Tag Archives: trans-sylvania epic

Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike EPIC- Stage Four

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May 26th, 2019

Written by: Jen & Anthony Toops

Stage 4 of the 2019 TSE Epic once again started from the scout camp, after yesterdays remote location.  The Tussey mountain stage is notorious for its near non-stop technical rock gardens.  This is a stage where mechanical problems can make or break your race.  Line choice is crucial to keeping your tires healthy and drive train in one piece.  The 3,274ft of climbing in 32.9 rough miles was going to be a test.

Single-speeder Joe Worboy working his way through the rocks

Men’s Open

The lead pack up the tough climb on Tussey

Some drama just after the start would see Bryan Lewis playing catch up from a flat front tire after the first double track descent.  He was able to plug it quickly, but would enter the climb up the Tussey single track in around 8th position.  Lewis would end up catching the lead duo of Bishop and Werner about half way through the Tussey ridge line. 

Bishop leading stage 4 through one of many technical rock gardens

The lead pack focused on riding smooth through the rock gardens, avoiding any problems.  Lewis and Bishop would end up getting a gap on the chasing Werner going back up another Tussey climb.  These two would ride together until a tough single track climb where Bryan Lewis would attack and cross the line just 15 seconds ahead with a time of 2:08:36, Bishop was 2nd at 2:08:51, and Kerry Werner 3rd at 2:13:00

Stage 4 results: 1st Bryan Lewis, 2nd Jeremiah Bishop, 3rd Kerry Werner

Women’s Open

The general classification was tested on today’s stage with a new winner and a new face on the podium.  The top three would start the day riding together but soon Britt Mason would open a gap on the chasing pack. 

Britt Mason powering up a rocky climb

Near the 3 bridges trail section, Marlee Dixon would pass Mason for first place.  Mason was suffering from a slow tire leak which she would have to deal with before finishing the day.  Dixon would hold that lead to the finish and gain back 3:30 on GC with a time of 2:40:31.  Britt Mason managed to hang on with the mechanical issues for 2nd at 2:44:01. 

Marlee Dixon looking smooth through the rocks.

Amelia Capuano had a solid ride in the difficult trails of Tussey to grab her first podium spot in 3rd at 2:44:53.  Julia Thumel would finish just a few minutes back in 4th at 2:47:43.

Amelia Capuano gets her first podium spot taking third for stage 4
Stage 4 results: 1st Marlee Dixon, 2nd Britt Mason, 3rd Amelia Capuano

For stage four results CLICK HERE

Photo credit: @iconmediaasheville & @bruceBuckley

Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike EPIC- Stage Three

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May 25th, 2019

Written by Jen & Anthony Toops

Race director Ryan Fulton leads out the race in R.B. Winter State Park.

Stage 3 had racers traveling to nearby R.B Winter state park for a fast 30.4 mile day with 2,727 ft of climbing.  This would be the only stage not starting from the scout camp.  Perfect weather and trail conditions made for a fast day.  After yesterdays queen stage, this would be an easier day for racers, but a harder day to make up precious GC seconds. This was also the start of the three day race option.

Miki Razo navigating the mossy east coast rocks

Open Men

With the fast conditions today, the leaders would end up staying together for almost the entire stage.  Brian Lewis was determined to get some time back on Bishop and would make a few attacks throughout the stage, but nothing would stick. 

Jeremiah Bishop (Team Topeak) with Bryan Lewis (Cutaway) holding his wheel.

A few miles out from the finish is a 2 mile climb where the elastic would finally snap and Lewis was able to make the gap stick, crossing the line to gain back 40sec on GC with a time of 2:06:40.  Bishop would finish 2nd at 2:07:20.  Werner was 3rd with a time of 2:09:38.  This was the GC order as well after 3 stages of racing.

Kerry Werner (Kona/Maxxis)
Stage 3 Results: 1st Bryan Lewis, 2nd Jeremiah Bishop, 3rd Kerry Werner

Open Women

The news of the day would be that overall leader, Carla Williams, would not take the start line due to the injuries she sustained on stage 2.  This would mean a shift in the overall with Britt Mason taking the leaders jersey going in to the day. 

Britt Mason (Joe’s Bike Shop)

The racing would be close all day with only a few minutes separating the top three.  Mason lead at the start with Marlee Dixon and Julia Thumel hot on her heels.  All three were within site of each other for most of the stage.

Julia Thumel (Race Pace Bicycles)

  Mason would end up holding her lead to the line with a time of 2:35:37.  Dixon and Thumel would trade places about 10 miles from the finish with Thumel taking 2nd in 2:36:33, and Dixon 3rd at 2:38:04.  With Williams out, the GC standings are Britt Mason 1st, Marlee Dixon 2nd, and Julia Thumel 3rd. 

Marlee Dixon (Pearl Izumi/Pivot Cycles)
Stage 3 results: 1st Britt Mason, 2nd Julia Thumel, 3rd Marlee Dixon

For stage three results CLICK HERE

Stage 3 Highlights from Dirtwire TV

Photo credit: @iconmediaasheville & @bruceBuckley

Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike EPIC- Stage Two

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Written by: Marlee Dixon & Jen Toops

May 24, 2019

Coopers Gap was Stage two of the Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic and was the biggest day of the week with thirty-five miles and about five thousand feet of elevation gain. The day started on the road as racers left camp and headed into Rothrock state forest. The course included some road/gravel sections and the dreaded still house climb but was mostly all single track with trails including: linger valley, peep and deer tick. Some exhilarating descends on the course included: long mountain, sassafras and no name. It was a beautiful warm sunny day for a long day on the bike.

Emily Hairfield and Gordon Wadsworth in the Duo Category

Men’s Open

Jeremiah Bishop (Team Topeak) isn’t afraid of getting muddy on the sloppy decent.

Bryan Lewis (Cutaway) charged hard at the start of stage two and Jeremiah Bishop (Team Topeak) was able to hold his wheel while Kerry Werner (Kona/Maxxis) fell off the lead group. After Bishop had to stop for a stick in his spokes he thought he had been dropped by Lewis on a downhill. Unfortunately Lewis took a wrong turn and bishop was able to make a break away before going into Deer Tick trail.

Bishop took the stage 2 win in a time of 2:54:21. Bishop goes into Stage 3 with around a 90 second lead in the GC. Lewis finished the stage in 2:55:57 and Kerry Werner third 3:05:43 and both holding their positions in the GC.

Women’s Open

All smiles from Britt Mason (Joes Bike Shop)

In the womens race, Carla Williams (CarboRocket) had a lead of over ten minutes starting stage two. After an unfortunate wrong turn and a crash, she finished the stage in second with a time of 3:54:08; still holding on to the GC lead.

After an unfortunate wrong turn, Williams finishes stage two in second but still holds onto lead in the GC.

Britt Mason (Joes Bike Shop) rallied back after her rough start on day one and made up some time on the technical downhills. She took the stage win finishing in 3:49:33 and moving into 2nd in the GC. Marlee Dixon (Pearl izumi/ Pivot Cycles) finished the day in 3rd in 3:57:01. Dixon moves into 3rd in the GC.

Stage two highlights from Dirtwire TV

For Stage two results CLICK HERE

Photo credit: @iconmediaasheville & @bruceBuckley

Stage 5 Trans-Sylvania Epic

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Werner and Armstrong win NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic titles

Broken handlebar sidelines former women’s leader and defending champion Barclay

 

The final stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic brought thrills and spills on a tough, rocky course made more difficult with a downpour in the middle of the day. Battles for the overall general classification (GC) wins didn’t go quite as planned.

Elite men

Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling) soloed to win the final stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic on his way to claiming the overall victory. A much anticipated battle up the final climb between Werner and defending champion and eventual runner-up Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek) never materialized after Lindine flatted early in the day.

The peloton rolls out for the fifth and final time at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. The rain held off for the start, but a 45-minute deluge drenched racers and trails mid-stage, making the rocks even more challenging than usual.

The peloton rolls out for the fifth and final time at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. The rain held off for the start, but a 45-minute deluge drenched racers and trails mid-stage, making the rocks even more challenging than usual.

“It was unfortunate that Justin flatted. I’m not pumped to win that way, but at the same time that’s racing and I’ll take it,” said Werner. “This whole week has been great – it’s a super organized event with great volunteers. Growing up in another part of Pennsylvania, I always wanted to do this race, so it’s special to win. It’s my first time riding here, and I already want to come back and ride more of these trails.”

A motivated Lindine started the day within striking distance of Werner’s overall time and set a fast pace up the first climb, dropping everyone except his rival.

“I felt good today and was having fun on the trails,” said Lindine, “but I had some bad luck. I was keeping the pressure on Kerry and charged into the first enduro section, but flatted. When I went to install my spare tube, it had a hole… maybe from being under my seat for so long. I ran down the enduro segment trying to borrow a tube, but mostly everyone here in this race is on 29ers, and I’m on a 27.5”, so it took awhile to get one.”

State College, Pennsylvania local Aaron Albright (NoTubes Trans- Sylvania Epic) cruises on his home trails at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.

State College, Pennsylvania local Aaron Albright (NoTubes Trans- Sylvania Epic) cruises on his home trails at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.

Racers started the day on trails with wet, slippery rocks, then just as they were starting to dry mid-stage, a thunderstorm dumped heavy rain for 45 minutes. The already damp trails became even slicker.

At the front alone, Werner alternated between struggling and finding his groove. On the final enduro section, he laid it over three times. “They weren’t serious crashes, but I put my bar into the bench cut side of the hill, and then those wooden bridges at the bottom were so sketchy. I came into the first bridge as straight as I could, not braking, and I still started to two-wheel drift, so I walked the second bridge. I didn’t want to take risks at that point.”

Pau Zamora (Buff Pro Cycling) chased on his own in second place until Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) caught him. In the midst of the cyclocross off-season, Timmerman rode himself into fine form during the course of the week and was feeling great by the final stage. However, Zamora was hungry to defend his third spot on the podium, and rode away from Timmerman on the final climb for second on the day and third overall.

Lindine chased his way back up into fourth place on the day, managing to save his second spot in the GC.

“I think some of those trails ride better when they’re wet,” said Lindine. “I made it a game to catch as many people as I could. I’d roll into the technical sections but would stay loose, so I’d just ride into wherever I was supposed to go. You have to be in the right zone, and I was enjoying today.”

Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team) again proved himself to be the best enduro rider on the day and secured the overall enduro win. “I lost the enduro classification last year on the final stage, but this time I had two years of experience and came knowing what I needed to do. I also got lucky as this race will cause some issues for everyone – no matter what their experience.”

Cory Rimmer (Kona / Nox Composites / Provision Sports Medicine) pops over a log in the final stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.

Cory Rimmer (Kona / Nox Composites / Provision Sports Medicine) pops over a log in the final stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.

Phillips spent the day riding in short shorts and a cut-off T-shirt with an American flag after having successfully challenged his followers to raise a certain amount of money for the new Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League. “I was part of a group raising money PA high school cycling, and I wasn’t doing very well,” said Phillips. “I’m a competitive person and was pissed that I was getting beat by the others, so I came up with some schemes to get people to donate more money. I raised at least $1,300. I’m not good at math on day 5 and haven’t added it all up yet, but it was cool to raise the money for the kids. I wouldn’t be where I am today without high school cycling.”

Stage 5 Brief Results

  1. Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling)
  2. Pau Zamora (Buff Pro Cycling)
  3. Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing)

Final General Classification

  1. Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling)
  2. Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek)
  3. Pau Zamora (Buff Pro Cycling)

 

Enduro Stage 5 Brief Results

  1. Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team)
  2. Aaron Albright (NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic)
  3. Damian Gonzalez (Michael David Winery)

Final Enduro Classification

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

Race leader Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) was still smiling at this point in the final stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic; however, that would change later in the day. She broke her handlebar just after the second aid station and dropped out of the race.

Race leader Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) was still smiling at this point in the final stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic; however, that would change later in the day. She broke her handlebar just after the second aid station and dropped out of the race.

Elite women

The battle for the top podium spot came down to the last day, but not in the expected way. Last year’s winner and this year’s favorite, Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team), suffered a devastating mechanical and had to drop out of the race.

Selene Yeager (Emmaus Bad Decisions), a past GC winner racing on a team this year, saw Barclay stranded in the rocks along the way. “Vicki jumped into a train of guys, and I thought, ‘There she goes.’ Then I went into a rocky section and she was just standing there. It was bad – her handlebar had snapped off in her hand. But at least she didn’t crash.”

That left Kaysee Armstrong (Liv), who was sitting in second place overall after yesterday’s stage 4, to take the win if she could. But this was not a foregone conclusion. “I felt tired,” said Armstrong. “Bryna [Blanchard, Windham Mountain Sports] was climbing so fast. I was feeling the fatigue through the rocks. But the enduros were fun, and I tried to be happy through them. Today was about surviving.” Armstrong managed to not only do that, but also to claim her second stage win of the week, the overall race title and second place in the enduro classification.

Blanchard, too, was feeling the cumulative effects of the week’s racing. “I did not feel good,” she said. “Yesterday was like a cross country race – it was so fast, and I didn’t recover. My heart rate was in the toilet, and I was tired. It was survival: keep moving, don’t stop pedaling. I wasn’t climbing nearly as well as I had been. I was happy I got through it.” Blanchard persevered to earn second on the day and in the general classification.

Yeager had an unexpectedly good day and was the first woman across the line. “I felt good on the climbs. I went into a little bit of a cave on all the chunky stuff, but I drew on all the stage races I’ve done, and kept thinking, ‘Just pedal your bike.’ It’s been a bittersweet week because I raced on a team, but I have such good fitness right now. I wish I had raced solo, but to know that you can perform well without all the pressure that you put on yourself is enlightening.”

Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes) crushed the women’s enduro all week long at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, winning the enduro classification.

Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes) crushed the women’s enduro all week long at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, winning the enduro classification.

Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes) ripped down some of the scariest enduro sections yet to take the win and secure victory in the enduro classification. She had begun the week as a GC contender, but quickly changed tactics. “I gave stage racing a go on the first day, and I rode a hardtail, but I got completely beat up on it,” she said. “So I swapped over to the enduro bike and focused on enduro. I can’t go for the GC on that bike because it weighs a ton.”

Bichard typically races enduro, but enjoyed the different take on it and may come back for a crack at the GC next year. “I loved the course with so much singletrack – really techy, super rocky. We don’t often do such big days in enduro racing, but I like the long cross country loop, and I love a big day out. Maybe I’ll come back on a smaller travel bike and do a bit more focused training.”

Stage 5 Brief Results

  1. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
  2. Bryna Blanchard (Windham Mountain Outfitters)
  3. Kaarin Tae (Bike Monkey Cycling)

Final General Classification

  1. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
  2. Bryna Blanchard (Windham Mountain Outfitters)
  3. Kaarin Tae (Bike Monkey Cycling)

Enduro Stage 5 Brief Results

  1. Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes)
  2. Kimberley Quinlan (Bicycle Express Racing)
  3. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)

Final Enduro Classification

  1. Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes)
  2. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
  3. Kimberley Quinlan (Bicycle Express Racing)

The Trails

Always a favorite among singletrack lovers, the Cooper’s Gap stage was plenty long at 34.5 miles and chock full of singletrack and climbing (5,466 feet). New for 2016, the stage started remotely from Greenwood Furnace State Park and finished back at the Boy Scout Camp that serves as race headquarters. The stage had four separate Julbo/EVOC enduro segments of tight, technical Pennsylvania singletrack. The route finished with the climb up Stillhouse Hollow, a notoriously steep ascent also featured in the Wilderness 101.

Thanks to our sponsors

The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic 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!

Tran-Sylvania Epic Stage 4

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

General Classification After Stage 4

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

Enduro Stage 4 Brief Results

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

Enduro Classification After Stage 4

  1. Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team)
  2. Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling)
  3. 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.

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.

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

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

General Classification After Stage 4

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

Enduro Stage 4 Brief Results

  1. Meggie Bichard (Fuji)
  2. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
  3. Kimberly Quinlan (Bicycle Express Racing)

Enduro Classification After Stage 4

  1. Meggie Bichard (Fuji)
  2. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
  3. 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.

Tran-Sylvania Stage 3

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Phillips finally gets his NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic stage win

Bichard tops women’s podium while Lindine and Barclay retain their overall leads

TRANS-SYLVANIA, PA (June 1, 2016) – Today was Enduro Day at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic – a day when descending prowess is key for every racer. While the elite solo general classification contenders tried to keep the rubber side down and their hopes of overall glory alive, the gravity specialists let it fly and showed everyone the fastest way down the mountain.

Elite men

Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team) was ecstatic to finally capture his first stage win at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic on his third try. “I’m pumped, I finally got a stage win at Trans-Sylvania! That’s been a long time coming,” he said. “The last two years, I’ve been frustrated to miss out on the enduro stage win due to flat tires and other issues. Today, I didn’t do the typical enduro day hangout with people; I stayed focused and blasted my way through the course.”

Before the stage even started, Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team) had his sights set on winning the enduro stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic after being the fastest enduro racer on the first two days of this year’s race. Phillips had never previously won a Trans-Sylvania Epic stage… until today.

Before the stage even started, Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team) had his sights set on winning the enduro stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic after being the fastest enduro racer on the first two days of this year’s race. Phillips had never previously won a Trans-Sylvania Epic stage… until today.

When asked what he did differently this year, Phillips explained his gravity-focused bike prep. “The last few days, I had some chain issues because I didn’t have a chain guide, which was poor planning on my part, so I went and got a chain guide yesterday at Freeze-Thaw Cycles. I put on downhill tires and put 33 psi in the rear tire and 30 psi in the front, so I could go as fast as I wanted through the rocks without flatting.”

The fourth section of the day, the Wildcat Gap trail, is notoriously difficult – basically a steeply tilted rock garden – but Phillips made it look easy. “You’re good at things when it’s life or death. So basically you get going into a section, and if you shut your brain off just enough that you get up to a speed where it’s life or death, you’re going to be a way better rider than if you’re thinking about it and trying to use your skills. Suddenly you realize you’re going so fast you can’t stop, so you either have to make the trail or you’re going to crash. Eventually you go so fast that you don’t fall in the holes, you’re just skimming across the top, and it feels like you’re riding across braking bumps instead of a rock garden.”

Phillips has a decently comfortable lead in enduro points over second place racer Cory Rimmer (Kona / Nox Composites / Provision Sports Medicine). He plans to ride conservatively the next two days to defend that lead.

Men’s race leader Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek) rails it on the first timed enduro section during stage 3 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Lindine would go on to finish third on the day and retain his lead over Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling).

Men’s race leader Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek) rails it on the first timed enduro section during stage 3 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Lindine would go on to finish third on the day and retain his lead over Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling).

Overall leader Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek) put in a good performance to grab the third podium spot, keeping his GC lead. “I gained a whole nine seconds on Kerry [Werner, Rally Cycling]…not terrible. I had four good runs, and then crashed in the middle of the last one, which was too bad, because I think it would have been fast.” Werner borrowed a bigger-travel bike which mean he lost time to Lindine in the flatter two first sections, but made up time on the latter two steeper, rockier sections.

Tomorrow’s stage 4 at R.B. Winter State Park, with its new added sections and longer distance, will challenge Lindine’s local knowledge gained from past race editions.

Stage 3 Brief Results

  1. Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team)
  2. Cory Rimmer (Kona / Nox Composites / Provision Sports Medicine)
  3. Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek)

General Classification After Stage 3

  1. Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek)
  2. Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling)
  3. Adria Noguera Soldevila (Buff Pro Team)

Enduro Stage 3 Brief Results

  1. Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team)
  2. Cory Rimmer (Kona / Nox Composites / Provision Sports Medicine)
  3. Justin Lindine (Apex / NBX / Trek)

Enduro Classification After Stage 3

  1. Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team)
  2. Cory Rimmer (Kona / Nox Composites / Provision Sports Medicine)
  3. Christopher Hamlin (Bicycle Express Racing)

Elite women

With the day’s action focused on enduro, Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes) got a turn in the spotlight. The unassuming British enduro racer, who currently lives in New Zealand, has been quietly dominating the enduro category all week.

“I enjoyed today! The last three enduro segments were world-class,” said Bichard. “I haven’t ridden anything like that before. It was pure rock garden the whole way down the trail. Riding it blind made it pretty interesting, too. I’ve never raced anywhere like this in the U.S., and I’m impressed – I’d only previously been to Colorado.”

Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes) continued her domination of the solo women’s enduro classification in her first-ever NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. She spends half the year in New Zealand and half the year travelling around the world to different races.

Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes) continued her domination of the solo women’s enduro classification in her first-ever NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. She spends half the year in New Zealand and half the year travelling around the world to different races.

Up and coming young rider Kaysee Armstrong (Liv) continued to excel in the enduro and rode to second place in the stage. Unlike Bichard, who decided not to contest the cross country after experiencing stage 1, Armstrong is among the top women in both classifications.

“My chain came off on the third enduro segment, but everything else was perfect and smooth about today,” said Armstrong. “The fifth and final section was my favorite. I didn’t remember all those rocks! It just kept going and going.”

Kaysee Armstrong (Liv) has been one of the top cross country and enduro riders in the solo women’s category this week. She broke a chain during stage 3 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, but fortunately, it was between the timed enduro segments, so she still finished second in the stage.

Kaysee Armstrong (Liv) has been one of the top cross country and enduro riders in the solo women’s category this week. She broke a chain during stage 3 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, but fortunately, it was between the timed enduro segments, so she still finished second in the stage.

Kimberly Quinlan (Bicycle Express Racing) claimed the final spot in the day’s top three and made her first podium appearance of the week.

Race leader Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes) kept her overall GC lead with a fourth place on the day; however, Armstrong’s enduro prowess moved her into second place, bumping Bryna Blanchard (Windham Mountain Outfitters) into third.

 

Stage 3 Brief Results

  1. Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes)
  2. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
  3. Kimberly Quinlan (Bicycle Express Racing)

General Classification After Stage 3

  1. Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team)?
  2. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
  3. Bryna Blanchard (Windham Mountain Outfitters)

Enduro Stage 3 Brief Results

  1. Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes)
  2. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
  3. Kimberly Quinlan (Bicycle Express Racing)

Enduro Classification After Stage 3

  1. Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes)
  2. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
  3. Karen Talley Mead (Two Wheel Fixation)

The Trails

The third day of the Trans-Sylvania Epic was all about enduro racing. There were five separate Julbo/EVOC enduro segments with no timed racing in between them – racers simply pedalled on to the next segment and let it roll. The timed segments counted toward both the overall general classification and the enduro points sub-classification. The day’s total riding covered 29.5 miles and included 4,377 feet of climbing.

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.

Tran-Sylvania Epic Stage 2 Report/Results

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Lindine claims stage 2 battle with Werner at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic

Barclay continues winning ways

TRANS-SYLVANIA, PA (May 31, 2016) – Today’s stage featured some of the signature trails of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, including classic Eastern rocky singletrack that inspired racers to give it their all. Despite the challenging terrain, the top riders fought until the end and kept things close.

Elite men

Justin Lindine (APEX / NBX / Trek) and Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling) continued their two-man battle with Lindine sprinting to the stage victory and continuing as overall leader.

“Today was a lot like yesterday with Kerry and me getting away early and racing each other in the hopes of snagging time bonuses by also doing well in the enduros,” said Lindine. “We’d stay together on the gravel and whoever felt better would surge to get ahead in the singletrack – each of us led different singletrack sections. Kerry even got a slight gap on me at one point up on Tussey Mountain, but I knew the trail so well that I was pretty sure I could bring him back.”

Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling) leads Justin Lindine (APEX / NBX / Trek) through a tight section of singletrack early in the second stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. The two top elite men’s riders would stay together for the duration of the stage - neither was able to shake the other.

First-time NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic racer Werner doesn’t have the advantage of familiarity with the trails, but he’s still loving them. “I’ve never ridden up here, but I grew up in southeastern Pennsylvania. We have rocks there, but not as gnarly,” said Werner. “The John Wert trail and Tussey Mountain ridge trail were amazing today!”

Going into the final off-road section in the last mile, Werner attacked on a steep section, but Lindine reacted quickly. The stage was set for a sprint.

“Justin and I are well matched fitness-wise,” said Werner. “Maybe toward the end of the week, we’ll start to see some chinks in each other’s armor.”

The surprise of the day came from Spanish rider Adria Noguera Soldevila (Buff Pro Team), who rode his way into third place for the stage and GC. “I’m on a hardtail – unlike the other top riders – so the technical parts have been hard, and I try to make up time on the gravel roads.” His teammate Pau Zamora said, “We’ve never ridden singletrack like this before. This is different – it’s hard to keep your momentum through the technical sections, especially on our hardtails.

Tomorrow’s stage 3 enduro format could shake up the standings as the top three riders will get time bonuses applied to the general classification.

Phil Beard (Bicycle Express Racing) leans into a turn. The singletrack is tight and leaves little room for error throughout the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.

Phil Beard (Bicycle Express Racing) leans into a turn. The singletrack is tight and leaves little room for error throughout the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.

Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team), who overcame mechanical issues to win the enduro category for the stage as well as defend his overall lead in the enduro classification, was clearly having fun. “The second segment was super pedally, and I time trialled it and was going so hard that I got cross-eyed. I came into that last rock pile so fast that I literally couldn’t crash because I had so much momentum. I hit something and caught air and got sideways but was up there for so long that I had time to turn myself back around. I can’t wait for tomorrow’s enduro stage – I want to finally get a Trans-Sylvania Epic stage win!”

Stage 2 Brief Results

  1. Justin Lindine (APEX / NBX / Trek)
  2. Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling)
  3. Adria Noguera Soldevila (Buff Pro Team)

General Classification After Stage 2

  1. Justin Lindine (APEX / NBX / Trek)
  2. Kerry Werner (Rally Cycling)
  3. Adria Noguera Soldevila

Enduro Stage 2 Brief Results

  1. Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team)
  2. Cory Rimmer (Kona / Nox Composite)
  3. Edward Kerly (Fuji Bikes)

Enduro Classification After Stage 2

  1. Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team)
  2. Cory Rimmer (Kona / Nox Composite)
  3. Justin Lindine (APEX / NBX / Trek)

Full Results from the Stage Here: Stage-2-Results-0358-PM-stage

Elite women

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women) used her local expertise on the technical course to pull out a win, despite not feeling her best. “As soon as I started today, I could tell I was heavy in the legs,” she said. “Kaysee Armstrong [Liv] was with me for the first 6-7 miles, and then I got away on one of the big climbs and I rode by myself all day. Bryna [Blanchard, Windham Mountain Outfitters] was not too far behind today.”

For tomorrow’s enduro stage, Barclay said she’s not going to push it. “I’m not going to try to win the enduro stage… there’s some fast downhill girls here, Kaysee and Meggie [Bichard, Fuji Bikes],” she said. “I just want to get down and have a good time… just let my legs spin and recover as much as possible.”

Defending champion Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) on her way to a second solo stage win in a row during day 2 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Barclay, a State College local, knows and loves most of the trails in this year’s race.

Defending champion Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) on her way to a second solo stage win in a row during day 2 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Barclay, a State College local, knows and loves most of the trails in this year’s race.

Blanchard had a fantastic day, and it showed in her result, just 2:28 behind Barclay. “I had so much fun today. It was like magic… probably one of the best days I’ve had on the bike this year,” she said. She also plans to ride conservatively in the enduro stage. “Tomorrow I just want to ride clean, minimize the damage, and recover on the climbs. Hopefully I can build on how I felt today and keep it smooth. I have no illusions about trying to do anything on enduro day other than just enjoying it and not killing myself.”

Armstrong, who nabbed second in the 2014 NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic in the Under 25 category, is enjoying her solid third place spot. “We started off well,” she said. “Vicki and I were together for a little bit at the beginning, but then we hit the gravel road and she was gone. Bryna caught me not long afterward, so I just tried to maintain third and saved energy for Tussey Ridge, because two years ago when I did it I died, and today it was perfect.”

Armstrong is a good descender and earned a 60-second time bonus for finishing second overall in today’s enduro sections, so she could be a threat to gain GC time tomorrow with a good performance. However, the New Zealander Bichard continues to dominate the overall women’s enduro competition.

Stage 2 Brief Results

  1. Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women)
  2. Bryna Blanchard (Windham Mountain Outfitters)
  3. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)

General Classification After Stage 2

  1. Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women)
  2. Bryna Blanchard (Windham Mountain Outfitters)
  3. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)

Enduro Stage 2 Brief Results

  1. Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes)
  2. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
  3. Karen Talley Mead (Two Wheel Fixation)

Enduro Classification after Stage 2

  1. Meggie Bichard (Fuji Bikes)
  2. Kaysee Armstrong (Liv)
  3. Karen Talley Mead (Two Wheel Fixation)

Full Results from the Stage Here: Stage-2-Results-0358-PM-stage

The Trails

At 36.9 miles and with 3,921 feet of climbing, the “Queen Stage” came early to the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic this year – it was moved up from its traditional spot as the final day to the second day. Perhaps the most awesome stage of the week, stage 2 combined trails from the myriad of races that have made Rothrock State Forest legendary. The three Julbo/EVOC enduro segments were among the fastest of the week, but rocky singletrack lovers also got their share of awesomeness with the John Wert trail and the always scenic Tussey Ridge trail.

Check out our daily Facebook Live video coverage!

Watch our live video 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.

NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic – Stage 7

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Lindine and Barclay win NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic

Timmerman and Chinburg celebrate victories in final day’s stage 7

 

The last day of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic brought a few more miles and lots of smiles. For the elite men, the final day was shorter, but no less intense, with 26 miles of twisty singletrack for racers to whip through in an effort to grab one of the tightly-contested top spots. Two fun enduro sections offered up the last points for the gravity specialists to grab. Most everyone else decided to celebrate a good week with a nice, relaxed ride in the woods with friends.

Justin Lindine (Competitive Cyclist) and Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) celebrated overall victories in the elite men’s and women’s general classification. Final stage wins went to Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) and Megan Chinburg.

Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) makes a solo push during stage 7 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photos by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) makes a solo push during stage 7 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photos by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Elite men

Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) took advantage of his fifth place in the general classification (GC) to escape for a stage win.

“I was of no consequence in the GC, so I figured the guys would give me a bit of room,” said Timmerman. “And I attacked at a good place. No backpack today. I think that was it. My back was feeling good today!”

Timmerman enjoyed the race and his result. “Great experience overall—there were a few days when I got myself up there, and I’m happy with that,” he said.

Justin Lindine (Competitive Cyclist) fended off an attack by his teammate Payson McElveen to grab the overall NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic win, his second ever. His team worked well together and dominated the podium as a result.

“We rode a great team race all week long. Today, we were one-two coming out of the time trial, Payson and me, and Tristan was in third or fourth, and we got him into third,” said Lindine. “We did smart team tactics all week. Payson unfortunately flatted yesterday, and so I had the leader’s jersey today. We had enough of a gap to have a friendly battle today. It came out perfect, we got 1-2-3 in the general classification. It’s so nice to have the cards to play. Peter [Glassford] had an unfortunate situation trying to battle all three of us. You fight those odds and it’s impossible to win.”

Lindine pointed out that to race hard on this seventh day is asking a lot of already battered bodies. “Today was hard. This day is always like a normal cross country race at the end of some endurance days, so your legs don’t want to do what you want them to do. Between Peter and Payson charging, it was managing the leaks in the ship. It’s pretty awesome to win, it’s a tough week of racing.”

Payson McElveen (Competitive Cyclist), having been in prime position to win for most of the week and then losing time yesterday due to a mechanical, was not willing to give up without a fight.

“I threw everything I could at Justin, but I knew seven minutes was a pretty tall task in 28 miles,” said McElveen. “My plan was to sneak into the singletrack first and hope he’d be a couple riders back, but I went a little too early and he just jumped on my wheel. I went hard for the first 15 minutes and settled in, then hit it hard at halfway. Timmerman threw down a massive attack. I chased him, both Justin and I chased him, but my legs were so sore when I woke up this morning from running yesterday. I was chasing as hard as I could, he had more gas than me though, so I was happy with second.”

About coming so close and then settling for second, McElveen said, “It’s pretty bittersweet. It’ll take some time to fully appreciate, but it’s an improvement from last year. It was everything, having a team. Poor Peter. He didn’t complain a single time, just pulled. Based on how much he could have complained, I was so impressed with his professionalism. Big props to him.”

Peter Glassford (Trek Canada) was the lone man in the lead group, but he nevertheless made a valiant effort to get away, being only a few seconds from third in GC. “It was hard. I didn’t think I’d have a lot today,” said Glassford. “I felt OK, but it’s amazing how fast I went considering how crappy I felt. There were some accelerations but mostly I led. Then on the gravel road, I put in a last-ditch effort on the long climb up through the feed zone, but it got steep fast and I sort of caved in. It came back together, and after that, Tristan and I were really tired. My body said, let’s just enjoy this.”

After the dust settled, Tristan Uhl (Competitive Cyclist) had hung on to his third place. “Today was hard! Started fast. Peter and Payson were pushing the pace from the get-go, but my strategy was to just hang with Peter and hope he couldn’t drop me,” said Uhl. “We both put in some surges, he was tearing my legs off on the long climb but I was able to stay with him, and we came to an unofficial truce at the end. We were ready for it to be over, I think.”

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) makes her way through the heckle pit on her way to winning the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photos by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) makes her way through the heckle pit on her way to winning the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photos by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Elite women

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Women’s Elite Team) has been a favorite to win this race in all four years she’s entered, and at last, today she stood on the top of the podium. Since the women’s standings were fairly spread out, they decided to do a “parade lap” and have some fun.

“Today was definitely a parade! There was a bit of confusion for a bit, since two of the Under 25 riders were going to race, so women in the elite category got nervous that if they went fast enough, it would change the overall GC standings,” said Barclay. “But it turned out that the two had a mishap and were behind anyway. We all got back together at the checkpoint, and it was a proper party pace from there.”

Barclay is happy to bask in glory. “First GC win here! It feels amazing,” she said. “I was a little concerned in the last day that something would happen to my bike and everyone would just ditch me. It’s a party, but inside, everyone is still worried about their times. It was a fun ride with a great group of women. The dynamics this year were good.”

Mical Dyck (Stan’s NoTubes Women’s Elite Team) had the skills to earn second place in both the elite women’s and enduro categories. “It was a fun week, but abusive on the body and bum! It was super nice today doing a parade lap and not having to go for it,” said Dyck.

This was Dyck’s first trip to the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, and she learned some geology. “I knew it would be rocky, that’s what I had heard about the trails out here,” she said. “In Victoria, BC, we have a ton of rocks, but different rocks. We have big rock slabs. But this is constant false flats so you have to pedal through smaller rocks all day. I would definitely challenge it again, I like to suffer.”

Cyclo-crosser Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing) came in third in GC while having a good time at her second stage race. “It was super challenging in a lot of different ways,” said Anthony. “It was such a great event, I’m so glad I was here. I’ve only done one other one, with a lot more people, around 1,200 people, so this is much more close-knit and fun.”

Anthony showed her prowess on the technical sections of the course and earned the top spot for the women in the East Coast Rocks competition.

: Libby White (Colt Training Systems) cuts a line through the brush during stage 7 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photos by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

: Libby White (Colt Training Systems) cuts a line through the brush during stage 7 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photos by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Under 25 men and women

Libby White (Colt Training Systems) was able to hang on through the week to take the overall win for the Under 25 women.

“It’s been exhausting! After day 1, I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep it. I was surprised to get the lead on day 1, but I kind of killed myself,” said White. “Then enduro day came and all these long days, but today we had ourselves a parade stage and finished things out.”

White pointed out that in such a long race, relaxing and socializing can help you focus. “The motivation came from talking to people and making sure I was having fun,” said White. “When you ride this many hours, you have to make sure you’re having fun and are mentally in the game. I usually just picked a pop song for the day. Today was ‘Bad Blood’ by Taylor Swift, so I just keep singing that.”

For the Under 25 men, Drew Dillman (Colt Training Systems) remained just behind Payson McElveen for second place. He also showed his technical skills by winning the King of the East Coast Rocks competition. His teammate Cameron Dodge rounded out the top three.

Enduro overall winner Bryan Fawley (Kodiak Tough) makes his way through the woods at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Photos by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Enduro overall winner Bryan Fawley (Kodiak Tough) makes his way through the woods at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Photos by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Enduro

Sue Haywood (Stan’s NoTubes Women’s Elite Team) has built upon her considerable technical cross country riding skills to transform herself into an enduro specialist, and her NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Enduro win is her first win this season. It’s not necessarily easier than cross country, though.

“Lifestyle enduro is not all fun and games! It’s mostly fun, but you still have to charge every downhill, even the ones you don’t know, so you’re reading them fresh,” said Haywood. “The thing about enduro is you still have to keep yourself together throughout the week. You’re either going to have a mechanical or a crash. It hurt, but I could still go on. No mechanicals, no flat tires, which was great.”

Haywood remains a threat for either category and could take her pick. “I knew enduro would be a possibility,” she said. “This is my first race of the year. I thought I’d have more in the tank for the cross country stuff, but I had nothing. So being able to focus on enduro was awesome. Cody [Phillips] has said this, but you cannot pursue two goals here. You won’t be able to to do top-notch in the GC and the enduro. Mical [Dyck] got second in both, but if she’d focused on enduro, we would have been super tight, and mentally I would have really had to step it up. It’s so taxing, everything, and it’s so hard mentally and with your adrenal glands going crazy, to do both.”

Cody Phillips (Ibis Cycles Enduro Team) was a favorite to grab the elite men’s enduro win, but he just missed out when talented cross country racer Bryan Fawley (Kodiak Tough) decided to focus on this category instead of open men. “I just lost it today by 60 points,” he said. “[Fawley] got me on both of the segments today and we were only separated by 20 points, so that put him in the win by 60 points.”

Phillips was philosophical about his close loss. “I give it all I have and there’s nothing else I can do,” he said. “It’s different from cross country where you can see where people are. So I go out and try to focus and relax. It’s what I’ve been doing for the past few years, so I know how to do it. But he beat me straight up today. I can’t complain! He made it really hard, especially compared to last year. No one was that focused on it last year.”

Some of the credit for the fun enduro sections goes to Phillips, who gave feedback on the course after racing last year. “Getting more people here for enduro was the goal,” he said. “I gave the promoters a lot of input on the course to improve the enduro segments so we have more guys coming from out West to participate. We need to have more downhill to get the big names out here. I think the prize money is enough to bring people out though.”

Special Announcement: Pennsylvania gets new NICA High School League

High school mountain bike racing is coming to Pennsylvania in 2016. At the awards ceremony of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic on Saturday afternoon, organizers announced that the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) has awarded Pennsylvania a new league.

“We started on this effort a year and a half ago, and I’m excited to announce that NICA has accepted our bid,” said Mike Kuhn who submitted the bid for the league in conjunction with Pat Engleman, Mike Bush, Matt Spohn, Lou Mazzante, Todd Strauss, Jason Thomas, Clay Chiles and Bruce Bedell.

Pennsylvania High School Mountain Bike Racing will be conducted each fall, with the first season kicking off in the fall of 2016.

More information on the new league will be forthcoming at Interbike in September. Find the new Pennsylvania League in the meantime on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PASMTB?fref=ts

The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic is made possible with the generous support of great partners like Pactimo, Lupine, Purple Lizard, Klean Kanteen, Dirt Rag, SRAM, Kona, BMC, ProGold, NUUN, Freeze Thaw Cycles and more!

Click Here for full results from Stage 7

Click Here for full GC results following Stage 7

NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Stage 6

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Uhl and Barclay win stage 6 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic

Lindine takes over general classification after McElveen’s mechanical

 

In a race as long and challenging as the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, the only constant is change. On the signature trail of the stage and of the race, Tussey Ridge, the men’s category was shaken up today by a mechanical and will be tightly contested tomorrow. Meanwhile in the women’s race, local knowledge of the rocky course proved decisive.

Tristan Uhl (Competitive Cyclist) and Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) won the elite men’s and women’s categories in stage 6. Justin Lindine (Competitive Cyclist) took over the elite men’s general classification (GC) lead from his teammate Payson McElveen after McElveen had a major mechanical. Barclay successfully defended and extended her lead in the overall elite women’s classification.

Elite men

Tristan Uhl (Competitive Cyclist) grabbed his first stage win today, taking some pressure off his teammates during the stage. He and Peter Glassford (Trek Canada) are now separated by only 12 seconds in third and fourth places in the GC.

“I’m super excited to take the win,” said Uhl. “Peter and I have been duking it out for third place in the general classification, and I kind of took advantage of him having a bad spot on one of the run up/ride ups, and pushed it hard on the second enduro segment to get a gap on everyone. I just decided to keep it rolling on the climb, and I expected to have the guys come back to me. But they didn’t, so I kept it rolling relatively smooth.”

The winning effort cost Uhl dearly. “That last road section never ends,” he said. “I lost my Garmin in the East Coast Rocks section, and I didn’t have a clue how much further I had to go. I knew we had to come back along the fence line, but I forgot how hard it was. The last climb almost killed me. I’m probably going to be hurting tomorrow. I think Peter and I are about tied for time, so it’ll make for a fun last stage.”

Glassford has been working alone toward the front of the race all week, and was rewarded for his efforts today. “I had a good stage today. Tristan beat me but I finished in second, which is my best NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic stage finish so far. I didn’t embarrass myself horribly while Justin [Lindine (Competitive Cyclist)] and Payson [McElveen (Competitive Cyclist)] followed me.”

Glassford used some Canadian style to get an edge on the technical Tussey Mountain ridge trail. “Payton got a flat because I threw a crazy corner on Tussey and they weren’t ready for the ‘Ontario wide-cut’. Then, I just drilled it when I got on the road, just buried myself.”

Despite the lonely struggle as he is here racing without teammates, Glassford has kept a good attitude, which should come in handy tomorrow as he makes a play for third place overall.

“The steep climbs get me,” said Glassford. “But it was good racing, it was fun. It’s tough going against three guys out there. It’s pull until I get attacked, and I keep drilling it. But that’s what I like to do!”

McElveen’s flat turned out to be disastrous. “We had Tristan get away, which was great,” he said. “Peter was pulling and Justin and I were sitting on. Then I punctured big time on Tussey Ridge, just a massive tear. We can’t take tires off the rim without basically a car tire lever.”

“Justin was kind enough to stop and help me, and we tried as hard as we could to break the bead but we couldn’t,” said McElveen. “I finally just started to ride the rim, and at the end of Tussey Ridge, the whole wheel exploded, which was predictable. Then I just started running. I have a very large blister on my right foot now. I ran for a long time, it felt like forever.”

McElveen switched out his wheel at the last aid station and chased as hard as he could. “I figured the race is probably over for me now, but you never know. And if I don’t try… well, I might as well try.” McElveen dropped to second place in GC with six minutes over third.

McElveen’s teammate and close competitor Lindine had a relatively uneventful day, always a good thing, and it landed him in the race leader’s jersey.

“It was going really well,” said Lindine. “I like a lot of the trails on this stage, and it’s broken up nicely. We had a super aggressive first 45 minutes and split it into the smaller group of the four of us. Tristan was able to get away on the first enduro section, which was perfect, and Peter got a bit gapped off, so Payson and I sat up. We were like, ‘Sorry, man, this is the job we have to do.’ Peter has spent the most time on the front of anyone in the race.”

When McElveen’s tire blew, Lindine went above and beyond to help his teammate. “We were riding across Tussey when Payson flatted,” he said. “I stopped, we tried to fix it, it wasn’t going well. It’s not ideal. No one wants to take the jersey that way. I know as well as anyone that this race can come down to mechanicals and luck. I don’t know what the clock is going to say, but we’ll see how it plays out.”

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) heads off the road and onto a section of singletrack in stage 6 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.Photos by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) heads off the road and onto a section of singletrack in stage 6 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.Photos by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Elite women

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women), a State College local, was unable to use her usual strategy of hanging out with the guys today, but she got help from Selene Yeager (Rare Disease Cycling) as well as her teammate Mical Dyck (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women).

“Selene helped me big time in the start,” said Barclay. “I missed the train of lead guys and I was like, ‘What am I going to do? Hammer at three miles in?’ But Selene was so nice. Then Mical caught us so we all worked together on the road. She was tired on the climbs, but I was trying to help her stay in second place. And we were working with the singlespeeders as well!”

Barclay’s lead of 17 minutes seems solid, but she knows better than most that things can go sideways at any moment. “Everything is so dry! You could definitely slide out,” she said. “I had the slight advantage on the ridge because I ride it all the time. Sometimes I can’t clean it, but today I cleaned all the sections.” [If you’ve never seen the Tussey Ridge Trail, cleaning it is an amazing feat!]

Yeager seems to have raced herself into recovery and was feeling much better than earlier in the week, so she used her mojo to help Barclay along. “Vicki was in front all of the day except for 15 seconds when I pulled her,” she said. “But I knew she would go. I was using her trail knowledge and following her. I could see her for most of the day. I kind of wanted to get her at the end, but I slid out on a bunch of gravel trying to accelerate.”

“I knew I wasn’t going to get her, but this is the best I’ve felt on this day,” said Yeager. “I wasn’t going to make up 20 minutes on Vicki today, so I wanted to help her.”

Under 25 men and women

Payson McElveen nearly got his usual top Under 25 spot nabbed from him by Lewis Gaffney (Colt Training Systems), who came in just 27 seconds later. A new name rounded out the top three Under 25 men, Cameron Dodge, also of Colt Training Systems.

Libby White (Colt Training Systems) continued to build an impressive lead with another win today, with Samantha Runnels (Colt Training Systems) not far behind. Emily Shields (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) came in a solid third.

Announcement coming

Look for a big announcement relating to the future of the sport coming out at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic on Saturday.

The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic is made possible with the generous support of great partners like Pactimo, Lupine, Purple Lizard, Klean Kanteen, Dirt Rag, SRAM, Kona, BMC, ProGold, NUUN, Freeze Thaw Cycles and more!

Click Here for results from Stage 6

Click Here for GC results following Stage 6

Trans-Sylvania Epic Stage 5

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McElveen and Anthony win stage 5 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic

McElveen and Barclay defend their leads in overall classification

Today’s stage started at R.B. Winter State Park, after a drive along a pastoral valley road complete with Amish buggies. In past editions of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, this stage has served up arduous singletrack sections and heartbreaking climbs, but this year’s course was smoother and more forgiving, thanks to some route changes and lots of trail work.

Payson McElveen (Competitive Cyclist) and Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing) won the elite men’s and women’s categories while McElveen and Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) successfully defended their respective leads in the overall elite classifications.

Cody Kaiser (Colt Training Systems) splashes through a wet section of trail at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.Photos by Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Cody Kaiser (Colt Training Systems) splashes through a wet section of trail at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.Photos by Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

 

Elite men

Payson McElveen (Competitive Cyclist) added slightly less than one minute of time to his lead over teammate Justin Lindine.

“It was a solid day,” said McElveen. “This stage always makes me nervous because it’s more raw than the others, so I first and foremost wanted to come into today and defend the lead and get a bit more time if I could.”

Experience at this race helped McElveen’s strategy. “I remembered how the race played out last year. There’s a steep singletrack bit after a steep dirt road, and I remembered that singletrack being selective last year, so I jumped in and hit it, and got a gap on Justin. I did the following enduro section as fast as I could while still being safe. The hard part was the hard drag of 10-12 minutes on dirt road. Last year, Jeremiah Bishop was the one causing pain and got about 10 seconds on me on that road, and I went deep in the pain cave to bridge back up.”

McElveen and Lindine are separated by just under four minutes in the general classification, and the two have 16 minutes on the third-place GC rider, Peter Glassford (Trek Canada). “Justin and I went one-two again, and that’s the best scenario,” said McElveen.

Glassford’s strategy today was part sprinting, part styling. “I just wanted to get my Trek Superfly to the road gap jump as fast as I could,” he said. “Since I am outnumbered in the lead group, I have been basically pulling pretty hard and trying to keep myself out of trouble until attacks start, then hoping that one or all of them drop off, and I end up in a decent spot. I was psyched to get some time on Tristan [Uhl] today and even more psyched to hit the road gap with a strong whip this year.”

Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing) blasts through the trees at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photos by Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing) blasts through the trees at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photos by Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Elite women

Once again, Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women) separated herself from her fellow female racers early and rode with the elite men. Her strategy didn’t get her the win today, however.

“I went off pretty hard with the lead men and was hanging on their train,” said Barclay. “I led the race until the first piece of singletrack after the aid station, the East Coast Rocks section, and I came out of there and looked behind me and saw [my teammate] Mical [Dyck].”

Barclay got a gap on Dyck, but Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing) eventually bridged up. Barclay and Anthony rode together for a section until they started to climb.

“She attacked and I thought it was a really long climb [like last year] and I was hurting,” said Barclay. “But then we went left into singletrack! I could see her all the way until the last hike-a-bike section, she was right there, but she got back and put in a gap on me on the road.”

Barclay said she’s not worried about finishing second to Anthony on the day because she has a lot of time on the GC. “But the cyclo-cross queen we all know and love put some power down today!” said Barclay of her top rival.

Anthony showed that ‘cross techniques can translate to longer races as well. “I have now learned my lesson this week and rode my own race at the start, just tried to keep Mical in sight on that first climb but didn’t try to chase her down,” she said.

“I just rode my own pace and got Mical on the first enduro section, was riding with her for a while and was starting to feel good,” said Anthony. “Then, after the East Coast Rocks section, I started seeing Vicki, and caught her and we rode together for a while. On the road, I didn’t really mean to attack, I just stood up, realized I was getting a gap, and thought the top of the hill was coming up. I was like, ‘What am I doing?!’ But I rode as hard as I could to stay away.”

Under 25 men and women

Emily Shields (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women) had the fastest Under 25 women’s time today, good enough for sixth among the elite women. But Shields has a big chunk of time to make up if she wants to catch U25 GC leader Libby White (Colt Training Systems).

White was third on the day, behind Samantha Runnels (Colt Training Systems). “I’ve been OK, but my bike seems to not be able to be held together, but we’ve gotten through. I’m having so much fun doing this though. It’s my first mountain bike stage race ever.”

White and other young riders have been using this week as a fun training camp to get in tune for the rest of the season. “I’ve been doing a lot of long hours training, but it’s about drinking water, having fun, and not taking it too seriously. This is getting me ready for a fun summer of racing!”

While Payson McElveen continues to be counted with the elite men, some of the other Under 25 men are not far behind. Drew Dillman (Colt Training Systems) had a second-place overall time today, just four minutes off McElveen.

Announcement coming

Look for a big announcement coming out at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic on Saturday.

The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic is made possible with the generous support of great partners like Pactimo, Lupine, Purple Lizard, Klean Kanteen, Dirt Rag, SRAM, Kona, BMC, ProGold, NUUN, Freeze Thaw Cycles and more!

Click Here for full results from stage 5

Click Here for GC results following stage 5

Trans-Sylvania Epic Stage 4

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Timmerman and Barclay win stage 4 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic

McElveen and Barclay defend their leads in overall classification

 

Today’s stage 4 is considered the “road” stage of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, but in the wilds of central Pennsylvania, that means surfaces ranging from gravel to chunky doubletrack bracketed by sections of twisty, rocky singletrack. Nevertheless, there was plenty of roadie-style peloton action complete with strong attacks from the start.

Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) and Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) won the elite men’s and women’s categories while Payson McElveen (Competitive Cyclist) and Barclay successfully defended their respective leads in the overall elite classifications.

The lead breakaway early on in stage 4 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

The lead breakaway early on in stage 4 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Elite men

After nearly three hours of intense effort, the men’s race came down to a photo finish: Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) got his first stage win, with Competitive Cyclist teammates and general classification leaders Payson McElveen and Justin Lindine plus early attacker Peter Glassford (Trek Canada) rounding out the lead group.

Glassford set a fast pace early and was pleased with the result. “I’m rarely going to win in a sprint, so I started sprinting four miles out,” he said. “I was out front for a while and that let me ride the second enduro section alone, which was good.”

“Then, it was just the lead guys, which is a little nicer not having to fight for position, since everyone is a solid rider,” said Glassford. “I just tried to drive the pace every time I could on the climbs so everyone was a little more fatigued coming into the sprint, and I think it worked. Last year, I was blown on the last climb, but this year, I was right there with the guys.”

Stage winner Timmerman enjoyed the lack of rocks on much of today’s route. “It was a much better day for me, that’s for sure,” he said. “I pretty much perpetually have back problems. The technical stuff hurts it, so today was better for me.”

Timmerman made the finish extra exciting by nearly taking out the timing table. “I didn’t know what to expect for the finish — if we had a loop or we’d go straight in — but we went straight in, so I just went for it. I didn’t really think about it. I saw the banner and I went. I wanted to be close to the timing thing, to make sure my chip read.”

After four days of racing, McElveen and Lindine remain within three minutes of one another on GC.

Lindine engaged in a bit of psychological strategy against his teammate. “Justin said it couldn’t possibly rain today, and wouldn’t it suck if it was wet — then it rained,” said McElveen. “But those dirt roads were awesome, those roads were beautiful.”

Lindine admitted he liked the wet conditions, too. “The rain was awesome!”

Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) leads a group through an enduro segment at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) leads a group through an enduro segment at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Elite women

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) had a great day, and was the only woman to bridge up to the train of elite men, gaining 5:30 on the next female finisher in the process.

“It is so great to feel strong every day,” said Barclay. “Today, I was conscious at the start of not getting out of the saddle and trying to drill it up the hill with the guys, just trying to stay in the saddle and stay with them, not blowing five matches on the first climb. I was with them, and Mical [Dyck (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team)] was there, and I could see her out of the saddle, but I thought I’d play it safe. And she blew up a little when I passed her, so then I put in a dig to try to catch that group of men.”

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) passes Russel Henderson (Crosstown Velo) on an enduro segment at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) passes Russel Henderson (Crosstown Velo) on an enduro segment at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Although they are teammates, Barclay explained that she and Dyck are both gunning for the win. “Mical and I are first and second and both of us want to win, so it’s hard to have team tactics or team dynamics now — it’s every woman for herself,” she said. “But no one is that safe just now in the general classification.”

Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing) kept her head despite some difficulty and earned second on the day. “The week has been up and down, but today was good. I learned on the second day that I have to ride my own race and ride where my fitness is,” she said.

“I got popped off the back today but I kept with it — it’s a long stage,” said Anthony, who dropped back to fourth for a bit, but kept Selene Yeager (Rare Disease Cycling) in sight, and by the last climb, had gotten around her. “Then Mical was visible ahead, and I got past her on the last climb and rode like hell to stay ahead on the final bit. It was a good stage!”

Dyck hung in there for third place. “My day was hard! I felt good for about 20 minutes and then my legs were empty,” she said. “It was a lot of road, and nothing super steep, but they went on forever so you had to put constant power down. There was a lot of mental battle today. You’re moving fast, but it’s still a lot of distance to cover.”

When Yeager shows up for the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, she is typically a threat to win, but this year she’s coming off a huge effort. Yeager joined the Gu Energy Labs team to ride the entire Tour of California stage race course — 700 miles, 43,000 feet of climbing — the week before the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.

“I’m going to be 100 percent honest. I woke up this morning, stepped outside and burst into tears. I’m so mentally tired,” said Yeager. “But I really like this stage, so I went out, rode around, and it was a beautiful morning. I just keep head-checking myself — this isn’t the end of the world, it’s just a bike race, and if I do good, great, and if I don’t, it’s OK. It’s taking more work to put myself in a good place in the morning, but once the race is on, I find that good place. I’m enjoying the race.” Yeager’s good attitude carried her into fourth place for today’s stage.

Under 25 men and women

Besides the ever-present Payson McElveen at the top of the young rider results, Lewis Gaffney and Drew Dillman (both of Colt Training Systems) were again second and third on the day. Gaffney had an especially good result, just seconds behind the top five elite men.

Colt Training Systems young riders are clearly dominant in the women’s race as well as the men’s field. Today, it was Samantha Runnels taking the top Under 25 women’s time, with teammate Libby White not far behind. Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s rider Emily Shields rounded out the top three. Yesterday’s winner Ellen Noble did not have a good day, but remains in fourth in the GC for Under 25 women.

The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic presented is made possible with the generous support of great partners like Pactimo, Lupine, Purple Lizard, Klean Kanteen, Dirt Rag, SRAM, Kona, BMC, ProGold, NUUN, Freeze Thaw Cycles and more!

Click Here for full results from stage 4

Click Here for GC results following stage 4

Trans-Sylvania Epic Stage 3

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Lindine and Haywood win stage 3 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic

McElveen and Barclay defend their leads in overall classification

Today’s stage 3, the Galbraith Enduro, is a crowd-pleaser for both participants and spectators at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race. Five enduro segments of classic East Coast singletrack, each steeper and rockier than the last, tested racers’ ability to flow like water — or at least to remain upright and live to fight another day.

Justin Lindine (Competitive Cyclist) and Sue Haywood (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) won the elite men’s and women’s stage while Payson McElveen (Competitive Cyclist) and Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) successfully maintained their leads in the overall classification.

Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) rides during the enduro stage at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) rides during the enduro stage at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Elite men

One wouldn’t think that cyclo-cross skills would necessarily translate to enduro, but Justin Lindine (Competitive Cyclist) shows it’s possible. He won the day with an impressive time of 17:35.

“Last year, I think I ended up further back in the group at the start. I’ve always done this stage further back than I wanted to be, so it was nice to be in the front early to have the sections clean,” said Lindine.

“Payson [McElveen], Tristan [Uhl], Peter [Glassford] and I were kind of a little group. We hit the timed sections first and pretty much hit them in line, and it was really good. I led through most of them, and it was a way for my teammates and I to make sure nothing catastrophic happened to us… And it was nice to have company.”

Lindine proved his good result in the enduro stage last year wasn’t a fluke. “Last year was surprising, I was second in the stage. I knew I was trying hard but I didn’t know I was trying that hard,” he said.

“And there were only 10 seconds to first. So it’s cool to go out and surprise everyone a bit, you know, cross country riders can descend, too. Makes me want to try enduro racing. It’s tricky. Out here, it’s risk-versus-reward descending. You break stuff more often, you flat more often, but I enjoy it. You switch your brain off and just go.”

Lindine’s teammate Tristan Uhl followed his lead to earn second on the day with a time of 18:13.

Payson McElveen hung on to the Competitive Cyclist train and didn’t lose too much GC time.

“It’s good to get out front a bit on this stage and not be waiting in line at the top of the segments,” said McElveen. “We’re all pretty good friends, so we decided to roll the climbs together and pretty much stuck together on the descents.”

“Both Tristan Uhl and Justin Lindine are more confident descenders than I am, so I was taking it a bit more conservatively, just because I have the lead and I want to take care of that lead, while they were trying to make up a bit of that time. But Justin is a great descender so I think I lost a bit of time to him today. It was a balance working as a team to get down safely while all of us were trying to do good times.”

Sue Haywood (NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) shreds the enduro segments on her way to winning the enduro stage at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Sue Haywood (NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) shreds the enduro segments on her way to winning the enduro stage at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Elite women

Cross country legend Sue Haywood (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) has been focusing on enduro lately, and it showed today in her first-place performance.

“If there was any stage that I would have the chance of winning, it would be this one,” said Haywood. “But with enduro, you know how people say in bike racing anything can happen? Enduro is even more like that. You have a lot of expectations but it’s so easy to mess up. You always try, though!”

The Stan’s NoTubes women dominated the top half of the results, but Haywood attributed that to camaraderie more than planning. “I don’t think riding together was any kind of strategy. Some people ride faster because they’re able; they’re a lot faster up the hills. The open men were done so quickly! Their day is much shorter,” she said.

“It’s always more fun in this stage to ride with friends. You want to be with people you like,” said Haywood. The NoTubes women did coordinate their outfits — they all donned baggy shorts for this stage.

Haywood said that it’s back to work on the next stage. “Tomorrow is an important day for the women—different people have different strengths, so we’ll see.”

Currently sitting in second place in the general classification, Mical Dyck (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) earned second on today’s stage as well.

“We all rode together for the stage, Vicki [Barclay, Stan’s NoTubes], Crystal [Anthony, Riverside Racing] and Sue [Haywood]. We didn’t hammer up the road, we took it easy going to the first stage,” said Dyck.

About the team kit coordination, Dyck said, “Baggies make me feel cooler!”

Dyck also enjoyed her first go at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic’s enduro day. “I really liked the third and fifth segments,” she said. “I really liked five. I got held up at the end, in the big rock section. Racing—always better than working!”

Vicki Barclay had a good enduro day as well and hung on to her top spot in the general classification.

Aaron Albright (Trans-Sylvania Epic/NoTubes) descends the rocky Wildcat Trail in the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Aaron Albright (Trans-Sylvania Epic/NoTubes) descends the rocky Wildcat Trail in the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race. Photo by: Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Under 25 men and women

The youngsters showed everyone else how to ride enduro. Ellen Noble (Competitive Cyclist) had a stellar day, taking third place in the elite women’s field. She’s currently in sixth place in the general classification. Emily Shields (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team), last year’s Under 25 women’s winner, also did well, with a seventh place finish.

Cody Phillips, an enduro specialist with the Ibis Cycles Enduro Team, broke into the top three of the elite men’s field. Scott Smith (JAM Fund/NCC/Vittoria), racing on an Epic team, was not far behind him, with a time that would have been good enough to crack the top five elite men. Aaron Albright (NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic) earned fifth place just ahead of men’s overall leader Payson McElveen.

The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic presented is made possible with the generous support of great partners like Pactimo, Lupine, Purple Lizard, Klean Kanteen, Dirt Rag, SRAM, Kona, BMC, ProGold, NUUN, Freeze Thaw Cycles and more!

Click Here for full results from Stage 3

Click Here for full GC results following Stage 3

Trans-Sylvania Epic Stage 2

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McElveen and Barclay win stage 2 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic

Both riders lead overall classification

The forested hills of central Pennsylvania hide steep climbs and rocky singletrack that can make for an interesting race. Stage 2 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic is widely considered the toughest of the week, covering 37.5 miles and 5,892 feet of climbing. Despite the lengthy sections of technical trail through the Cooper’s Gap area, team tactics played a role in the results today.

Payson McElveen (Competitive Cyclist) won the elite men’s stage 2 and defended his yellow leader’s jersey while Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) won the elite women’s stage 2 and took over the race lead from Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing).

Payson McElveen (Competitive Cyclist) leads through an early section of singletrack in stage 2 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Payson McElveen (Competitive Cyclist) leads through an early section of singletrack in stage 2 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Elite men

Once again, Under 25 rider Payson McElveen (Competitive Cyclist) was also the winning elite man for the day. He stuck with his teammates Justin Lindine and Tristan Uhl, then made his move in one of the East Coast Rocks timed sections.

“Today I just went in wanting to feel it out, play it a little more conservatively,” said McElveen. “We have a strong team with good numbers, there are three of us in the elite category.”

“I got the holeshot into the singletrack to stay out of trouble and just rode my own pace,” said McElveen. “We ended up getting away – myself, Justin Lindine, Dan Timmerman [Riverside Racing] and Tristan Uhl – so it was three of us and one from another team. Justin set a good tempo and we pulled away, then about halfway through I pulled away from him. Eventually I got away on the last East Coast Rocks section and tried to ride a tempo that was hard but not destroying myself, since we still have a lot more racing.”

Lindine is a five-year veteran of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, but it is his first time here with teammates on hand. It helped, at least for a while.

“This is, in my opinion, one of the harder stages of the week. It’s long and it has so many dragging climbs where you’re putting out a ton of effort but you’re going six miles an hour,” said Lindine. “Payson was smashing it all day, and we got away. For a while, it was a nice symbiotic thing where I was faster on descents and he was faster on climbs, but that game stopped working for me… There was not enough down to the up today!”

Nevertheless, Lindine was positive about the day. “It’s nice to have many cards to play with the team. We put a pretty good chunk of time in today over everyone and that gives us a good cushion for the week.”

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) picks her way up a steep singletrack climb in the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) picks her way up a steep singletrack climb in the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Elite women

NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic veteran Vicki Barclay (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) showed her prowess on rocky singletrack and put in solid work on the first long day of the race.

“The course was great. I have such an advantage since I live here,” said Barclay. “The first section was a lot of road and Mical Dyck and Crystal Anthony are just powerhouses on the road from cyclo-cross. They’re amazing. I decided I was going to keep them in sight and if they got ahead on the road, so be it. Mical got into the singletrack first, then Crystal, then me, which I was totally happy with so I could catch my breath. I knew there was a hike-a-bike so there was no point in panicking.”

From there, Barclay’s local knowledge came into play. “Crystal missed a turn, and so I got in front of her there. Mical was just ahead of me with a group of guys, but then I caught up and felt like the group was going too slow. Then, she dabbed in the rock garden and I went around her and never saw her again. I tried to ride consistently and not do anything stupid. I had an incident with a tree… whenever I lose focus and start thinking about life, I hit a tree. So I had to get back to race mode.”

First-time NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic racer Mical Dyck (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) had good things to say about her experience, despite the day’s difficulty.

“My day was interesting,” said Dyck. “This was a lot of pedaling today, so I was in survival mode for three hours. I just wanted to stop pedaling for a few minutes! It was hard. This is my first time doing this race. I’m going to suffer, I think, but I’m so excited about checking out new trails.”

A rider makes his way across a wooden bridge in the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

A rider makes his way across a wooden bridge in the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Photo by Trans-Sylvania Epic Media Team

Under 25 men and women

Last year, Payson McElveen had the third fastest general classification time overall for the men as an Epic Team participant and Under 25 rider. This year it looks like two young riders are following in his footsteps, with finishes good enough to place in the top five. Drew Dillman and Lewis Gaffney, both on the Colt Training Systems Red Team and racing the Epic Team format, finished in 3:12:49 and 3:13:32, respectively.

Libby White (Colt Training Systems Blue Team) is racing her first NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, but her experience racing elite cyclo-cross has obviously helped, as she’s currently leading the Under 25 women. Ellen Noble (Competitive Cyclist) is right behind her, coming off a third-place U25 win at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic last year followed by a stellar season in mountain bike and cyclo-cross racing.

The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic presented is made possible with the generous support of great partners like Pactimo, Lupine, Purple Lizard, Klean Kanteen, Dirt Rag, SRAM, Kona, BMC, ProGold, NUUN, Freeze Thaw Cycles and more!

Click Here for results from Stage 2

Click Here for GC Results after Stage 2

McElveen and Anthony win stage 1 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic

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Both Riders Become First Leaders in the Overall Classification

Beautiful, dry weather set the stage for a lightning-fast opening day at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic in State College, Pennsylvania on Sunday. The 15-mile individual time trial prologue course wound around the picturesque base camp and included three special timed sections, two enduro segments and a small taste of the “East Coast Rocks” singletrack to come.

At the end of the day, Payson McElveen (Competitive Cyclist) and Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing) were in yellow, after they took the elite men’s and women’s stage 1 victories.

Elite men

Today’s elite men’s winner also happens to be the Under 25 leader Payson McElveen (Competitive Cyclist). He was quite pleased with his result, a super-fast 1:04:08.

“It was good. I didn’t actually expect to win today! Last year, this was my weakest stage,” said McElveen. “I thought I might lose a little bit of time, and I was prepared to not be worried about that, so it was a nice surprise to come out with the leader’s jersey.”

McElveen spoke a bit about strategy for the rest of the week. “I think we’ll let the races dictate what team tactics Justin [Lindine] and I will use. I’m not going to do any dirty attacks or passes on him, and I think the same goes for him. And if the opportunity presents itself, we’ll definitely work together. And our other teammate, Tristan Uhl, is sitting in fourth now, too. It’s just about settling in now.”

McElveen’s teammate Lindine was only 30 seconds back, despite suffering a flat. “It was good—I flatted going down the first enduro section, and it sealed with about seven pounds of air in the tire. It was OK on the road, but the last section with all of the twists and turns was pretty hard because it kept folding over.”

Lindine also flatted in last year’s time trial prologue but with much worse results, so he has reason to be optimistic. “It was a good day, though, I felt good—I’m excited, and relatively, that’s not a bad day here, compared to what’s happened here in the past for me. I’ve had some good races this season, and everything is pointing towards me doing well, so hopefully I can keep the bike going this week.”

Elite women

Cyclo-cross pro Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing) is off to a good start at her first NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, with a blazing time of 1:16:20.

“It was a lot of anticipation building up to today. I just wanted to get out there and burn off some nervous energy,” said Anthony. “It was hot, and it was hard, with a lot of climbing… I usually like climbing, but I was suffering. I was really happy with how it went, though.”

Anthony is looking forward to tackling the technical sections coming up in tomorrow’s stage 2. “I had fun today—I liked the rocks! I’m on a full suspension and it’s awesome for this terrain. I think I’ll be happy by the time the week is over.”

The Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team was close behind, with Mical Dyck 1:24 back in second place and local favorite Vicki Barclay just 24 seconds behind Dyck.

This short-and-fast stage 1 time trial isn’t Barclay’s favorite, but she had a good showing regardless. “It was hard, as usual! I just got really thirsty towards the end, even though it was average temperature,” she said. “I’m not really a time trial person – with 30 seconds behind and 30 seconds in front of you. And because they started us alphabetically, I had to chase the cyclo-cross queen Crystal Anthony.I could see her for half the race, but then she was gone in the road sections.”

The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic presented is made possible with the generous support of great partners like Pactimo, Lupine, Purple Lizard, Klean Kanteen, Dirt Rag, SRAM, Kona, BMC, ProGold, NUUN, Freeze Thaw Cycles and more!

Click Here for view full results from stage 1

Lindine and Yeager Target Victory at NoTubes TSEpic

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Past Winner Faces Talented Elite Men’s Line-up at Mountain Bike Stage Race

 

The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic (TSEpic) is attracting a talented field of top riders from all over North America to compete during seven days of mountain bike racing from May 24 to May 30, 2015 near State College, Pennsylvania. They’ll be taking part in a race, which many riders affectionately call “Singletrack Summer Camp”.

As the overall race winner in 2013, Justin Lindine (Competitive Cyclist) of Ogden, Utah tops the list of favorites in the elite men’s race.

“The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic is great for a lot of reasons, but the biggest is the communal atmosphere around camp,” said Lindine, who will be competing in the race for the fifth time “It will be another excellent week with friends while doing some awesome racing.”

Lindine is especially excited to be lining up for the start with several of his Competitive Cyclist teammates, including Payson McElveen and Tristan Uhl, and he knows from past experience just what it takes to win.

“Making it through the whole week with good luck, no mechanicals and staying healthy is key,” said Lindine, who has also won the True Grit 50-miler and the Wilmington Whiteface 100km. “It’s a hard week of racing, and the fatigue gets to you, so recovering as well as possible and keeping the bikes running are some of the most important things to do.”

Although he’s Lindine’s teammate, McElveen may prove to be one of Lindine’s toughest challengers. Last year’s NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic Under 25 winner would have finished third overall among the elite men if he had been scored in that category. The Durango, Colorado rider even beat all the elite men in one of the stages.

Payson McElveen will be challenging for the win at TSEpic 2015. Photo by: A.E. Landes Photography / aelandesphotography.com

Payson McElveen will be challenging for the win at TSEpic 2015. Photo by: A.E. Landes Photography / aelandesphotography.com

“I’m looking forward to the fight! The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic’s terrain suits me well, and I’m going to give it my all for seven days straight,” said McElveen. “For me, the most challenging part is digging deep through the fatigue that builds up day after day to perform mentally and physically when tired. By stage 7 last year, my body was very ready to be done, and my heart rate was barely climbing above endurance-zone riding.”

No one knows quite what to expect from another contender, Dan Timmerman (Riverside Racing) of Ithaca, New York. The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic newbie is a cyclo-cross specialist, currently ranked fifth among the US elite men. He stepped onto 11 UCI podiums during the 2014-2015 cyclo-cross season and was fifth at the 2015 US Cyclo-Cross National Championships in January.

“I am now focusing on mountain bike events through the spring and summer, which marks a return to my roots in the 1990s during mountain biking’s heyday,” said Timmerman, who finished third in the 2014 Hampshire 100, a 100-mile mountain bike race and also won the 2013 Bearscat 50.

The cyclo-cross star is just one year past a surgery he underwent to address a common cycling injury to the left iliac artery, which had been causing him premature fatigue and “dead leg” syndrome.

“There is so much to look forward to at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic,” said Timmerman. “Foremost is probably the scenery and the experience I will have essentially living for a week in such an amazing area. Mix that in with how great the trails there are and such a high level of competition.”

Known for his superior descending skills, Bryan Fawley (Kodiak Tough) of Texas will return to the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic after several years away. He plans to contest both the overall classification and the enduro classification, at least until a few days into the race, when he may decide to focus on one over the other, depending on how it’s going.

“I can’t wait to race on the variety of sections that make up the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic,” said Fawley. “To me, it’s a rider who can adjust under all conditions that will prevail.”

Two other top contenders to watch are State College, Pennsylvania local Aaron Snyder (7 Mountains) and Collingwood, Ontario’s Peter Glassford (Trek Canada), who is the top returning finisher from 2014, when he was sixth overall.

“The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic is special because it caters to so many different styles of participation,” said Glassford, who is the Canadian record holder at the Leadville 100 and two-time winner of the Crank the Shield three-day mountain bike stage race. “I describe it as seven mornings of fun and hard bike riding followed by afternoons hanging out at summer camp. The variety of stage types, terrains and durations help make the week great.”

The Canadian favorite expects the most challenging stage to be the second one, but hopes that bringing a full suspension this year will help him toward a more successful experience over Pennsylvania’s unrelenting, rocky singletrack.

Selene Yeager is a veteran of the TSEpic. Photo by: A.E. Landes Photography / aelandesphotography.com

Selene Yeager is a veteran of the TSEpic. Photo by: A.E. Landes Photography / aelandesphotography.com

Elite Women’s Field Expected at the 2015 Trans-Sylvania Epic

The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic is again drawing a top notch field of women to race its seven-day mountain bike stage race from May 24 to May 30, 2015. Some of the fastest female endurance mountain bike racers will converge near State College, Pennsylvania for a race many affectionately call “Singletrack Summer Camp”.

Winner of the 2010 edition, Selene Yeager (Rare Disease Cycling) of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, returns as the top favorite. She’ll face a trio of accomplished pro riders from the Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team, including State College local Vicki Barclay, Mical Dyck of Canada and Sue Haywood of Davis, West Virginia.

“At the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, there’s a camaraderie between racers you just don’t see at most big events. It makes it really special,” said Yeager. “I just love the vibe at camp.”

Yeager admits that she’s not one for repeating races, but she keeps coming back to the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. “Gearing back up each day knowing what I’m in for can take some mental wrangling, but it’s always great once the gun goes off,” said Yeager, who was second at the 2011 edition of the race and third in 2014. She has won other major stage races in Brazil and Colorado.

Vicki Barclay and her NoTubes teammates will be a dominant force at TSEpic 2015. Photo by: A.E. Landes Photography / aelandesphotography.com

Vicki Barclay and her NoTubes teammates will be a dominant force at TSEpic 2015. Photo by: A.E. Landes Photography / aelandesphotography.com

As a local rider, Barclay brings detailed knowledge of each trail with her to the race. Although she has done the race several times, she has yet to win. Her best finish was second in 2014.

“From a personal perspective, I just love this race and all the ups and downs of feelings and emotions that the race brings out of you over the seven days. And being a hometown race makes it extra special,” said Barclay.

“Since I live in State College and ride here every day, I always love to see people’s first reaction to the riding here; they are often amazed by the rawness and interesting features of the trails in Pennsylvania. And in fact, keeping your bike and body working every day is always the biggest challenge.”

Haywood is another a returning NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic race veteran, having finished second in 2012 and 2013 and fourth in 2011.

“I’m looking forward to seven days of hard riding in a row. When in real life do you get to do that?” said Haywood, a former national champion. “I can’t wait to see if my teammate, Vicki Barclay, can finally win this thing. She is in fine form this year and knows every inch of the course.”

Haywood expects the toughest stages to be the opening time trial and the final day.

It’s hard to predict the performance of several other top contenders who are elite pro riders making their first trip to the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic.

Cyclo-cross racer Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing) of Beverly, Massachusetts is curious to see just how tough the terrain is.

“It’ll be my first time doing the race, so racing on unknown trails and on terrain that differs from what I’m used to riding will be the most challenging aspect of the course,” said Anthony, who finished fifth at US Cyclo-Cross Nationals earlier this year. “I competed in the TransAlp mountain bike stage race a couple summers ago, so I am familiar with a stage race format and the demands of racing day after day.”

“I’ve heard only great things about both the course and the experience of doing the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic, so I’m looking forward to both! It’s a real treat to be able to compete in a challenging stage race within driving distance from where I live.”

Pro mountain biker Megan Chinburg is making the trip to Pennsylvania from Portland, Oregon.

“I think the biggest challenge will be riding and racing alone. I’ll be there without a team, partner or other racers that I know,” said Chinburg, who has competed in two other stage races in Italy and Poland.

“I’m looking forward to the day that’s all about enduro,” said Chinburg. “While I’m not a gravity racer, I enjoy the format and think it could be a fun addition to the daily stages.”

Both Emily Shields (Stan’s NoTubes Elite Women’s Team) and Ellen Noble (Competitive Cyclist) will not only be competing for the win in the under 25 classification, but they will also be mixing it up with the older, elite women.

Last year, Shields of Winston Salem, North Carolina, finished sixth overall among the elite women and was the top under 25 rider.

“I know ahead of time how tiring and challenging the week will be, yet I will also be better prepared after learning from last year’s mistakes,” said Shields who is the current Division 1 US Collegiate Cyclo-cross National Champion. “It’ll be great to race with my new teammates, and the race is close enough to home that both of my parents can come support me.”

Noble, who hails from Kennebunkport, Maine, was the third fastest Under 25 woman in 2014.

“I can’t wait to ride some of the most fun trails ever for the second year in a row!” said Noble. “The NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic is such a good race because it draws a stacked field; there are so many talented young racers; and it’s crazy fun. I love this race, and it’s transformed the way I ride.”