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Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival provides “top of the mountain” experience for bikers

CABLE, Wis. – Jeff Hall (Lamere) took the top spot on the podium after a 20 year hiatus at the 33rd annual Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. Hall last won the 40-mile race in 1995. With a time of 2:06:23 he out-sprinted David Flatten (US Military Cycling Team) at 2:06:31, who was followed by Corey Stelljes (5-nines, Motorless Motion, Cannondale) at 2:06:4.

Hall started out strong and pushed through sometimes muddy conditions to take the top spot. “I’ve done countless Chequamegons and have won the short and fat, and the conditions this year were pretty good,” he said. “It always feels great to be back.”

An emotional Flatten, whose previous best was 13th, said he had worked very hard to finish in the top three. “I’m pretty choked up,” he said. “This has taken a lot of commitment and is huge for me.”

Stelljes, who had come in fifth the previous two years, said he was thrilled to finally be on the podium. “This is the top of the mountain for athletes,” he said. “This area represents the best of sporting events. This is where dreams come true. It has been a life-long goal of mine to stand on the stumps.”

Last year’s winner Brian Matter came in fifth.

In the women’s race, Chloe Woodruff of Prescott, AZ crossed the finish line in good form and hardly out of breath at 2:19:58. Woodruff won in 2013. She was followed by first-time 40 competitor Kaitlyn Patterson of Traverse City, MI at 2:22:30. Last year’s winner Jenna Rinehart of Minneapolis, who crashed on her way to this year’s finish line, came in third at 2:23:53. Rinehart has secured five titles in the last eight years.

Woodruff said she rode on the tails of a men’s group most of the way and felt the conditions were fantastic. “It was pretty invigorating riding with the men,” she said. “I felt pretty good the whole way. At one point I decided not to keep pushing myself to keep up with the guys and dropped back, and then really pushed myself at the end.”

Bill and Drew Dietrich finished first in the tandems at 2:55:46. In mixed tandems Pamela Nielson and Jeff Colbert finished at 2:23:23.

In the Short and Fat men’s race Samuel Elson (Team Hollywood Cycles) crossed the line first at 52:05, followed by Caleb Swartz (Team Wisconsin/KS Energy Services/Mosh) at 52:09 and Samuel Olsen of Duluth, MN at 52:11. In the women’s it was Sophie Farrow at 1:01:20, followed by Sophie St-Jacques at 1:01:54 and Amy Kline at 1:02:47.

For complete results visit itiming.com. For more information on the event visit cheqfattire.com.

The 33nd Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival was presented by Trek and produced by Life Time – the Healthy Way of Life Company.