleeting at best. The experience is unparalleled however. We saw incredible sights while crossing the Cuban island from north to south before turning to the northern, Atlantic coast again for the finish.

Day three was the queen stage taking the race from the lush gardens of Soroa to the hidden valleys and floating islands of Vinales.

Race leader Marlies Mejias (Cuba) leads her teammate and defending champion Olga Echenique through the early river crossings. Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

The entire stage is roughly 114 kilometers with over 2,000 meters (6,000 feet) of climbing spread out along the way.

A long neutral lead out got us going, extended by the overall race leader, Diego Tamayo (Team Tamayo), stopping to pee before the control car could pull off.

Once the group was released it was clear today was going to be another fast ride, despite the extra miles.

Tinker Juarez wowed the crowds this week in Cuba. Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

After a handful of early road miles, we dropped off into some of the most remote riding we had done thus far. Rock strewn, beaten, forest tracks, cross cut by streams and muddy fords traveled over hundreds of years by nothing but horses and ox drawn wagons now provided passage for 150 mountain bikes.

Dropping deeper and deeper into the interior of Cuba we passed homes that rarely see visitors and must have thought the alien invasion was finally happening as gaunt beings in brightly-colored spandex, steadily streamed by. If indeed they thought the aliens were upon them, they were exceedingly nice about.

After the dirt ended, we climbed to a high ridge that traversed endless valleys. An absolutely marvelous road that feels like your riding the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia with forests of palms taking the place of the old growth hardwoods of North America.

The preferred beast of burden in Cuba. Photo by: Shannon Boffeli

For kilometer after kilometer we followed the winding road without encountering a single car that wasn’t affiliated with the race. It’s no mystery why the area around Vinales is quickly becoming a road riding destination.

Finally, we dropped into the Vinales Valley with it’s 1,000 foot mogotes, giant haystack shaped mountains, standing guard. A more unique and varied landscape would be difficult to imagine as lush greenery and palm trees sit atop limestone monoliths with sheer-vertical walls on all sides.

Sightseeing had to be put aside as our focus returned to reaching the finish line. Jen and I had ridden hard all day almost exclusively by ourselves. My feet were on fire the last 30km as the early morning creek crossings had softened my shoes and allowed to feet to float around.

Former Formula 1 driver Jaime Alguersuari rides in the shadow of the many mogotes of the Vinales Valley. Photo courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

We picked up Jaime Alguersuari, a former Formula 1 driver, who passed us earlier in the day but was now dealing with some serious dehydration. He was riding with just bottles and lost one on a downhill section. He elected not to go back for it and it was costing him at this point. Jaime tucked in for the final road sections to the finish.

Stage three proved to be our best day as we put almost an hour of time between us and the second-placed duo mixed team, who we also learned are the former winners of the Titan Desert in Morocco.

Tomorrow, promises to be one of the best days for riding. The scenery of the Vinales Valley combined with a 100% off-road course should make for great riding and fun racing action.

Keeping the bikes clean and ready to go was important throughout the week. Titan Tropic workers power-washed hundreds of bikes a day. Photo by: Jen Hanks

Titan Tropic by GAES – Stage 2: Soroa to Soroa

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Titan Tropic by GAES – Stage 2 Soroa to Soroa

Written by: Shannon Boffeli

The first competitive stage of Titan Tropic 2016 was a painful wake-up call for most racers. While yesterday seemed like a solid introduction to racing action it was a recovery spin in comparison to the grueling action of stage 2.

Crashes, blinding dust, searing pacelines, and rough roads challenged riders throughout the day. In total riders made a 104 kilometer loop south of Soroa before ending up at the finish again.

Jen Hanks and Shannon Boffeli working with a group on stage 2 -Image courtesy of Titan Tropic by GAES

While the racing was hard the cultural experience couldn’t have been better. Starting with cane fields and processing centers we made our way into more remote sections of Cuba. Gone are the classic American cars of Havana, out here the ox and horse still rule. If Havana seemed to be stuck in the 50s the area around Soroa is a trip back to preindustrial revolution.

Life is difficult in this part of the country. That didn’t stop residents from every home flooding into the streets to greet the riders with cheers and big smiles as they passed by.

For us stage 2 was DIFFICULT. The terrain was very flat and constant roadie tactics were needed to find your way into a group and protect yourself from the wind. It was far from “road riding” however. Imagine hammering along at 25mph with your Saturday morning road ride and suddenly the pavement drops away for half the field, then the other half of the riders plunge a foot below road surface into a pothole only to pop out just a quickly. Then the group reforms with just enough time to do it all over again. Now imagine you repeat this for three hours.

Making our way to Soroa. Photo by: Shannon Boffeli

That’s how our day felt. By the end brain circuits were completely fried, legs burning with lactic acid, and a stomach serious pissed off about a lack of food.

Our day went as well as could be expected. We avoided multiple pile ups and our only crash was when Jen tipped over after the leader of our paceline led the whole group into a foot-deep tractor rut.

We managed stick with a fast group for most of the day and managed to leave them all behind as everyone else faded late in the day.

On the road to Soroa a Cuban local enjoys the country’s #1 export. Photo by: Shannon Boffeli

For the first time, after all our stage races as a team, we crossed the line first, an exciting turn of events after a tough day.

For the first time we’ll go into tomorrow’s stage with a lead to defend. It should make for an interesting week.

Stage 3 is the longest of the Titan Tropic at 119 kilometers and perhaps the most scenic taking the race from Soroa to Vinales. This stage includes multiple large river crossings, mountain climbs as steep as 18%, and the unique mogotes (haystack-shaped limestone mountains) of Valle Vinales which make it a Unesco World Heritage site.

Jen prepares her bike for a grueling stage 3. Photo by: Shannon Boffeli

Titan Tropic Stage 1

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December 4, 2016

Titan Tropic by GAES Stage 1 – Havana to Soroa

The first serious day of riding finished after riding 97 kilometers from the urban and historic city of Havana to the relaxed mountain resort of Soroa. In observance of the final day of mourning for former Cuban leader Fidel Castro today’s stage was a transfer stage only, meaning no official time was kept.

Riders are given 2 liters of bottled water at the beginning of each stage. Tap water in Cuba cannot be trusted.

Riders are given 2 liters of bottled water at the beginning of each stage. Tap water in Cuba cannot be trusted.

Tucked into the mountains we chased for about half the day, Soroa is known as the “Rainbow of Cuba” for it’s natural beauty and the Orquideario Soroa park, which is home to 700 orchid species from around the world.

Bike racks are full prior to stage 1.

Bike racks are full prior to stage 1.

Today’s stage started with several miles of road transitioning to a jumbled mix of pavement and dirt cane field roads. The pavement sections could barely be called roads as the mammoth potholes littering every stretch made life difficult for the riders and prevented pack riding in groups larger than 4 or 5.

Jen working with our group through 10-foot-tall sugarcane fields.

The second half of the race featured primarily dirt roads only with some primitive trails that would pass for singletrack throwing in some small river crossings and rocky climbs leading to the finish.

We started off slow as burning matches on an untimed stage seemed stupid. As the day went on temperatures started to rise and with the wind blowing hard at 20-30 mph. Our gameplan changed as limiting our time in the heat and holding on to our drafting partners suddenly rose in importance.

We chased the mountains in the distance for most of the day before finally catching them at the very end.

After just over 4 hours we finished without any major issues although we spent most of the day worrying about stray dogs, goats, or cows wandering onto the roads and weaving around atomic potholes.

Once across the finish line, the stress immediately stopped and the chilling began with a distinct Carribean feel. Palm trees, great food, and lounging near the pool was the order of the afternoon.

Farms and children greeted us around every corner

Farms and children greeted us around every corner

Tomorrow’s stage starts and ends in Soroa. Stage 2 will be the first real racing of Titan Tropic. We don’t know what to expect from our competition but today gave us a nice introduction to riding as a team again and the course markings and feed zones of Titan Tropic.

Tomorrow’s stage will be a 106 km loop bringing riders back to Soroa after completing a tour of several hydro-electric dams, fertile crop fields, and some technical riding including a 300-foot rocky climb to the finish line.

 

 

 

 

Titan Tropic Pre-Race Report

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Titan Tropic by GAES – Pre-race Report

The moment we learned about Titan Tropic we knew it would be an unforgettable experience. Now add in the death of Fidel Castro and the experience just ramped up to eleven. It’s hard to imagine a more historic time to be in Cuba.

The flight to Cuba was itself an experience. After more than 50 years of travel ban from the US to the largest island in the Caribbean boarding a commercial flight in Miami and landing in Havana just 45 minutes later is something few Americans have experienced since JFK was president.

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Leaving the high rises, glitz, and glamour of Miami and in less than an hour you’re transported to a different time, flying over unmaintained dirt roads winding between fields full of ox and cattle before touching down at Jose Marti International airport, disembarking on the runway, and catching a cab that’s most likely a late 50s Chevy makes you feel like you’ve been transported back in time. While just 90 miles south of the United States, Cuba feels light years away.

Titan Tropic has already been a unique experience and we haven’t even started racing yet.

All of Cuba is currently observing a period of mourning following the death of their former leader and this will continue until December 5th. For Havana that means the rollicking nightlife it’s become known for is on hold but promises to resurface when riders return to the capital city on December 9th.

We have still been able to visit the city and take in the incredible culture and architecture of Havana, which dates back to the 16th century.

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Havana is also known for it’s many artists and art instillations including the home of Jose Fuso. Fuso is a Cuban treasure who opens his private home for visitation and you can tour the neighborhood he has rebuilt with glittering mosaics.

And of course we have been awestruck by the American cars from Dodge, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Ford, and Chevy dating back to the 1940s and 50s when owning a car was more than just a mode of transportation but a statement about the driver. The cars alone are worth a trip to Havana.

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The Titan Tropic organizers have had to make some changes in observance of the mourning period and that includes canceling the prologue day and stage one will be neutralized as well but the racers will be riding the entirety of the stage without logging an official time.

The real racing starts with stage 2 with riders making a loop around the mountain resort town of Soroa, known locally as the “rainbow of Cuba” for it’s unsurpassed natural beauty.

My wife Jennifer Hanks and I will be competing as a mixed duo team. According to race rules we must ride within 2 minutes of each other throughout the race and can help each other along the way. For us that usually means me carrying all the food and tools, keeping Jen light and fast on the climbs. This will be our fourth team event and we seem to work pretty well together with each knowing their partner is trying their hardest at all times.

We will do our best to keep everyone updated on the race throughout the week as our internet availability allows.

In the days to come there are many incredible experiences in store for all the riders as the race takes in torrential river crossings, Unesco World Heritage sites, tobacco fields, tree rats the size of a house cat, majestic white sand beaches and much more.

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Descriptions of the 5 stages of Titan Tropic are below:

The race starts in Havana. Usually with a 30km untimed prologue around the city taking in all the sights including the Malecon, Revolution Square, and the Plaza de Armas. Unfortunately, the prologue had to be canceled in observance of the official mourning period following the death of Fidel Castro.

Titan Tropic’s first stage, 89 kilometers from Havana to Soroa, will also be neutralized as the final day of mourning. However, racers will ride the full distance without logging an official race time.

Following their first night of tent camping in Soroa riders will ride the following day for the first official competitive stage of the 2016 Titan Tropic.

This stage will be a 106 km loop bringing riders back to Soroa after completing a tour of several hydro-electric dams, fertile crop fields, and some technical riding including a 300-foot rocky climb to the finish line.

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Stage 3 is the longest of the Titan Tropic at 119 kilometers and perhaps the most scenic taking the race from Soroa to Vinales. This stage includes multiple large river crossings, mountain climbs as steep as 18%, and the unique mogotes (haystack-shaped limestone mountains) of Valle Vinales which make it a Unesco World Heritage site.

Riders will camp here overnight before taking on stage 4, Vinales to Vinales, of 84 kilometers. Known as the Queen Stage of Titan Tropic, Vinales to Vinales, is completely off-road and reportedly the most difficult of the race.

The fifth and final stage takes riders 86 kilometers from Vinales to Cayo Jutias, a white-sand key on the northern Atlantic coast of the island. Despite being named for the giant tree rats that inhabit the islands mangroves, Cayo Jutias is a jewel of the northern coast of Cuba and protected for it’s singular beauty.

Click Here for a Full Start List for the Titan Tropic.

Check back with MTB Race News for updates throughout the week.

Enter to Win Chloe Woodruffs Olympic Bike

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In following with the spirit of giving that goes along with the winter season US olympian and former national champion Chloe Woodruff is raffling off the Pivot Mach 4 she raced in Rio.

100% of each entry will go directly to the Arizona High School Cycling League, a non-profit supporting youth cycling. An entry costs just $10 and you can enter as many times as you like.

There are three ways to enter: visit Chloe’s website, send your entry by mail, or enter in person at the final Arizona High School Cycling League race of the year Nov. 6 at the Pivot Cycles Kid Zone tent.

Click here to visit Chloe’s site and learn more.

Even if you don’t bring home the bike, entrants can win one of many other prize packages from Stan’s NoTubes, Shimano, Kask, Clif Bar, ESI Grips, Castelli, and more.

You must enter to win before December 2nd.

Best of luck!

 

Chloe Woodruff's 2016 Rio olympics bike

Chloe Woodruff’s 2016 Rio olympics bike

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Chloe’s Olympic Bike Specs

Frame: Pivot Cycles Mach 4 Carbon, size XS

Wheels: Stan’s NoTubes Valor, 27.5″

Fork: FOX 32 SC, 27.5″, 110 “Boost” axle

Drivetrain: Shimano XTR DI2 1×11

Crankset: Shimano XTR M9020 with Stages powermeter

Brakes: Shimano XTR Race, 160mm 6-bolt rotors

Handlebar/Stem/Seatpost: PRO Tharsis XC carbon

Saddle: PRO Griffon carbon

Tires: Maxxis Pace 2.1

Pedals: Shimano XTR

Grips: ESI Racer’s Edge

BikeFlights will provide shipping for the Grand Prize!

Fool’s Gold 60 – NUE Marathon Finale

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KENDA NUE Series #10

Fool’s Gold 60

Dahlonega, Georgia

Ryan O’Dell

For the first time this year, Fools Gold offered a 60 Mile option. This was another challenge for the Marathon Racers, providing a final opportunity to improve their national ranking. Besides being the final race, Fool’s Gold also served as the NUE Series tie breaker. This year’s Fool’s Gold moved to a beautiful new location at Anderson Creek Retreat near Elijay, GA, that included camping. Racers and spectators were treated to amazing views, including Springer Mountain, the southernmost point of the Appalachian Trail.

In addition to race day awards, the top five NUE Division winners will receive a share of the $6,000 cash purse. Each of the four division winners will also be rewarded with complimentary entry into All NUE races in 2017, a custom made NUE Champions Jersey by Voler.

Women’s Open

Nielson Takes the Win!

Jen Nielson, South Paw Cycles/Liv, won the race with a time of 5:11:15. “Fool’s Gold 60! 60 miles of pavement pounding, gravel grinding, flowing single track fun! No issues with illegal day-of registration this time around. I was prepared(ish). From the detailed website, to the email updates, to the extensive race guide, this event was clearly going to be well managed down to the finest of details.

The extreme organization stressed my somewhat naturally chaotic and unorganized self…just a bit. Packet pick up no later than 06:20? Race starts at 07:45? Deadlines. So early! I hustled to get out of work on time Friday, so as to finish the race day packing. Erik busily wrapped up shop duties, ultimately making for yet another late travel night. No sooner than our heads hit the pillows, it was time to be up and moving. Packed up, bikes loaded, bodies fueled, race packets secured, port-a-potty trip in the dark…check! Back in the comfort of the Element, I was quick to announce pre-race nap time and get multiple alarms set. Good luck 90 mile racers, we Nielsons need our beauty rest! Thirty minutes of glorious sleep, plus hitting snooze x1, and it was show time. I won’t lie, this was my first time enforcing pre-race nap time and I wasn’t sure whether or not the effects would end up being most regrettable.

The mass start was indeed massive as everyone jockeyed for positions in front of the timing mat. I was among the many racers fanned out on the outskirts of the gravel road and into the grass, well outside of timing mat territory. As I tried to inch closer and closer to the gravel road, not wanting to risk any sort of timing penalties, a lady on a BMC calmly reassured me that we would all eventually make it across the mat. Unfortunately, that did little to reduce my anxiety or desire for a good start. A car horn announced the start of the race and I squeezed in with the rest of the racers, making it over the mat with a foot to spare. Whew! Go time for real now!

The Lust was locked out and ready to go, so we jumped to the outside of the pack and made quick work of getting up to the front before tucking back in for some drafting. Big sigh of relief. It was sketchy going, surrounded by the sounds of brakes squealing and tires rubbing other people’s tires. I was just hoping that the results of those sounds would not include me being on the ground. I found myself mostly spending time with a couple of riders behind Erik, who was a couple of riders behind Thomas Turner. Wise? I’m not sure, but I wasn’t about to give up what I had. Neutral start completed, the pack was getting friskier, with random attacks off the front. As things ramped up, my thoughts simplified, focused on things that I had survived and had prepared me for this…TNR @ Pendleton, TNR, TNR, TNR, Tabata, Tabata, Tabata (thanks Brian Sheedy)! Well, I don’t know if those things really made a difference, but they were pretty much all I could think about.

The first climb was long and chunky. The rhythm I had hoped to carry was quickly lost. At times, it felt like everyone was passing me and there wasn’t a wheel I could manage to hop on. After the climb, was a long, fun descent. I was totally awake and ready for it. I was ready to chase some of those carrots that had passed me on the up. The Lady Lust and I made amends after Black Bear Rampage, getting in some quality bonding time over the last week, and were finally finding our groove. It was exciting!

When we hit single track, it was fast and flowy. The Lust and I were ready for it. There were certainly some “oh $#*t” moments, coming into corners hot, not realizing the trail was no longer directly in front of me. Guys were caught and others passed me. I tried to grab wheels where I could, hoping to pick up the pace for some sort of meaningful impact on the competition. I guess it wasn’t all fast and flowy. There were some punchy hills in there that made the down to up transition hard on the legs. At one point, I hopped off the bike to hike behind a line of others hiking, and realized I was looking at some long slender legs that couldn’t possibly belong to a guy, right? I checked her out closely. Yup, definitely not a guy. I debated asking the burning question that was on my mind and finally decided to let my mouth win. Much to me relief, she was racing the 90. I passed with some words of encouragement and continued on, wondering who was really behind me in pursuit.

Lesson learned from Black Bear, I was conscious to be eating every time I hit a fire road. Food, food, food was another overriding simplistic thought for this race. Even if I wanted to forget eating, the volunteers at the aid stations were on it, chastising me for not getting nutrition, despite my reassurances that I was eating what I packed. Other thoughts that generally preoccupied me while I was out there were, surely there is a Carey Lowery out there on the prowl….Carey, Carey, Carey….and as I hit the downhills, surely there is a ripper like Kaysee Armstrong behind me…Kaysee, Kaysee, Kaysee! Much to my amusement, I wasn’t the only one thinking Carey.

The final ascent was a long steady fire road climb of about 3.6 miles. This climb I liked! My happy rhythm was ready! While grooving on up the climb I passed a guy I had been going back and forth with and he jumped on my wheel. Not long after spending a little time together, he asked “Are you faster than Carey?” I responded with an, “I don’t think so.” “Are you sure?” is what I got in return. “Well, she beat me last weekend.” was the best I could do for him. “Oh.” It felt like disappointment, which for some reason had me laughing a little. After a little longer, he asked how much further the climb was. I could only answer that I didn’t know for sure, but thought it was seven miles from the top to the finish (thank you Jerry McClung). He debated hanging on my wheel or catching me on the descent. His final words were that if we could rejoin by the end, he would give me a good draft in to the finish. Who could refuse an offer like that? So, I climbed on and he settled into his pace.

When I reached the top of the climb, I was greeted with a sign that indicated eight miles to the finish. Damn you Jerry! An extra mile?! 61 miles! Up until then, my mind had been racing with thoughts of excitement at the awesome descent that would await me. I was ready to rip. Or so I thought. Not long after starting down, my right calf started to cramp up. I never get leg cramps! I sat down on the sections I could, trying to shake things out. This wasn’t happening! After a shorter time than I expected, my friend came tearing by me, yelling that this was my opportunity to jump on his wheel for my lead in. Everything in me snapped to attention. It was go time! Forget your cramping legs, forget your aching hands, forget your throbbing feet, and forget everything else. I worked hard to stay on his wheel, but ultimately lost him. It was ok though, because I was finally on and catching other people.

I hit the final section of pavement, grabbed some nutrition, and set to work. I managed to get into a group of three guys. There were suggestions of working together, there was attacking and definitely not working together, there were words of encouragement that gave me extra boosts I didn’t know I had, and there were look backs to ensure others were dropped (including me). The final drag to the finish was a grass field that felt a lot like trying to ride through thick, deep sand. It felt like going nowhere. It didn’t seem to matter if you were standing up or sitting down. It was all the same slow arduous progress trying to reel in that finish line banner. Boy did it feel good to finally make it! Well, nothing felt good then, but it sure does now. 1st overall/women’s open. Erik Danger Nielson rocked it into 5th overall/men’s open, in a tough field of men.

Lisa Randall and Mountain Goat Adventures put on a great event! One of the best organized, most well marked, and well supported races I have been to. The amenities, post-race food, and awards/payouts were definitely something to brag about. It was a fantastic experience!

A surprise arrived for me on the Thursday before the race, meaning that this was the last race the Lady Lust and I would be doing together. It did have me on the verge of tearing up at one point during the race (endurance races will do that to you). I am glad this is the way we got to finish together!”

Tiffany Ballew, Peachtree Bikes, came in about fifteen minutes behind Nielson, with a time of 5:26:16. Having just finished with a first place win at Rincon, this was her fourth NUE Race of the season and her second place finish also moved her into second place overall in the NUE Series.

Beata Wronska, City Bikes, finished third with a time of 5:42:50. This was her second year racing at Fool’s Gold. She won first place in 2015. “This was not my first take at the Fool’s Gold since I had an opportunity to race it year ago and was fortunate enough to take the win. I was looking forward to come back on this challenging course and have some fun. Making the drive all the way from South Florida makes for quite a trip, but I and other Floridians find it well worth it.

Just two weeks ago, I raced in Val Di Sole, Italy in the Cross Country Masters World Championship where I can proudly say I podiumed and shared the stage with an Olympic medalist and 3-time World Champion and other top European riders. I felt already accomplished but realized that this endurance event would be a good aid to clear my mind and enjoy the quite different scenery to our local bike scene as well as a good moment to finish my season on a good note.

The truly off-road part of the course was pretty spectacular, especially the flowy single track and super tough and fun Bull Mountain. I had a wonderful time riding those sections and tackling the small creeks, steep uphill’s filled with roots which were so tough that only strong riders could make it all the way up, as well as having a blast on the super-fast and technical downhills. It was all so enjoyable that often I was forgetting that I was actually racing. There were times where I was battling my competition and swapping spots but also times when I felt like I was on my own in the whole forest and could hear only the trickling of water, rustling of leaves and my own breath.

I don’t think I will ever forget how I felt on the final rocky descent coming back to the finish line. The descent was so loose, rocky and bumpy that I experienced at the same time pain and almost complete numbness in my hands and feet. For sure my body was not used to descents like this and it made it more of a challenge for me than anything else. Coasting to the finish line after that was quite elevating and I had a brilliant time going back and forth with a few male riders and giving one rider a sprint finish which made if fun for both of us as well as spectators.

Finishing third and still placing on the podium this year leaves me completely content and satisfied, especially knowing the field was deep and stacked with talented riders. Now I just wish we had more races like this closer to home. I hope one day I will be able to focus solely on endurance racing and hopefully compete for the overall NUE series points.”

Laura Booth, City Bikes, finished in third place with a time of 5:42:50 jumping up to fourth place overall in the NUE Series.

Overall for the NUE Marathon Race Series, Karen Jarchow, Team Toepeak-Ergon, earned her first NUE Marathon Series Championship, sweeping the series with a perfect score of 4, winning ALL of the NUE races that she participated in.

Tiffany Ballew placed second overall and Becky Edmiston, Steamboat Velo, earned a final ranking of third overall in the NUE Series.

 

Men’s Open

Mendez takes the win in his first NUE Race!

Gabriel Mendez, Team 706P, won the Men’s Open with a time of 4:18:16. “The morning of the Fool’s Gold 60 and 90 mile endurance races, everyone was on their bikes in anticipation for the starts. At 7:15 sharp, we watched the 90 mile racers take off down the gravel road to embark on the grueling task. By 7:30, many of the 60 mile racers were already hanging out in the staging area, making small talk to pass time until the neutral rollout at 7:45. At the whistle, a couple hundred mountain bikers rolled out behind the lead car for the first portion of the race.

The pace remained tame for miles, even onto the first ascent of Nimblewill Gap, where Phil O’Donnell and myself rolled off the front (being roadies who could probably use a cushion on the twisty downhill) and established a small gap on the pack. By the end of the descent of Nimblewill, freshly graded and thus riddled with overturned rocks and potholes, we were joined by three others, Thomas Turner included.

The first upset in the top positions was caused by Erik Nielson and my stop at the 21 mile aid station; my bottle had been bucked out of its cage on the descent. This caused the two of us to have to chase up to O’Donnell and Turner, the race leaders. After some amount of time, I rejoined Phil and we pursued the charging Thomas Turner, who I was told was dropping the hammer at a hopefully unsustainable rate. At the 30 mile checkpoint, we were told that we were about two minutes behind the leader.

It wasn’t until the vicious ascent of Bull Mountain that I regained sight of Thomas. This was undoubtedly the toughest section of the entire race: the combination of mangled roots and gradients consistently in the double digits had me (and I would assume Thomas as well) hugging my granny gear and wrenching my bike simply to stay upright. However, the descent almost compensated in enjoyment for the suffering we endured up the mountain; it took all I had to hang on to Thomas’ wheel as we screeched and skidded down the single track and dirt roads at speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour.

Following the descent, there was a stretch of road and a small amount of trail left before the 7 miles going up the backside of Nimblewill. At the base of the climb, I upped the tempo a bit in hopes of opening a small gap by the top of the climb, which lasted nearly 30 minutes but felt like an hour of switchbacks. Upon cresting the mountain, I realized I had to take all the risks on the final descent of Nimblewill to keep Thomas Turner at bay, as I had found he was significantly more competent at descending than I. Unfortunately, these risks earned me a cracked rear rim after the fact, but they also maintained my gap to the bottom of the downhill. From there, I knew it was a matter of elbows-on-the-bars time trialing against the headwind to the final stretch of gravel and grass.

The turn onto Big Bear Lane was a huge relief, although I did not realize we were to be routed down into the valley to be made to climb back out to the finish. As immensely painful as it was at the end of such a long race, hats off to the people who made this decision as anything less would have been unfitting to finish the brutal course (which was nothing short of epic) and it made you give everything you had left in the tank. All in all, I must say this was one of the best organized, most challenging races I’ve ever had the opportunity to compete in, and alongside multiple highly respected figures of the sport nonetheless.”

Just six minutes back, Thomas Turner took second at 4:24:40.

Fifteen seconds later and following two reported flat tires, Andrew Purcell, Wooster Bikewerks/Y-Not Cycling, in his fifth NUE Race of the season, took third with a finish time of 4:24:25.

In the NUE Race series overall for Marathon Men, Alex Pond earned his first NUE Marathon Race Series title. In point battle that was determined at Rincon in Costa Rica, Andrew Purcell placed second overall. David Pike, DNA-Movement p/b Penetron, took third overall in the point series.

Singlespeed

Betz comes out strong in second NUE Race, wins first place!

After finishing in fourteenth place at Big Frog earlier in the season, Jason Betz, Raising Cane’s Racing, grabs the win with a time of 4:47:15, just seconds ahead of second place.

Fifteen seconds later, at 4:47:30, Bradly Cobb, Motor Mile Racing, took second in his first NUE Series Race, the closest finish in the Fool’s Gold 60.

Cobb’s teammate, Justin Mace, Motor Mile Racing, took third with a time of 4:52:24 in his second NUE Race of the season. He raced earlier in the year at season opener, True Grit, placing 37th.

Overall, James Litzinger, Napoleon Elite, become the first NUE Marathon Series Champion undefeated with a perfect score of 4. Litzinger’s teammate, Scott Williams, Napolean Elite, finished the season ranked second overall in the NUE Marathon Series.

Ernesto Marenchin, Pivot Cycles/Twin 6/Was Labs, ranked third overall just one point behind Williams earning early season wins at both True Grit Epic and the Bailey Hundito.

 

Masters 50+

Turner on top!

In his first NUE Marathon race of the season, Greg Turner, Cartecay Bikes, wins Master’s 50+ with a time of 4:51:57.

Nineteen minutes later, last year’s race winner, Jorge Cortez from team JOVACO, finished second with a time of 5:10:41.

One minute later, Matt Hammond, Team Engine, completed the podium, finishing third with a time of 5:11:56. Along with his fellow podium dwellers, this was Hammond’s first NUE race this season.

Overall in the NUE Marathon Standings, 52-year-old Anthony Hergert, Rescue Racing, became the first NUE Marathon Masters Champion. Herget placed fourth at Fool’s Gold 60 this year, nine minutes behind Hammond at 5:20:06.  In route to his first series victory, Hergert,  completed in five of the ten NUE series races this season, including a first place finish at Rincon Challenge in Costa Rica.

NUE Webmaster, 61-year-old Dan Mock, finished 16th on the day at Fool’s Gold, moving into second place overall in the NUE Marathon Master’s division. 51-year-old Jim Thacker, Queen City Wheels ranked third overall in the NUE Standings.

 

WHATS NEXT: Stay tuned for the 2017 NUE Marathon Race Series schedule to be announced in early November. www.nuemtb.com

Fool’s Gold 100 – NUE Series Finale

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KENDA NUE Series #14

Carla Williams and Dylan Johnson Wrap Up NUE Titles in Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

Ryan O’Dell

The Fool’s Gold 100, the final stop of the Kenda National Ultra Endurance Series, was the last opportunity for racers to improve their national ranking. Besides being the final race, Fool’s Gold also served as the NUE Series tie breaker. This year’s Fool’s Gold moved to a beautiful new location at Anderson Creek Retreat near Elijay, GA, that included camping. Racers and spectators were treated to amazing views, including Springer Mountain, the southernmost point of the Appalachian trail.

In addition to race day awards, the top five NUE Division winners will receive a share of the $10,000 cash purse. Each of the four division winners will also be rewarded with complimentary entry into All NUE races in 2017, a custom made NUE Champions Jersey by Voler, along with an all-expense paid trip, excluding airfare, to Costa Rica to represent NUE at the La Ruta del los Conquistadores November 3-5, http://www.adventurerace.com/ . La Ruta is a three day stage race that stretches across Costa Rica from the Pacific to the Caribbean along an amazing course that includes two volcanoes, two oceans, Jungles and high-mountain passes.

Carla Williams descends on Jake Mountain. Photo by: Dashing Images LLC

Carla Williams descends on Jake Mountain. Photo by: Dashing Images LLC

Women’s Open

And the winner is, Carla Williams!

Carla Williams, Joe’s Bike Shop Racing Team, took top honors for a third straight year at the Fool’s Gold 100 finishing 7:42:09. This year Carla won first place in the NUE Series after taking second last year! Congratulations! “Fool’s Gold has some of the most fun and flowy singletrack in the NUE and it’s one of my favorite races. I was in a good position overall in the series leading up to this race and since Christy Olsen wasn’t at the start line, I could pretty much relax and just have fun out on the trails which is what I did. I pushed hard up the climbs and really enjoyed all the downhills. I was able to take 1st overall and win the women’s series! It’s been such a fun season traveling to new places, seeing old friends and making new ones, and I couldn’t be more excited to be heading to La Ruta in November.”

Simona Vincenciova, Hammer Nutrition, finished second with a time of 8:52:17. This was her fourth NUE race of the season. Anne Pike, DNA-Movement p/b Penetron, took the third spot on the podium at 9:35:38. She raced five NUE races this season and moved into third place overall in the standings. Although not present at the final race, Christy Olsen, Fat Fish Racing/Crazy Pedaler, took second place overall in the series and Linda Shinn, Blacksmith Cycle, finished fifth overall! Congratulations to all of the women’s series finishers!

 

Dylan Johnson stands on top of the Fool's Gold podium. Photo by: Dashing Images LLC

Dylan Johnson stands on top of the Fool’s Gold podium. Photo by: Dashing Images LLC

Men’s Open

Dylan Johnson battles to get the win and takes the NUE Series!

With a winning time of 6:37:30, Dylan Johnson, Giant Co-Factory Northeast, fought his way to a Fool’s Gold finish, and took first place in the NUE Series! “I came in to the NUE final at Fool’s Gold with the lead in the series but by no means did I have it locked up. Brian Schworm, who’d been on my heels all season, was in a position to take the series win from me if he won at Fool’s Gold. I knew it would be a tough final and that Schworm would throw everything he had at me. Sure enough, the pace started very high and it didn’t take long before Brian and I found ourselves off the front in a one on one battle.

For the most part I stayed on Brian’s wheel knowing that I would have the advantage on the long gravel climb ten miles from the finish. Brian didn’t make it easy for me though. He charged every section and at times got a slight gap on me but luckily I was always able to reel him back in. We made it to the base of the final climb together and as soon as the grade got steep I made a move and put a little distance between myself and Brian and was able to hold it to the finish. It’s been an amazing season and I still can’t believe I pulled of the series win. I’d like to congratulate all the NUE series competitors this year, putting together 4 good races is no easy task. I can’t wait to represent the series at LaRuta!”

Six minutes later, Brian Schworm, Think Green VO2 Multipsort p/b SWORD, finished second with a time of 6:43:48. With this finish, Brian also placed second overall in the NUE Series. “The Fool’s Gold 90 mile race was the final of the NUE series and was decisive in determining the overall winner. There were three racers with a mathematical chance of winning: Dylan Johnson, Taylor Lideen, and me, and all of us were preregistered. I knew I needed to win and felt good about my chances.

The course is one of my favorites with great flow on fast trails with lots of climbing plus I had my teammate Nathaniel Cornelius to help out. When we lined up for the start of the race, I noticed Taylor was not present. Of course, Dylan was there with other contenders Tomasz Golas, Heath Thumel, Stewart Gross, and my teammate Nate. Soon into the first big climb these racers with singlespeed extraordinaire Gordon Wadsworth established a bit of a gap on the others. As we started descending the other side, I noticed that Nate and I, with Tomasz close behind, had a small gap on the others so I pressed the pace. I knew this wouldn’t be a decisive move but I thought we could make Dylan burn a match to bridge back up. Once at the bottom, Nate took over and with his road background, put the hammer down. Tomasz and I could barely hold on and we had a small gap.

Apparently behind us, Dylan, Heath, and Stewart joined forces and were able to catch back up before we hit the trail section of the course. Once on the trails, Nate continued to lead with a strong pace with the rest of us in tow until we reached aid station two. There some of us stopped, but some didn’t. This busted up the group and I found myself in the back due to a “natural break”. It took nearly thirty minutes but I worked my way back to the front with Dylan and Tomasz. We then rode together until the top of Bull Mountain.

Once we created the summit I went full-throttle to try and distance myself with my full suspension Specialized Epic versus Dylan’s hardtail. A couple times I gained a bit of a gap but Dylan was always able to close it down. On the next lap we rode quickly but nothing significant until will we reached the steep climbs before and ascending Bull Mountain. I felt very strong up these climbs but was uncertain about Dylan. It seemed like I may have a gotten a couple small gaps but, again, he closed them down quickly. On the following descent I tried again, in vain, to get away. Dylan was always right there.

Now it was down to the final and largest climb over Nimblewill Gap. Dylan and I approached he hill slowly, even conversing about riding and such, but the moment we hit the climb, Dylan accelerated like a rocket ship. I wasn’t even able to hang with him for a minute. I was impressed!  Anyway, I still carried on up the hill to secure my second position in the race and second in the series. I knew I gave it all I had and was aggressive during the race but Dylan was simply faster. Of course I am very happy with my NUE results this year with two wins and four seconds. Dylan is an incredible racer and person. I am very happy for him winning the overall and for myself for finishing second. Thanks to my team and my supportive wife, Jennifer. Now, it’s time for some R&R and then start thinking about next year!”

Tomasz Golaz, DRT, completed the race in third place with a time of 6:54:30 at Fool’s Gold. Taylor Lideen, Pivot Cycles/92fifty, finished third in the overall NUE Series.

John Haddock on his way to a win in the SS category. Photo by: Dashing Images LLC

John Haddock on his way to a win in the SS category. Photo by: Dashing Images LLC

Singlespeed

Haddock First at FG100, moves up to third overall in the NUE Race Series!

Racing in his sixth NUE of the season, John Haddock, J. A. King / Farnsworth Bicycles, achieved the top spot! He came in with an impressive time of 7:25:50. “I’d heard great things about the trails and scene down at Fool’s Gold, so I thought I’d head down to North GA and check it out! Plus, a bunch of buddies were going and my wife would join, which made the call even easier. My overall impressions of the race were as expected: a really cool course with a good mix of climbing, gravel, road, and a good helping of generally buff singletrack. Onsite camping was superb, the aid stations were great and course markings were perfect.

The race started out fairly tame but kicked up a notch once we hit the first climb. I saw the lead group pull away and settled into a fast, but manageable pace, with Gordon ahead and Scott close behind. On the rough Nimblewill descent, I was caught by some geared riders and eventually worked my way into a group on the road consisting of a now-injured Gordon Wadsworth, Greg Golet, Nick Bragg and Carla Williams. I entered the trails first and gradually pulled away from the group. I would find out at Aid 4 that Gordon pulled out due to injuries from a bad spill. After distancing the group, I rode by myself for the rest of the day, enjoying the woods and feeling good overall. The scene at the finish was excellent, with tasty food, great beverages, bathrooms and shady seating. Thank you to Race Director Lisa Randall for hosting a wonderful final event of the 2016 NUE season. Also, huge thanks to J. A. King and our team sponsors for all of their support this year.” With his win at Fool’s Gold, John Haddock improved to third overall in the NUE Series.

Scott Rusinko, Nox Composites, took second place at 8:00:12. Joseph Stroz, Stroz Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab, P.C., came in third place with a time of 8:15:05.

Overall for the NUE series, Gordon Wadsworth achieved first place for the third year in a row! Kip Biese, KJCoaching/Old Town Bike Shop, who completed eleven of the twelve NUE races, the greatest of any racer this season, took second overall in the series. NUE newcomer, Steven Mills, 22 years old, claimed fourth overall in the NUE Series including wins at both the High Cascades 100 and first overall at the Big Bear Grizzly 100.

50-plus winner Jeff Clayton makes his way over Jake Mountain. Photo by: Dashing Images LLC

50-plus winner Jeff Clayton makes his way over Jake Mountain. Photo by: Dashing Images LLC

Masters 50+

Clayton wins FG two years in a row, and takes the NUE Series victory!

Jeff Clayton, Georgia Neurosurgical Institute, finished in 7:39:38 which was significantly faster than his finish time last year. Tied with Greg Golet with four wins each in the NUE Series, Clayton also claimed his first overall victory in the NUE Series! “When I heard that Greg Golet had been in an accident at Rincon and probably wouldn’t be able to race at Fool’s Gold for the series tiebreaker showdown, I was disappointed…I was really looking forward to the challenge. Then came the news first from the promoter, and then from Greg himself that he would be able to race after all!

With a neutral rollout for the first few miles I took advantage, along with defending NUE Champion, Roger Masse, of riding on the front of the peloton—not something I can normally manage! It wasn’t long into the race proper before Greg came by me and slowly pulled away out of sight up the gravel road climb…damn! I figured that I could/should make up time on the descent, with Greg being somewhat mobility limited with his injuries. Sten Hertsens, another strong Master’s racer came flying around me and I was happy to follow his quicker lines to the bottom, Greg still out of sight.

I did my best to lose Sten in the singletrack leading up to aid station 2, which I eventually succeeded in doing, and also reeled in Greg. After following Greg up to aid 2, I decided that I would need to put time on him in the twisty singletrack, especially the descents. This tactic worked, albeit slowly, as he gradually receded further into the distance.  By aid 3,4 at the base of Bull Mtn, he was out of sight. That is pretty much how the race between Greg and I settled in.

I was somewhat worried going into the climb back up the gravel road toward the finish as I knew Greg would probably be out-climbing me there again. That said, I figured if I had at least a ten minute gap, short of me having a complete meltdown or mechanical, I’d hold him off.  Once I hit the last few miles of pavement, I went full speed ahead all the way until the finish.

I finished under blue skies in beautiful northern Georgia, with my teammates Van and Cody cheering me on…a great victory to cap off a very fun NUE race series. I managed to win 6 of 7 series races, each venue with its own unique characteristics and challenges. My thanks to my Master’s competition for joining me in the series as well as the many other racers I suffered with. Also, thanks to the promoters and volunteers for putting on great races, my family for their support, my sponsors including title sponsor Georgia Neurosurgical Institute, and finally, Scott Sports for producing such a capable and durable race machine, the Scott Spark 900RC.”

Greg Golet, Team Chico, fighting to get back after an injury suffered at Rincon in Costa Rica, arrived next in the tie breaker showdown with a time of 7:36:49. For the season, Golet finished second overall in the NUE series. “It’d be dishonest of me not to admit that I have pretty mixed emotions about how my NUE season ended. I feel joy and gratitude in being able to race in the finals, experience the beauty of the Georgia trails, and share fun times with others, but also frustration from having to race while injured. I had a head-on collision with a vehicle driven by a reckless driver two weeks earlier at the Rincon de la Veija Challenge (Volcano 100) in Costa Rica. This left me with a fractured scapula, and considerable soreness on the front and backsides of my ribcage. I didn’t expect to be able to race; however, I started to feel better as the event approached, and anyway, was committed to the trip east given that I had a conference to attend in North Carolina immediately afterwards.

On the day before the race I did a long pre-ride of the Jake and Bull mountain loops of the course (first time my tires touched dirt since CR), and found that I was able to ride fairly well, as long as I didn’t have to absorb jolts of the trail with my left arm, or larger hits or twists with my torso. The ride got me really psyched up! The single track was amazing, and I was thinking about this Abby Wambach interview where she was talking about how pro athletes compete all the time while injured. I stopped feeling sorry for myself, and realized that I just needed play the hand I’d been dealt. It would be better to race and not do well, then to not race and wonder how it would have turned out if I did. Plus if I won this one, I would take the series title!

Pretty early in the first big climb I passed Jeff and Roger (my main competitors), and was feeling great on the relatively smooth mostly hard-packed dirt road. The decent off the back was rough in spots, and I was perhaps a bit more cautious than I needed to be, but I didn’t want to crash (like Gordon did!). Mid-way through the Jake Mountain loop, Jeff caught and passed me. I stayed with him long enough to admire how well he was ripping the single track, but eventually he got away from me. My trail riding was OK, but I was stiffer than I needed to be, especially on the rougher descents, such as off Bull mtn. Realizing this bummed me out a bit (which was somewhat self-defeating), but I knew it was a long race and hoped that my endurance would pay off later on. Well, it didn’t; at least not enough for me to make up the deficits I suffered in the middle part of the race. Jeff finished about seven minutes ahead of me. I don’t know if I would have won if I wasn’t injured, but was pretty disappointed crossing the line. So it goes with racing some times. I’m glad that I gave it a try and am truly happy for Jeff. We hung out for quite a while after the race and he’s a great guy.

My compliments to Lisa on running a fantastic race. Everything was really professionally done. Also huge thanks to NUE Series Director, Ryan O’Dell, for putting on the best series imaginable. He always has the best interests of the riders in mind and it shows in so many ways. Thanks too to my amazing wife Debbie and my three kids for supporting me in pursuit of my dreams. I love you guys so much!”

Two-Time NUE Defending Champion, Roger Masse, Rare Disease Cycling, took third place with a time of 7:45:58 edging out Carl Reglar, Verge Sport/Test Pilot, in the battle for third place overall in the NUE Series. Reglar, who was not at the NUE Final, finished the season fourth overall.

Click Here for Full Results From Fool’s Gold 100

2017 NUE Race Series Top Five

Women’s Open:

1st Place- Carla Williams

2nd Place- Christy Olson

3rd Place- Anne Pike

4th Place- Chase Edwards

5th Place- Simona Vincenciova

 

Men’s Open:

1st Place: Dylan Johnson

2nd Place: Brian Schworm

3rd Place: Taylor Lideen

4th Place: Christian Tanguy

5th Place: Tomasz Golas

 

Men’s Master’s 50+:

1st Place: Jeff Clayton

2nd Place: Greg Golet

3rd Place: Roger Masse

4rd Place: Carl Reglar

5th Place: Sten Hertsens

 

Singlespeed Open:

1st Place- Gordon Wadsworth

2nd Place- Kip Biese

3rd Place- John Haddock

4rd Place- Steven Mills

5th Place- Scott Rusinko

 

WHATS NEXT: For the last four years, NUE Champions have a perfect record of first place finishes at LaRuta. Can they maintain such a high standard against some of the best stage racing ultra-competitors in the world?! Stay tuned right here and follow the Kenda NUE Series Champions as they compete with racers from all over the world at the LaRuta this November! www.nuemtb.com

Shenandoah 100

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The 18th Annual Shenandoah Mountain 100: KENDA NUE Series

By Ryan O’Dell

September 4, 2016

The Shenandoah 100 has became a pivotal race for NUE Contenders as they head out at 6:30AM into The George Washington National Forest of Virginia, just two weeks away before the final race that breaks all ties at the Fool’s Gold 100 in Georgia. The oldest race in the NUE Series, Shenandoah is a highly anticipated showdown showcasing top level talent in a festive atmosphere with most racers choosing to camp out at the Stokesville Lodge and campground.

 

Women’s Open

Andrea Dvorak for the win!

Ex US National Road Team rider, Andrea Dvorak came in first for the Women’s Open with a time of 8:27:06.

Carla Williams, who leads the NUE Race Series, took second with a time of 8:31:56. “Shenandoah was an awesome race. Race Director, Chris Scott, does a fantastic job of putting on races. The day was beautiful, the trails were in great condition and rolling fast, the volunteers at the aid stations couldn’t have been more helpful, and the post-race campground party made pushing through all those hard miles worth it!

I had a great race. I felt really good on the climbs and was having so much fun on the downhills. I rode my full suspension bike this year, and it made the downhills so much more fun compared to the hardtail I raced previously. This was my second time racing Shenandoah; the first time was in 2014. I took almost 1.5 hours off my time from 2 years ago, but unfortunately, it wasn’t quite fast enough for the win. I am looking forward to the last race of the season at Fool’s Gold next week!”

Laura Hamm, Moonstomper, took third place, coming in at 9:03:25.

 

Men’s Open

Tanguy on top at Shenandoah!

Christian Tanguy of Rare Disease cycling came in at 7:00:50 for the win.  Tanguy is currently in fourth place overall in the NUE Race Series. Dylan Johnson, representing Giant Co-Factory Northeast, and current NUE Series Points Leader, came in second place at 7:02:37.

Cole Oberman had an impressive showing at the race, taking third place at his first NUE of the season, which is extra impressive considering this was his very first 100 mile race. “The Shenandoah 100 was my first ever attempt at a 100 miler so I wasn’t sure what to expect. While I am most definitely a XC specialist, I do a few endurance races throughout the year. Most recently I had done the 7 day La Leyenda Stage Race in Colombia. My hope was that I was still carrying some endurance from that event into the 100.

From the gun, I stuck on the wheels in the top-five and tried to stay comfortable. Dylan Johnson put the hammer down going up the super steep Lynn climb and that basically blew the race apart. After we descended Wolf Ridge, there were four of us (Chris Michaels, Sam Koerber, Dylan, and me). We rode well together as a group on the gravel section into Hankey Mountain. Right around the base of the climb, Christian Tanguy bridged up to us. He immediately went to the front and just shattered our group. By the time we were descended Dowels Draft, it was just Christian, Dylan and me.

I stopped to fill my bottle at the next aid station and Christian attacked. That was the last time I saw either Christian or Dylan (or anyone else) for the remainder of the race. Pushing through the four hour mark in a race was fairly uncharted territory for me but I was pleased to find that, as long as I kept taking in sugars, I could keep tapping out a really solid tempo. I was totally stoked to finish up my first NUE race in third. I race a full cyclocross schedule so I won’t be able to make it to The Fool’s Gold but I definitely plan to do a few 100 milers next season. I’d also love to give a shout out for Chris Scott and Shenandoah Mountain Touring for putting on such a killer event (and for convincing me to come out and give it a shot).”

 

Singlespeed

Haddock gets his first win!

John Haddock, J.A. King MTB Team/Farnsworth Bicycles, got his first top spot on the podium with a time of 8:13:22. Haddock is currently in fourth place in the NUE Series. “After suffering some mechanical and nutritional issues in the last few NUE races, I came into SM100 hoping for a clean, good time. I started well and rode the first two singletrack sections with fellow SS’er Regis Ricketts. Coming off Wolf, I noticed Regis had dropped back a bit. At that point I figured someone had to be in front of me. I exited the trail with Dan Kotwicki and Roger Masse, which I was very happy about as those guys are super smart, experienced racers. We worked well together on the roads leading up to Hankey, at which point I was informed I was leading.

After that, I just maintained my pace, tried not to flat or wreck, stayed on top of nutrition & hydration and worked with geared riders on the roads. I pedaled with some awesome folks including Jeff Clayton, Matt Crawford & David Parsons-Foresi. My 34/19 gearing proved to be nice for the flats but pretty tall for the singletrack climbs. It’s always tough to pick your poison, but I feel it was the best choice for me that particular day. Big thanks to all of the volunteers who made the event possible. Also, I want to give a huge shout out to the MTB community for being awesome and making races like this so much fun. Congrats to everyone who toed the line! I plan to finish out the series at Fool’s Gold. As for next year, we’ll have to see how busy school gets but I hope to make it out for a few races.”

Collin Snyder, OAM NOW/Athletic Mentors, took second place with a time of 8:46:45. “Normally, I go all out from the beginning and finish the race limping home. This year, I decided I’d actually pace myself and just ride for fun, so I let everyone ride away at the start. I rode my pace up climb one and two without seeing another single speeder. I kept this ethos for the majority of the race. For the Death Climb, I started to put a little more effort in. At this point I knew that I was somewhere in the top ten. Slowly, one by one, I started passing people. Most were geared, but four were my single speed comrades/commies.

As I reached the summit and started descending, I passed Scott Rusinko messing with his bike who, realized I was a single speeder too. Panic set in Scott and he put it in high pursuit, bombing down chestnut. He passed me like I was standing still. I’m a good descender, but I’m still a flat lander so I eased off, knowing that I don’t want to die. Midway down the trail, there’s a short climb where Scott came back into view, and he was walking up it. I managed to ride it. With climb six still to come, I knew I’d have him. I made it down to the bottom safely, despite nearly running over a big old rattlesnake coiled in the center of the trail! I made a NASCAR style pit stop at Aid 6 , and left in hot pursuit. When I got to the base of climb 6, he was out of sight, but I kept a steady tempo, never becoming impatient. Although slow, it was faster than I’d ever gone up that climb in the five other editions. I actually had gas left in the tank, what a concept! Mid-way up the climb, I saw Scott, and he had nothing left. The grade was too much for his blown up legs. I put a poker face on and stand up to “dance on the pedals” as he hiked next to his rig. As I pass, he told me he had nothing left and congratulated me on my effort. I rode safely up and down the six, and rolled in nearly twenty-five minutes faster than my personal best.”

Scott Rusinko of Nox Composites finished in third place with a time of 8:49:09.

 

Masters Men 50+

Jeff Clayton, GA Neurosurgical Institute, took first place with a time of 8:10:42. “I hadn’t done any taper leading up to the race, after racing Hampshire 100 two weeks before there was too much good racing and riding to be had! That said, I felt ready to race come Sunday morning and the weather was delightful. Carl Reglar had told me that he was going to pace off of me, and we lined up together at the start. I figured Roger Masse would be watching us both, but didn’t see him to start. After some close calls heading out of the campground, I settled in with Carl close by but a mile or so after entering the dirt road, Carl zoomed off with a surging lead group. So much for pacing off of me! I was happy to draft Dan Kotwicki for a good while until I noticed a large train of riders coming up…probably including Roger. I definitely didn’t want to hit the first singletrack stuck in the back of that pack, so I went around Dan and soloed for what turned out to be ten minutes or so. Thankfully it worked and I led up the tight trail.

After the fun climb and descent, a few of us formed a pace line on the next road section only to be caught by the large group again. Shortly, we caught Carl alone on the road. Now Carl, Roger and I were together again. The next climb up Lynn trail was brutal! Roger got a gap after Carl and I went to hike-a-bike mode and held a gap until 1/3 way up the Hankey mountain road climb. My legs started to come alive and I dropped Carl and then soon passed Roger.

From that point on, I worked with several different racers as I would catch up and eventually pass them. I caught young Adam Croft on the “death climb” shortly before aid 5, similar to 2015. Last year, he almost re-caught me on the Hankey 2 climb shortly before the finish, so I issued a challenge to him to beat me this year. My descent down to aid 6 went a lot faster this year and I never saw Adam chasing. In fact, I didn’t see any racers from aid five until the finish which seemed pretty strange considering how many racers there were. I had another great time racing with a bunch of great folks with perfect weather in a beautiful setting in 2016 at the Shenandoah Mountain 100!”

Roger Masse, Rare Disease Cycling/ Kewick Cycles came in second place with a time of 8:39:12.

Carl Reglar of Verge Sport/Test Pilot rounded out the top three with a time of 8:44:48.

 

What’s NEXT?!

The NUE Championship race at the Fool’s Gold 100 slated for September 17, 2016 will break any and all ties in this best four of thirteen race series. All four Division winners there will receive complimentary entry into all NUE Series races in 2017, Custom Voler Champion Jersey Kits, plus a share of the $10,000 Kenda NUE Series cash purse.

In Addition, NUE division winners are invited to represent the NUE Series at The LaRuta de los Conquistadores, a three day stage race across Costa Rica November 3-5, 2016. There is still time to register for anyone that would like to join NUE Champions on this incredible journey from the Pacific to the Caribbean.

ALL NUE Series finishers who do not qualify for prize money will receive prizes courtesy of NUE Sponsors Kenda Tire, Sigma Sport, KMC Chain and Darn Tough Socks.

2016 has proven to be an exceptionally exciting year! Stay tuned here for the latest news and information on the NUE Series Championship Race!

Click Here for Results from All Categories

Interbike 2016

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We scoured the floors of Interbike 2016 for some of the more interesting products hitting the MTB market. Here is a sample of what we found with more to come in future posts.

Some of our favorite products came from the folks a Wolf Tooth who are known for innovative products that will improve your ride!

Wolf Tooth's Giant Cog converts a standard Shimano cassette to an 11-49.

Wolf Tooth’s Giant Cog converts a standard Shimano cassette to an 11-49.

A quick conversion with offset upper derailleur pulley and rear cage replacement allows a conventional derailleur to shift all the way up to a 50-tooth granny gear.

A quick conversion with offset upper derailleur pulley and rear cage replacement allows a conventional derailleur to shift all the way up to a 50-tooth granny gear.

Wolf Tooth's bar-mounted container is perfect for food. The magnetic velcro closure means it shuts itself after removing your goodies.

Wolf Tooth’s bar-mounted container is perfect for food. The magnetic velcro closure means it shuts itself after removing your goodies.

Replace your existing dropper post level with an easy-to-push, integrated Wolf Tooth lever that won't crowd your handlebar and can be easily engaged without moving your hand from the grip.

Replace your existing dropper post level with an easy-to-push, integrated Wolf Tooth lever that won’t crowd your handlebar and can be easily engaged without moving your hand from the grip.

Our next favorite item isn’t an item at all but a 5-day stage race in Cuba. 5 days of racing in a country previously prohibited to US riders; who doesn’t think that would be incredible?

The Titan Tropic is a 5-day stage race in Cuba. Day 1 of the Titan Tropic is a non-competitive tour of Havana, Cuba.

The Titan Tropic is a 5-day stage race in Cuba. Day 1 of the Titan Tropic is a non-competitive tour of Havana, Cuba.

In it's second year, the Titan Tropic provides incredible scenery unavailable to US racers until 2016. Amazing adventures await in this previously prohibited country.

In it’s second year, the Titan Tropic provides incredible scenery unavailable to US racers until 2016. Amazing adventures await in this previously prohibited country.

Northwave shoes provided some nice updates in the MTB race shoe market.

The Northwave Extreme XC incorporates new features for a top-end MTB race shoe.

The Northwave Extreme XC incorporates new features for a top-end MTB race shoe.

Northwave designed the SLW2 retention system with interesting features including a click-release feature to loosen the fit 1mm at a time for added comfort on those long rides. It also uses parachute cord instead of metal wire for less binding.

Northwave designed the SLW2 retention system with interesting features including a click-release feature to loosen the fit 1mm at a time for added comfort on those long rides. It also uses parachute cord instead of metal wire for less binding.

Northwave teamed up with Michelin to provide ultra-grippy rubber improving walkability in their shoe and a bumper to prevent pedal slip on the carbon-soled Extreme XC.

Northwave teamed up with Michelin to provide ultra-grippy rubber improving walkability in their shoe and a bumper to prevent pedal slip on the carbon-soled Extreme XC.

And the 12-speed SRAM Eagle component group could be seen on bike all around Interbike venue.

SRAM's 12 speed Eagle component group was a hot item in Las Vegas.

SRAM’s 12 speed Eagle component group was a hot item in Las Vegas.

Eagle's giant 50-tooth big cog dwarfs a 160mm brake rotor.

Eagle’s giant 50-tooth big cog dwarfs a 160mm brake rotor.

Freetown 50

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Karen Potter and Noah Tautfest Cap Off the EFTA Series with Wins at Freetown

Written by: Karen Potter

The Freetown 50 miler is a not for the faint of heart, it exists for those who eat technical trails for breakfast.  The course is two 25-mile laps loaded with rocks, more rocks, roots, more roots, oh and even more rocks.  It will test the best full-suspension cross-country bike to the limit.  Dirt road sections are a welcome sight to racers to rest their hands, stretch their backs, get a drink of water and stuff some food in their mouths. It’s such an unrelenting course that even with a hydration pack it is difficult to drink.  But if you ask most of the riders would tell you the Freetown 50 is an absolute blast.

Each year the course has seen significant changes showcasing the vast trail network in Freetown State forest.  The beginning and end of the course have mainly stayed the same over the years, and also are arguably the most technical sections.  Several lengthy rock gardens mess with even the best riders.

Freetown 25 and 50

Freetown 25 and 50

In this year’s course, the middle section was described as being ‘smoother’ flowing trails.  While some of it was, the vast majority was very tight singletrack requiring constant focus.  It was still plenty bumpy with lots of roots and some rocky sections, but not as chunky as the early sections. This middle section included a roughly four-mile nonstop singletrack trail called the “Gem” that snaked around, up and down a small hill.  It had short, steep, punchy climbs which made up most of the climbing in the otherwise fairly flat course. It felt endless.  Finish times for the entire race were the longest this year despite super dry conditions.

The 50 miler counted as the final race in the EFTA race series. Racers not up for 50 miles could opt for one 25-mile lap or a shortened 11-mile lap. The 11-mile lap was no joke itself, containing only the most technical sections of the entire course.

Race promoters at Freetown offer great payout for elite classes and prizes along with a generous raffle including a fat bike.  Racers can earn a free entry by winning the Pukwudgie Time Trial held at the beginning of the race season.

Karen Potter (Pivot/DNA Cycling) on one of the few smooth sections of the Freetown 50.

Karen Potter (Pivot/DNA Cycling) on one of the few smooth sections of the Freetown 50.

In the Elite Men’s category, it was a fierce dual between Noah Tautfest (Bicycle Express) and Neal Burton (Team ERRACE).  It came down to the last corner where they picked different lines around a tree but ended up bumping when coming back together.

Unfortunately, Burton went down which let Tautfest avoid what was sure to be an all-out sprint for the win. Robert Nash (Team Spark) battled it out with Tautfest and Burton into the 2nd lap but fell off the pace in the tight, twisty singletrack, finishing in 3rd.

Karen Potter (Pivot/DNA Cycling) took the women’s elite race with a healthy margin riding a steady race and showing her technical stamina.  Jennifer Hart (Cycleloft) finished strong in 2nd with Alecia Faustini (Laurel Bike Club) following up in 3rd.

Park City Point 2 Point Report – Park City, Utah

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Local Boy Keegan Swenson Sets New Course Record at Point 2 Point and Gretchen Reeves Takes Her Second P2P Title

Written by: Shannon Boffeli

In it’s 8th year the Park City Point 2 Point continues to establish itself as a favorite of racers throughout the country. Over 75 miles, the Point 2 Point circumnavigates the resort town of Park City, Utah, traversing the Wasatch mountains and the two world-class ski resorts of Deer Valley and Park City/Canyons.

A classic fall scene greeted the riders as the maples of the Wasatch range speckled the 9,000 foot peaks with shades of red and yellow and temperatures on race day hovered in the mid-seventies. Overnight rains tamped down the dust on a landscape that hadn’t seen rain in almost 80 days.

Pro women roll off the start line. Photo by: Selective Vision

Pro women roll off the start line. Photo by: Selective Vision

Riders were twitching with anticipation as Fruit Loops, fired from a potato gun, rained from the sky signifying the start of the race.

And they were off, 350 riders of all experience levels, taking on the truly unique challenge of a course that’s 75-miles in length with a whooping 10,000 vertical feet of climbing spread across over 95% singletrack riding providing every rider a top-notch mountain bike adventure.

In the open men’s group everyone expected a showdown between Park City native Keegan Swenson (Cannondale), who also happens to be one of the United States top world cup racers, last year’s winner Rob Squire (Felt/Assos), and multi-year Point 2 Point runner-up Ben Sonntag (Clif Bar).

Keegan Swenson leads Ben Sonntag not long before Swenson decides to go solo. Photo by: Selective Vision

Keegan Swenson leads Ben Sonntag not long before Swenson decides to go solo. Photo by: Selective Vision

The trio didn’t disappoint as the created a clear separation early in the race and continued to power away from the chasers.

Around mile 32, the three leaders approached the base of the Team Big Bear climb, the steepest of the race’s early climbs, Swenson’s pace opened a slight gap that Sonntag was unable to cover. Squire attacked around the Clif Bar rider in an effort to close the gap but the separation stayed.

“I felt it might be a little early for me to be on my own,” Swenson shared after the finish, “But I figured if I kept Robbie off my wheel on the descents and didn’t let him follow my line I could keep putting time on him.”

The strategy seemed to work as Swenson crushed the enduro segment by over a minute on Squire and Sonntag.

Cary Smith took the singlespeed title in Park City and finished in 6th overall.

Cary Smith took the singlespeed title in Park City and finished in 6th overall.

With some climbing mixed in, Swenson went to work on the John’s trail, Powerline, and Crescent Mine Grade descents and had over 8 minutes in hand by the time he reached the Park City feedzone at mile 55. Still looking fresh with an all-but-insurmountable gap all that was left for the young Cannondale phenom was the course record, set by his teammate and 6-time Point 2 Point winner Alex Grant, of 6:16:31.

Meanwhile, Squire was doing his best to hold off Sonntag. Powering through the climbs, the defending champ was looking good until a high-speed rock garden on the Crescent Mine Grade descent stopped him dead with two flat tires. He used his only CO2 cartridge to air up the rear but was forced to ride a flat front tire the rest of the way down to the feedzone at Park City. He was still holding onto the second spot at this point but Sonntag came and left the Park City feed while Squire’s bike was still in the repair stand.

Once his tires were aired up Squire remounted and produced an all out chase but Sonntag knows how to pace himself and had plenty left in the tank to punch through the final 20 miles and hold off Squire to the finish.

Out front most of the day, Keegan Swenson steered clear of any trouble and hammered his way through the final sections of the course in record time. He crossed the line 15 minutes in front of second place with an incredible finish time of 6:11:04 to take home the $2,000 race winner’s purse plus an extra $100 for posting the fastest time in the enduro segment.

Keegan Swenson looking relaxed after laying down an unbelievable time in his hometown of Park City. Photo by: Selective Vision

Keegan Swenson looking relaxed after laying down an unbelievable time in his hometown of Park City. Photo by: Selective Vision

Sonntag crossed the line with a time that would have won in 2015 of 6:26:00. Rob Squire put his misfortune behind him for third place at 6:33:17.

Behind the leaders, Point 2 Point veteran Sam Sweetser (Cole Sport) was putting on a clinic on overcoming adversity. Somewhere around the horribly steep Steps climb, about mile 45, Sweetser felt his saddle break. “I could feel it crack and start to sag in the middle but it was still rideable,” Sweetser later relayed.

Just a mile or two later Sweetser stood on a climb and when he sat down the saddle was gone and only rails remained. “I tried to stand for the whole climb up and around Shadow Lake but at some point you just have to sit again.”

So for the next 10 miles the Cole Sport rider made-do with metal rails for a seat until he reached the Pack City feed and a friend quickly swapped the saddle of his bike for Sweetser’s.

Sweetser said the next 20 miles were the toughest of any Point 2 Point he has done but he proved strong enough to hold off David Krimstock (Giant) for fourth.

The Flynn Twins charging to the finish. George leads Bart through some final sections of single track. Photo by: Selective Vision

The Flynn Twins charging to the finish. George leads Bart through some final sections of single track. Photo by: Selective Vision

Carbondale, Colorado, rider Krimstock took fifth just in front of the Flynn twins, George and Bart, who sprinted for the finish crossing less than a second apart respectively.

The women’s group packed equal punch with previous winner Gretchen Reeves (Tokyo Joe’s), multi-year runner-up Marlee Dixon (Pivot/DNA Cycling), Canada’s U23 national champion in 2011 Mikaela Kofman (Ridebiker/Liv), reigning collegiate cyclocross national champion Sofia Gomez-Villafane, and local speedster Nicole Tittensor (Scott).

The front group formed quickly after the start with Kofman, Reeves, Dixon, and Gomez-Villafane establishing an early lead.

Gretchen Reeves leads Mikaela Kofman at mile 30. Photo by: Selective Vision

Gretchen Reeves leads Mikaela Kofman at mile 30. Photo by: Selective Vision

Kofman and Reeves would break away to form a lead group surging ahead on the climbs and rollers in Round Valley and on their way to Deer Valley Resort.

At the first aid station the leaders held a solid lead with Reeves looking fresh and cruising through the feedzone while Kofman made a stop to fill her bottle.

The leaders then attacked the Team Big Bear climb where Kofman was able to all but close the gap to Reeves before the next feedzone at Guardsman Pass when Kofman again stopped and appeared a bit stressed to catch back up to the leader.

She wouldn’t see Reeves again however.

Into the singletrack descending portion of the course the Tokyo Joe’s rider appeared in her element as she stretched the gap behind her.

Marlee Dixon grinds out a few of the P2P's 10,000 vertical feet of climbing on her way to a second place finish. Photo by: Selective Vision

Marlee Dixon grinds out a few of the P2P’s 10,000 vertical feet of climbing on her way to a second place finish. Photo by: Selective Vision

At this point Kofman started to slowly drift back in the pack, appearing to suffer from her early efforts. Marlee Dixon, who was riding a hardtail, caught and passed her on the punishing Steps trail ascent.

Kofman still held onto third position as she hit mile 55 at the Park City feedzone.

Gretchen Reeves was long gone however. At Park City she had over 9 minutes on Marlee Dixon and kept the hammer down pulling further ahead with each mile.

By the end, Reeves would claim her second Point 2 Point title by just over 16 minutes with a time of 7:34:52. The Avon, Colorado, rider posted on Facebook later that the Point 2 Point is the toughest single-day race she has done.

Marlee Dixon powered through the finishing miles of the race to take another second place at Canyons Resort with a time of 7:49:59 and a $100 bonus for winning the enduro segment.

At this point the only question left to answer was where Mikaela Kofman would end up.

As the crowd looked on, they would first see Sofia Gomez-Villafane crisscross her way down the mountain to take the third spot.

Next would come the bright orange helmet of Nicole Tittensor, who wasn’t in the early lead group, but climbed her way into the mix finally moving into the fourth spot as Kofman struggled to find the finish line.

Big smiles from Gretchen Reeves after taking her second P2P title. Photo by: Selective Vision

Big smiles from Gretchen Reeves after taking her second P2P title. Photo by: Selective Vision

Finally, 18 minutes after Tittensor crossed the line Mikaela Kofman came in to finish off the podium in fifth spot.  It took a big effort from the tiny Ridebiker rider that was enough to finally get her home and still on the podium.

After the crossing the line riders and spectators spread out onto the lush lawn surrounding the finishing shoot at Canyons Resort. Both exhausted and elated, riders of all levels spun tales of their shared 75-mile struggles over free drinks and meals provided by the event organizers. After 8 years, the quality of the Park City Point 2 Point remains high; from the racecourse to the volunteers and race organizers, this five-star event keeps packing in the participants year after year.

Jon Russell was all smiles all day but especially at the finish line. Photo by: Selective Vision

Jon Russell was all smiles all day but especially at the finish line. Photo by: Selective Vision

Registration for the 2017 Park City Point 2 Point starts in February. The event has sold out in under 10 minutes that past 6 years so get ready when the exact date is announced.

Click Here for Full Point 2 Point Results

Click Here for Full Enduro Segment Results 

 

Josh Tostado’s Vapor Trail Set Up

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Sneak a Peak at Josh Tostado’s Santa Cruz Tallboy and Vapor Trail 125 Set Up

This weekend Josh Tostado will take on the incredible challenge of the Vapor Trail 125. 125 mile of classic Colorado mountain biking with a twist.

As if a 125-mile race wasn’t tough enough the race starts the 10PM! Riders will race through the night and the following day to complete this epic endurance event.

Set up and preparation is critical for this race and Breckenridge citizen Josh Tostado has his bike ready to go. Let check it out as Josh walks us through his bike build for this race.

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I’ll be Racing the Vapor trail 125 in Salida Colorado, The course has lots of climbing(19,000 feet) and a lot of rugged trail riding. This is what my bike will look like for this very challenging race that takes place mostly at night starting at 10 PM.

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My race bike is a Santa Cruz carbon Tallboy, I run Stan’s Valor wheels with Maxxis Icon in the back and Ardent race in the front, for both tires I run tubeless ready with EXO protection.

20160905_160101My drivetrain  is 1X XTR with a 32 tooth ring in the front and the XTR 11-40 in the back, XTR brakes as well.

20160905_160040MY dropper post of choice is the 9point8 Fall Line, extremely reliable. Very crucial is light setup, I’ll be running the Niterider 1800 race on the bars and a Lumina 950 on my helmet. I can use the Lumina in walk mode (40 Lumins) for most climbing then switch on my 1800 for bright fast descending.

20160906_171423 For grips I  use the Ergon GS which I’ve been using for years along with the Ergon HE2 gloves to keep my hands nice and comfortable. For the longer races like this I have been running a small top tube feed bag for easy access to food.

Hampshire 100 Mile

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Anne Pike and Dylan Johnson Get It Done at Hampshire 100

By Ryan O’Dell

In 1809, General John Stark, a Revolutionary War Soldier from New Hampshire, declined an invitation to a Battle of Bennington reunion because he was ill. Since he could not make the event, he sent a letter with the quote “Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.” that was to be read for the toast. New Hampshire later used part of this toast for their State motto: Live Free or Die. The tenth annual Hampshire 100, located in Greenfield, NH, decided to use a portion of this motto on their race logo “Live Free & Bike!”

Race Director, Randi Whitney, “The Hampshire 100 is a true community event, with many local civic and non-profit groups from the surrounding area putting a shoulder to the mountain of necessary tasks to put on an event of this nature. Whether it is a 4-H club, a Boy Scout troop, a rescue squad, a school PTO, a recreational trails group, or supporters of a local library, they all help to make it happen.”

Tinker Juarez rarely misses a chance to race the Hampshire 100. Photo by: David Smith Photos

Tinker Juarez rarely misses a chance to race the Hampshire 100. Photo by: David Smith Photos

Whitney also announced that she will be retiring as race director of the Hampshire 100 and as director of the EFTA, Eastern Fat Tire Association.

“As Event Director of the Hampshire 100, it has been a pleasure to bring a uniquely New Hampshire flavor to the world of endurance racing for the past ten years. The opportunity to see both pro level and first time racers on the same course together, and all levels reaching deep into their special abilities that they may not have known they had, has been an experience not to be forgotten.

Sadly, after ten years of dedicated efforts, it really is time for, not only myself, by also for so very many of the most generous of volunteers, to turn some of our attentions and time to other important life pursuits, such as family. Our wish is that many enduring memories of triumph, perseverance, joy, and great camaraderie with fellow athletes will fondly remain part of the Hampshire 100 legacy. May taking the long trail continue to be the right one!”

 

WOMENS OPEN

Pike achieves her first NUE win!  

Anne Pike, Team DNA-Movement p/b Penetron, claimed her first ever NUE win at Hampshire finishing in 10:52:40. “This was my fourth consecutive year of competing in this race and although the course has been slightly different each year, this one, even though a little more tame for us, still certainly lived up to its reputation of being one that is fun yet very tough!

I started out feeling pretty good but quickly knew I needed to settle and take the first lap as it came, knowing that the majority of the energy sucking trails were saved for the later part of the lap. In that first lap I was back and forth in 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and headed out on the second lap in second.

I really had to keep my head strong knowing that it was still fairly early in the day and, if I was to be able to fight back in to first, I just had to focus on myself and my race. That paid off as I caught back up, passed, and managed to gain a fair lead, holding off until the finish!

I am super happy with my first NUE win and especially so as this race has become one of, Dave and my, favorites and as well, learning that it was in its last year. We really love the atmosphere surrounding the race. Thank you to the NH100 organizing team and volunteers for making this a great race we have wanted to come back to each year!

Elizabeth Bove, NEMBA Racing, was second finishing in 12:11:52. Julie Huang Tucker was third at 13:01:09.

With just three races remaining in the NUE best four of fourteen race series, Carla Williams, Joe’s Bike Shop, continues to lead the NUE Series with three wins including Cohutta, Tatanka, and Wilderness 101 plus a second place finish at the Pierre’s Hole 100.

 

Arizona-native Taylor Lideen doesn't mind the unusually high heat out east and showed it with a 4th. Photo by: David Smith Photos

Arizona-native Taylor Lideen doesn’t mind the unusually high heat out east and showed it with a 4th. Photo by: David Smith Photos

MENS OPEN

Johnson gets his third NUE win, now leads NUE Race Series!

21-year-old Dylan “The Kid” Johnson, Giant Co-Factory Northeast, earned a hard fought win against a stacked field to claim his third NUE win of the Season with a winning time 7:49:25. With victories at both Cohutta and Mohican plus his second place finish at Tatanka, Johnson now leads the NUE Series.

“Last year the Hampshire 100 was one of the hardest races for me. Much of the race I battled bonking and fatigue alone out on course. I kept this in mind coming into the race this year and I think it payed off. I stayed on top of my nutrition and rode conservatively until it counted. The lead pack gradually dwindled to five riders by the final lap. This group included Schworm, Tinker, Lideen, Wadsworth, and me.

I had a hard time judging how fatigued the others were so I decided to test the waters on the ski slope climb out of aid station 1. At the top of the climb I looked back and saw a small gap had opened so I decided to continue on alone. By the final single track section I paid for my efforts, battling cramps in my forearms and triceps over the roots. By the end I could feel a bonk coming on but luckily I was close enough to the finish to hold off Schworm and the others. I am thrilled with the result and, hopefully, I can maintain this fitness for the Shenandoah 100 and series final at Fool’s Gold.”

Just five minutes later, Brian Schworm, Think Green-VO2 Multisport P/B, placed second at 7:54:46. Schworm has led the NUE Race Series for most of the season following wins at Lumberjack and Wilderness 101 plus second place finishes at Cohutta and Mohican. Schworm is still in contention needing just one more win to contend for the title at the Fool’s Gold 100, where all ties will be broken.

"The Kid" Dylan Johnson is proving tough to beat in 2016. Photo by: David Smith Photos

“The Kid” Dylan Johnson is proving tough to beat in 2016. Photo by: David Smith Photos

“I was apprehensive about the Hampshire 100 for a few reasons.  First, I had never ridden the course.  I heard that the course was fun but it was also very demanding. That, in conjunction with the high temperatures, had me a bit worried before the start of the race.  I knew I was going to be extremely challenged physically. In addition to this, the list of registered competitors let me know it would be tough.  Tinker was going to be there!  He has always been my hero and I knew he would be fast!  Also, Dylan Johnson and Taylor Lideen were registered.  Up to that point we each had two wins and at least one second in the series so I knew this race would be important for the overall standings.

The start of the race was relatively mellow until a few of the 100k racers caught us (they started about 30 seconds behind the 100 milers). The pace then quickened and we had a fast first lap.  By the second lap a group of seven or eight had formed: Tinker, Dylan, Taylor, and me from the Open 100 mile race, Gordon Wadsworth racing singlespeed, and Drew Purcell and Dereck Treadwell with Alex Pond just behind racing the 100k.  The second lap was also very quick, mostly due to the 100k racers. It was neat to watch Drew attacking in the singletrack and Dereck trying to chasing him down!

The third and last lap started at a snail’s pace. I didn’t mind…I was hurting and I knew things were going to get intense soon. Sure enough, once we hit the ski slope climb, Dylan attacked and the group fell apart. Initially, I was in the back of the group but climbed up to second position by the top with Taylor on my heels. We worked hard to chase Dylan down but to no avail. On the next climb with the “babyheads” (there was a neat sign announcing the presence of these babyheads; aka rocks, along this trail), Taylor dropped back a bit and I continued to try and chase Dylan down. I was getting time checks of about a minute but as I continued to chase to the finish, the gaps kept growing. “Two minutes”, some would say. “He’s just three minutes ahead”, others said later. It just kept growing. In the end, Dylan finished five minutes ahead with me coming in second position.

Overall it was a fantastic race. The course was incredible with all the technical singletrack and I was satisfied with my result since I knew I gave it all I had. Dylan is an amazing racer and great person with an incredible future ahead of him and definitely deserved the win. I guess this now puts him in the lead of the NUE series with me in second. Next up for me is Shenandoah 100 in Virginia followed closely by the series finale Fools Gold in Georgia.”

Three minutes later, and fresh off his second place podium finish at Big Bear, Hall of Fame Mountain Biker and Two-Time US Olympian, David “Tinker” Juarez, Cannondale, placed third at 7:57:37. At 55, Juarez continues to display amazing strength and stamina as an ultra-racer, often competing with racers young enough to be his grandkids. His passion for the sport he started in as a kid in the world of BMX has been an inspiration to NUE Racers and his many fans worldwide.

“I had great race. The course was the best ever since I started racing here. This is my fourth year racing here and I have made the podium three out of the four times. The conditions were the best ever and the course was awesome. This couldn’t happen without many great volunteers to make this happen. I pray for someone with great love and passion for the sport to keep this epic event going.”

Five minutes behind Juarez, NUE Series contender, Taylor Lideen, Pivot Cycles 92 Fifty Cyclery was fourth at 8:02:09. Lideen is ranked third in the NUE Race Series following wins at True Grit Epic, Big Bear, plus an eight place finish at Bailey Hundo.

“I was super excited and am really thankful to have had the opportunity to be able to travel and race an NUE back east this year. I really didn’t know what to expect racing the Hampshire 100 for the first time but I was really impressed with the course!

The first two laps had a small group of us off the front and we all seemed to be having a blast riding together, especially on the amazing singletrack! As we finished up lap two, I knew I was in for a rough finish. You always hope you don’t have “one of those days” during a big race but that’s what happened. The legs just had enough and I really struggled to put out any power for more than half of the final lap. I think my body was screaming at me for some rest.

Singlespeeder Gordon Wadsworth mixes it up with the lead group. Photo by: David Smith Photos

Singlespeeder Gordon Wadsworth mixes it up with the lead group. Photo by: David Smith Photos

It’s been a long 12 months of racing and the legs had enough on the last lap. That is what makes racing excited I guess! You roll the dice and hope it works out on the day but you need to roll with the punches when it doesn’t. A big massive thank you to everyone involved with this race! I don’t think I would have made it out for the event if not for so many kind and helpful people!

Gregory Jancaitus, Bicycle Express Racing, was fourth at 8:20:54. Five minutes later, Scott Hoffner, CIC Racing, was fifth at 8:25:16.

 

SINGLESPEED

Wadsworth crushes the field, earning back to back wins at Hampshire!

Two-time NUE defending Champion, Gordon Wadsworth, Blue Ridge Cyclery/Pivot CYC, earned his second straight win at Hampshire by a HUGE margin finishing 7:58:44, good enough for fourth overall. Wadsworth now has three wins including True Grit Epic and Wilderness 101 needing just one more win or a second place finish to become the NUE Series leader.

“My SS win started with a little bit of drama! Immediately out of the gate my seat post began to slip and I found my knees in my chest before long! I eased up, put my weight on one leg and was able to loosen the post enough to pull over, eyeball the height and go with it from there. Fortunately my Thomson Dropper post allowed me to fine tune it enough to complete the rest of my day with only minimal adjustments along the way. This had me really glad I decided to keep the dropper onboard for the Hampshire 100, although it’s usually a good choice to run a dropper.

Gordon Wadsworth threw down in the SS category at Hampshire. Photo by: David Smith Photos

Gordon Wadsworth threw down in the SS category at Hampshire. Photo by: David Smith Photos

My usual tactic is to remain with the lead group as long as I can, trying to make it a fun ride along the way. This time, it gave me a great front seat to some of the best racing the NUE might see this year. Dylan, Brian, Taylor and Tinker are all always great to ride with and as a group we had some real fun ripping New England’s old school turns and trails.

The race also gave me a front seat to the Men’s Open 100K with an ON FIRE Drew Purcell fighting an, always fit, Derek Treadwell. Their battle and Drew’s two attacks on the second lap put some stress into our leading group which cut it down to just me, Tinker, Taylor, Dylan, and Brian. That group was amazingly cordial on a course known for attrition; agreeing to stop at aid stations and even regular nature breaks, what gentlemen.

The race opened wide open on the third time up the ski hill and I battled back up to Tinker to ride much of the lap with the living legend and friend. We eventually caught a flagging and cramping Taylor before Tinker launched his own attack, distancing himself from Taylor and a little bit from me, not far from the finish.

The SS race had an on-a-roll Kip Biese and an always strong semi-local Will Crissman but I felt comfortable in my ability navigate the course away from these two strong men; knowing the course which brought me a second place overall in 2015. I can’t say enough how much fun my Pivot LES SS continues to be on the technical and varied #BeastCoast course. The LES; like every Pivot bike just rides everything with aplomb. I’ve yet to find a place where it doesn’t feel absolutely at home. Here’s to finishing out another NUE season strong and safe!”

Will Crissman, Dedham Bike, was next taking second at 8:43:56. “After an easy first ten minutes or so, the race took off and a group of about eight riders got a big gap. I managed to stay about 3-4 minutes behind them riding mostly by myself for the first lap with the exception of a short time when the second chase group got me.

I crashed hard about a mile from the lap point and had to take a few minutes to re-group, doubting I would be able to continue and finish. After eating and drinking some after lap one, I decided to keep going and, after a few miles, I managed to latch onto a few guys. We rode together for much of the second lap and then I slowly peeled away from them. Jeff Clayton and I rode together for a bunch of lap three and I managed to get away from him on the climbs. I caught one more rider in the last few miles who seemed upset that a rigid singlespeeder had caught on so he hit the gas and beat me by about a minute.

In the end, I was thrilled with my finish, my best overall result at an NUE – second singlespeed and ninth overall. I rode a 32-19, basically the same gearing as Gordon. I’ll never catch him, though. He’s a true professional racer with a fitness level I’ll only dream about. NH100 was a great event – I’m sad it’s ending. This was the only NUE I could get to this year. Hope to be back at Mohican next year and maybe try out a couple I haven’t done before.”

Kip Biese, KJ Bike Coaching/Old Town Bike, placed third at 9:29:05. Biese continues to lead the NUE Race Series with ten straight finishes, including seven top three podium finishes. Biese is attempting to complete the maximum possible of 12 of the 14 races in the NUE Series.

“I had another simple slogging race; I’m still very tired for some unknown reason. I started fine but, on the very first fast gradual road downhill, I couldn’t hold the wheels of the lead group. When we finally hit a bit of an up and I stood, I realized my front tire was slowly leaking so I stopped to add CO2 and make sure it held. I knew I fell back a long way at that point, but as I’m still racing fatigued, all I could do was simply my own ride.

Afterward, I just counted how many SS’ers I caught the rest of the race (8) and eventually worked up to third, another long hard day on the SS, but worth it because the second half of the course is fun and it’s a cool event. I went with 32/19 gearing on a 29er and have two more NUEs on my calendar; the Volcano 100 and Fool’s Gold.”

 

MASTERS 50+

Clayton wins, now tied for NUE Series lead!

51-year-old Jeff Clayton, Georgia Neurosurgical Institute, earned his fourth NUE Series victory of the season with a decisive win at Hampshire in 8:48:11. With this win, Clayton is now tied with Greg Golet who also has four wins setting up a showdown at the Fool’s Gold 100 Championship race where all ties are broken in this best four of fourteen race series.

“I started the race with ten stitches in my arm from a nasty crash a week before…thankfully I finished with those stitches still intact! Carl Reglar and Roger Masse were two guys I knew to watch carefully.

The first surge of the race came pretty early on a dirt road climb and I managed to stay in the front group. After a few rough descents and climbs, Carl had a gap on me and I had a gap on Roger. Roger found some allies and caught me shortly before the singletrack descent prior to the Croched ski area, but then dropped off again. Carl was ahead, but I soon found him on the singletrack after the ski area. Carl and I marked each other throughout the rest of the first lap but, by not stopping in the pit area, Carl put a sizable gap on me starting lap two….he seems to have a strategy of not stopping for nutrition. I kept my pace restrained on the dirt roads and stayed patient. Eventually, I caught him while he was taking a nature break and decided he looked a bit rough so I surged a little and he dropped off.

I had been pacing with Steven Edwards in the 100k and then Will Crissman, the second place 100 mile singlespeeder. He was a monster on the rough climbs and I could catch him again on the dirt roads. Will and I rode together for much of the second and third lap until I decided to ride more conservatively in the technical sections (no more stitches!). I finished tenth overall in what was the hardest NUE race for me yet. Many thanks to my awesome wife Jodi for her aid station support. I’m looking forward to the Shenandoah 100 and The Fools Gold finale.”

Two-time defending NUE Masters Champion, 53-year-old Roger Masse, Rare Disease Cycling, took second in 9:05:26. With top finishes at True Grit, Mohican, and Wilderness 101, Masse jumped up to third place overall in the NUE Series Standings.

Six minutes behind the defending champion Masse, 54-year-old Carl Reglar, Verge Sport/Test Pilot, placed third at 9:11:47. Reglar got his first win of the season at Mohican plus a second place finish at Wilderness 101. His third place finish at Hampshire means that he can still take the third spot overall in the NUE Race Series with just one more top finish.

“The race started pretty mellow. As soon as we hit the first long climb at around mile ten, the fireworks began. After the dust settled, I found myself in a good group with Jeff Clayton and Roger Masse, feeling pretty good and confident about my chances. I’m not sure why but the wheels started to come off on the second lap, and by the third lap I was running on fumes. The single track was amazing but I think it was also my undoing. It was a great race! Huge thanks to organizers and all the volunteers.”

Seventeen minutes later, 55-year-old David Boyce, Jawbone Racing/Berkshire Bike, finished fourth at 9:28:55. Seven minutes later, 2015 Hampshire 100 Masters winner, 53-year-old Terry Blanchet, North American Velo, claimed the fifth spot at 9:35:01.

What’s NEXT?!

The Kenda NUE Series heads due south to the only NUE race held outside of the USA for NUE #12. The Rincon Challenge, now the Volcano 100, featuring a rematch between USA Champion, Todd Wells and the former Costa Rican National Champion, Paolo Montoya, will roll out on September 1 from Liberia, Costa Rica. The very next day, NUE heads to Virginia for NUE#13, the Shenandoah 100 on September 2.  www.nuemtb.com

Stay tuned here for the latest NUEz and information.

Click Here for full results

Hampshire 100k

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Drew Purcell and Karen Potter Escape Hampshire Heat with 100k Wins

By Ryan O’Dell

In 1809, General John Stark, a Revolutionary War Soldier from New Hampshire, declined an invitation to a Battle of Bennington reunion because he was ill. Since he could not make the event, he sent a letter with the quote “Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.” that was to be read for the toast. New Hampshire later used part of this toast for their State motto: Live Free or Die. The tenth annual Hampshire 100, located in Greenfield, NH, decided to use a portion of this motto on their race logo “Live Free & Bike!”

Race Director, Randi Whitney, “The Hampshire 100 is a true community event, with many local civic and non-profit groups from the surrounding area putting a shoulder to the mountain of necessary tasks to put on an event of this nature. Whether it is a 4-H club, a Boy Scout troop, a rescue squad, a school PTO, a recreational trails group, or supporters of a local library, they all help to make it happen.”

Whitney also announced that she will be retiring as race director of the Hampshire 100 and as director of the EFTA, Eastern Fat Tire Association.

“As Event Director of the Hampshire 100, it has been a pleasure to bring a uniquely New Hampshire flavor to the world of endurance racing for the past ten years. The opportunity to see both pro level and first time racers on the same course together, and all levels reaching deep into their special abilities that they may not have known they had, has been an experience not to be forgotten.

Sadly, after ten years of dedicated efforts, it really is time for, not only myself, by also for so very many of the most generous of volunteers, to turn some of our attentions and time to other important life pursuits, such as family. Our wish is that many enduring memories of triumph, perseverance, joy, and great camaraderie with fellow athletes will fondly remain part of the Hampshire 100 legacy. May taking the long trail continue to be the right one!”

 

East coast domination is the name of the game for Karen Potter and she showed it again at the Hampshire 100k. Photo by: David Smith Photos

East coast domination is the name of the game for Karen Potter and she showed it again at the Hampshire 100k. Photo by: David Smith Photos

WOMENS OPEN

Potter gets her first NUE Series win of the season!   

Karen Potter, Pivot/DNA Cycling, won the Women’s 100k finishing in 6:11:18 in her first NUE win this season. “This was my sixth time racing the Hampshire 100. Course knowledge helps a lot knowing where to use energy and where to save it. It has always been a challenging course despite not having a terrible amount of elevation gain for the amount of miles. The singletrack sections are super fun, gnarly, rocky, rough, but slow going. This year was the driest by far making the singletrack a bit easier since, even when it’s the least bit damp in the woods, the roots and rocks get greasy fast.

I wasn’t sure how well I would perform this year, as the week heading into the race, I felt like I was fighting the potential of getting sick and was not sleeping well. Early in the race, another competitor who I raced a good chunk of the race with the previous year, asked whether I was ‘going for the win’ or what, trying to decide whether he should pace himself off of me. I responded that I was just trying to see what my body was going to give me and work with that, as that’s the way to survive an endurance race.

Thankfully, my body cooperated to have a great race. I admit, coming into the end of the first lap, I was sort of dreading the second one. I started drinking more water since it was fairly warm out and ate a bit more. That did the trick and helped me to finish strong. My Pivot Mach 429SL was awesome for a course that has just about everything in it for terrain.”

Twelve minutes later, Stephanie Baker, DG Cycle Sports, placed second at 6:23:39. Rachel Brown, Bikeman.com, was next taking third at 7:52:12. Thirty seconds later, Robyn Duke, Lapdogs Race Team, was fourth at 7:52:42.

With three races remaining in the NUE Marathon Race Series, Karen Jachow, Team Topeak-Ergon, leads the series with four wins.

 

Alex Pond headed east following 3 NUE wins out west in 2016 Photo by: David Smith Photos

Alex Pond headed east following 3 NUE wins out west in 2016 Photo by: David Smith Photos

MENS OPEN

Purcell gets his second NUE win at Hampshire!

Ohio Mountain Bike Series Champion (www.ombc.net), Drew Purcell, Wooster Bikewerks/Y-Not Cycling, earned a hard fought second win of the season following his seventh place finish at Cohutta Big Frog 65 earlier in the season and his second straight win at the Mohican 100k. Purcell finished 5:10:19 challenging current NUE Marathon leader Alex Pond.

“Being my first time riding in New Hampshire, I didn’t know what to expect from the trails. The rocks and the steep climbing made the course pretty difficult for me. The 100k racers started one minute behind the 100 mile racers. Soon, as they said go, me and two other 100k racers bridged up to the 100 mile group before the double track began. The first half of the first lap was pretty fast. The group slowed a bit for the second half of the lap and a few racers joined the group.

I noticed both of my rivals in the 100k had joined up with us. At that point, I put in a small attack on the second lap and the beginning of the double track, just to see how they were feeling. Alex dropped off at that point and never rejoined. It was down to two 100k riders with the leading 100 milers. I stayed mid pack knowing my chance to win would come in the second half of the race in the single track. I was sure to enter the last ten miles of single track in the front and put my skills to work so I established a nice gap off the first real technical descent of the single track and rode to the finish on my own from there.”

Purcell will challenge the NUE Marathon leader once again on September 1 at the Volcano 100 in Costa Rica. A win there could set up a final showdown between Pond and Purcell at the Fool’s Gold 55 mile Championship race, where all ties are broken.

One minute later, Derek Treadwell, Dr. Naylor-Treadwell Training, rolled across the finish line second at 5:11:18. Five minutes later, NUE Marathon Series leader, Alex Pond, Sonoran Cycles, placed third at 5:16:20.

“Sunday morning, at five am, I was enjoying my breakfast of granola, eggs and coffee under already warm temps. That should have been a clear indication I was going to be dealing with heat during the race but I thought nothing of it. I have grown up in the humid conditions of the east coast and that day did not seem too bad. Lining up at the start, it’s very different being in a new region and out of the group of regulars you are accustomed to racing with. I was feeling very confident and also feeling in good condition to race hard, but my body was feeling otherwise.

The start went out pretty quick and the one minute lead the 100 mile racers had was soon brought together and a group of about ten came together going into the first ten miles of racing. Coming from altitude, my lungs weren’t feeling the pain but I could tell the pace was hard by the searing in my legs on every short and punchy climb. The racing was so unique with a combination of back country roads, old jeep roads, private driveways, and some of the most rooted and rocky singletrack I’ve ever experienced.

Dereck Treadwell took second by just under minute in the Hampshire 100k. Photo by: David Smith Photos

Dereck Treadwell took second by just under minute in the Hampshire 100k. Photo by: David Smith Photos

On our first descent down crotched mountain, I discovered that I did not tighten my headset enough and my bars were coming loose. When I got off my bike, I discovered the zipper on the saddle bag had blown out and all my tools had vanished. Luckily, the aid at the bottom of the ski area had a toolbox and I was quickly on my bike chasing the lead group. After about five more miles, I was back with them and now we were down to about three 100k racers and five 100 mile racers.

I had to make a quick pit stop (thanks Mother Nature) and lost about thirty seconds. Once back through for the second lap, I was back in the group and was restocked with a fresh bottle and my camelback which I was sure would get me through the race and keep me hydrated. We kept the pace pretty civil along the road but, once we hit the next bit of off road, the climbs went hard and I started to lose pace. I decided to let off and see if I could come back but the group kept making gains and my legs began to get tight on the climb out of MT Crotched.

My last thought of getting back with the group was when we hit a self-serve aid. Everyone was getting on their bikes after a quick stop and I still had fluids so I led the chase going out but, once we hit the woods, I was off the back again and the group was quickly getting away. I even had my first bout of “off the bike cramps” at fletcher hill. Thankfully, there was a house stocked with Gatorade with a sign that said free drinks. That was the last thing I thought might get me through to the finish. The race proved to be incredibly challenging, fun, and brought out a great group of racers.”

Twenty-Four minutes later, Warren Gerow, Bikeman.com, took fourth at 5:40:45. One minute behind Gerow, Benjamin Coleman too fifth at 5:41:49.

 

SINGLESPEED

Litzinger gets his fourth straight NUE Series win, now leads NUE Marathon Race Series!

James Litzinger, Napleton Elite Cycling, was the first across the line at 5:47:20 and now leads the NUE Marathon Series in the SS division with a total of four straight wins including the Big Frog 65, Mohican 100k and Tatanka 50k. “I had the pleasure of enjoying the Hampshire 100k with my friend and teammate Scott Williams.

The start of the race was not very SS friendly with the almost five miles of flat road. Scott and I were quickly swallowed up by the sounds of clicking shifters as the road opened up at the beginning of the race. We each took a guess at how many we would catch by the top of first climb as we spun down the road. Scott guessed thirty and I said five. He was definitely more accurate!

I really enjoyed the mix of wild single track and back country roads on my Pivot Les! There were some really cool bridges and rock features that kept me on my toes! Starting the second lap, we continued down the open road leading to the exciting gutter descent making our way toward the ski hill climb. I knew that climb would prove to be more challenging the second time through. After that climb, I rode through the rest of the New Hampshire Wilderness solo only catching up to some of the geared guys along the way toward the finish. I can’t thank my lovely wife and boys, Dirty Harry’s, and teammates enough for all of their support!”

Eleven minutes later, Litzinger’s teammate, Scott Williams, Napleton Elite Cycling, was second to finish at 5:58:41.

Yianni Pimenidis was third at 6:27:26. “I thought the race was very well organized with great energy. The trails were lots of fun, rocky, and I loved the hills on my 32×20 single-speed. Beautiful weather, scenery, and this was my first time riding on the east coast. My favorite thing was the fact that I was riding my bike for a good six hours, something that I love, and it is fun to do.”

 

MASTERS 50+

Lang wins the Masters!

61-year-old Gilman Lang took the victory over his younger competitors in the Masters field finishing with a winning time of 6:27:16.

Ten minutes later, 55-year-old Mark Vojtko, Claremont Cycle Depot, finished second at 6:37:42. “My race went pretty good. I started off slow and found a good rhythm. Eat-drink-pedal-don’t burn any matches-save the bike-repeat. I ride my race, I pass people, and people pass me. The tea leaves fall where they’re going to fall in the end. I’ve had the great fortune of three podium finishes out of five consecutive NH-100 completions-not bad for someone who started racing mountain bikes at age 47. All races hurt, all races teach you to dig deep, and they’re all rewarding.

While the sportsmanship is amazing, we all really need to extend a huge thanks to the volunteers and race organizers who sacrifice countless hours of their time to make these events happen and that stranger stopping traffic telling you “good job”.”

Two minutes later, 56-year-old Geoff Waite, placed third at 6:39:27. “Taking up racing late in life, this was my second ever endurance race and my second third place finish, but I have been riding since we were all building or owned “tracker bikes” in the 70s! I raced on a more or less standard Santa Cruz tallboy carbon, which worked great for this course. At 28lbs, it could have been lighter, as always. WTB Nano tires were perfect for the course and conditions – fast rolling, robust and predictable in a drift.

While the first half of the circuit knocked off the miles and the bulk of the climbing, the sweet single track sections of the second half, getting more burly as it moved towards the finish, was great, and really favors a strong technical rider, as long as there’s still gas in tank to blast it.  This is where I made up my time on both laps. While I did lose a couple of minutes to route confusion and errors, the course was generally excellently marked. Three liters of water per circuit was just right but, next time, I’m going to have to optimize my pit stop, which is where I dropped a place. I am looking forward to besting myself in the next race!”

58-year-old Thomas Sullivan, State Nine, was next finishing fourth at 7:08:18. Five minutes later, 55-year-old Jose Gonzalez, Gonzalez Framing, was next placing fifth at 7:13:57.

 

What’s NEXT?

The Kenda NUE Marathon Race Series heads due south to the only race held outside of the USA. NUE #9, The Rincon Challenge 100k, now the Volcano 100k, will roll out on September 1 from Liberia, Costa Rica.  www.nuemtb.com

Stay tuned here for the latest NUEz and information.

Click Here For Full Results

Breck Epic Stage 6

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Todd Wells and Amy Krahenbuhl Take Home Breck Epic 2016 Titles

The final stage served up a much more road-heavy and singletrack-lite day, suiting stage winner Chris Jones quite well. Jones went on to win the stage by a minute and a half and placed 8th in the GC. Photo by: Eddie Clark

The final stage served up a much more road-heavy and singletrack-lite day, suiting stage winner Chris Jones quite well. Jones went on to win the stage by a minute and a half and placed 8th in the GC. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Photo by: Liam Doran

Photo by: Liam Doran

Racers finish along the Blue River trail solidifying 6 days of singletrack-heavy racing. Photo by: Liam Doran

Racers finish along the Blue River trail solidifying 6 days of singletrack-heavy racing. Photo by: Liam Doran

The final climb of the final stage welcomed an epic hand-up of ice cold beers, capping off an epic week of racing. Photo by: Liam Doran

The final climb of the final stage welcomed an epic hand-up of ice cold beers, capping off an epic week of racing. Photo by: Liam Doran

A rider gives one final look back at the expansive landscapes and views that were plentiful throughout the entire week of racing. Photo by: Liam Doran

A rider gives one final look back at the expansive landscapes and views that were plentiful throughout the entire week of racing. Photo by: Liam Doran

The overall singlespeed winner, Vince Anderson drops into the Gold Dust trail on the final stage of the 6 day Breck Epic. Photo by: Eddie Clark

The overall singlespeed winner, Vince Anderson drops into the Gold Dust trail on the final stage of the 6 day Breck Epic. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Amy Krahenbuhl solidified her six day race open women’s race with her sixth stage win. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Amy Krahenbuhl solidified her six day race open women’s race with her sixth stage win. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Team Kask takes the overall coed duo win and enjoys the final stage filled with more forgiving climbs and flowing descents. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Team Kask takes the overall coed duo win and enjoys the final stage filled with more forgiving climbs and flowing descents. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Todd Wells decided to dust off his Leadville 100 winning bike, aero bars and all, for the final stage of the Breck Epic. Todd finished 6th on the stage, but maintained his overall win for the 6 day open men’s race. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Todd Wells decided to dust off his Leadville 100 winning bike, aero bars and all, for the final stage of the Breck Epic. Todd finished 6th on the stage, but maintained his overall win for the 6 day open men’s race. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Click Here for full Stage 6 Results and Final GC Standings

Breck Epic Stage 5

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Russell Finsterwald and Amy Kranhenbuhl Coquer Mount Wheeler Stage

The grassy wet-land-esque fields at the summit of Wheeler can be technical, especially for exhausted riders. Photo by: Liam Doran

The grassy wet-land-esque fields at the summit of Wheeler can be technical, especially for exhausted riders. Photo by: Liam Doran

Written by: Uncommon Communications

The night before the penultimate stage, riders laid down for bed with the threat of rain looming. In typical Breckenridge- fashion, riders were greeted with clear skies and sun for the morning to get up and over Wheeler Pass. The rain still rolled in around 11am, giving most of the field a good shower.

As race director Mike McCormack says, “it’s not called the Breck Tickle Fight.”

Russell Finsterwald, Todd Wells and most of the leaders in the men’s pro/open field stayed dry throughout the day and got to enjoy the massive views from the top of Wheeler Pass.

Finsterwald took a couple of seconds back from his teammate Wells (SRAM / Troy Lee Designs) after dropping Wells on the descent off of Wheeler Pass.

“I thought yesterday was my favorite stage, but now this one is,” recounted Finsterwald. “The views were awesome and the descending was next level. I was having the time of my life on that second descent.”

KUHL-Pivot Cycles rider Drew Free is sitting in sixth after his seventh place ride on Wheeler. With a gap of seven minutes to fifth, he could be looking to move up overall, but it’s unlikely he’ll close the hour and twenty minutes to Todd Wells. Photo by: Liam Doran

KUHL-Pivot Cycles rider Drew Free is sitting in sixth after his seventh place ride on Wheeler. With a gap of seven minutes to fifth, he could be looking to move up overall, but it’s unlikely he’ll close the hour and twenty minutes to Todd Wells. Photo by: Liam Doran

Though it wasn’t all sunshine and unicorns for Finsterwald, who took a digger on that second descent he was loving so much.

“I was riding in control, but going across one of those bridges there were a couple logs parallel to one another. My front wheel got caught between, and sent me sailing. I tried to ride a good pace, just to make it into the finish. I knew Todd wouldn’t be too far behind.”

Finsterwald ended the day just 11 seconds up on Wells with Ben Sonntag in third, all but cementing his place on the podium.

“My legs felt pretty empty from the beginning, so I let the group go,” said Ben Sonntag (Clif Bar) about starting in wave one with the top-8 riders overall. “I don’t know, it was just ‘keep pushing’ today. There was no snap, explosiveness, or thoughts like, ‘I’m flying up this right now,’ it was just a grind.”

Troy Wells had a great day riding with teammate Ben Sonntag andfinished fourth on the day. Troy sits 5th in GC. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Troy Wells had a great day riding with teammate Ben Sonntag andfinished fourth on the day. Troy sits 5th in GC. Photo by: Eddie Clark

The elevation profile of day five had many riders opting for longer-travel bikes to better take advantage of the longer, more technical descents. Since the trails were so steep and often quite narrow, riders were forced to their feet.

“We had a lot of fun coming down [from Wheeler],” said Jake Wells who is leading the Duo Open category with his partner Ciro Zarate. “We rode our bigger bikes today — 5” fork, dropper post. It was a lot of fun going down, but it was a lot of pushing on the way up.”

Amy Krahenbuhl has shown a dominating performance in the Women’s race and currently has a lead of of nearly 54-minutes. Photo by: Liam Doran

Amy Krahenbuhl has shown a dominating performance in the Women’s race and currently has a lead of of nearly 54-minutes. Photo by: Liam Doran

In the women’s open category, Amy Krahenbuhl has a 54-minute lead over Emma Maaranen (Rolf) and Ksenia Lepikhina (Tokyo Joe’s) sits another 13-minutes back in third.

With the final stage – Gold Dust — being all that lay ahead of riders, overall leads are not likely to change hands in many categories. At under 30-miles, the Gold Dust loop packs in fast climbing and screaming singletrack descents into the shortest mileage of the week.

Today’s stage demanded the powers of a mountain goat, as they pushed to terrain not normally travelled by bike or foot. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Today’s stage demanded the powers of a mountain goat, as they pushed to terrain not normally travelled by bike or foot. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Click Here for full results from Stage and GC

Breck Epic Stage 4

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Todd Wells and Amy Krahenbuhl Continue to Lock Down 2016 Breck Epic

On stage four of the Breck Epic, the top 7 men were all together for the first 15 miles until the decisive climb, Vomit Hill. Photo by: Eddie Clark

On stage four of the Breck Epic, the top 7 men were all together for the first 15 miles until the decisive climb, Vomit Hill. Photo by: Eddie Clark

After three days of racing, stage four’s Aqueduct route saw riders cross over the peaks of Summit County and pay a visit to Keystone Mountain.

Race leader Todd Wells and teammate Russell Finsterwald (SRAM / Troy Lee Designs) kept things civil, at least for a while, riding in a larger lead group through the first third of the race until they hit the exceptionally steep climb of the day.

At the base of Vomit Hill, Ben Sonntag (Clif Bar) hit the gas first with Finsterwald on his wheel. Wells had to unclip and run a bit to get back up to Finsterwald who had moved past Sonntag and the duo of Wells-Finsterwald distanced themselves for the day, once again.

“Of the four days, this one was the one where I felt best,” said Sonntag, who entered the stage in third overall. “I don’t know why, but maybe with doing Leadville on Saturday, it seems like even though these stages were super hard, it was still half the time out there [compared to Leadvile].”

Todd Wells stands up to his number one plate with a stage win with teammate Russell Finsterwald on his wheel through the finish line on stage 4. Finsterwald is just 4:24 back in the GC. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Todd Wells stands up to his number one plate with a stage win with teammate Russell Finsterwald on his wheel through the finish line on stage 4. Finsterwald is just 4:24 back in the GC. Photo by: Eddie Clark

“Todd and Finsty still got the gap on us,” continued the German. “What’s it called? Vomit Hill? I was with Chris Jones for a while, but after that it was a pretty lonely day.”

“We rolled together the rest of the day,” said Wells about riding with Finsterwald. “With the big climb out of Keystone, it is great to have someone with you because of the fast dirt road section.”

Going through aid two at Keystone Mountain, Wells and Finsterwald held a gap of 1:45 over Chris Jones (Unitedhealthcare Pro Cycling) and Sonntag. Fernando Riveros and Wells’ little brother Troy were another 1:15 behind Jones and Sonntag with single riders chasing in areas.

Kevin Day rushes to the finish line after being surprised by his family, who drove through the night from Utah, at aid one. Photo by: Liam Dorian

Kevin Day rushes to the finish line after being surprised by his family, who drove through the night from Utah, at aid one. Photo by: Liam Dorian

By the finish Wells and Finsterwald had a two and a half minute over Sonntag and Fernando Riveros was over six minutes back with Chris Jones was close behind.

With Sonntag’s third place finish today on stage 4, he padded his overall third place, though he sits almost 22-minutes behind Wells. Kyle Trudeu (CZ Racing) sits in fourth, 12-minutes behind the German and Drew Free (KUHL-Pivot Cycles) is in fifth.

Showing true grit, Rebecca Gross rounds one of the final corners on a demanding fourth stage. Team KASK sits pretty in pink in the lead in the coed duo 6 day race. Photo by: Eddie Clark

Showing true grit, Rebecca Gross rounds one of the final corners on a demanding fourth stage. Team KASK sits pretty in pink in the lead in the coed duo 6 day race. Photo by: Eddie Clark

WOMEN’S PRO/OPEN

Amy Krahenbuhl added to her lead once again on the Aqueduct stage, bringing her lead to over 40-minutes. Second and third-place overall riders, Emma Maaranen (Rolf) and Ksenia Lepikhina (Tokyo Joe’s) finished the stage placed consistent with their general classification.

We asked Krahenbuhl about the road (and trail) that’s brought her to the Breck Epic, one that saw her race the Trans New Zealand earlier this year.

“I’ve done random races here and there,” said Krahenbuhl. “More recently, I’ve been doing enduro racing and with that stuff, I would think ‘man, I could do really well if this whole thing was timed,’ because I’m not the fastest climber or descender, but I can go for a long time and hold it together.”

One half of the Juliana Bicycles 6 day duo women’s team, Uriel Carlson rounds one of the final corners before the finish line on stage four. Team Juliana Bicycles stays in third place on the day and the GC. Photo by: Liam Dorian

One half of the Juliana Bicycles 6 day duo women’s team, Uriel Carlson rounds one of the final corners before the finish line on stage four. Team Juliana Bicycles stays in third place on the day and the GC. Photo by: Liam Dorian

“It was really pedally,” said Krahenbuhl about the Aqueduct stage. “The big climb was a big, BIG climb. The descent down Colorado Trail was amazing. Definitely one of the more fun descents we’ve done so far.”

While it may seem as though the overall leads are all but sewn up, tomorrow’s weather forecast and the profile of the Wheeler Pass stage tomorrow, so much can happen. As Wells said just over 24-hours ago, “anything can happen in mountain bike stage racing.”

“Hours could be lost.”

Click Here for full results from Stage 4 and GC