Midwest MTB Report
This month is a very busy one with racing and events, not to mention that the high school season is in full swing with practices as junior riders prepare for the season. We kick off the month with an in-depth first hand recap from the epic Maah Daah Hey 100 held in the Badlands of North Dakota, followed by a highlight on yet more new trails to be built in the Midwest, and a quick preview of the World Championships for mountain biking which are being held across the pond in the UK and should be a doozy this year.
Maah Daah Hey 100
The weather was literally a game changer at the Maah Daah Hey 100 this year, which also included some shorter distances. A slow moving rain system dumped over a couple inches of rain which didn't fare well for the abundance of clay surfaces on the Maah Daah Hey trails. Peder Arneson, who was rocking a singlespeed, took on the 100 and filed a recap with some great photos:
"This year’s version of the Maah Daah Hey 100 ended up providing riders with unexpected challenges compared to year’s past. In the lead up to race day, Medora, and to a lesser extent, Watford City, were hit with significant rainfall. For those familiar with the soil on the Maah Daah Hey, the trail is unrideable and unhikeable when wet. It comes as no surprise this was a logistical challenge for the race directors and it was unknown whether a race would happen at all. After much deliberation, it was decided the race would be held on Sunday (a 24 hour delay) and would be an out and back race from the CCC Trailhead at the northern terminus of the trail. All other race distances would also begin at CCC and would have a modified out and back or loop format. Unfortunately, there were many riders unable to race Sunday due to all these changes. I was fortunate enough to be able to still make it to the start line, though, and couldn’t be more thankful to all that made the race happen. From the race directors to volunteers, SAG support to other competitors, the race is top notch."
"All that said, the 100 mile race went off at 6:30 sharp on Sunday morning. From the gun, I knew it would be a day of attrition. The Neverending Switchbacks segment just out of CCC were a harbinger of what was to come. Since I was riding singlespeed, I figured I would be riding alone most of the day but hopefully keep some riders in sight and chase them down on climbs. Aside from the first 25 miles, that didn’t really happen and I had to try and keep a steady pace on my own throughout the day. The trail provided continuous challenges of its own with wet and just muddy enough areas to many creek crossings and washes. One thing I’ve learned above all else on the MDH is that a clean drivetrain is worth its weight in gold, so for many of these spots it was best to carry the bike. The steep exits from the creeks made it near impossible to ride anyways. Once settled into a rhythm, the out portion of the race went quite smoothly. I came upon the leaders, Tyler Huber and Kelly Magelky, on their return trip when I was crossing Devil’s Pass, one of the most iconic features of the MDH. From there I continued to the turnaround to begin my return trip to CCC. If there is one nice thing about the change in the course, it’s that the return gave you a chance to know where other competitors were and to encourage each other out there. The fewer number of participants this year did make things spread out a bit more, so it was very nice to see other riders still pedaling away."
"Miles continued to tick away, trail conditions also improved, and before I knew it, I was near some of the biggest climbs of the return back. As expected, the steepness of these climbs meant more hike a bike. One competitor measured pitches on one particular climb of 38%. As I inched closer to CCC, the wear and tear of the day started to set in and I went through multiple periods of cramping for the last 15 miles but was fortunately able to hold things together. Once back to CCC, the race had one more surprise for us. Since we were still under 100 miles, we would be riding a lap on the Long X Trail, a roughly 11 mile trail back up to the top of the ridge and then return to the campground. By far the most challenging part of the day was the climb up this trail at about 95 miles in. We were treated to a steep and mostly unrideable extra 600 vertical feet before reaching the top. Even bikes with generous gearing struggled to ride any of the uphill. I knew this was something to just settle into and once on top could ride the ridge and descend back to the finish. As I said before, I was lucky I could stave off cramping issues and finally made it into the finish after a long day in the saddle. Happy with the effort and time, I could now relax and watch other racers come in and encourage them in their final miles. It was another long but rewarding day on the MDH and I can’t thank Nick and Lindsay Ybarra enough for all the work that they and their crew do to make this race happen. I also need to thank my parents for the willingness to follow along and run SAG for me on such a long day on the bike. General consensus was that this year’s version was significantly harder than previous years with the course change and trail conditions. That’s one of the big reasons why we all get out there, though, and this is the kind of challenge worth lining up for!"
OTM Trail Building at Cumberland Hills
As the Mt. Telemark trails come to life, Cumberland Hills is the next location in Wisconsin to get new trails built by the “One Track Mind” trail building company. The plan is to "develop a destination-quality single-track mountain bike trail system at Timberland Hills Recreation Area, near Cumberland, Wisconsin."
"The partnership between OTM and THF will bring at least 25 miles, and potentially more mileage in future phases, of progression-oriented single-track trails to Timberland Hills, a naturally rolling 2,300-acre forest that sits at the intersection of Burnett, Barron and Washburn counties in western Wisconsin only two hours from both the Twin Cities and Duluth."
Rinehart Ready
The Leadville Trail 100 MTB, part of the Life Time Grand Prix series is one of the many events taking place this busy weekend that will see a lot of Midwest riders. Of course, Jenna Rinehart, whom we have been following along, will be at the start line and has spent nearly two weeks in Colorado preparing for the high altitude event. Rinehart recently posted about her altitude acclimating training camp:
“Just finished up an amazing 10 day/9 night solo van camping trip with lots of riding and remote working! The purpose of this trip was to get acclimated to the altitude and check out the course for the upcoming Leadville 100 this weekend. First stop was Gering/Scottsbluff Nebraska. Then on to Colorado with stops in Trinidad, Salida, Buena Vista, Leadville, Basalt, and Snowmass."
"I learned a lot about myself on this trip and discovered I’m capable of doing so much more than I ever thought. From route planning, operating everything in the van, and finding camp spots. I then spent 2 nights visiting my aunt in Basalt and picked Justin up at the airport to join me for the remainder of the trip and lead up to Leadville.”
Leadville Trail 100 MTB Website
Mountain Bike World Championships Preview
This year's UCI Mountain Bike World Championships are shaping up to be a very exciting one. Women's racing has thrived over the past decade with more and more incredibly talented athletes around the world playing into the mix.
The men’s cross-country race could be iconic with Tour de France stars going up against one of the all time greatest and World Champion, Nino Schuter, who will be going for his 11th title and is really astonishing all things considered.
France's multi-talented phenomenon Pauline Ferrand-Prevot stands out as the favorite for the women’s cross-country race, vying for her fifth title as the defending world champion.
Newcomer Puck Pieterse has made a sensational debut in the elite cross-country scene, claiming three out of four World Cup victories this season.
Both the men’s and women’s elite cross-country Olympic race are scheduled for Saturday, August 12th in Glentress Forest, Scotland.
The route is predicted to offer a fast and intense race, featuring well-groomed forest trails, two steep main climbs, rock gardens, jumps, and twisted descents.
Two slots for the 2024 Olympics in Paris are up for grabs in both the elite and under-23 races for riders who have not secured a quota place through the UCI Mountain Bike Olympic Qualification ranking or the 2023 Continental Championships.
Keep the wheels moving!!
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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 mountain bike team and enters his 33rd 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 |