6th Annual Methow Cycle & Sport Mountain Challenge at Loup Loup

Julie Grialou:

The pre-cursor to the race started for me with a Wednesday team ride of the course. As my bike was in the shop, I was using a borrowed hardtail and borrowed pedals. I felt very awkward on the ride, missing some switchbacks and other technical sections that I would have expected to clean. I also was having a hard time getting out of one of my pedals. On the downhill, I felt like I was bouncing all over the place.

The night before the race, I had some odd dreams. In one of them, it was race morning and my car, with the bike on top, got stolen. I was frantically trying to get another bike to borrow, but the pedals were all in little pieces, and I was struggling to get them together. The dreams reminded me of the missed-my final-exam dreams that I, and I think many others, have had in college.

On race day, I was glad to have my own bike back and was looking forward to the fun and challenging singletrack on the race course. I got up to the race course in late morning – great race weather and a vibrant venue.

Joseph Weaver, from Methow Recycling (one of our team’s sponsors) had just entered his first mountain bike race, doing the Beginner’s course, and had come in first. Go Joseph!

I proceeded to do my warm-up and noticed my front brake was rubbing pretty badly. Lucky for me, there was a Kona mechanic on site, and he fixed me up. I never got his name, but thank you, whoever you are! For the race, I decided to head out with the Open Women (I think my pace is generally somewhere between the Expert and Open racers). Three of the four other women went out together and FAST. Too fast for me, so I ended up being on my own for a while, eventually going back and forth with a few men. I felt good on the whole first lap. But unfortunately, I faded on the second lap. On the technical downhill on the Bear Mountain Trail, I did pass the woman who was in third place. Unfortunately, she passed me later on the climbs and I couldn’t get up the energy to push past her. She ended up about 30 seconds ahead of me. All the team’s juniors had great racers – congrats. Overall, a great course and a fun time.


Solomon Woras:

The Joy

Such a great weekend of racing last weekend. It was so wonderful to see the community that has developed around this team in action. Between Meg and Dan serving up smooth shots, rocking horse's delicious baked goods, Kona, Methow recycles, Shimano, Methow Cycle and sport, and all the great volunteers, it is so fun to see all of these great companies and people come together to make such a fun event happen. We all owe a great thank you to Joe and Julie for all of their hard work and passion, making all of this stuff happen. I'm sure I left out someone but to you all. Thanks!

Really, that was the theme of the weekend for me. I have been working way to much and riding way to little lately so rediscovering the joy and pleasure that a weekend of racing can bring was critical. It was just one of those days where you are so happy to have to opportunity to be doing what you are doing that you feel no pain, just the pleasure and freedom of being on a bike. There have been times in my life where riding a bike was my job, and unfortunately it became just that, (a job). Sometimes we forget why we do this, we get wrapped up in how much work we put in, training, racing, planing events, organizing volunteers, building trail, and we loose sight of the enjoyment it brings. For me, racing my bike has now become a purely indulgent act, one of the few things in my life right now that I do entirely for my self, and I can't think of a better way to indulge than to feel that wind through my helmet my hands on the bars, and my mind clear of everything but the trail and the next rider on the road ahead.

So thank you all for making it possible for my self and so many others indulge.
Solomon

Jake Harrop:

The race on saturday was really fun and i thought it was going to be a little bit more technical than i could handle but in the end i conquered the course and loved it. there was a good turn out and the course was in good riding condition. At the beginning of the race i sprinted ahead with Cole Paton of Wenatchee to try and get seated in a good spot, i held my spot in second and through the whole race i felt great. there was some spots in the race where i had to get off my bike due to slower racers in rough spots of the course or technical uphills.
Jake

Cody Cupp:

For me, this year’s Methoww race was fantastic. I felt really good and raced better than I ever have! The course was a ton of fun and I think all of Joe’s hard work on the course really paid off.

I took 1st and junior expert and placed 4th overall in open expert. On the last descent of the race I managed to catch Solomon and we rode tire to tire for about the last 10 minutes then sprinted it out for the finish line. It was a very exciting and fun way to end a race.

A few days before the race I put new Shimano XT shifters, derailleurs, and a new crankset onto my bike, along with a nice pair of Easton Haven wheels. The new gear worked perfectly and I was pleasantly surprised how much better than my old set up it was! The combination of the new gear, Joe’s hard work on the trails, and the training plan Solomon has set up for me gave me a great race!

Keelan Christensen:

Our home course at the Loup is a unique race as it consists of two 13 mile loops on some steep single-track climbs, previously built by our team. It seemed the weather could not make up its mind the morning before the race, but it turned out to be a fairly warm day. My Kona King Kahuna felt great on this course, with Shwalbe Racing Ralph tires that felt like Velcro on the ground. The first lap felt pretty good for me, until about 10 miles in where I got a side ache. Still, I managed to push through it, still holding 2^nd place in my category. I managed to ride the entire course with no putting my foot down or crashes, so I was feeling confident. However, on the second lap, I cramped up in my hamstrings on the final climb of the race. I knew that the 3^rd place kid was a long ways behind me, but I still managed to finish strong on the climb and finished with a respectable 2^nd place finish. Overall, I am mostly satisfied with the race, but I would like to shrink the time between me and Cody. After the Criterium State Championships in Bellingham, the next race for me Nationals in Sun Valley, so my life is full of hard training until then.


Jake Whipple:

It's easy to get sucked into the selfish world of training, racing, and recovery and forget about the efforts of others that make these events happen.  As I drove into the venue on Saturday at the Loup, I was instantly reminded of that as I watched all the hard work of Joe, Julie, and the many volunteers transform the Loup into the Methow Cycle & Sport Mountain Challenge.  What a great event.  Great sponsors, great trails, and people.   Sitting here now, sick as a dog, I'm struck with this thought, "...time to shift my focus..."  This team has put a face to cyclists in the Methow, but that is only a small part of the story.  With the incredible support of all of the sponsors, volunteers, and riders I hope we continue to grow cycling here into what it can be; a center for riding trails and roads with fun races and events for everyone to share their experiences through.  Saturday, for me, was a struggle.  Feeling the effects of being sick, I watched folks just ride away from me and there was nothing I could do!  I've been lucky the last few years and avoided many mishaps, including sickness, in all of my races.  Saturday was a great reminder of why it is I ride.  It's fun.  That's it, really.  It doesn't matter that I was sick, I was still able to ride and for that I am grateful.  Thanks to all our sponsors for continuing to help make this happen.