Titan Tropic Pre-Race Report

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Shannon Boffeli

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.

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 5^th. 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 9^th.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Breck Epic Stage 3 Report

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Shannon Boffeli

BRECKENRIDGE, Colorado

(Uncommon Comms.)

—

The third day of the Breck Epic saw the riders tackle the second-longest course of the week, circumventing the massive Mt. Guyot. Men’s overall race leader, Todd Wells (SRAM-Troy Lee Designs) and teammate Russell Finsterwald distanced themselves from the others on the second climb of the day —the decisive Georgia Pass—and they never looked back. “On the second climb, it’s a really steep one and it’s rideable all the way to the top,” said Wells. “It’s one of those things where you don’t attack or anything, you just push whatever gear you can sustain and we rolled off.”

By the time Wells and Finsterwald reached the rock gardens at the bottom of the descent off Georgia pass the duo had about five minutes over third place rider Chris Jones (Unitedhealthcare Pro Cycling). At the finish, the lead duo had a nearly seven-minute gap.“First legit mountain bike podium ever,” said Jones at the finish. “Well, I’ve only done like six races ever, but I think if I’m on the podium with Todd and Finsterwald, that’s a pretty legit podium, right? We’ll call it dumb luck. I was okay going up Georgia Pass, but I don’t have the skills those guys do [on the steep climbs] where you’re just kind of balancing and if you unclip you have to run. That’s where those guys got away. They rode a section, I had to walk it, and I never saw them again.”

While the leaders had dry conditions for most of the day, the majority of the field dealt with driving rain on the climb and descent of Georgia Pass. Many riders dealt with flats early on, including Clif Bar teammates, Troy Wells and Ben Sontag. Sontag was able to repair his flat with a plug, but Troy Wells’ who suffered his flat early in the stage, got shuffled back in the field and lose a chunk of time.

ON RIDING WITH FINSTERWALD

“You know when you’re descending and you’re at a comfortable pace? ”Asked Wells. “You’re going fast, but it’s what you feel comfortable at. I was going just over that the entire day, so I couldn’t even enjoy those descents. I was always looking forward to the climbs so I wouldn’t have to worry about crashing into a tree. You know, we have a decent lead now, but with stage race mountain bike, anything can happen. You can lose an hour. Two hours. Break a wheel and have to walk five miles. “It’s not over until the finish,” added Finsterwald.

In the three-day Epicurio us, Bryan Dillon (Topeak-Ergon), added to his lead with a win on his third and final stage. “Today is a fun stage. It really gets into the true Breckenridge style of rocky-riding and hike-a-bikin’, but it’s super fun,” said Dillon. “Being up on Guyot that time of day and looking back down on the valley, it’s just righteous.”

WOMEN’S PRO/OPEN 6-DAY

The Women’s 6-Day Open leader, Amy Krahenbuhl, added to her lead with her elevated level of technical riding on the technical descents of stage three. Ksenia Lepikhina (Tokyo Joe’s) was in second 10-minutes back, and Emma Maaranen (Rolf) was another four and half minutes back of her. “[Lepikhina] was behind me at the start of the first climb, but after that I was hanging out with boys and using that as motivation, said Krahenbuhl of Lepikhina.

“Today I finally felt like my legs were strong. I really like the day after day cycling, so I felt like today I finally got my legs and I’m going to keep with it.” “Absolutely beautiful to go up and over the Continental Divide,” continued Krahenbuhl. “Everyone was in great spirits and having a great time. On the downhill everyone was hootin’ an’ hollarin’. There was great energy out there.” With stage four being the longest of the week and almost 8,000 feet of climbing, there will be plenty of good times for the race leaders and those just enjoying the high-mountain singletrack, alike.

Full Results from the stage here: (Stage 3 Results)

Breck Epic Stage 1 Photo Gallery

Gallery

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Shannon Boffeli

This gallery contains 9 photos.

Tran-Sylvania Epic Stage 4

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Shannon Boffeli

Stage 4 win boosts Werner into leader’s spot at NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic

Armstrong claims women’s stage victory while Barclay defends overall lead

TRANS-SYLVANIA, PA (June 2, 2016) – Stage 4 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic was a wet and wild ride at R.B. Winter State Park, a mainstay of the event with some new trails and more miles added for this edition. A steady rain through most of the day encouraged some riders and hindered others.

Elite men

With its high speeds, smoother trails and wet weather, stage 4 turned into a more tactical battle for the top men. Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling) raced his way into the lead of the general classification by virtue of winning the stage and finishing as the top enduro rider on the day. Previous leader Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek) dropped to second overall after finishing second in the stage and third in the enduro.

Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek) started stage 4 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic as race leader, but ended it in second place on both the stage and in the GC after a challenging day. The men’s race proved to be extremely tactical with three of the favorites battling it out for most of the stage.

Previous third overall racer Adria Noguera Soldevila (Buff Pro Team) initially led a group of four top favorites, including his teammate Pau Zamora, Werner and Lindine. However, an unfortunate flat after the first enduro section would eventually cost Soldevila more than 30 minutes on the stage.

That left a highly motivated Zamora with Werner and Lindine. “I often was at the front so I could make up time on the other riders and get a top-three today,” said Zamora.

Werner was happy for the extra company up front. “Pau was being a trooper and taking good pulls with us. He wasn’t the best descender although he’d get in front for some of the enduro segments,” said Werner. “I think his motive was to slow us down so we wouldn’t get away from him.”

Cyclocross pro racer Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) is no slouch when it comes to mountain biking. He’s been mixing it up among the top five of the solo men at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, and sits in fourth overall after stage 4.

Zamora’s strategy worked well until a steep climb just before the fourth of five enduro segments when Werner seized an opportunity. “I’d never seen the trail before, but I had scoped it out on Strava and saw that it was wicked steep for 0.1 miles,” said Werner. “Pau swung wide on the right turn into it, and I chopped him inside and took over the lead ahead of him and Justin. I made it three-quarters of the way up the slick rocks before having to run, but the others had to run the whole thing after Pau slipped out. I led into the enduro segment, got a bigger gap and then went full gas to the finish which felt much further away than it had looked on the course map.”

The enduro riders were clearly having at least as much fun, if not more, than everyone else all week. Here, Cory Rimmer (Kona / Nox Composites / Provision Sports Medicine) demonstrated the preferred enduro line. He and enduro classification leader Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team) have ridden together for most of the week thus far.

“Kerry’s move was a good one,” said Lindine. “When we popped out on the road after the enduro segment, I could see him, and it became a pursuit match. I closed what was 35-40 seconds down to maybe 20 seconds at the finish.”

“Today was a hard day – a bit of a disaster for me from a GC standpoint,” said Lindine. “Unbeknownst to us, the enduro guys were having a terrible day, so their times on some of the enduro segments were slow. Neither Kerry nor I pushed it on the enduros today, but Kerry ended up first, and I was third in the day’s enduro classification, so due to the enduro time bonuses, I lost even more time to Kerry. Maybe I rode too conservatively today, but when you’re on the rivet, you don’t want to make a move and have someone counterattack it.”

It was a stellar day for Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling), who moved into the lead of the solo men’s general classification in stage 4 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. He leveraged a strategic move going into the fourth of five enduro segments to grab a stage win.

With one minute separating Werner and Lindine, Friday’s final stage 5 will decide the race. Lindine knows well from his own past experience that one minute isn’t a big gap and anything could happen to change the race’s outcome.

Stage 4 Brief Results

Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling)
Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek)
Pau Zamora (Buff Pro Team)

General Classification After Stage 4

Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling)
Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek)
Pau Zamora (Buff Pro Team)

Enduro Stage 4 Brief Results

Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling)
Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team)
Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek)

Enduro Classification After Stage 4

Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team)
Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling)
Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek)

Elite women

Kaysee Armstrong (Liv) added climbing power to her descending prowess to earn her first stage win of the race. “This morning I wasn’t feeling super motivated, but then when we headed up the road climb, all the ladies were together, so I thought I’d dig a little deeper,” she said. “When I did, I felt really strong. So I thought, ‘Let’s just try to get to the first enduro as fast as possible.’ But then the rain started coming down, and I was like — oh, today’s my day. I loved every bit of it.”

Kaysee Armstrong (Liv) took her first NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic stage win of the week, beating women’s GC leader and race favorite Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team). Armstrong’s performance was good enough to bump her up from third to second in the women’s GC.

Armstrong is quite familiar with racing in the rain. “I race a lot in Pisgah where it rains a lot like that, so it worked out in my favor.” She now sits solidly in second place in the GC, as well as the enduro classification, and continues to take each stage one at a time.

Overall race leader Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women) did not pull away from the pack as she has on other days, but she still held on to her lead and her good attitude. “I had some mechanical issues today…those slowed me down,” she said. “But it’s good for me to have days like this, because it challenges me to push through. I had to work to get back up into second place. It was rough. I’m actually feeling a little bit grumpy. But Kaysee rode an amazing race and even before I was having problems, she was crushing the climbs.”

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) had a challenging day despite weather that was more like that of her native Scotland; however, the pink-clad race leader successfully managed to defend her overall lead with one stage to go in the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.

Stage racing allows one to wipe the slate clean and start fresh each day. “Tomorrow’s another day… I’m just hoping to hold onto the GC win,” Barclay said.

Bryna Blanchard (Windham Mountain Outfitters) also had a strong day that resulted in third place. “I surprised myself that I could maintain that pace for that amount of time. I did everything I could and am satisfied with my ride. I was proud to be able to ride with Selene Yeager (Emmaus Bad Decisions Club).” Yeager is a past winner of the race who is riding on a team this year.

Blanchard had no illusions about the coming final effort. “Tomorrow’s going to be harder than today, a lot harder. I think I have to just not go to that dark place and try to stay focused on every section.”

Stage 4 Brief Results

Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team)
Bryna Blanchard (Windham Mountain Outfitters)

General Classification After Stage 4

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team)
Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
Bryna Blanchard (Windham Mountain Outfitters)

Enduro Stage 4 Brief Results

Meggie Bichard (Fuji)
Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
Kimberly Quinlan (Bicycle Express Racing)

Enduro Classification After Stage 4

Meggie Bichard (Fuji)
Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
Kimberly Quinlan (Bicycle Express Racing)

The Trails

Stage 4 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic took racers to R.B. Winter State Park for some of the most picturesque riding in Pennsylvania. Among the highlights were Black Gap Trail and White Deer Creek Trail. The course’s 35.2 miles, with 4,616 feet of climbing, were fast and furious and included five enduro segments. A cold, spring-fed lake awaited at the finish – where riders could cool down and clean off the day’s mud.

Check out our daily Facebook Live coverage!

Watch our live coverage on Facebook for each stage’s start and from somewhere out on course. We also stream each evening’s post-stage slideshow, video recap and awards ceremony.

Thanks to our sponsors

The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic presented is made possible with the generous support of great partners like Julbo, Central PA Tourism, Lupine, Purple Lizard, SRAM, Kona, NUUN, Freeze Thaw Cycles, EVOC and more!

Social media

For more information, visit OutdoorExperience.org or TSEpic.com; find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TransSylvaniaEpic; or follow us on Instagram or Twitter @TransSylvania, #TSEpic, #TSEnduro and #SingletrackSummerCamp.

Pisgah Stage Race Stage 3

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Shannon Boffeli

Stage 3, Sycamore Cycles White Squirrel Route, is hump day for the Oskar Blues Pisgah Stage Race. This is also the “locals course”, as many of the trails are part of folks’ regular ride. Put them all together and you get a sweet 29-mile route with over 5,100 feet of elevation gain.

The course starts on Grassy Rd, a relatively short double track climb that connects into a fun, rooty descent down Sycamore Cove. Another double track climb up Thrift Cove preps riders for the tough, technical singletrack climb/hike up Black Mountain. A technical descent to Buckhorn Gap and a short climb takes riders to the top of the day’s Enduro Section, Avery’s Creek. This is an area favorite that challenges even experienced downhillers. It has a little of everything to keep you on your toes. Ruts, rocks, and drops in the top section are intermittently broken up with some smooth sections that let riders catch their breath. As you get further down, the vegetation gets thicker and a number of creek crossings help keep things interesting.

The Open Men’s category saw a slight gap between leaders, Kerry Werner and Tristan Cowie. The two rode together for the first part of the day, but towards the middle of the course, Werner was able to break away and finish about 2 ½ minutes ahead of Cowie, taking the stage and race leader position.

Bryna Blanchard continues her lead in the Open Women category and the battle continues for 2nd & 3rd between Emily Shields and Heidi Rentz. Blanchard has steadily built a 37 minute gap between herself and second place. Shields is trying as hard as she can to keep, or increase, her 8 minute lead over Rentz. Although, even with a 45 minute spread between 1st and 3rd place, in a 5 day stage race, the last 2 days are where it can be won or lost.

Stage 3 was also a day where Pisgah showed some of its teeth. Broken derailleurs, pinch flats and broken spokes were all stories being told at the finish line. Reputations are made for a reason and Pisgah is no different. Roots, rocks and drops are all part of the package and some racers had to pay Sycamore Cycles a visit to get their bike back on the trail for Stage 4.

Pisgah Stage Race Stage 2

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Shannon Boffeli

Stage 2 of the Pisgah Stage Race saw more tight racing as riders tackled more of Pisgah National Forest’s most beloved trails, including Squirrel Gap and Black Mountain Trail.

In the Men’s Open, it was again Kerry Werner (Ken’s Bike Shop) and Tristan Cowie (CTS) riding together at the front for most of the day. Cowie was able to create a small gap on the final descent on Black Mountain to take the stage win by three seconds. That saw him leapfrog past Werner to take over the race lead, but with just two seconds separating first and second it’s still all to play for with three days of racing behind.

Behind Werner and Cowie, overnight third place rider Chris Tries (Piney Flats Bike Shop) suffered a disastrous mechanical when his wheel imploded early in the stage. Fortunately, he was able to borrow a bike from a volunteer, and ride himself back into third on the day to preserve his GC spot.

On the women’s side, it was again Bryna Blanchard who took the win, but Emily Shields (Stan’s No Tubes) made some moves and was able to ride herself into second in GC thanks to a strong performance. Heidi Rentz hung on for third.

Check out Full Results here.

Pisgah Stage Race Stage 1 Results and Report

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Shannon Boffeli

2016 Pisgah Stage Race: Stage 1

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

The weather forecast for Stage 1: Ally’s Bar Looking Glass Route of the 2016 Oskar Blues Pisgah Stage Race called for 100% chance of rain all day. What riders got were early morning clouds turning to sunshine as they rolled across the starting line, topping out at a perfect 68 degrees.

Stage 1 eases riders into the week with a 24.7 mile route and 4,130 feet of climbing. With highlights such as Daniel Ridge, Butter Gap, Long Branch, Davidson River and Cove Creek, riders were treated to some of Pisgah’s most popular trails. Gravel road climbs and smile-inducing downhills make for a fast course that leaves riders with enough left over for the rest of the week.

Taking the win and wearing the Race Leader jersey for Stage 2 is Kerry Werner, with Tristan Cowie only 1 second behind. Christopher Tries rounded out the top 3 coming in 5 minutes behind Cowie. Bryna Blanchard rocked the Open Women’s category, coming in almost 12 minutes ahead of second place, Heidi Rentz, and 15 minutes ahead of third place women’s finisher, Emily Shields.

Each stage has a chip-timed Enduro section that lets the downhillers in the crowd open it up and race for the bottom. Burke Sanders took today’s title, coming in at a screaming 6 minutes 54 seconds. Aaron Albright came in 36 seconds behind Sanders,, with Eric Dodds close on his wheel, with only 7 seconds separating second and third place. Brenda Simril took the women’s honors, with Sue Haywood taking second place. Elizabeth Sampey rounded out the women’s podium.

For full results, visit http://www.blueridgeadventures.net/2016-pisgah-stage-race-results/

After a fast first day, riders are getting ready for Stage 2, which will feature steep, singletrack climbs and screaming downhills over 29 miles. Stay tuned.

Pisgah Stage Race Preview

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Shannon Boffeli

2016 Pisgah Stage Race: Day 0

Monday, April 11, 2016

The 2016 Oskar Blues Pisgah Stage Race is kicking off with it’s opening night at the beautiful Brevard Music Center. Approximately 80 riders, from 6 different countries, are gathering in the Land of Waterfalls for 5 days of some of the best riding in the world. With 140 miles over 5 days and over ¾ of those miles on technical singletrack, this week is truly one of the best ways to experience the best of Pisgah National Forest.

While most riders are looking for a challenge and a week of stellar riding, there are a few folks vying for the top spot on the podium that we’ll be keeping an eye on.

In the Open Men’s category, we have 2 former Collegiate National Champions that will be battling for the top podium spot. Tristan Cowie, a Brevard resident and graduate of Brevard College, grew up in North Georgia and started riding bikes when he was just 5 years old. After years of racing at the state and national level, Tristan went on to race for Brevard College and is now a Carmichael Training Systems coach.

Trying to stop Tristan is Boone resident, National Collegiate Champion & former Pisgah Stage Race winner, Kerry Werner. Kerry is a graduate of Lees-McRae College where he won several championships, as well as participated in World Cup events.

For the Open Women’s category, we have a story that we’ll be watching closely as well. Mountain bike legend, Sue Haywood, will be putting a wheel to the starting line and showing everyone what years of professional racing experience and and strategy can do in a 5 day stage race. As a former member of the Trek-Volkswagon MTB team, Sue Haywood is definitely a contender for the number 1 spot.

Looking to bump Sue from the top of the podium is Stan NoTubes Women’s Elite Team member, Emily Shields. Emily is comes to the Pisgah Stage Race with U25 wins at other stage races and national championships under her belt. We’ll see if Emily’s youth and energy will be able to take on Sue’s experience and knowledge.

Pisgah Stage Race Stages 3&4 Results and Video

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Shannon Boffeli

With 4 of 5stages completed, the Pisgah Stage Race is far from over. In the Open Men’s race, Thomas Turner (Jamis) and Jeremiah Bishop (Topeak-Ergon) have been battling all week. Turner snuck ahead to take his second stage win on Stage 3, but Bishop came roaring back today, taking the Queen Stage and bringing himself within 2 minutes of the GC lead with one day remaining.

On the women’s side, Sara Sheets (Oscar Blues) looks to have a stranglehold on the GC, though today it was Kaysee Armstrong (Kona) who took the stage win by a commanding 25 minutes. If she can put in a similar performance tomorrow, Armstrong could well take overall.

Stage 5 will see riders tackle some of the toughest descents of the week, including Farlow Gap and Daniel Ridge. With some much on the line in the GC, riders will no doubt have to take some risks on the final day if they want to claim the overall Pisgah Stage Race title.

Check out results through Stage 4 and the Land of Sky Media highlight video below.

Open Men Results Through 4 Stages:

1	THOMAS TURNER	1:59:08.2	2:26:51.4	2:44:09.4	2:41:27.0	9:51:36	Team Jamis
2	JEREMIAH BISHOP	2:05:08.1	2:25:46.6	2:44:45.5	2:37:46.8	9:53:27	Team Topeak Ergon
3	CORY RIMMER	2:09:54.7	2:34:37.9	2:57:30.7	2:57:52.4	10:39:56	Kona Bikes / Nox Composites / Provision Sports Medicine
4	DAVID FORKNER	2:03:25.1	2:43:48.7	3:02:15.3	2:58:24.7	10:47:54	Team CTS
5	ERIC INGALSBE	2:22:17.3	2:55:12.5	3:09:36.2	3:13:00.6	11:40:07	The Bike Shop
6	WILLIAM HARRISON	2:04:33.8	2:41:37.4	3:10:27.3	3:46:22.8	11:43:01	Clemmons Bicycle Racing
7	ANDRE LANDRY	2:17:42.9	2:56:19.8	3:09:33.8	3:21:43.3	11:45:20	mikes bike shop
8	MATTHEW KESECKER	2:35:21.0	3:23:07.8	3:37:56.2	3:38:28.1	13:14:53	CAMBO / Hammer Nutrition
9	BRENT CROMWELL	2:46:45.9	3:39:08.6	3:42:57.7	3:42:44.9	13:51:37	N/A
10	CURTIS HOYT	2:58:53.5	4:01:50.9	3:49:48.4	3:47:00.2	14:37:33	Slippery Sasquatch Racing

Open Women Results Through 4 Stages:

1	SARA SHEETS	2:27:32.4	3:11:51.7	3:36:02.9	3:40:48.2	12:56:15	Oskar Blues
2	KAYSEE ARMSTRONG	2:29:55.0	3:28:50.6	3:46:21.5	3:25:57.3	13:11:04	Kona/ Provision Sports & Medicine
3	ALLY STACHER	2:26:34.4	3:26:30.9	3:39:33.4	3:49:46.2	13:22:25	Ally’s Bar
4	VIVIANE FAVERY-COSTA	2:42:29.8	3:36:42.5	3:59:17.3	4:03:53.7	14:22:23	Specialized Women Brasil / Pedal Urbano
5	HEATHER DAVIS	3:14:32.7	4:31:53.1	4:49:21.1	5:17:15.2	17:53:02	Ally’s Bar
-6	CATHY ZEGLINSKI	2:38:12.2	3:34:14.8	3:53:11.0	DNS	–	Team Whistler / Scott

Click Here For Full Results

Bishop, Sheets Take Stage 2 in Pisgah – Video Highlights

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Shannon Boffeli

After suffering from a slow leak caused by a valve stem issue on Stage 1, Jeremiah Bishop (Topeak-Ergon) came roaring back to take Stage 2 of the Pisgah Stage race. Though he started the day with a six minute deficit to overnight GC leader Thomas Turner (Jamis), Bishop was determined to ride aggressively and put Turner under pressure. He did that today and pulled back just over a minute, but he still has some work to do to take home another Pisgah Stage Race crown. Ally Stacher (Ally’s Bar) relinquished her GC lead, as Sara Sheets (Oscar Blues) mastered the mud and took a big win on Stage 2. Sheets now leads Stacher by over 10 minutes.

Full results here. Check out the video highlights from Stage 2 below.

Interview With Topeak-Ergon Racer Jeremiah Bishop

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Shannon Boffeli

Jeremiah Bishop has long been a familiar face on podiums around America. He’s won National titles in everything from Short Track to Marathon, brought home overall NUE titles, and dominated countless stage races in North America over the years. In the last few seasons, Bishop split his time between shorter XC style efforts and longer NUE races and stage races. That will change in 2015, however. The Harrisonburg, VA based Bishop has signed with a new squad this season, Topeak-Ergon, and will be focusing exclusively on endurance racing.

“It’s super exciting,” said Bishop. “I was planning to do the Pro XCT’s in the spring and strike a balance between those and the endurance races,” but, as Bishop explained to MTBRacenews, the opportunity to race the Andalusia Stage Race, the Cape Epic, Trans Alp, and other international races was too good to pass up. “It’s a huge honor to race the hardest races in the world,” Bishop said, adding, “we’ve got a really strong, fun crew.” And though racing internationally is nothing new for Bishop, the move to Topeak-Ergon nonetheless represents a shift in his career.

“Those races scare me a little bit,” Bishop said referring to Cape Epic, Andalusia and Trans Alp. “But at this point in my career, having done this for so many years, the long scary stuff, that’s what I want to do.” He explained that his training for La Munga (a planned race in South Africa last winter that was cancelled due to funding issues) got him ready for his latest challenge. “The Munga getting cancelled was a disappointment for sure, but the training was an eye opener for me.” During a huge, 20 hour ride, from Stokesville, VA last winter Bishop says he went through nearly every emotion possible but came out better for it. “The truth is I wasn’t sure if I could do it when I set out.” He finished the tour though, and “crazy as it sounds, I loved it. It gives me a lot of enthusiasm for this new team and the events we’re doing.”

But not only are the events new, but the style of racing is as well. “I’ll be partnering with Robert Bennet for Andalusia Bike Race and the Cape Epic as part of Topeak-Ergon Team 2,” racing in support of Team 1, consisting of Alban Lakata and Krystian Hynek. Meaning that Bishop with be racing more or less as a domestique at those big, early season, stage races. And while that may be an unfamiliar concept in American mountain bike racing, the major international mountain bike stage races have evolved to the point where they are very much team affairs. Team Bulls and some of the other big endurance programs all have multiple two-person teams in the race, with the second squad often setting the pace at the front of the group, or providing mechanical support (i.e. giving up their wheel) if one of the riders on the first team suffers a mechanical problem – much like road racing. “My goal is really to prove my metal in those first races,” Bishop said.

Thus far this season Bishop has done that and then some. Despite some mechanical issues of his own in the Cape Epic, he and his teammate Robert Bennet did some big turns on the front over the course of the week, and managed some top finishes in individual stages.

So what’s next for Bishop? First up is the Trans Alp Stage Race in Europe. “That’s a significant race for me,” Bishop said. “It’s got this outrageous terrain, it’s super hard, but it was a big stepping stone for me in my career. I had a real break through ride there, taking a stage win. During that race I went from thinking I was at my limit to realizing I could do more, and that I needed to work more in training to get there,” he added, clearly excited about having the chance to return and give the race another go.

Bishop will also be at a number of domestic races in the second half of the season, including Marathon Nationals in May. “It’s a cool, fast technical track this year, like flat track moto racing for four hours,” Bishop said of the course. “It’ll be tight, pack racing. Not what we’re used to seeing in the US, but I’m excited for it.” Also on the radar for Bishop: the Pisgah Stage Race, Mohican 100, Breck Epic, Whiskey 50, Grand Junction Off Road, and a number of other NUE Races. “We’ll see,” he said, adding that managing his race days will be important after 21 days of high intensity stage racing at Andalusia, Cape Epic, and Trans Alp so early in the year.

As we wrapped up our conversation things turned, as they often have when I’ve talked to Bishop, to big tours and adventures he’s hoping to tackle. From multi-day epics in Virginia, to the Arizona Trail Race, do 170 mile singletrack loops he’d like to tackle in one shot, straight through, the do list is a long one. “The truth is I have no idea where the limit is,” Bishop said, but one things for sure, he’s trying to find it.