Midwest MTB Report
Wet weather to end the month of May making it challenging in some areas to log trail time but overall it has been a great month of mountain biking. This weeks report includes a recap from race #3 in the Manitoba Cup series, mountain biking news and notes, the Strava ride of the week and a look ahead to a busy first weekend of June to kick off another summer of mountain bike racing.
Manitoba Cup #3 Sandilands, MB
This past Memorial day weekend, Sandilands, Manitoba was the host to race #3 in the Manitoba Cup Series. Having raced there a couple times in the past, I always check to see if it might work on the schedule as it is one of my favorite races I've done over the years along with being one of the shorter races to get to in the Midwest. Plus, the drive in northwest Minnesota into the border is picturesque. It was a busy week of graduation activities but Sunday was relatively open and I decided to make the trip up solo.
Knowing that the race operated under UCI regulations I touched base with the race organization to confirm on license requirements and renewed my USA Cycling/UCI license along with a rare pre-registration earlier in the week. Since the forecast was calling for wet weather and the rain was coming down good Saturday night, I touched base again to check their policy about racing in wet conditions. The quick short response from the race organizer "we race in the rain" had me stoked. I left the morning of and made my way to the border crossing at Pine Creek. Smooth sailing at the customs not after assuring the border agent I was going to bring my bike back with me and not sell it. Not before she let me go, she gave a look of asking a trick question to see if I was really going to race a mountain bike basically in the middle of nowhere. "So are you going to race "singletrack"? Yep, indeed I was heading north to race singletrack.
When I got closer to to the race, I lost cell signal and directions for the race. I suddenly had the middle of of nowhere feeling not knowing where to go. I knew my next turn was a right on to a gravel road and than another right on to a Provincial forest road but didn't know which ones.I kept driving along and hoped for the best. About 15 minutes later, I saw two "fat bikers" exiting the forest on a atv trail. I asked them if they knew where the race was and they confirmed I was on the right route and gave directions for the last few turns where signs had been set up. I made it to the parking lot/start/finish registration area which really was in the middle of nowhere. I was cutting it close in time but registration was quick and I was told lap times for the Elite race would be around 20 minutes and I thought I would have enough time to get a lap in so I headed out on course. Still not through the lap I was 5-6 minutes from start time and figured I was certain to miss the sound of a whistle indicating go. I came back through with a minute to spare, got the final race bottles and gels at the car than made it back to the start line. I ended up having a few minutes to spare as they checked off all the registrants starting at the same time in all the classes (Citizen, Sport, Comp, Expert and Elite) and was able to have a short visit with the friendly team Manitoba riders.
Off the start the race leader in the series bolted to the front and never saw him again. Having pre-ridden, I knew there were a few corners to be ready for that had sharp turns after quick drops. The course was 95% singletrack that was also used by dirt bikes in earlier years that created a lot of whoops. On the first lap I was with a rider from the Woodcock Cyclery team and also a junior rider from Team Manitoba, 16 year old Calon. We rode together the entire first lap and was passed by a rider behind us in the process.
On the second lap the Woodcock rider broke free but Calon and I stuck together. With lap times running a bit longer I realized it was going to be more like a 2 hour race versus a 1 hour 40 minute race assumed as the start line. The first few laps were at a bit harder pace than they should of been for me and after the third lap, I was already feeling it. Not helping the cause was the fact I was nursing some bruised ribs from going down hard in my first crash of the year on some greasy singletrack earlier in the week. The course was demanding with constant pedaling and what I would call a power course. It was very cool though, deep woods old school classic cross country race. The singletrack was narrow with brush right to the trail making for tight sightlines. During the third lap the skies opened up and rain started to fall. I thought things were going to get real interesting at that point but than it stopped and the sun came out! The quick shot of rain made the course even more tacky and only added to the riding perfection.
The fourth lap Calon and I continued to ride together. Coming through the feed zone on the before heading out on the final lap, I stopped to grab a water bottle and Calon got a gap. I would never seem him again as he would go on to put a minute on my by the finish. Nice job Calon. The last lap I felt a little better and was a few minutes faster than the fourth. I eagerly looked forward to the final descent which was my favorite part of the course, a s-turn downhill that had some sweet hand built berms between the tall pines leading right to the finish line.
With the border crossing I came across closing at 5, the race continued as I hurried to make the closing. I did catch up with a few folks from that have attended Laddies Loppet in years past, solicited some new riders and answered questions about the upcoming MNMBS race at Detroit Mountain. I always enjoy talking to Canadians, they have a certain demeanor that is not found in the states. I admit, I was closer to mph when it should of been km to make the border closing and did so with 3 minutes to spare. Got across no problem and slowed things down for the final two hour trip home.
(Photos: Kurt Penno)
Lutsen 99er
The Lutsen 99er mountain bike race will roll June 25-26 over and through the North Shore.
"The great thing about the 99er is it is community-based. People got behind it," said race director Peter Spencer of the volunteers and local connections to the event. "What really makes it successful is the local partnership. It's really great having those relationships."
This year's ridership will cap at about 1,700, Spencer said, including the kids' races. The 99er began in 2011 with about 100 riders and, while it has increased in popularity, Spencer said he and his staff are committed to managing its growth and its quality. "It's the small things. It's also being really organized. And caring ? the crew is caring about each and every participant."
Strava Ride of the Week
This weeks ride of the week goes to Dan Swanson. Dan was one of many riders who participated in #30daysofbiking. After 30 days Dan didn't stop. Dan has continued on making it 60 days in a row. The ride I selected out of his 60 consecutive rides was the one with his brother Doug where they ripped the trails at Cuyuna over the weekend on day 59. Dan and Doug also rode on day 30 together. Nice job Dan.
Olympic Update
The big news this week is the U.S. women have unofficially earned two starting positions for the Olympics in Rio (the maximum allowed). The qualification period for countries ended after the last world cup in Albstadt, Germany. UCI points from Lea Davison, Erin Huck, Georgia Gould, and Chloe Woodruff have helped to earn these starting positions over the past two years of racing. (Photo of Chloe Woodruff World Cup racing action)
Concurrently, there's an individual qualification happening to determine which two U.S. racers will start in Rio. Chloe outlined this process in a blog post. As of yet, no U.S. women have earned an automatic qualification to the Olympic Team although Lea Davison is very close with her current ranking of 11th in the World Cup (a top-10 is an automatic after the first three World Cups). Chloe now sits in 16th overall in the World Cup rankings after the first two rounds of racing (Cairns, AUS and Albstadt, GER). It's most likely that the second spot will be a discretionary pick to the team.
CAMBA's Longass Ride
The Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) is excited to announce the debut of what is hoped will become a signature CAMBA event - the Longass Ride, July 23rd. "Thanks to our extensive network of interconnected singletrack trails, the Chequamegon Area has become known as the place to go for long uninterrupted rides," states CAMBA executive director Ron Bergin. "And while many people are aware of our trails, it is our goal to help spread the word by inviting riders from around the Midwest to the area to experience our trails, have a great time, and go home and tell all of their friends."
There are several well-known mountain bike races in the area, but the Longass Ride will not be a competitive event. It will be a supported, non-competitive tour that will allow riders to bike from point to point and spend as much time on the trail as they wish. With distances of 17, 35, and 45 miles, there will be a route for just about anyone. It should be noted that all routes are on singletrack trail of at least an intermediate level of difficulty and none of the routes should be taken lightly. Participants should have a mountain bike in good working order and have spent some time on the bike before undertaking the tour.
Registration will open shortly. The tour is limited to 100 riders and registration will close on July 1.
CAMBA is also seeking volunteers to help assist in the organization of the event. Volunteers can select job assignments and sign up on Volunteer Spot.
Registration and other information can be found at www.cambatrails.org or by contacting CAMBA at [email protected] or 715/798-3599.
Looking Ahead
Four big events on tap this weekend as both series in Minnesota and Wisconsin also resume.
Madden's on Gull Lake will be host to the event For Cuyuna, a fundraiser weekend for the Cuyuna trails that will feature trail rides, trendy dinners, specialty brews and moonshine, a dj and live music.
Miles upon miles of pristine single track define the Borah Epic race course. The challenge will require riders to surf through smooth banked turns, navigate across bumpy rock gardens, and surge through pine groves as the sunlight breaks through the treetops.
The course offers an experience difficult to replicate in most mountain bike races nationwide and will leave riders grinning from ear to ear upon finishing.Since 2013 the Borah Epic has donated over $37,000.00.back to CAMBA.The Epic still had a few spots open as of press time.
Detroit Mountain Shakedown Race #2 Minnesota Mountain Bike Series
Race organizers report the course will be a mix of old, new and "the future of what mountain biking in the Midwest is becoming"
The race course will be a mix of classic tight, twisty and rooty handcut singletrack, doubletrack, new mountain bike optimized flow trails, along with switchback climbs that lead to flowy fast descents, mixing in gravity trails and teasers of custom built wood features to provide a unique race course to test and entertain all levels of riders. Having ridden most of the course the past few years, in particular the Mountain View segment, this section will be test bike handling skills on technical terrain. Great trail, super fun to ride. Use extreme caution on the quick descents as the turns come quick and there is a log jump that if taken at speed will send you sailing through the woods into a tree as I experienced last year!
Battle of Camrock Race #2 Wisconsin Off Road Series
The trail system at CamRock is ablend of wide and fast flowing single-track that runs through open fields of prairie grass, wooded single-track with bermed turns and more technical single-track with a touch of roots and rocks. The Battle of CamRock will be fun and challenging for all levels, Citizen to Elite, with fun single-track, great downhill, feed zones and, of course, the sprint to the finish, report race directors.
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/LaMere/Paramount/Jake's Bikes mountain bike team and enters his 26th year of racing and promoting mountain bike races. Have an event or mountain bike related information to share from the Midwest? Feel free to contact Jay at |