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Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival Saturday Recap

CABLE, WIS. - Brian Matter (Gear Grinder/Trek) and Jenna Rinehart (Specialized) repeated as Chequamegon 40 champions, defending their 2009 titles on a noticeably muddy course. This was the third time both have won the 40-mile race through the Wisconsin Northwoods.

Matter crossed the line in 02:09:27, several minutes off his record pace of 2:02.55 in 2009. Rinehart, who finished in 2:26:32, was also several minutes slower than her 2009 win. Muddy conditions from recent rains slowed the overall winning times.

In the men's race, a mud pit on the way to Martel's Pothole nearly halfway into the race created the first decisive move, whittling a leading group of 15 riders down to four. "I saw Doug (Swanson) go over the bars in the middle of this mud," said Matter. Mike Anderson (Gary Fisher/SRAM) hit the gas climbing out of Martel's and only Matter, Tristan Schouten (Mafia) and Jason Sager could respond. By the time the foursome was racing by Lake Helane, they had built a lead of nearly one minute.

Sager led up the Seeley Firetower climb, dropping Anderson, and then made his move on the rolling Birkebeiner Ski Trail with seven miles to go, attacking and dropping Matter and Schouten. According to Matter, Sager built a lead of 20 to 25 seconds, although he never did get completely out of sight. "We suffered trying to keep (Sager) in sight," admitted Schouten.

Matter and Schouten, who live just a few miles apart in Sheboygan, Wis., worked together on Telemark Road and eventually reeled in Sager, who was hurting alone in a headwind and losing air pressure in his rear tire.

"It was like a slow death," said Sager about trying to stay ahead of the Sheboygan riders, who caught Sager with less than three miles to go. "When they caught me, I thought I could fake it," said Sager, but that wasn't to be.

Schouten launched the first attack in the closing miles, dropping Sager, but he couldn't shake Matter. "I picked my one climb and went for it," said Matter. Schouten couldn't match the attack and finished in 2:09:41, 13 seconds down, and Sager came home in 2:09:59, 32 seconds off Matter.

In the women's 40, Rinehart made her move on the Birkie Trail in the same stretch as Sager, after working for much of the race to catch former champion Sara Kylander-Johnson (Trek). "At OO (16 miles into the race), I was almost a minute down according to my parents," said Rinehart. "I didn't know if I would see her again" after Kylander-Johnson escaped up the road in a large group.

Rinehart kept patient and kept her pace high. "On each of those steep rollers, I went for it," she said, eventually catching Kylnder-Johnson . She attacked Kylander-Johnson on the Birkie climbs as Kylander-Johnson cramped. "Sometimes you think you can go harder than you can. The last five miles, I just crumbled," said Kylander-Johnson, who enjoys racing against Rinehart.

While Kylander-Johnson cramped, Rinehart kept the throttle open, eventually putting two and half minutes on Kylander-Johnson, who finished in 2:29:52. Lisa Krayer (Adventure 212/Specialized) took third in 2:38:41.

Jake Richards (Maplelag) cruised to his third straight Short & Fat title in 52:35.7, beating Ian Haupt (Expo) and Luke Baker by a minute and a half in the 16-mile race. The Iowa City tandem couple of Brian and Kim Eppen continued to dominate the tw0-person category, even after a timing chain mishap just after Rosie's Field, finishing in 20th overall. Local favorite Paul Belknap (Bay City/Chequama Mamas) captured the singlespeed title, finishing in 2:25:57, good for 49th overall.

See itiming.com for full results.