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.