Mountain Bike Nationals- Sun Valley, ID
Cody Cupp

I had a really good time at Nationals this year. Last year I went there super stressed out and putting way too much pressure on myself and I just ended up crashing on the first lap. This year I went there relaxed, confident, prepared and just had fun racing hard.
I got off to a pretty bad start in the cross country and ended up getting tangled up in two crashes within the first minute of the race, so I lost a lot of time and got pushed way back in the pack. I had to deal with the most chaotic traffic on every corner of the first lap but I managed to stay alive and calm and just keep riding. When I came into the first climb I think I was sitting around 50th position. I was bummed that I was in such a bad spot but I was feeling pretty strong so I just got over on the side of the course and slowly started passing other racers and making up spots. I think I was probably constantly passing for most of the first two laps. Once I finally got back up towards the front half of the race again I settled in with a group of 4 or 5 other guys. Once we were on the last lap though and came into the final climb I managed to win the sprint into the single track and ended up finishing ahead of all of them.

I would have liked to place better in the cross country but I was feeling really strong and raced well, thanks to all of Solomon’s coaching and training plans, so I’m pretty satisfied with how I did. It was really fun and I’m pretty happy to get into the top 20.

I also competed in Super D and Short Track this year as well.

I put together a really fast and run in Super D and really crushed myself on all of the climbs and pedaling spots throughout the course. Unfortunately, I had a little bobble on the last turn of the course and lost a few seconds, which may have cost me a few spots. I ended just missing the podium and placed 7th. I was really wanting to get on the podium this year and was pretty bummed that I didn’t but it was still a fun course and I really enjoyed flying down the track.

By the time I raced Short Track in Sun Valley I was so exhausted that I just road really sloppy and ended up having a dumb mechanical. Most people don’t compete in both Super D and Short Track but I thought I’d give them all a try anyways. I didn’t really have very high hopes for the Short Track so I really wasn’t very disappointed.

All in all, I had a really good experience at Nationals and had a great time riding bikes. I’m satisfied with how I did and I’m looking forward to the few races I have left this summer and the Collegiate Mountain Bike season I’ll be racing in this fall.

Squilchuck Chainsmoker & Sun Mtn. Big Ring Bash
Cody Cupp

Things have finally started to come together for me these past two weekends and I feel like I’ve really started riding fast.
        For the Chainsmoker last weekend I was just finishing up an intensity week of training so I was pretty worn out and sore but I still was able to race much better than I have all season. I was finally able to really pedal hard when I wanted to and my legs were feeling strong enough to actually exhaust all of my energy. It was definitely a very painful race but I was pretty happy with how I felt.
        There wasn’t a very big turn-out for this race, so I ended up taking 2nd in the Open/Pro category. I was sticking with the guy who ended up taking first for most of the first lap, but I hooked my front tire around a rock and ended up going over the bars so he was able to pull a ways ahead of me. I tried to catch up to him over the next 4 laps but he only pulled farther away so I spent most of the race just trying to ride smooth and keep increasing the gap between myself and the third place finisher (who was someone that I have never beat before).

I was kind of uncertain about how I would feel coming into our home race at Sun Mtn. this weekend because I rested for most of week the leading up to it so I was a little scared I would be feeling slow and sluggish but I ended up being completely wrong. I felt amazing and I was able ride faster than I ever had in my life before, and quite a few more people showed up this weekend than last so it was a good and fun race.
        I got right out in the front of the pack on the start and managed to stay there for a few minutes. People shifted around a little bit as we made our way to the technical single track on black bear but I think almost everyone in the Open/Pro category stayed together for quite a while on the first lap. It wasn’t until Winthrop Trail (the one steep climb on the course) that the pack really started to break apart. Solomon lead the charge up the climb and everyone just tried to hang onto him. Surprisingly, once we reached the top and got to some smooth fast stuff again, I was the only one left hanging onto the two leaders and I ended up sticking with them for a bit more than two of the three laps. I was so amazed I was able to hang with them as long as I did. It was so much fun to be up in the front with them and ride really fast. Unfortunately, once I dropped off of the leaders, I ended up cracking with about 10 to 20 minutes left in the race and really lost some time. The next guy back from me was able to catch me towards the end and we sprinted it out at the finish for 3rd place. He was able to beat me to line and knock me off the podium. It was disappointing but I was still really happy with how I rode.

Squillchuck Chainsmoker

Keelan Christensen

                After a super hard intensity week I would expect to feel worn out and not up to par. However I felt better in this race than any other race this year. I raced Juniors instead of Pro in order to qualify for nationals, which I did successfully. I won the Junior field and was able to catch a lot of the other Cat 1s that started ahead of me which always makes me feel good while racing. The course was the same as last year except no mud and very bumpy with lots of short steep climbs. I did nick my handlebar on a tree on the first lap and hit the next tree with my hip on the next tree which kind of hurt, but I was able to stay on my bike and not lose too much time.

                Overall it was a good race for me. I qualified for nationals and felt great. Next up for me is the local race up at Sun Mountain. Should be a good one!

Wenatchee Omnium


June 9th/10th


Jake Harrop


This past weekend of racing at the Wenatchee Omnium went really well, I started the racing with a TT out by the Alcoa Plant south of Wenatchee. All my equipment was working flawlessly, my Shimano Ultegra shifting was smoother than ever and that played a part in my good time trial. 


Unfortunately I didn't have anyone else in my age group to push me harder. Later in the day I had a criterium in downtown Wenatchee. I  didn't feel too great due to a hard practice lap crash. What happened that led to my crash was excess of speed. I was checking to see if my bike was geared too low and I was carrying too much speed into the corner. I picked my line and halfway through I noticed there was a pothole in my way so I tried to avoid it by swinging out. As I swung out to miss it I ran out of room to get back to the main line. I jammed in the brakes and collided with the curb leading to my ejection from the bike and a 4-5 ft slide on the sidewalk on my chin and shoulder. Fortunately nothing was broken. As I began the criterium I got dropped and had a hard time with the wind blowing hard down the finishing straight. I did not do the final road race due to choice. Over all I thought it was a good stage race and will fuel my future training. 

Washington Time Trial Championships


Dave Acheson

The first Sunday of June found me in Tenino again for this year’s Washington State Time Trial Championships.  It was held on my favorite course and one I had ridden many times before with my most recent foray being four weeks earlier.  I was hoping for improvement over that recent time, but was realistic in my expectations for the day as my season has been hampered by a lack of training volume caused by that pesky thing called “life”.  

Conditions were pretty good, although a little windy.  When riding a long time trial, this one was 40 kilometers (24.5 miles), pacing is always critical.  Go out too fast and you’ll pay for it later in the race and struggle.  Given the reality of my training and my form, I was faced with the choice of being conservative and easing into my pace over the first several miles, or ride the race as if I had good form and hope for the best.  I chose the latter figuring if I went into it conservatively, I was surrendering any hope of a good result right away.  I started strongly and settled into my rhythm quickly.  After around five miles, I had already passed the two riders who had started in front of me (unfortunately, I had also been passed by the rider who started immediately behind me.)  The race went very well for me and I must say it was the most focused and “in the moment” I have been at any race thus far this year.  I managed to take about 40 seconds of my time of a month earlier and earn an 8^th place finish in my group.  I could not have gone any harder or ridden any better on that day and that is all you can ever ask for. 

Karla Segale Warming Up...

...and Heading Out!

2012 Bavarian Bike and Brew

Cody Cupp

                Well I felt a lot better this weekend than I have in the other three races so far this year. I didn’t race great but I didn’t race badly either. I’m finally feeling like I’m starting to get back to where I was last year. I definitely would still like to get a bit more fit before Nationals comes around but I was able to ride pretty well on Saturday.

                I think I came in around 7^th or 8^th for the Pro/Open field. I feel like I might have been able to maybe move up one spot or at least finish a bit closer to the next guy ahead of me if I had been able to hang onto the back of the front group on the first lap, but they were all riding super-fast and I just couldn’t keep up. I don’t think the next couple guys ahead of me really gained much time on me after the first lap but I was not able to gain any on them to catch up so I pretty much stayed in the same position the whole race. There were two other riders with me for the first two laps but I was able to create a gap on the downhill each time and when we came through for the third lap neither of them were able to catch back up again.

                Though I would have liked to be up there a little closer to the guys ahead of me I had a fun time and was pretty satisfied with how I rode. The downhill on the course was not super technical or difficult but I was able rip down it pretty fast with good flow and I felt like I was climbing decently well.

Keelen Christensen


I felt a ton better this race than the previous mountain bike race. I still decided to race pro and placed 11th or 12th I think. Even though it was kind of far back in the category, I was 28th out of 60 overall in the expert field and was able to climb hard, descend well and almost hang with the rest of the pros. I was able to avoid cramps by taking endurolyte pills and warming up much better. I felt very strong on the downhill portion of the course and I was able to catch and pass a few people who would pass me on the climb. Every race is an improvement for me and I am curious how I will place at the State Championship race at Squillchuck State Park next.


  

Enumclaw Stage Race
Dave Acheson

The Enumclaw Stage Race is my favorite race of the season.  It has great courses, is well run, and usually has strong fields.  Because it is a stage race that is scored on total elapsed time rather than on points like an omnium, my time trialling ability  usually keeps me in the thick of things.  Entering the weekend, I was sure my time trial form was pretty good but was unsure how the criterium and road race would go for me.  The weekend began with all sorts of good omens.  When the time trial start times were posted, I discovered I was to be the final rider off in my category.  And as I rolled into town late Friday night, a shooting star fell shot across the sky, surely a sign of good fortune.  Saturday morning dawned clear, sunny, and with little wind and I rolled to the start line quietly confident.  The time trial went very well for me and I posted  a personal best for myself on this course.  The time was good enough for second place and I only missed my first win by two seconds!  Having placed myself near the top of the standings, now the key was not to lose time in the criterium or road race.

After getting a call-up and getting to start on the front row due to my time trial result, the criterium started well.  As the race progressed, I thought to myself, this is one of the most civilized criteriums I’ve ever ridden.  The pace was very steady with little in the way of surges due to attacks, etc.  I avoided being caught up in or behind any of the handful of crashes and finished safely in the bunch with the same time as everyone else.  The overall leader for the weekend picked up a 3-second bonus in a sprint, but other than that no major time lost in the criterium was just what the plan had been.   Day one of the stage race could hardly have been better for me.

Sunday’s road race was going to prove to be a different type of experience.  It was dry when we woke up, but by the start of the race, a steady rain had started that would be with us the rest of the day.  I still felt good and optimistic as I had focused a little more on my nutrition this year and was five pounds lighter than last season at this race.  Surely that was going to help me on the climbs.  The race rolled out uneventfully towards its first trip up the Mud Mountain Road climb about 7 miles into the race.  I settled in near the front of the group and as we headed up the climb, felt comfortable (as comfortable as you can be climbing a steep hill in a race!).  The pack was steadily shedding riders and as we reached the steepest pitch about ¾ of the way up, only about half of us remained.  Suddenly, I went from being comfortable to being powerless.  I popped off the back of the group like a sinking stone.  It was an odd sensation, there wasn’t any period of struggling.  One moment all was fine, the next moment I had blown and was crawling up the hill.   After topping out, I tried to gather myself and hook up with other riders for the chase back on.  I had very little power though and found myself having to skip pulls to even stay in contact with the chasers.

As we hurtled down the descent, I smacked a pothole and my “food” bottle of Perpetuem bounced out of its cage and was gone.  I now had only a single gel in my pocket to get me through the race.  I continued to struggle and eventually lost contact with the chase group.  As a final insult, I managed to drop my remaining gel while trying to open it.  All in all, a day to forget and one that thoroughly scuttled my ambitions for a high finish for the weekend.