Midwest MTB Report
Racing this past weekend was highlighted by the five event Dirt Wirk which served up cross country racing action for race #3 in the Minnesota Series this past weekend. Mother Nature foiled trail riding for many locales as we move into summer. This weeks report includes a recap from the DirtWirx event, many upcoming mountain bike events and functions coming up, and the look ahead.
Dirt Wirx
Hillside Park was host to Dirt Wirx which featured five events including short track, time trial, dual slalom, cross country and 25 hour racing! One of the athletes to compete in all five events was women's elite winner Rebecca Grimson who provides a recap:
Wow, Rich Omdahl and Quantum Race Productions know how to put on a race week! Dirt Wirx has been a blast! Lonie and I decided give all 5 races a shot! Saturday I raced the TT and the Short Track. The TT was fast and super fun! The Short Track was 14 minutes plus 1 lap of pain with the elite women and the comp men. We are also doing the DS and the 25 hour race too.
Sunday afternoon was the cross country. I was so impressed, 15 women in the elite field! The MN Series is having a great showing this summer for women, our numbers have been larger than the WORS! Before the race started, we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Eddie Karrow! That what racing is all about, fun and friends!
(Photo: Eddie Karow by Ben Mullin)
The gun went off and there we went. We had a nice long prologue to spread the field out. After the first section of singletrack, we went through the start/finish area to start our first lap.
Each lap we rode the powerline climb, which was a blast! After the powerline climb, we took a hard right into the singletrack. Right after going into the singletrack, I heard a loud "ping!" I pulled over and could not figure out which spoke broke. So, I decided to just go with it! Thank God I finished with a smile and had a blast! So fun to race with a large field! Give God the glory!
The mens elite race saw a selection of Josh Bauer, Jeff Hall, and Dominic Talerico break free from the group with Josh Bauer leading for most of the race until Josh took a B line with Talerico on his wheel. "Dom followed me and Jeff took the A line which caused him to pass us. He then attacked and we both chased but never saw Jeff again. Dom fell off about mid last lap and I rode away with second, being a minute and a half behind", stated Bauer. Mason Bacso and seasoned grizzled vet Paul Hanson rounded out the top five.
WORS National Press
Race #3 in the Wisconsin series was recently highlighted in cyclingnews.com which featured highlights from the Elite race:
In the BelGioioso Cat 1/Pro Women's event, Cooper Dendel (Quick Stop Bike Shop) proved once again that in 2015 she means business. Grabbing her third win, Dendel is on a hot streak. To her own admission, she loves the technical switchbacks that the Battle of Camrock has to offer.
(Photo: Extreme Photography)
The men's Cat 1/Pro race showed the reigning WORS overall champion, Brian Matter (KS Energy/ MOSH), climbing to his first victory of the year. The pressure was on the entire 4 laps as different competitors fed off of each other to keep the pace high. After the first lap there was a lead pack of four: Tristan Schouten (Rolf Prima/ Attitude Sports) who led Corey Stelljes (Motorless Motion/ Cannondale), Matter, and Nathan Guerra (Vision Cycling). At the start of the second lap, Guerra took over and put a 25 second gap on the chase group. But with his lead came a price.
Ride with RAMBO
The newly formed Runestone Area Mountain Bike Organization is inviting area riders for a ride Thursday nite at the Scott E Deitz trails. Meet at 6:30. If interested and you need directions call Jake's Bikes at 320-219-7433. Learn about the status of Brophy Park before the Public Input meeting on the 25th at 5:30. If you want singletrack trails in Douglas county now is the time!
Camba Ramble
Join mountain bikers from around the Midwest for a weekend of exploration and exceptional riding on the CAMBA trails beginning Friday evening, July 17 for the CAMBA Ramble. Rustic camping, guided rides, prizes and more, with an evening of festivities on Saturday at the Rivers Eatery in Cable. Free and everyone is invited, including those not affiliated with a club or shop. Photo contest for best selfie, group shot and best team/club photo.
Ore to Shore Update
Race organization from the Ore To Shore recently released information on the point to point classic in the UP of Michigan:
The Upper Peninsula Health System Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic will be celebrating its 16th year on Saturday, August 8th! What started as a mere 480 racers has grown to well over 2,500--breaking records we never thought possible! This year, we are expecting an even more impressive turnout.
The O2S is a point-to-point race, with riders gearing up at the start line in historic Negaunee, where in 1844 iron ore was first discovered in the Superior region. This epic 48 Mile course travels through Ishpeming, past towering head frames from underground mining, then moves north into the beautiful wilderness. Next, crossing or running alongside of the Dead River all the way into Marquette, racers eventually meet up with the Lake Superior shoreline. The 28 Mile race also starts in Negaunee, but immediately turns north and then east towards Marquette. Just six miles north of Negaunee both races merge and experience the same Dead River and Superior overlooks all the way to the shared finish line.
Racers looking for a shorter experience can ride our 10 Mile race. A step above the Junior Rock, it allows less experienced riders to have the mountain biking experience of a lifetime. Starting at Lakeview Arena at 8 am, the racers will travel towards Tourist Park along the last section of the Hard/Soft Rock. The course will circle around and finish back at Lakeview Arena where an awards ceremony will take place later in the evening.
New for 2015! While some think this is strictly a winter sport, there is no doubt that the explosion of fat bikes is more than a flash in the pan. So in keeping up with the times, the race committee has decided to add a Fat Tire class. Riders/bicycles with both tires 3.8"+ will be eligible. Be sure to indicate when you register â€" check the box.
Also new this year the Ore to Shore finish line will be to moving the front & side of Lakeview arena. This will give the racers a straight finish line, along with incorporating the youth events within the post-race celebration. Look for bigger and better finish line fun as we expand to this new location.
Bike Friendly Minneapolis
Minneapolis' reputation as a bike-friendly town has gone global. A new analysis from Europe puts Minneapolis among the 20 most bike-friendly cities in the world, and the best in North America. "Minneapolis is quickly becoming the go-to city in America for building infrastructure," the consulting group Copenhagenize Design Co. writes in its third assessment of the bike-friendliness of the world's cities. It's the only city in the U.S. to make it into the Top 20.
St Cloud High School Racing
Former pro rider Kyia Anderson who is still very active with cycling reports on the development of a new high school team in St. Cloud:
The Mid Minnesota Cycling Club (MMCC) is pleased to announce the development of a High School Mountain bike team in St. Cloud for the 2015 season! The MMCC is currently seeking volunteers with an interest in coaching, fundraising, and logistical management for the team as well as high school racers. The team will join the fast growing MN High School Cycling League, which has over 40 teams from Minnesota. Racers and volunteers will be able to use St. Cloud's multitude of existing trails that have been developed by the MMCC for training and racing purposes. Races start early this fall and include a race in St. Cloud on September 13th. The MMCC is pleased to work collaboratively with the City of St. Cloud as well as various other agencies to promote and provide recreational opportunities through the development and maintenance of multi use trails in St. Cloud. We look forward to the growth of cycling at the High School level and encourage those with interest in racing and volunteering to fill out this survey today! Follow us on Facebook!
Related: St Cloud Times Article
Otter Creek 55
(Photo: Camber Slorence by Epic Sports)
Registration is open for the inaugural Otter Creek 55. Race organization reports:
Come join us for the inaugural Otter Creek 55 Mountain Bike Race and Festival! 6 hours of live music to welcome racers in from 1, 2, or 4 lap races around Harmon Lake. Beer garden, featuring beers from one of Bismarck-Mandan's favorate local brewers Laughing Sun Brewing, and additional mountain biker favorites from New Belgium Brewing. Onsite food vendors and a great beach next to the finish line to take a refreshing dip in Harmon Lake after your blazing laps around the course!
Looking Ahead
Duluth and its expanding network of mountain bike trails including many sweet gravity options will be offering a Enduro series which kicks off this week at Piedmont. The event will be a time trial format with starting special stages 30 seconds apart. Maps of the stages will be posted on Monday. Riders are encouraged to ride the stages before the event. In order to race and the series, riders must be enrolled with COGGS. Enduro racing is a mostly downhill event but includes climbing sections that rewards riders with downhill skills but the speed and endurance to pedal fast uphill!
(Photo: COGGS)
Located four miles outside of Wausau, Nine Mile Forest continues to be one of the top drawing races in the series. Nine Mile Forest takes full advantage of this area's abundant single track and wide open rolling ski trails to provide mountain bikers with a two wheeled thrill ride. The single track of this race course will keep you tightly gripping the bars and searching for the best line however, racers will need to be prepared to shift to their big ring as they roll out onto the ski trail segments. The finish typically sees many sprint finishes in all classes!
(Photo: WORS)
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 25th year of racing and promoting mountain bike races. |