Minnesota Mountain Bike Series

INVER GROVE HEIGHTS -- It was a race that almost didn't happen Saturday.

Almost.

After more than an hour of steady rain, high winds and lightning-filled skies Saturday morning, organizers of the Freewheel Frolic huddled under their tent to make the call:

Should we cancel the race?

At 12:25 p.m., a mob of racers gathered around the tent. A flash of lighting popped in the sky.

"Let's race!" shouted one. "Cancel!" shouted another. Racers began turning in their chips and ankle bands.

Greg Blasko of Peak Timing chimed in with the math. "If we're going to race, then we have to stage now," Blasko said. "We can hold them at the starting line if we want to cancel then. But we need to make the call now."

While there would be plenty of drama out on the course later on this afternoon, this was indeed the most dramatic moment of the day.

The announcer paused and then lifted the microphone.

"Sport Race stages at 12:30."

And so it began. After another short deluge of rain, the Sport racers hit the course at 1 p.m., with plans to start the Experts at 2:30. Within the hour the sun was poking out of the clouds; by 3 p.m. portions of the course were actually dry.

Sure, there were still some puddles, and greasy corners, and more than a fair share of broken derailleurs from the mud, but the Freewheel Frolic was back ON.

And what a race it was.

Nearly 500 racers turned out for this annual kickoff to the Minnesota mountain bike racing season. And nearly all 500 finished.

"The morning started out so beautiful and then the storm just came out of nowhere," said Jeff Robertson, MNMBS series administrator. "And then it was gone almost as fast as it arrived. In the end, the day turned out just great."

Of course, the Citizen racers truly had it the best. Their race was done before the rough weather even hit the radar.

"The course was just in great shape," said Anne Parker, who placed sixth in the women's 40+ Citizen class. "It really flowed well."

In truth, the course was really only bad for the Sport racers. That's where the field saw six DNFs due to the onslaught of mud. The course was the slickest and sludgiest between noon and 2 p.m., leaving those riders drenched in slime.

Somehow, through it all, 14-year-old NIls Boberg of Shoreview managed to keep his wheels up and win the overall Sport division, finishing three laps in just 1:09:29. Which is really saying something if you consider that the Comp winner, John Sandberg of Prior Lake, did his three laps in 1:00:31.

(Organizers shortened the Comp and Expert races by one lap to lessen damage to the trails.)

Brendan Moore of Savage won the overall Expert/Pro race, finishing four laps in 1:11:31. Moore finished just a minute and a half ahead of Minnetonka's Doug Swanson, who finished in 1:13:02. Shoreview's Sam Oftedahl finished fourth in 1:14:42 -- notable largely because that includes a flat repair.

In women's expert, Jenna Rinehart of Mankato won in a time of 1:01:31. Sara Kylander-Johnson of Duluth finished second about 1 minute behind, in 1:02:36.

Fast times given the conditions. Of course, by the start of the Comp/Expert race, the trails had been tamped down enough that they were much more negotiable.

Brendan Moore actually joked about that very thing with Sport riders.

"The course was great," Moore said with a laugh. "The Sport Class really worked the course into great shape for us!"

The course certainly left Freewheel Comp Racer Bill Dawson beaming.

"I loved it!" Dawson said. And yes, he's the same Bill Dawson behind Minneapolis' new bike sharing program Minnesota Nice Ride. He's been racing in the series for about five years now.

"I thought first race of the year? And then the weather? I thought it was going to be a rough day. But it was fantastic! I loved it!"

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