Midwest MTB Racing Report
Summerlike weather has returned, putting smiles on most mountain bikers faces as we enjoy some of the best riding of the year! Trails have dried up nicely providing a tacking surface which to shred upon surrounded by beautiful fall colors . The racing continues to be hot and saucy with recaps this week from Cloud town which saw series racing on Saturday and high school racing on Sunday. Also a report from Andes Towers Hills which was host to the Norseman Challenge and a few mountain bike related items to note. And of course, a look ahead to the last weekend of September gripping and ripping opportunities.
St. Cloud
The "Jail Trail" was host to a full plate of mountain biking racing this past weekend with MNMBS racing on Saturday and high school racing on Sunday. Many families participated both days including the Matt Johnson boys who provides a nice full report:
This past weekend was a double header for our family with Series racing on Saturday and High School Cycling League racing on Sunday, both at the Jail Trail in St. Cloud. The weather was outstanding and the trail was firm and fast on Saturday. Many riders are big fans of the Mid Minnesota Cycling Club's trail work. They build tight singletrack that threads through the existing trees, rock and roots. The terrain offers little elevation change so you spend most of your time diving into corners and accelerating towards the next one.
The Marathon Class was in effect for the Singletrack Escape and many of the heavy hitters were in attendance. Heath Weisbrod, Ben Doom, and Matt Muyres led the men's field. Rebecca Sauber was the Women's Marathon winner. Heath shared that it was one of the more challenging Marathon races with the repeated accelerations out of each corner.
My boys rolled up for the one lap Citizen race and were soon racing down the ski trail towards the singletrack. The Citizen class continues to be a great mix of Men, Women, and up and coming youth who will surely be the next Jeff Hall and Kyia Anderson. The boys finished close together which keeps the family competition going week in and week out.
I lined up for the two lap Sport race. My legs felt good a week ago at Chequamegon, unfortunately I had only been on the bike once since then. The race demands you go hard in every section of ski trail to hold your position and then try to hang on in the singletrack. I settled into a good group after the first section of ski trail and about halfway through the first lap, I put in a couple of big efforts to make passes on the ski trail. After I completed the first lap I was feeling the effects of those efforts and had to give back a few positions. I tried my best to keep the pace up for lap two and carry as much speed as possible around each tree and rock on my way to the finish. It was great to be riding the course on a perfect day.
Sunday morning came early as we loaded up the bikes and headed back to St. Cloud for race two in the Minnesota High School Cycling League. This year I have been volunteering with the Highland Park Mountain Bike Team, which is coached by Erik Peterson and Paul Johnson. This is the first year for our team. We have 12 kids, including many who are racing mountain bikes for the first time. Now Bikes and Fitness in St. Paul have been very supportive of our team including providing bikes for some team members to use this season.
The High School Cycling League has put together a very organized program that has created an excellent opportunity for students to participate in mountain bike racing. The numbers are truly impressive with over 400 kids participating.
The Jail Trail course was a good chance for the young racers to test their singletrack skills. A shot of rain the night before created some additional challenges with greasy corners. Kids were allowed to pre ride the 4 mile course Sunday morning before the racing began to learn trail and soon coaches were cleaning off their muddy bikes.
The League added a Middle School class this year for boys and girls, and they started the day of racing with 1 lap. They tested the wet corners at speed and a few came back with some mud to show for their efforts. Next up were the Freshmen (2 laps), Sophomore (2 laps), JV (3 laps) and Varsity Girls (4 laps). With the sun shining the course was drying out nicely for them. The afternoon included racing for the Freshmen (2 laps), Sophomore (3 laps), JV (4 laps), and Varsity Boys (5 laps) who had a fast and tacky course.
The racing across all of the classes is competitive and intense with many sprint finishes. It is great to see all of the support that coaches, parents and volunteers are providing these kids. We are looking forward to the upcoming events in Rochester, Mankato and River Falls. (Photo: Matt Johnson)
MN MTB Series Results
Minnesota High School Cycling League
Norseman Challenge
Andes Towers Hills just outside of Alexandria was host to two events this past Saturday, a trail run early morning and a return of a mountain bike race shortly after. I raced a few years at Andes back in the 90's enjoying some good ol' fashioned mud and rolling terrain. The guts and brains behind the recently completed Inspiration 100, Derek "deek surly" Chinn, provides a recap:
The second Norseman Mountain Bike and Trail Run event was held at Andes Tower Hills on Saturday, September 20. Andes Tower Hills is a winter recreation area near Alexandria that has trails for downhill skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and cross country skiing. Both the trail run and the mountain bike courses traverse the downill runs and cross country ski trails.
There are two mountain bike events held on the 4.5 mile course. The shorter event consists of one lap, while the longer race is three laps for a total of 14 miles. The course is not overly technical, consisting primarily of cross country ski trails and the downhill ski runs, but there are a few short sections through the woods that test your skills. Anchoring the course is the climb straight up the downhill run known as “The Wall.”
The 4.5 mile event had four participants, with Paul Peterson of Hoffman finishing first (39:12), Tom Wosepka of Alexandria in second (43:47), and Cameron Nichols of Fargo finishing third (44:42).
Fourteen riders lined up for the 14 mile race, with Matt Moore of Shoreview crossing the line first (1:12:35). Dave Jensen of Fergus Falls came in second at (1:14:23), with Pat Crary of Fargo coming in third (1:18:12). Mr. Jensen also finished second in the 10 mile trail run, which netted him first place in the “Best of Both” category.
Interbike
As usual, the big bike trade show, interbike, was well attended by the Midwest. Minnesota's own Brendan Moore of Wolf Tooth Components was interviewed by Bike magazine featuring the new items WTC has available this fall.
Cottage Grove Bike Park
After several tireless months of work the Cottage Grove Bike Park, located in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, is about to unveil a new dirt jump area that will complement their existing 4X course and pump tracks that IMBA Trail Solutions constructed last year. Funding for the dirt jump area came from the 2014 Bell Built Grant that was awarded to the Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC) earlier this year. After reviewing the site and creating the design Trail Solutions engaged FlowRide Concepts to perform the installation. Once it is completed the dirt jump area will offer a progressive dirt jumping experience that riders of all ability levels will be able to enjoy. More coverage, including videos.
Looking Ahead
Looking for an added thrill shreddin' the tight and twisty? Three Rivers Parks announces a night race on Wednesday evening, October 8th, at Elm Creek Park Reserve. Twist and turn through 10.5 miles of single track using your required mounted bike lights. Awards, door prizes and good times after every race.
Race organizers are excited by the favorable weather forecast for the upcoming DFC weekend. The latest from race director Noah Michaelson (Photo: Noah Michaelson):
All indications are that defending two-time champ, Ashland native, Aaron Swanson will return to battle this season. Aaron suffered a broken hand in a downhill accident about 6 weeks ago. Aaron is willing to put it on the line to go into battle with last year's runner-up, Nate Lillie, who finished just seconds behind. Nate, the 2014 Cheq 40 singlespeed champion,is looking for redemption this year, and the added singletrack miles to put some distance between Aaron and other contenders.
Also, weather forecast for this week and weekend look stellar. Trail conditions will be tacky and fast!
WORS #11 Colectivco Coffee Bean Classic
A challenging five to six-mile lap snakes its way up, down, and around The Rock Sports Complex. Racers of all levels get the chance to experience a little of everything, including the “Small Intestine” single track and downhill sections featuring a portion of the Rock’s downhill course that will keep riders grinning all the way to the end, report race organizers. This venue puts friends and family in perfect position to cheer on their favorite racers all day long!
Keep the wheels moving!
 | About the author... Jay Richards maintains a very active lifestyle. He somehow finds time between managing a full-time resort (Maplelag) and bringing up a family of four boys with his wife Jonell, to compete in both mountain bike and a few cross-country ski races. Jay rides for Maplelag Resort, manages the Maplelag/Paramount/Podiumwear mountain bike team and enters his 24th year of racing and promoting mountain bike races. |