Midwest MTB Racing Report
Mother Nature wrecked havoc for a few mountain bikers this past weekend, forcing the cancellation of the Black's Grove race due to the ground being saturated (planning on being re-scheduled for a later date) and the Friday night hot lap of the Race to Sunset was also cancelled but Saturday was good to go for racing in the race to Sunset and out in the UP of Michigan for the Marquette Trails Festival. This weeks report includes a full recap from the Race to Sunset, couple mountain bike related items to note and the look ahead.
Race to Sunset
Steve Wenzel is no stranger to the Race to Sunset, having competed in every edition since the inception. Steve files a report from version number 10 which found ideal conditions for endurance racing:
The 2014 10 hour Race to Sunset Mountain Bike Festival at Sleepy Hollow park in Bismarck is in the books. 2014 marked the 10 year anniversary for this race and I have been fortunate to attend every year. In fact this event trumps anything else that comes up on my calendar because it has never disappointed - nothing better than racing your bike and hanging around a good group of like minded people for the whole day.
The hot lap event scheduled for Friday was canceled due to rain but the weather cooperated and the race went off as planned on Saturday. Actually the weather was perfect! Sunny skies, light wind and temperatures in the mid 70’s made for fast conditions throughout the day. Numerous options for this race be it 5 or 10 hour solo or 5 or 10 hour team. Lots of racers opted for the 5 hour solo this year, I stuck with the team classification taking advantage of getting to compete with my son Matt Wenzel and newly activated Team Maplelag rider John Struchynski. Our forth rider happened to be race director and all around good guy Nathan Kupfer.
In short, with the team event you hit the stop watch after each exchange and time it accordingly to toe the line a couple of minutes prior to your team member coming in through the start finish chute. The 3.9 mile loop mixes steady climbs, tight single track, prairie switch backs, punchy climbs and rock gardens that flow nicely. Throughout the day you rest for approximately an hour and then click in for a 20 minute high output tempo effort. As you learn the course, shifting and line locations become almost automatic.
With area development, this was the last year for the Race to Sunset. The guys in Bismarck are moving things out to Harmon Park to a longer loop and different format for 2015. Look for more info forthcoming as things get sorted out.
Marquette Trails Festival
A slightly smaller cross country crowd this year enjoyed the sweet trails in and around the Marquette area as part of the Marquette Trails Fest which also included downhill and growing in popularity enduro races which had good turnouts. Both Tyler Gauthier and Copper Dendel raced to dominating wins. (Photo: Adelle Whitefoot)
Epic Singletrack Dreaming
Mark Parman recently wrote an article for Silent Sports magazine, highlighting the possible designation for Wausau, WI as a IMBA ride center. Parman writes:
Currently, there are 17 ride centers worldwide and only two in the Midwest: one in Copper Harbor, Michigan, and the other in Cuyuna Lakes, Minnesota. If things go right, Wausau could join this exclusive list.
Hansi Johnson, IMBA’s upper Midwest regional director, thinks Wausau will ultimately get the ride center designation. “They will be successful. It’s more how long will it take,” he said.
Johnson said the Central Wisconsin Offroad Cycling Coalition (CWOCC) is one of the more organized IMBA clubs with which he works. “They have the narrative in hand,” Johnson said.
Read the rest of partially published article
Singletrack Times
The June version of the Singletrack Times is jammed packed with information. Catching attention is two mountain bike skills clinics led by Minnesota Pros Kyia Anderson and Jenna Rinehart.
Thurs. June 12 – Salem Hills (Salem Park) – 6:00pm – 7:30pm | Instructor: Jenna Rinehart
Wed. July 23 – Salem Hills (Salem Park) – 6:00pm – 7:30pm | Instructor: Kyia Anderson
- Recommended student-athletes show up 15 minutes early.
Cost is free but waiver is required. Helmets are also required. Attendees should bring their own bike in good working order if possible. Attendees must be at least in the seventh grade for the 2014-2015 school year.
DirtSkirt
A mountain bike buddy up in Canada passed along info about a women's only race in Manitoba which gets props for the clever name - DirtSkirt! A unique concept that only allows females to register, a seemingly growing trend in the mountain bike world. Racing today for any Canadian readers!
Skinny Fat Explained
Health habits have changed in recent years with the discovery of many food allergies including intolerant to gluten. Dialing in the nutrition part of training and racing is one of the little things that can greatly improve recovery and ultimately performance, in my opinion. Before this transition to more health awareness, I think many athletes felt they could eat anything they wanted because they were active. A recent article on fat in "skinny" people provides some interesting information how many bad fats could be hidden in what appears to be healthy people.
Looking Ahead
One of the more popular outstate places to ride in the state of MN, Cuyuna hosts a cross country race as part of a festival that includes a lot of live music!! Other events include a poker ride, kids events and bike demos. Proceeds to benefit high school mountain bike racing in Minnesota.
Race #4 in the Wisconsin series heads to Wausau for fast and furious racing on a mostly double track course. One of the largest drawing events in the series, takes advantage of racer friendly course which is known for its sprint finishes.
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. |