Bumpin Elbows

WORS season is officially underway and the first race of the year is now in the record books.  Yesterday was the Iola Bump & Jump and I finished 2nd after a tight battle with Cole House.

I chose to ride the Superfly SL Pro hardtail. I think it was the perfect bike...super fast for all the punchy climbs at Iola.  My skills in the tight & twisty singletrack were definitely a little rusty.  After talking w/ Cole post race I think it was my tire selection and too much tire pressure that was making me a little shaky in the singletrack.  Cole was ripping on a big 2.35 knobby front tire and I was being a weight weenie and running a low rolling 2.0...great for the climbs, but maybe not the best combo of tire/hardtail for the bumpy singletrack.

Cole launched off of the start line and a solid group of contenders lead by Tristan chased the first lap.  Starting lap 2 Cole had a 20 second gap so I went to the front and hit the throttle a little.  I caused a separation and closed the gap down to only 5 seconds.  RACC team mate Corey Stelljes finished up the chase and the race was down to 4 of us.

I struggled a little on lap 2 w/ the slower pace, so I decided it was really time to shake things up in the middle of the race....on the gas and stayed on it for lap 3 and then it was just down to Cole and I.  In the middle of Lap 4 Cole got a 6-8 seconds gap after I got caught behind a lapped rider.  It took me about 1/2 lap to close the gap.  I was feeling the effort and instead of possibly being able to attack I was forced to rest.  Cole was crushing the open sections and then lapped traffic forced some major recovery in the singletrack.  With 5 or 6 minutes to go in the race Cole had the pressure on in the singletrack and lapped traffic got between the 2 of us again.  We stayed at 5-6 seconds for the remainder of the race.

I'm pretty happy with the fitness level...even more pumped for Andrea who landed a podium position!  Trek Top Fuels rounding out the podium in 1st and 5th!  Next up:  New adventures and looking forward to TSE!

Epic

Epic - It's a word that shouldn't be used lightly, but with a trip to Transylvania coming up I thought it might be appropriate.

Wisconsin!  After a week off  to recover from the Epic Events Whiskey 50 and epic drive home, it was time to start training again.  It is definitely different training in WI compared to AZ.  In Wisconsin you have to pedal the entire ride & sometimes that feels epic!  In AZ or CA there are some descents where you might not be able to pedal full speed ahead.  3 or 4 hours of pedaling hurt me that first week back, but now I'm back into the routine of cranking out the base miles.  I am really lucky to be able to go out for long road rides and see very few cars.  The scenery is awesome this time of year also.  Green grass, blue skies, blooming flowers and all sorts of babies...yesterdays ride I saw baby buffalo, baby geese, baby goats and baby cows!  Pretty cool.

So this year I have decided to mix things up a little more.  Have a little more fun which means doing some different races.  Arby's slogan from a few years back...Different Is Good!  I have always loved Arbyb's in fact I might have to get one today...its been a while!  Anyway...along with Whiskey 50 and possibly MTB Nationals I have decided to race the Transylvania Epic!  I am pumped at the new challenges it will bring.  Closest thing I've done to a mtb stage race would have to be Tour of the Gila...that was over 10 years ago.

I hear their are some rocks out their in PA and some mud so when it started raining and hailing last weekend I though it would be a good idea to go get some practice on some slippery rocks.  Andrea and I teamed up to do the first WEMS race of the year out in Greenbush.  We had a blast racing tag team and had an epic battle with Bill Street and Brian Schwaller.  They won, but we all had fun.  It was perfect training for TSE and the more time on the SF100 29er the better for me.  Can't wait for PA.  Stay tuned for lots of updates, but first WORS #1 this weekend at IOLA!

Last time in raced in PA!  Not too shabby.

It's been a while, but I still remember the pain of racing in PA!

Traveling Man - Whiskey doesn't help!

It just started raining...its sub 50 degrees.  Yep I'm home....not complaining though.  Actually a little happy I can sit back and relax a little.  It was a rough 3 days in the car directly after the finish line of Whiskey 50.  We did the standard I-40 East to I-44 through Tulsa and the great state of MO.  Then up 55 and 39 until we hit WI.  The first night we made it to Gallup, NM and the 2nd night we stayed in Miami, OK.  By night 3 I was surely hurting.  The drive itself was pretty relaxing after a few times through Los Angeles, with all the open land and awesome scenery but my legs were sore to the touch after cramping and it hurt even more not being able to stretch them out for 30 hours.  It's going to take a few days to get caught up and settle in, but again no real hurry.  I'm planning on a few days off of the bike.

Whiskey 50 - What a race!  Highly recommended, but be prepared.  The entire town of Prescott gets behind this one...it started off with a meeting with the mayor and the head of the forest service!  Friday night was the Fat Tire Crit.  Saturday night there was a rocking party on Whiskey Row and Sunday was the XC race.

The Fat Tire crit is pretty painful.  6,000 feet of elevation.  That's enough to make 30 minutes all out hurt and then they go and add a wall of a climb followed by a right hand turn and a long 30-40 second grinder of a climb.  If one doesn't kill you the other will.  Then a 40+ MPH downhill back to the finish.  I started up front and immediately went to the back...I was not acclimated at all.  By the middle of the race I was slowly moving forward each lap and with 4 or 5 to go I was back up in the top 10.  With 3 to go I was on Todd Wells' wheel and he attacked a lead group of 15 riders.  I watched but let the others respond.  Next time up the climb I saw Todd sit up and I followed suit.  I didn't think there was much to go for in the crit.  A call up for Sundays XC race and some glory, but not as much as the penalty of going deep into the red at your first day at altitude.  I finished behind Todd in 18th place.

I spent the day Saturday in recovery mode and did a little research on the race course.  I did the first 20 minute paved climb and the first 1 mile singetrack and then took a shortcut and did the last 15 minute descent.  It was all I could do....I really wish I could have previewed more of the course...but I had a big race the next day and needed to save my legs.

Sunday....ouch!  It was an easy start, but things lit up quickly as the paved road headed up above 6,000 ft and turned to dirt.  It was chaos and I had no idea what position I filtered into the first singletrack.  I found myself really struggling on the first climb without a clue as to how long I had to keep going up.  I was climbing just behind Wicks and Troy Wells.  We finally topped out after countless water bars and started to descend!  Yee hah - One of the most fun descents I have done...kind of reminded me of Bugs Springs!  By the end of the descent I had made up a little ground and had caught Spencer Paxson, Ben Sonntag, and Alex Grant.  Wicks had flatted and then Troy imploded and we picked up Adam Craig on the following climb.  We had now made it to the Skull Valley out and back.

On the descent Adam flatted, we caught a rider from Columbia and Derek Zandstra.  At the turn around we were racing for 5th!  I couldn't believe it....What I didn't know though was how long the climb back out of Skull Valley was going to take.  Half way up Alex Grant and I were dropped along with Zandstra.  Almost there while in 8th and 9th position I had to ask Alex how much further till the top...I was starting to feel it and had no idea if I had 20 minutes to climb or 2.  I needed to know the course better.  Alex turned the screws and I was all alone.

I started the descent and was pretty happy to be done climbing, but the cramps were setting in and I was descending a section of trail that I was completely unfamiliar with...at this point I didn't want to flat and was just in survival mode.  Sid Taberlay caught me, but then flatted.  Then 2 others caught me...I was bummed..now we were 9, 10 and 11 and one of us wasn't going to make the top ten.  They both dropped me!  Luckily I caught site of them and bridged the gap on the final paved descent...only to turn around and see 2 others bridging back up...one of which was Macky Franklin and the other was Zandstra who I thought was long gone.  After 50 miles of technical descending and brutal climbs...3 + hours into the race it came down to a 5 man sprint for 9th - 13th place.  I knew they only paid 12 deep!  I finished 12th and was completely spent and cramped.  I had nothing for the sprint...just enough to beat one guy who had had a mechanical and was stuck singlespeeding it!

Whiskey could possibly be the hardest race I have ever done.....but I will be back and ready to battle it out again.  Half way up the final climb I was riding with Ben Sonntag who finished 4th....On a good day I could hang with slightly better preparations.  Thanks so much to Epic Rides, the town of Prescott and all the sponsors who made this event possible.  Top notch racing....USACycling & the UCI need to take notes, not threaten us with the fact that we might not be able to compete at this race next year. 

The Big Show, The Circus...The Otter

What ever you want to call it, the Sea Otter is definitely one of the biggest races of the year.  With a huge industry presence, World Cup caliber competition and a wide variety of events ranging from BMX to road racing and even CX its a must do event...at least once.

Monterey - Can't go wrong racing in a place like this...

Last time I did Sea Otter was 2002.  I had a great result, but never the desire to return.  In 2002 we left Tucson and it just never made sense to attempt Sea Otter after spending a winter in WI.  This year with our extended stay in Tucson we had to make a comeback.  The circus was even bigger and more spectacular than I remember.  I'm not quite sure if I really liked it though.....waiting 35 minutes in line just to park 25 minutes away from the venue in a dusty field.  Crossing 3 spectator bridges to span
the Laguna Seca without getting wheelied on by a DH'er, and getting lucky to navigate the maze of the entire thing just to make it to the start line on time....that is if you really knew when your start time was.

Anyway I was there and tried to make the best of it....the circus started with a short track.  At it was definitely a circus when I rolled to the line in about 80th position...nothing like starting the first big race of the year in last place!  This photo tells all about 20 seconds into the race I was already 25 seconds off the back and standing still waiting to go thru corner #2.  Luckily I had great legs and used some cross skills to fight all the way back to 13th place!  Click below pic for video.

http://www.cyclingdirt.org/coverage/250645-Sea-Otter-Classic/video/706497-STXC-1st-Lap-Congestion

Day 2 was the XC on Saturday at high noon.  After being stuck in a traffic jam for way too long I decided I wasn't going to make it in time and had to abandon my car on the side of the road to make it to the start line.  I had a call up after the short track performance, but it didn't matter when the field barged to the line after about 15 guys were called up.  I started great but was boxed in before a pivotal moment and exited the pavement in about 30th position.  There I stayed for the next 15 minutes as the course descended at high speeds with only one line available.  Once the course started pointing up and opening up a bit the gaps were formed, but I slowly started picking my way forward.  I was riding mostly with Alex Grant from Sho-Air-Cannondale and we were working good together picking guys off one by one.  We ended up catching Olympic Champ Kulhavy on the last climb and dropped him!  Alex's teammate Ben Sonntag latched on at the last minute and we had a 3 up tactical sprint on the track!  It was fun, but I was really hoping for better than 19th after the way I felt in the short track...maybe I peaked a day early!

Overall it was a fast trip to Monterrey.  I didn't get to check out 17 mile drive or Pebble Beach, I didn't make it to Cannery Row, but I did get to the Wharf for a bread bowl of Clam Chowder!  Huge thanks to ProGold Lubricants, Trek Bicycles, and of course Andrea for making life just a little easier under the big top!



Andrea made it to 17 mile drive!  Saturday morning...I'm jealous.
 

Post race recovery Clam Chowder on the Wharf!
 



Golden

I am Golden. My bikes are dialed. I am hanging in California in a really nice place. San Luis Obispo to be exact. Thursday we will drive north 3 hours and be ready for the first big race of the year. The Sea Otter Classic. It's been since 2002 since I have raced the Sea Otter and thanks to my good buddy Doug Swanson I have the results that say (at least in my book) I had a pretty good outing at the last go.

 This year I am not sure exactly where I will stack up, but I am confident heading into the race that my equipment is the best and I am well trained. In fact maybe a little too well trained! Last week I finished up the last of the first month of base miles with a huge week on the bike. Most of it was spent on the new MTB's getting familiar with the big wheels and the last two days were amidst traveling to CA.

Last Tuesday I did a killer ride on the new SF100. I road up Reddington Rd, up the AZ Trail, up the Back Side of Mt. Lemmon to Bug Springs and then down all the way home. I was pretty impressed with the 29er's ability to descend...and maybe more impressed with its ability to bulldoze over rocks. I struggled on the steep stuff with step ups as my timing with my pedal stroke and the big wheels was a little off....working on that...

 Wed I went really really big with my first ride on the Superfly hard tail. Up Mt. Lemmon then down the back side dirt road to the Circle K in Oracle...then a 'U' turn and back up the dirt road to the top of Lemmon again. 13,000+ feet of climbibng in 8.5 hours and 125 miles.

Thursday was the last day in Tucson and I did Bug Springs one last time...its the best trail in Tucson! The desert was beautiful with all the cactus in full bloom!

 Friday we drove to Indian Wells to see Andrea's sister Carrie. Saturday morning I studied up some Strava segments and put together a pretty good route with over 5,000 ft of climbing. I was pretty impressed with the area....but the place is a little pricey for my wallet! After Saturdays ride we finished up the drive to our destination of San Luis Obispo...en route we found some of the best Mexican food I have ever eaten in Santa Barbara...Taqueria Cuernavaca! So Authentic and So Good!  

 

Sunday I was pretty tired, but the life of the Pacific Ocean gave me enough energy to finish up one last 4.5 hour ride up the PCH to Cambria and then up Santa Rosa Creek Rd....I think they were or did use this road in the Tour of California one year....pretty sweet climb that just got steeper and steeper.

 All in all it was a pretty awesome week! 36,250 feet of climbing, 400 miles, and 26 hours. I was pretty good until I took a day off the bike yesterday and now today I'm finally smashed! Time to rest up for Sea Otter!  Oscor is a great travel partner and is adapting to all his new surroundings like a champ! 

Rippin' Crashin' Wrenchin' & Racin'

It's been a while since the last update! Here goes.....less than a week left in Tucson, which means sometime last week the countdown was on. Usually that means time to hit every mtb trail in town one last time. This year however it meant get an even bigger bike and really let it rip! So I borrowed a Slash with a full 6 inches of suspension and took it out for a few final downhill runs! Man that was fun until....I just clipped my bar on a rock outcrop and took a big time crash....oops no more downhill runs for this guy! Check out this video from the day before the crash when I went for an awesome ride with Josey Weik.  My bar looks like it was millimeters from the Rock that caused the crash.

Even though I wanted to do more DH runs it was time to make the transition thanks to the UPS man and all my sponsors! On Thursday all my goods for the season arrived including some new Oakley Racing Jackets, a full slew of Shimano XTR components, a new Superfly PRO SL hard tail frame, and a couple of Rock Shox! That's right...a new sponsor for the season. Rock Shox is on board w/ full support! Good thing too w/ new 29er bikes its nice to have the lightest suspension forks out there...

I spent all day Thursday waiting for the UPS man and once he arrived the wrenches started turning! By evening a had a Superfly 100 built and a Superfly Po SL half built.

Friday I had time to get in a shakedown ride on the SF100 w/ Momentum Endurance athlete Mike Carney who is down in Tucson getting in a solid week of sunshine and good miles. Everything felt great...after an awesome dinner it was up to Phoenix to stay the night w/ Brad Palumbo and family.

Saturday morning it was off to the races in Prescott! The Punisher....and yes the course lent itself to a punishment. It was a very open fast race course w/ lots of false flat climbs, big headwinds, and then ripping fast descents. There was just a few technical singletrack sections per lap.  You could pedal as hard as you wanted and really 'punish' yourself.  The race was almost like the start of Ore To Shore....a big group of guys battling for the 2 lines on the 4 ft wide section of trail. After the first climb TJ Woodruff opened it up and it was a mano y mano battle! Even though we are great friends we battled until the end. Trav made one mistake with about 5 miles of lightning fast racing to go and I got the slightest gap on the following climb and pushed hard to extend that gap every chance possible.

I took my first win on the SF100 and was pleasantly surprised with how it rode....especially in the tight singletrack. It was fast...it felt smooth...it definitely got the job done!  Andrea scored another podium in the Womens Open race finished 2nd and 5th overall.  A few more days and then off to California!

racin' not rousin'

First race of the year is in the books.  The MBAA Hedgehog Hustle...a pretty awesome race venue situated in the mountains just west of Phoenix with the International Raceway as a backdrop.

Andrea raced too and won the Womens Open Category.

The last time I did a race in AZ might have been the Hedgehog Hustle in 2002!  It had been a while but I definitely had some recollection of the course.  It was an overcast day and had rained leaving the course in more than perfect condition.

Luckily for me it was a pretty mellow start and I knew that if I survived the first onslaught of pain I would settle in just fine.  I survived and then moved from 5th wheel to 3rd behind Trav.  It was a long steady climb on the back side of the course and the Fuel EX actually seemed to be climbing pretty good.  I passed Trav and started in pursuit of Macky who had a 15 second gap.

I think the gap stayed the same the rest of the climb until things got a little punchier and the slow accelerations of the EX started to hurt my legs.  I knew I was making time on the descents with the dropper post and the 5 inches of travel, but I also knew I couldn't match Macky on the climbs with my 30lb Fuel.  I fought the entire race hoping he would make a mistake or fade at the end, but he was on a good day.  I finished up 2nd and actually seemed to start going faster as the race progressed!  Always a good feeling.

Macky and I first met at the Gravel Rouser last year.  He was fast then and is still fast now!  I'm looking forward to many more battles with him!

My dad was out to visit and was able to help out Andrea and I with some bottle feeds at the race.  Thanks Dad!  We also got in some pretty good riding down in Tucson thru Saguaro NP, up Mt. Lemmon, around Fantasy Island and ate some good Mexican food.  Unfortunately with dad here last weekend and plans to stay in AZ longer this year and do Sea Otter in April we will not make it to Athens for the 10th annual Gravel Rouser Classic this coming weekend.

Dad & I on Mt. Lemmon