Pics from the 6th Annual Methow Cycle & Sport Mountain Challenge at Loup Loup

Images by Stephen Mitchell

Echo Ridge 30/60 Mountain Bike Race June 11th

Joseph Brown:

On Saturday June 11th, four Methow Cycle & Sport - Blue Star Cycling riders tackled the Echo Ridge 30/60 mtb race held near Chelan, WA. I was registered for the 60 mile event which was decidedly further than what I was prepared for! With our own mtb race coming up, preparation was certainly not happening adequately. On Friday,  the day prior to the race Kona called and asked if I wanted to ride a 2012 prototype carbon 29er. I of course agreed and the bike was delivered late Friday night. After a few minor adjustments, the bike was ready to roll, much more than I was.

When I woke up on race day morning, I felt surprisingly good. Jake Whipple and I carpooled down to the race venue and were greeted by Meg and Dan from Blue Star Coffee Roasters, who were already pulling beautiful shots for racers. It was really great to see them with the La Marzzocho GS3 at a race, producing great espresso. After the typical frantic equipment and food organizing, we rolled up to the pre-race meeting.

As the gun went off, I was bombarded with questions of why I was doing this and how I would do. The first part of the course was a 2.5 mile climb on a service road and since it was a long race, the pace was nice and relaxed. I couldn't believe how well my legs and body felt. I wanted to go harder but knew it was a long day so was content to relax a little.

On one of the first stair step sections, I shifted down to the small chainring and "Pow!!!!" the chain was lodged above the chainstay! Unfortunately, there was nothing that I could do but turn around and roll down to the start in search of an 8mm hex wrench so that I could remove the crankset and ultimately free the chain. Needless to say, my race was over. One thing is for sure, the Kona Carbon 29er for 2012 is going to be amazing!

Jake Whipple:

The Echo Ridge 30/60 in Chelan was the first major event for me this year.  Coming in at 60 miles, it was a good tune up for some of the longer, more difficult races that are to come for me later this summer.  Of most remarkable note on the day was the weather!  After many days of training in the cold, wet Spring we've been having here in the Methow, the sunny and warm conditions that greeted everyone felt fantastic.  The course was fast, rolling, and non-technical.  Consisting of four laps of 15 miles each, there was somewhere around 8000 feet of climbing total. 

I was lucky and had none of the mechanical problems that plagued Joe (another benefit of riding with one gear) and had a mostly smooth race.  The weather did play a factor for me though.  I am often challenged by leg cramps in longer races if I'm not paying close enough attention to my hydration and, sure enough, come lap four the warm weather had it's way with my legs.  The heat and the distracting gorgeous scenery were a great recipe for dehydration.  Debilitating leg cramps are a strange event.  One second your feeling grand, pedaling along, enjoying the view and then the next you feel that small twinge that for tells of impending doom!  Moments later, everything starts to spasm and you can either ignore it and force yourself to pedal through, or get off your bike which, for me, makes it 10 times worse.  All I could do was pretend it wasn't happening (yea, right...) and slam electrolytes and water.  I made it through to 29th overall, and promised myself that next time I wouldn't ignore the advice that so many have given me time and time again: "Drink before your thirsty, and often!"

It was great to see Blue Star with the GS3 right next to the sign-in tent pulling fabulous shots and putting smiles on the faces of the racers!  Thank You!  One other note - I usually get soar feet after riding over 5 hours on trails.  This year I am riding in a pair of Shimano M-315 shoes and they are amazing.  Very stiff, and fit like slippers.  Really.  They're that good! 

Next week it's to Oregon for the Test of Endurance 50 mile.  Thanks for reading!   -Jake Whipple

Julie Grialou:

I was one of 4 team riders who raced at Echo Valley last weekend.  Karla and I were signed up for the 30 mile race, with Jake and Joe being crazy enough to sign up for the 60 miler.  We got to the venue in plenty of time to warm up and check out the scene.  I was psyched to see a fair number of other women warming up – I’m the kind of racer who really enjoys the challenge and camaraderie of having others at my level to compete with.   Meg was there making Blue Star coffee drinks – unfortunately, I was having a bit of a nervous stomach so I chose not to take advantage of a pre-race caffeine fix.

The race was a mass start of about 100 riders.  At the beginning, I got squeezed between two riders and came close to falling.  Made for a bit of a nervous start.  Anyway, my plan was to keep track of the top women, but also not go out too fast.  Heading up the 2-mile gravel road at the beginning of the race, it was clear that one woman was going to be able to hold a faster pace than me.  I settled in with a few men and one other woman (Leah Stralka).  As we got into the single and double track, I kept trading places within this group of riders.  I was feeling good.  At the end of the first lap, a woman rider came out of nowhere and passed us.  She was going strong!  I rode the first half of the second lap with Leah Stralka, and was appreciating having someone to work with and also someone to help keep me focused.  I did start to get cramps in my calf, which was a real bummer.  About half way through the second lap, I pulled away on downhill – I really appreciated my new Schawlbe tires – they held really well in the corners.  That gave me the confidence to let ‘er rip on the ensuing big downhill section in the latter part of the lap.  After one last climb and a not-so-fun uphill gravel road section, the race was over.   Good enough for 3^rd place and a cool bike chain bottle opener.

Karla Segale:

Bruised (figuratively) by my turn mishap from the State TT, and literally from mud-wrestling my mountain bike on a training ride earlier in the week with teammate Julie Grialou, my confidence is shaken but not my resolve as I head to the Echo Lake 30 miler.  This is my first 30 mile mountain bike race. 

A big fan of endurance suffer-fests, I am actually looking forward to the race.  The bar is set reasonably low for my performance expectations, so I come into the race eager for the experience and excited that I will have some good practicing time to hone the skills Julie taught me earlier in the week.  (As it turns out, I will have a VERY LONG time to practice).

The 60-milers have already been out for a half hour as we toe the line.  Men and women start and race together for this event, and there seems like quite a lot of us.  As the gun goes off, we head up a 2 ½ mile climb. “Up” being the operative word here.  I come in to the race sleep-deprived and feeling a little off my game.  This is confirmed by my heart rate, which skyrockets to near max in the first ½ mile.  I back off and watch the ladies fade away, and I settle into a still blistering but more manageable pace.

The course is not technical, for which I am grateful.  And beautiful.  That I could notice this may be a tip-off.  I ride with a guy for a while, and he dutifully pulls me up to a few more racers.  Racing with men is really fun.  They are always so encouraging and polite, and this guy is no exception. 

In the middle of lap 1, I am chiding myself for not signing up for the 60-miler.  Wimp, I think to myself.  The last part of the lap is more technical, and the concentration it requires takes its toll.  On lap 2 I catch up with a woman from my former team, Group Health.  It turns out she is Izette Swan, a PT and Cat 2.  “Brutal” she says as I join her.  I don’t know Izette well, but she’s a legend on the Group Health team.  I am riding in a mountain bike race with Izette Swan.  I just caught up with Izette Swan!  Then Izette puts the pedal down and methodically feeds me my lunch, until I can no longer match either her pace or her skill.  Not this race anyway, but that’s the good thing about racing.  There’s always another day waiting for you.

Each race, I am learning more about pedaling a mountain bike.  My teammate’s words ring in my ears as I pick up speed I never imagined.  “Look way further out than you think you need to”.  “Elbows down, butt over the back of the saddle, torso low over the top tube.”  “Keep your center of gravity  low and let the bike do it’s job.  Loosen the death grip on the handle bars.” A lot to remember, but I’m amazed at how much it helps.  I finish—grateful that I only did 30 miles. I complete the race in 3:15:07.5.  Not a stellar finish, mind you, but not bad. My teammate Julie Grialou picks up third place in her division at 2:52:37.5.

I learned a ton, had a great time, and know I will be back.  Thank you Julie!

Methow Riders Take on State Time Trial Championships

Dave Acheson:

The Washington State Time Trial Championships  was my last “A” priority event for my 2011 season.  After a good month of racing in May that included my best ever effort at the Enumclaw Stage Race, my plan was to do some focused time trial training in the weeks leading up to the event.  That was the plan, and as you go through life and racing, you learn that sometime the plan doesn’t come to fruition and you just have to adapt and make do.   Life’s other commitments and responsibilities intervened and in the two weeks leading up the State Championships, I rode only twice.  I was rested for sure, but not at my best form.  On the plus side, I got to travel to the race with two of my teammates which was quite entertaining at times and definitely made the hours in the car pass quicker. 

The race was held in Tenino as it has been several times in recent years.  It’s a course that I really enjoy and most of it has been recently resurfaced which made the ride even better.  As for the race itself, it was pretty unremarkable.  I got off to a good start and settled into my pace easily.  I caught a few riders prior to the turnaround.  On the way back, I was passed by one rider, but I kept my pace high and felt strong all the way to the finish.  My time of 59:18 ended up being good enough for  7^th place in the age 40+ Category 4-5 group.  An okay result from an okay time resulting from okay form.  Hopefully, next year the plan comes to fruition and the result is a little better!

Chris Casey:

It turns out, It's all about the goats! I should probably explain that statement, considering this is a race report, but it is relevant, trust me! 

Bike racing is a mysterious pastime, some days you've got it and others you don't. This years State TT in Tenino was one of those where despite feeling good, the results on the day just weren't. The weather obliged for the first time this race season- warm, no rain, minimal breeze. The course was fairly flat (a little rolly about half way out, but not too bad if you carried some momentum) and the road surface smooth. The ride was hard, as all time trials are, and I was certainly feeling tired by the last few miles.... then I hit the last mile or so where the road turns from asphalt to chipseal and my speed dropped even more... it was clear that this was not to be my day. Final time 1hr 52 minutes and change, good for 9th place in the Masters C class, but way off the sub 1 hr goal. As my last road event this year, I am left with a disappointed sense of the season. My training was diligent (mostly), my weight was good (could have done a bit better, but not bad), but when it counted, it seemed that my 'top end' power/speed was AWOL. Too many night shifts at work? Not enough high intensity training? Training too sporadic because of my work schedule? All of the above? Certainly there is some cause for thought because there is a limit as to what I can or am willing to compromise in order to race a bike. Maybe I need to reassess why I race.... which brings me back to the goats.

Over the last few years of racing, one of the highlights has actually been the traveling to races (namely with Dave A) and the various conversations or experiences that have ensued on the way, during and on the way back. This race was notable because Karla Segale came with us, adding a new dimension to team travel and a vast increase in the sheer number of bags to be squeezed into the car. The highlight of this trip, occured during the drive over to Olympia. As the hunger pangs set in, we found a restaurant (via Yelp on the iphone) which was well rated, served veggie food and looked to be worth a try. It turned out to be a strange experience in more ways than one. The whole place was done up in a Tolkein-like theme (I suppose the name "Mirkwood cafe" was a first clue, the second was the tatoo place upstairs named Rivendell tatoo!) So there we were,  shaved leg bikers mixing with tattoo clad folks, listening to a lone Blues guitarist on the stage, surrounded by 'middle earth' type artwork on the walls. (Karla, It was definitely not Harry Potter!) After one song, the guitarist engaged in some banter with one of the audience who had perhaps clapped a little too enthusiastically and asked him if he played an instrument. The fellow responds, and I quote, "No, but I can eat a burger while hugging a tree.." and here is the good bit, "...and I love goats!" As far as we could tell, nobody had asked about his goat fascination, but the silence was golden as we sat mystified as to what he meant. We never found out- maybe this is a good thing- but needless to say the 'attraction' to goats was mentioned several times over the weekend, with great levity for all!

In summary, maybe it is more about the journey than the destination? However, I will be taking a closer look at what improvements can be made so that the journey and destination both rate better in the future!

Karla Segale:

Okay so I wasn’t reading Tolkein as a kid, and now I’m too old to care about Harry Potter, so I finally made it to my “tweens”.  All I know is that if it is true, as Chris says, that it is more about the journey than the destination, this season has been one heck of a ride!

I came out of retirement (literally) to join this team because I love cycling.  I didn’t think I would be racing again, let alone competing in state or national events in both road and mountain biking.  What I love about racing is that anything can, and frequently DOES happen.  If that isn’t a metaphor for life, I don’t know what is. 

You can train with utmost precision (I don’t), you can plan for every eventuality (personally, I just call Dave), you can hedge your bets with the best equipment (here’s where I excel) and still have a mechanical, a flat, or just feel FLAT! Doesn’t matter and what if it did.  You race because you have teammates that are counting on you, sponsors that believe in you and because there isn’t squat on TV anyway.  

Coming in to the Washington State TT, I had exactly one week on my new TT bike to prepare.  This is because I had only decided a week prior to that to even get a TT bike!  Joe was on it pronto, and he spent the better part of a day getting my bike to fit like a glove.  Riding a TT bike is a completely new experience for me.  The set up is designed for speed, not for comfort, which only stands to reason.  You want to pedal as fast as you can so you can get off the dang thing as quickly as possible! 

We arrive at the venue with plenty of time to drive the course.  As we do, Dave points out the various road features, wind pockets, potholes and strategic places to gear up or down.  I make a mental note of all of them. 

I started out strong, and passed several women within the first ¼ mile of the course.  My strategy was to keep my heart rate and cadence close to threshold on the way out, and punch it over the top on the ride back.  I have tested this approach in training TTs and know that I can sustain a steady pace for an hour if I stay focused.

Barreling down a straight-away,  I come upon a dog in the road, weaving in and out of two cars in front of me.  Course marshals are waving their arms frantically, and I maneuver out of their way on the right side of the road.  I am locked on to my cadence and heart rate, concerned that I may have lost tempo with all the ruckus.

I remain intent on regaining my tempo.  Funny, I think to myself, but nobody is coming the other way and they should have been at the turnaround by now. 

I feel eerily like something is amiss, but I forge ahead, concerned that I am losing ground by losing focus.  Then I come up on a road closure sign.  “Funny” I think to myself again, “ I don’t remember this in our drive this morning.  It was nice of the course marshals to close the road at the turn-around.”

Then it hits me.  I missed the turn in the midst of the dog cluster.  I maintain my pace, because I’m still out on the course, after all.  I double back, make the turn and complete the race in 1:17:10.  Dave calculates that the scenic route cost me silver in Women 35+, which wouldn’t have been half bad for 58+.  And so it goes.  Hey, there’s always next year.  And GPS!

Riders Rock the Centennial Ski to Ski!

Made in Methow Team Takes 1st in the High School Division

Keelan Christensen - Ski to Sea, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the race, is a 100 mile relay race with cross country skiing, downhill skiing, running, road biking, canoeing, mountain biking, and sea kayaking all in that order. I was invited to join an all high school team as the road biker to ride the 42 mile, mostly descending course. We all had very high hopes for our team, and we had every right to because many of us were very strong at the events we were selected for. 

After the xc skiing, downhill skiing, and road running, our team was in 33^rd place out of 500. Then it was my turn. Because the more professional teams were out in front of the race, almost every racer I raced with, in the top 50, were using aero bars, aero helmets and time trial bikes. I, however, was not. Therefore, I was passed by perhaps 8 racers over the hour and fourty five minute race. Still, I managed to pass four other racers with the help of another racer, who was about at the same ability as me. We took turns pulling and drafting to catch four racers, meaning I only lost four places. When I handed off to our canoe racers, out team was in 37^th place out of 500. 

Later I found out I raced the course the 66^th fastest out of 500, and if I had time trial equiptment, I see myself making the top 40 easily. Our team won the high school division by over an hour and also finished 33^rd overall. The whole experience of the weekend was a complete blast with many of my high school buddies. I’m actually writing this report from Hawaii, but once I get back its off to the USAC Junior National Development Camp in Colorado Springs!

Keelan riding the road leg

Cody Cupp - The 2011 Ski to Sea mountain bike course was a fast 20 mile course that had a lot of dirt and paved roads. The short single track sections were all super muddy and bumpy. There were also a quite a few small wooden bridges over the super muddy sections, which I managed to slip off of a couple of times. The mud was really thick and slow and all of the bumps and ruts in the trail also managed to you hold riders back a lot.

When the canoers for my team, Mark Leduc and Jacqueline O’Keefe handed off to me we were somewhere between 50^th and 55^th place overall. After I finished my leg we moved up to somewhere around 40^th so I passed somewhere around ten people. Our team won the high school division by over an hour and a half and we ended up taking 33^rd out of 500 teams overall. 

I was pretty satisfied with how I did in my leg. I had the fasted mountain bike time in the high school division and 15^th overall. I had two minor crashes and managed to find my way off the course multiple times. I underestimated the amount of water I would need and towards the end of the my leg both calves cramped up really hard but I managed to push throw and get to the end, passing one more rider right before I handed off to the sea kayaker. Despite all of the road sections the course was still pretty fun. They changed up a lot of the road this year and added a bunch of fast 90 and 180 degrees turns on the pavement. Overall, it was just a super fun day.

Soloman post muddy mountain bike leg

Soloman Woras - For those of you not familiar with the event, (aka those of you not from Bellingham where it is the center of the universe on Memorial day weekend for the last 100 years, really 100 years!!!!) Any way for those not familiar, it is a great multi sport relay race that covers 100 miles from Mt. Baker to the the Bellingham shoreline. It is a really great event. The bast part is the way the community really rallies behind it, heck even the mayor did a leg. Just like Dave in the winter tri, but without the balaclava and the moon boots. 

I participated on a team sponsored by a Bellingham local, RB Wick,( thanks to Joe for lending me a bike with gears on it.) As it turns out this was my first real race of the season after flatting out of the chain-smoker and wussing out of the Wenatchee  Omnium. As a result the legs reacted accordingly, by complaining the whole 20 miles that they wanted to go faster, while the rest of the body remained in the proverbial fetal position. No, it really wasn't too bad, I only ran into one brick wall, only fell into one swamp/creek/ditch, and only hit one small tree/bush/sapling. I should have pre-ridden the course and I should have done more full-out, hour long time-trials through suburban strip malls, swamps, and train-tracks, but all and all it was a good time. I didn't lose any places for my team, and finished 6th on my leg, right behind all the real bike racers. I even got to deploy the ever popular parking lot shower, almost as fun as the backseat diaper change. 

Other than that, it looked like the Methow was well represented with my strapping young teammates  Keelan and Cody bringing home the gold in the high-school division as members of the Made in the Methow/ Mazama store team.

An added bonus #1, the weekend doubled as our first family vacation with Zepher, (or sometimes referred to as child #2). Ya..... it has been a long winter. Added bonus #2 the pass opened two days before the trip, meaning we had a three hour car ride with the kids instead of a 5+ hour screem-athon that could have been. 

Thanks for all of your continued support!

Port Angeles- Dry Hills XC- Indie Series #1 MTB Race

Cody Cupp:

After being out for about two weeks, the Dry Hills XC race was a great way for me to come back from a concussion. I was hit in the head during a collision at the plate in a baseball game on the 7^th. The concussion was serious enough to keep me off the bike for a little under a week but as soon as I was cleared to ride again I got back at it and trained hard. Following the schedule Salomon set up for me, I was able to train hard enough to grab my highest overall placing in the Open/Expert category ever. I won junior expert (since I was the only one) and I took 8^th overall. Needless to say, I was pretty happy with how I did.

The course was super fun but definitely the hardest race I have ever done. We raced on the Olympic Dirt Society’s trails, which are primarily aimed at downhill and freeride bikers. The race consisted of three, eight mile laps of steep grueling terrain. It seemed like each uphill pitch got steeper than the last and riders were barely able to make it to the top. Once we finally reached the summit of the never ending climb we were thrown into the epic downhill trail filled with root drops, gap jumps, and plenty of steep, torn up, switch backs that were loaded with mud and it was all I could do to stay on the trail. By the end of the race I was completely exhausted and covered with mud but I still had a blast!

Enumclaw Stage Race

Keelan Christensen:

The Enumclaw Stage Race consisted of a time trial Saturday morning, a criterium Saturday evening, and a road race Sunday morning. I had the convenient opportunity of staying at a friend’s house that was located a block away from the time trial, and directly on the road race course. Overall, I placed 15^th in the time trial, 10^th in the criterium, and 4^th in the road race out of a total of 30 category 5 men.

The time trial course was relatively flat on a scenic windy road about 10 kilometers long. I believe it was due my warm-up lacking intensity that lead to my muscles cramping up and tightening up right out of the starting gate. I tried to pedal through it, but you can never pedal as hard if you’re hurting like I did. Still, without an aero bike, aero helmet and good warm-up, I managed to hold a 15^th place. I learned that for a short race like that to incorporate a couple of snaps into my warm-up to prevent cramps.

About 4 hours after the time trial was the criterium. This was the race I was most nervous about because I’ve never tried to corner in a group of 30+ men. The Enumclaw Criterium course was an awesome figure eight loop with eight corners per lap. Throughout the race, I managed to stick with the main pack and not get dropped, and I felt really strong on the corners. With all that confidence, I thought I maybe had the opportunity to podium in this criterium. With three laps to go, I sprinted out to the front of the pack on a straight away and slid into third place. However, at the same time, the first and second place men broke away and I was left in third place leading the pack and doing all the work. I held this place until the final sprint to the finish line. By that time, I was exhausted from pulling the pack, so I lost the sprint and crossed tenth. Still, this was my favorite race I have ever done in my career, and now I know what I have to do to maybe podium or even win a criterium.

As for the road race, I had to do two steep climbs up mud mountain road and also two very fast descents for a total of 30 miles. The first lap wasn’t even a race, the pace was easy and nobody got dropped. I felt like I was expending too much energy trying to stay in the front of the pack, so I slid back to the very end and drafted comfortably. Then the second climb approached and the pace began to pick up. I made my way to the front of the pack again and was among the leaders for the whole climb while many got dropped by the pack. I knew I wasn’t as fast on the descent to I pushed it even harder on the climb to get a comfortable gap. Then the descent came. Two guys were out in front, and then there was me followed by a pack of 6. Luckily, one big guy caught up to me. He let me draft on the whole descent, and then we both worked to try and catch the leaders. Then maybe four other guys caught up, so we all formed a pace line. Once we were back in the town, almost to the finish line, there was an unmarked intersection. Out of the six of us, only one guy went the correct way, the rest of us flew by the intersection and had to turn around and go back. So at that time, there were three ahead, and the five of us still fighting for fourth place. When the one kilometer to go sign was in sight, I was still feeling very strong, so I tried a break away. It worked! The rest of the pack could not keep up and I crossed the finish line in fourth place.

Because this was a stage race, total times were added, not points for placement. It was my time trial that gave me the most time back from the leader, so overall I placed 11^th. This sort of marks the end for road racing this season, now I switch my goals to mountain and the Junior Development Camp in mid June.

Chris and Dave warming up under the Kona tent

Chris Casey:

This was my first time doing this race series. After heavy rain at the Wenatchee Omnium the weekend before, we were hopeful for good weather in Enumclaw. The rain mostly held off while we were riding, it was cloudy and cool the whole weekend. Dave A, Keelan C and myself represented the Methow at this well attended race.  Dave and I racing Masters C against a strong field of about 50 or so riders.

The time trial was a flat windy one way course on freshly resurfaced roads- it could not have been much sweeter unless there was a tail wind the whole way.... Times were fast, but despite my 25mph average this was still only good for 26th place... on reflection my intervals session 2 days beforehand seemed like a poor choice!

The crit was again a fun windy course, with multiple turns (rather than the usual rectangle that we seem to see). The pace was high from the get go and the 30 minutes seemed to take a lifetime. My get up and go was otherwise employed and I was hanging on for dear life until the last lap when I suddenly had no more oomph to give and was shelled off the back of the front pack, finishing alone 33 seconds down on the lead rider. Good for 31st place, but at least I finished upright and not too far back!

The road race on Sunday was a flat start with a significant hill stuck in the middle! 800 odd feet of fairly steep climbing which served to destroy the pack within the first 500 yards. I clung on to the lead group until the last 200 yards before imploding and watching them gradually pull away. I was able to chase with one other rider for the rest of that lap, but it eventually became clear that we were not going to catch a group of 25 guys working well. The rest of the race was trying to limit time losses and stay ahead of the decimated peleton behind us, which we did. Good for 29th place and an overall position of 29 out of 47 who first started. 

It was a disappointing performance for me, I figured I would be stronger, but I was likely not fully recovered from the Wenatchee race a week before and did not taper my training intensity as much as I should have during the week between- oh well, lesson learned.... maybe! Overall, it was a good weekend, good courses and a fun time watching my teammates do well and get pretty pumped about racing. In additon, nobody got hurt and it did not rain (much)... an added bonus!

Next up- Washington State Time Trial Championships in Tenino in 2 weeks... between then and now..... rest is on the agenda!

Well that's bike racing for ya!

Dave Acheson:

The reasons to race bikes are as varied as the people who race them.  It’s easy to enjoy it when you get a high placing and your friends are telling you how well you did, but for me some of the most rewarding races are those where I’ve had nothing on paper to point to when all was said and done.  This past weekend at the Mutual of Enumclaw Stage Race was such an occasion.  The Enumclaw race is a stage race and unlike an omnium where points are awarded in each event based on finish places and totaled for the weekend, all that matters is the total elapsed time for the events for the rider.  Ride a great time trial and don’t lose any time in the criterium or road race and you’ll have a high finish.

My time trials are usually solid and this year was no different with my ride giving me a 12^th place finish in the Masters C/D field of 47 riders.  As for the weekend’s other events, my previous attempts at this race have left me wanting in the “don’t lose any time in the criterium or road race” department which has led to bottom half of the field finishes for the weekend.  Road racing is full of moments where you are challenged to push just a little harder or hurt a little more to stay in the race.  Ease up in those critical moments and the suffering goes away, but so does the pack and any chance of finishing well.  

For me, criteriums are full of those moments.  The races are usually about 30 minutes long and the middle third is the hardest and where the most doubt creeps in.  In the beginning, you’re fresh and have enough energy to hang tough.  Somewhere in the middle though, the strength begins to fade, the finish is still a long way off, and it would just be easier to let off a little and let the pack drop you.  You have to battle through these moments, possibly several each lap, and keep telling yourself it’s just a little bit more until the finish.  Make it through that middle third of the race and the finish is close enough, you can take a little more hurt and get the job done.  This year I successfully battled through and lost just 11 seconds to the leaders when a crash caused a split in the field early in the last lap.

The next battle was the road race.  The race consists of three laps of a 14.5 mile circuit that features a long, steep climb up Mud Mountain Road.  In previous attempts, I haven’t managed to top out on that climb with the field even once.  I have managed to chase back on before being dropped for good, but all previous attempts have ended in big time losses.  Each trip up the climb is a lot like that middle third of the criterium, lots of suffering and struggle while hanging on a few meters at a time trying not to worry about the miles to come.  As the top of the first trip up the climb approached, I was fighting for all I was worth and although beginning to lose the battle, I crested the top within easy reach of the pack and caught back on within a quarter mile or so.  This was a significant step in the right direction.

The second lap saw me lose contact about two thirds of the way up the climb and then join five other riders in a full throttle chase for the rest of the lap in an attempt to regain contact.  We worked very well together and managed to rejoin the main field a mile or so before the final trip up the climb.  The chase had left me drained and as soon as the final climb started, I lost contact when the front riders pushed the pace in their bids to set up victory.  As the climb went on, the pack’s pace moderated and I actually began to close the gap a little.  I was never able to rejoin, however, and was left to trail in a little over four minutes behind at the finish.

 
The results sheet shows that I finished 23^rd for the weekend out of 47 starters in the Masters C/D field.  The real story though, is that this was my best effort at this race and probably my best full weekend of racing in a couple years.

Team Posts Great Wenatchee Omnium Results!

Keelan working hard!

Keelan Christensen - After a disappointing game in districts, I had an hour and a half to drive across Wenatchee to race the Wenatchee Omnium criterium. This being the first crit in my racing career, I had plenty of questions for Dave and Jake. However, looking pretty awesome in the new team kits, I managed to place first in my category and third overall in Junior A and B. My strategy was not the greatest, but this race was a great learning opportunity for me. After the first lap, two JL Velo kids and I had pulled away from the other juniors. I was out in front for the first 4 laps. These teammates then pulled away and began drafting off each other, and I was left in third place by myself to fight to catch up with them. On the final corner of the last lap, I managed to catch up and surprise them, however one of them blocked me and the other pulled away sprinting. Because of their strategic 

block, I lost the sprint. Still, I learned how fun crits are and some strategy for the next crit in Enumclaw.

The following day was a 20 mile road race in some of the hardest rain I've seen on this side of the Cascades. The two JL Velo kids from the crit, Jake, and I were the only juniors signed up. The course was a super steep climb with 2500 feet of elevation gain over 8 miles. Us four juniors stayed in a consistent pack for the entire duration of the climb. But I knew I had the advantage on the downhill. Because of junior gearing and the steep sustained decent, I lost them on the downhill - probably because I’m guessing I weigh 30-40 pounds heavier. After the decent was 4 miles of flat road to the finish. I won my category and also won junior overall! Next weekend consists of the Enumclaw Stage Race and then I joined a Ski to Sea team racing the road bike leg.

Keelan cornering in the crit

Dave Acheson - This was my fourth time participating in the Wenatchee Omnium.  It consists of a time trial and criterium on Saturday and a very challenging road race on Sunday.  Racers receive points based on their finishes in the individual events and the highest point total for the weekend wins.

The time trial in Wenatchee is usually a windy affair and this year was no exception.  In fact this year was the windiest that I have experienced.  As a bonus, it was cool and rainy too!  The 9.5 mile course is oriented in such a way that you blast out to the turnaround with a big tailwind and then battle the headwind all the way back to the finish.   With the wind at my back and my new Easton TT wheels (this was my maiden ride on them) I pushed past 40 mph a couple times on small descents during the outbound leg.  The return leg as you might expect was slower, at times I was down below 15 mph.  I was very pleased, however, with the stability of the wheels even with their deep cross section in the buffeting wind.  My time was good enough for 5^th in the Masters C category and got my weekend off to a good start.

I headed back to the hotel for a nap dreading a wet criterium that afternoon.  I was very happy to see the sun shining and dry pavement went I looked out the window after my nap.  I usually struggle with the speed of criteriums and this one was no different.  For the criterium and the road race the Masters C field would be combined with the Masters D field but be scored separately.  I survived about two-thirds of the race before being pulled out by the officials, but still managed an eighth place and a few more points towards my total.

Sunday morning brought the return of the rain.  It was going to be a soggy, challenging day on the bike.  The road course consisted primarily of a loop that featured a five plus mile long climb that is very steep in spots and would be completed twice.  Being a larger rider and not really a climber, this road race is always a case of riding my own pace up the climb trying to limit my losses and bombing the descent to the best of my ability to regain time.  I felt that I struggled a little more on the climbs than usual and maybe had a bad day, but still managed a seventh place in the weather induced small field.

Speaking of the weather, it’s not as fun to race in the rain, but on these miserable days, I always think of the volunteers and course marshals that make it possible for us to go racing.   As racers, we tell tales of battles in epic conditions, but the volunteers stand in the rain and cold for hours with no recognition or tales of glory.  I always make a point of thanking them as I pass by and I hope that the other racers appreciate them as well.

As for my final weekend placing, I ended up 6^th in the Masters C field.  A pretty good result, but I would have liked a faster time trial and to have felt better on the climbs.  Five days of recovery and I’ll do it all again at Enumclaw.

Chris Casey - Competing in what was probably the wettest conditions I have ever voluntarily/ or involuntarily ridden my bicycle, Dave A and I completed 44 miles of the road race course, which for the Masters C/D group, meant a group of 30 or so soggy riders working hard not to drink the spray from the rider in front. The new team kit was quite dashing- even when dripping wet and the wind jacket probably saved me from hypotherm

 

Starting with a 5 mile out and back, the course included 2 laps up a long (5 mile) and periodically quite steep climb. (Certainly by the second lap, the last pitch seemed much steeper than the first time around and it was a relief to see the top section eventually arrive.)  As usual, the pack splintered on the first part of the climb- 7 or 8 folks off the front then my group of 5 (most of whom were Masters D), which worked and stayed together through the whole race. We stayed clear of those behind, picked a few of the lead group off as they 'fell by the wayside', but never really came close to catching the faster guys. The descents were quite fast for the conditions (my max speed was 49.5mph, which in hindsight seems insane, but at the time I was just hanging on, trying to see ahead of me in the pouring rain and spray!) The last 8 miles of rolling and flats back to the finish were made easier by the 'train' I was in, but by the time we crossed the finish, I was pretty spent, managing only to out sprint one of the group for a 4th place finish in the Masters C division.

 

Overall, miserable conditions without doubt, but a good result for the first race of the year. Next week, Enumclaw for the Stage Race- hopefully the rain stays away for that one!

Thanks guys- love the team kit (the shorts rock!)

Pedaling hard into the wind!

Jake Harrop - The races on Saturday were really fun, not too rainy just some light rain here and there. I kicked off the day with the time trial and I felt good and rested, I felt like I had a really good TT it was slightly windy on the straights but fast in the curves. Later that day I had my crit, my crit was an awesome race, I was racing with keelan and we stuck together until I got dropped off the back and ended up riding my own race. I felt like I had a solid race though. Sunday I participated in 20 mile road race and it was absolutely RAINY. Even though it was hammering I still kept a can do attitude and stuck with it. I was riding with Keelan until about 6-7 miles into it when I got dropped. I placed 3rd in all three events, overall I think I raced a solid Omnium this year and I'm looking forward to improving for next year's event.

Jake pulling his group in the crit