Midwest MTB Report
We've had some gorgeous September days, personally one of the best times of the year to ride and somehow it seems more difficult getting out or timing those great conditions. Enjoy it when you can! This weeks report includes an inclusive interview with top five finisher in the Chequamegon 40, Samuel Elson, a recap from Kappel's Challenge MTB race, news and notes items and the look ahead.
Chequamegon
The 35th annual Chequamegon went down under memorable conditions once again. Reinforcing their commitment to trail sustainability, in the best interest of the trails, the Chequamegon event decided to reroute a section of the Chequamegon 40 course to give the Birkie Trail a rest aiding in its recovery. Combined with wet conditions that made it greasy and a bit more challenging for the later waves, it was another event to remember. Since Lifetime Athletic Events became the promoter of the event, the decision was made to allow more riders to participate which now number over 3000. Gary Crandall aka "the Fatman" continues to direct the event, along with a seasoned staff to undertake the major event. Although the start line was void of a few top names this year, the racing was hard, fast and intense like always and the battles all the way through the field whether it was age class bragging rights on the line or beating your summer racing pal, were prevalent.
There were a lot of great stories once again and the one that created a lot of buzz and caught my attention, was the top performance by Samuel Elson in the 40. Racing in his first 40 after taking the win in the Short and Fat last year, Samuel pulled off an impressive 4th place finish among the top riders in the Midwest. I touched base with Sam earlier this week, asking him a few questions about the race.
- You've had quite a summer hitting up National events, doing a handful of local events and now the high school season starting. What was your goal going into the Chequamegon, taking on the 40 for the first time?
My goal was to get a top 10. I knew the fitness was there, but I had some doubts from a long stretch of bad results and being sick a few weeks before the race. - Did you do anything different in training to prepare for the event?
I didn't train any differently, but the race was a top priority for the season. Everything I did in the last couple of months was designed to get me ready for this race. - How did the race play out from the start to finish?
I lined up at the front of gate 1, right behind Brian Matter and David Flaten. The rollout was pretty chill, but I was super nervous anyways. I just wanted to stay right behind the big guns, and not let a group get away. Not much happened from the start until OO. After that, it seemed like Jeff Hall tried to put in a few attacks, but none of them actually stuck. It did whittle down the group, so we were riding in a group of about 10. It stayed that way until firetower climb, where Corey Stelljes just rode away from the group, and nobody could stay with him. After firetower, I think it was a group of 7 all the way up until the last couple of miles, trailing Corey by about 30 seconds the whole time. With about 2 miles to go, Brian and Michael Olheiser simply powered away from the rest of us, really spreading out the group. I was a few seconds back, and I knew that Jesse LaLonde was right behind me. Jesse came around me right as we popped out of the woods to go down the ski hill. I was right on his heels down the hill, and I started sprinting as soon as it turned uphill again, and I didn't stop until I knew I had it. I came in 20 seconds behind Corey who won the overall, and just a handful of seconds behind Brian in second and Michael in third. I never thought I would beat some of my heroes like Jeff Hall, Jesse LaLonde, and David Flaten, all at once and so soon! 
You mentioned it was the hardest race you have ever done on a #instapost. How did you feel at the finish? What did it feel like to crack the top five among the strong and seasoned field?
Lots of emotions going on at once at the finish line. I obviously felt like a train wreck after such a brutal race. I was in disbelief for quite a while after getting a top 5, because I wasn't sure if it was even possible! I was also extremely relieved to finally have a good result after having a rough summer.- Did you run the same LaMere bike as you have been this summer? Any equipment changes or modifications?
I was basically running the same bike as I have been all summer, my 29er LaMere hardtail. I decided to use a rigid fork for this race, just to save some energy. The only other thing I changed was the rear tire. I decided to use a Schwalbe Thunder Burt in the back, in place of the normal racing ralph. - The Chequamegon definitely favors the power rider. Would you say you are more of a natural climber, bike handler? With that said, was there any time on the course you felt you had an advantage or certain areas it was hard to hang on?
Single track and handling skills always came pretty naturally to me, and I have always loved going uphill. The only place I felt like I was at a disadvantage was on the flats, because those guys are just crazy strong! - Nutrition is a big key for a race like Cheq and a point to point race can make it challenging for feeds and getting the right amount of fuel? What was your strategy?
The strategy was to get the nutrition in early, so that I wouldn't regret anything later in the race. I really dropped the ball on that one. My bottle with Skratch Labs fell out of my bottle cage about 20 minutes into the race. Thankfully, David Flaten was kind enough to give me a sip of out of his bottle 10 minutes later. Must be the only reason I beat him. I did get a bottle at OO, and another from Hollywood at the top of fire tower. - The next day, Sunday you hit up the High School race, taking the Varsity win! How was it to race back to back and how did that race go?
Racing back to back days isn't always too bad. Sometimes your legs will feel fine. This wasn't the case on Sunday. I cramped pretty early on, but it never got too bad, so I was able to keep the pressure on the whole race and finish strong. - Any other plans for the rest of the season besides the HS season?
After the high school season, I plan on racing a few cyclocross races just to mix it up and have some fun.
Skinnyski Coverage of the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival
Keppel's Challenge Mountain Bike Race
The Detroit Lakes Noon Rotary put on the second annual Kappel's Challenge Mountain Bike Race which was held at Detroit Mountain just outside Detroit Lakes. Racers had concerns that track might be muddy or greasy with rain on Friday but come race morning, the course had dried out nicely provided a good racing surface under an incredibly beautiful fall day with bluebird skies. The race was promoted and directed by Detroit Lakes Nordic Ski Coach Dan Josephson who laid out an interesting but fun course involving multiple loops utilizing all of the cross country mountain bike trails. With the venue being less than a half hour away from my house, it was easier to sneak away for the race even though a busy day was on tap at the resort thanks to the support of my family.
I arrived not more than a half hour before race start which didn't give much time to prepare but it was good enough as I had time to warm up a bit with registration not taking more than a few minutes. Last years winner, David Jenson, was on the line and having raced with him before at Black's Grove in Wadena I knew it would be a good battle. David has been racing triathlons this summer and had a solid base of fitness but after the race reported it was only the second time he had been on a mountain bike all year!
There was a nice rolling start that went around the parking lot before getting into the trails and singletrack. I was in the front on the two way trail after the start but mistakenly went to the left instead of the right. It was a quick fix and I was back on course but Dylan Ramstad Skoyles moved to the front. Dylan would remain at the front until halfway through the first smaller loop than I got around him. The start of the first loop was the only greasy section that caused few riders to "peel" out but after that it was all fast riding on a tight surface. David was right on my tail and we would ride together most of the race. After the first two loops, David went to the front and was leading us through back to the start area where we would climb up the "Sasquatch" switchback climb to the top. I got back around David and was able to put a small gap before we descended back down. I would lose the gap when I overshot a turn and went under the course tap. As I turned around and got back on course, David was back on my wheel as we set to battle the last loop together.
The last loop I was feeling better and pushed the pace as much as I could while staying in control on the fast flowing purpose built singletrack. The areas we rode a second time were ridden in nicely and seemed a bit faster as well. Halfway through the second lap, unbeknownst to me until David mentioned it after the race, David went up the wrong way before being hollered at (in a good way) by a volunteer to turn back. I wondered why I couldn't see David any more as I kept on pushing it as hard as I could until the end. After the race caught up with a few racers before heading back home not before Tony Schmitz was kind enough to deliver a nice custom built trophy by Dan before I went home to get back to work! The weather really stood out making for a gorgeous and fun day of racing! Thanks to the Rotary members who helped with the race.
(Photo credit: Karen Skoyles)
Singletracks.com Most Innovative Product of 2016
This weeks link from Singletracks.com is a nice article of the most innovative products of 2016. Click on the link to find out!
Wild Ride Mountain Bike Festival
The Wild Ride Mountain Bike Festival celebrates the great sport of mountain biking by providing a safe, fun, festive atmosphere where experienced and beginning riders get a chance to ride some of the best mountain bike trails in the state. This family-friendly festival includes bikes to demonstrate, build-your-skills sessions, gear talks, fix-it clinics, group rides, timed competitive events, kids' activities, and great food and beer.
Todd Wells Recovery Drink
Outside Magazine ran an article earlier this summer which I just noticed recently. There are some nice recipes and suggestions on staying fueled proper but what caught my attention was seeing Todd Wells's recovery drink smoothie blend. Although the article mentions a particular product, most recovery drinks along the same line would work as well.
Alexandria High School Fundraiser
Alexandria, MN is the latest school to join the high school racing scene. Like most out state schools, it is a bit more challenging bringing riders in for practices and traveling to the races that are 1-3 hours away. There will be a fundraiser for the squad coming up in October.
More Maah Daah Hey
(Photo credit: NYTimes)
The New York Times recently published a nice article on the grueling and spectacular Maah Daah Hey trail, home of one of the most demanding and butt kicking ultra endurance mountain biking events in the country, the Maah Daah Hey 100
Looking Ahead
The original last race of the year in the Minnesota Series will hit up the new Lake Rebecca singletrack, just west of the Twin Cities. I've seen a lot of Strava rides but hardly any photos unfortunately. Reports have been fast flowing fun singletrack that is getting faster as the track tightens up. Race promoters report " tightly weaving singletrack that climbs and descends through dense oak and maple forests, open prairies and scenic wetlands that are home to a thriving trumpeter swan population – all while catching beautiful views of Lake Rebecca." I remember racing a cyclocross race at Lake Rebecca and seeing all those swans....
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 |