Minnesota Mountain Bike Series

Maybe you didn't even notice, but there were a few changes to the traditional Red Wing Memorial Classic this year.

First, the course -- mapped out by the Wheelhouse Cyclery of Red Wing -- was a bit longer, and more spectator friendly than ever.

As in, a lengthy prologue lap before racers entered the woods this year made for a great chance for spectators to cheer (and cheer, and cheer and, of course, handup).

Then there was the turnout: Nearly 400 racers packed onto the lengthy, loopy singletrack of Red Wing's city course.

That's more than 125 racers over last year's turnout.

"We're really happy," said race director Adam Schmidt. "It was a great turnout."

The biggest change this year, though, came from Mother Nature. If temperatures even reached 90 degrees, the cool breezes and partly cloudy skies of the day kept racers' cores cool. Quite a change from years past.

"It wasn't the traditional heat scorcher," Schmidt said, almost relieved. "The weather worked out great."

That's the funny thing about change, though: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

As in, no matter what the changes this year, racing at Red Wing is always a blast, an adrenaline-ripping variety of twists, turns, climbs and hairy descents that leave a rider supercharged.

"I thought it was great," said Paul Krawczyk of the BPB team.  "It's a fast and fun rollercoaster out there, with supertight turns. "As far as I'm concerned, it's a rockin' course."

The turns were actually too tight in some parts.

"I love the trees on the course -- I hit three of them!" said the WannaBees' Sport racer Angela Collins.

But trees were just part of the challenge for riders this year. There was also the dust (the prologue laps kicked up more dirt than a rodeo), and then the spacing of the what-felt-like-forever punishing climbs.

"It's a really fast course, so you don't really get a chance to recover," said team Tonka's teen racer Rebecca Nolan.

Fast doesn't even begin to describe the course, at least for Brendan Moore. He took first place overall Sunday, nearly a minute ahead of second-place finisher Sam Oftedahl. (That's about 30 minutes per lap, people).

Not to be outdone, Matt Zak of Eveleth won the Comp class, just 45 seconds ahead of Andy Onken of St. Paul. In the Sport Class of more than 140 riders, Chad Griffin of Minneapolis beat Dan Knudsvig of St. Louis Park, by nearly 40 seconds. In the Citizen class, Matt Leizinger of Minnetonka beat Andrew Barlage of Hopkins by 21 seconds.

And, in women, not surprisingly atop the finishers was Mankato's Jenna Rinehart, finishing more than 10 minutes ahead of Kyia Anderson of St. Cloud.

Talk about fast -- both of them.

Again, some things don't seem to change.

Troy Melhus is a St. Paul writer and racer for the Peace Coffee Bicycle Racing Team. He can be reached at tmelhus@mac.com.