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Elk River: Perfect race, perfect course -- thanks to the volunteers
Volunteers turn Single Track Attack! into a big winner
ELK RIVER -- If ever there was a day when volunteers made an undeniable difference at a race, Sunday's Single Track Attack! in Elk River was that day.
Nearly two dozen volunteers were on site by 5 a.m. race morning, chainsaws in hand, to help clean up the trails after severe storms damaged several sections of the course Saturday night.
The volunteers -- many of whom would race later in the day -- spent more than three hours on the Hillside Park trails, methodically removing debris and cutting trees that were damaged by tornadic winds and hail less than 24 hours before.
"The volunteers made all the difference -- they made this race," said race director Rich Omdahl. "I had a crew of volunteers with lights and saws ready to be here at midnight, ready to work all night if we had to. We were here at 5 a.m., just waiting for the sunrise. As soon as we had light, we went to work."
And that was just the start of the volunteer presence.
The city of Elk River helped recruit an additional two dozen volunteers Sunday, who did everything from guide traffic, to operate concessions, to offer hundreds of water handups to thirsty racers gasping for hydration.
Speaking for myself, I would have probably dehydrated Sunday afternoon on my third lap if not for those handups: While the race morning started out cool and cloudy, the afternoon woods turned into a sweltering jungle once the clouds cleared.
"As soon as the sun came out, you could feel the temperature in the woods just shoot up," said Pro/Elite Trek racer Brendan Moore. "You could feel the moisture coming out of the ground."
Of course, that's because Elk River received nearly an inch of rain in the passing storms the night before -- rain that you think would have left the trails muddy, sloppy and unrideable. (Because, of course, muddy races are what the 2010 MnMTB Series needs more of this year).
The reality: The sandy Hillside Park soil quickly absorbed the rain, leaving but just a few greasy corners by the start of the Citizen race.
"The course was MINT," Moore said. "I have never seen it better."
Omdahl described this year's course as a particular challenge, regardless of the weather. Even seasoned veterans were licking their wounds after three laps. "A lot of people took good beatdowns out there today," Omdahl said.
Moore couldn't have agreed more. Moore crashed on the first lap on the stair descent; the large, red scrape on his chin all but detailed what broke his fall. Then he broke his chain.
"There's no forgiveness out there -- it's a challenge at every turn," Moore said. "Between the crash and my mechanical, it just wasn't my day out there.
"And Cody was riding really strong."
By Cody, he meant Cody Larson, who won the overall Expert race, completing three full laps, and the prologue, in 1:55:19. He beat Moore by nearly a minute. LCR's Rebecca Sauber won the Elite women race, completing two laps in 1:37:25. Penn Cycle's John Sandberg of Prior Lake won the Comp men class; Lucas Hieb won the men's Sport race; 13-year-old Jordan Horner won the women's Sport race; Trent Thompson won the Citizen men's race; and Beth Shedd won the Citizen women.
Nearly 400 racers turned out for the event Sunday, topping last year's turnout by five, Omdahl said.
"It was the perfect turnout," Omdahl said. "This is our capacity right here. And the weather probably kept some people away."
Just like the swag probably drew some. There was more swag than mud at this race, with prizes ranging from GPS mapping devices to cutlery sets. Between that and the party on wheels from Red Bull, the whole day could only be described as dynamite fun.
"Everything seemed to go perfectly," Omdahl said. "It just went great. Everything worked."
And how. This is how races should be run.
Troy Melhus is a Saint Paul writer and racer for the Peace Coffee Racing Team. He can be reached at tmelhus@mac.com
The Bluff Riders Charge race is “A GO” for tomorrow at Mt. Kato
There will be no pre-riding today or tomorrow.
Course changes are being evaluated today and will be checked again tomorrow morning. The courses will most likely will be different than those shown on the race event page on the MNMBS web site - http://www.mnmtbseries.com/page/show/4832-race-4-bluff-riders-charge. Racers may encounter some muddy spots. Start times are still planned as published, however, depending on tonight’s weather they may be delayed. Revisions to the courses will be described by the PA announcer tomorrow morning.
First of all, I’d like to thank our racers for enduring a seriously muddy course at the Dirt Spanker. Second, I’d like to thank Adam Sundberg and the COGGs crew for doing the best they could with a difficult situation. Last year, we were blessed with great weather for all our events. As we’ve seen, this is a different year. A few updates for our racers:
1. Bad Weather – If at all possible, we want to get our events done when scheduled. Promoters have the options for wet weather to delay, reroute their race course, and/or reduce laps. These situations are difficult at best, so please try to be patient and understanding.
2. Series Registration – we put this on the web site several times since early May. To have your results count in the series, you need to pay a separate fee to join the series. The final date to register for the series is at the Bluff Riders Charge on June 27th.
3. Only One Retroactive Race Counts for Series Registration at 3rd or 4th Race – racers registering for the series at the 3rd or 4th race can only use one past race to count for the series. The good news is that you still have 6 races to accumulate points, so still can make that podium at the Awards Party at the end of the year once you’ve registered for the series.
4. Wave Order and Age Group Listings:
a. Wave start order, times, and age group listings will be posted on the MNMBS web site event page two days prior to the race.
b. Wave start order, times, and age group listings will be posted in multiple places around the registration and pit area. We’ll also post this information on the Start Line chute near the left upright.
c. Wave start signs, including age groups, will be placed in the starting chute area to indicate where waves should gather
d. The announcer will list wave start times and age group listings at 30 minutes and 15 minutes prior to the race as well as several times during call-ups for the category and class
5. Penalties for Starting in an Earlier Wave:
a. If a race official sees a rider starting in an earlier wave than what they have registered for, the racer is subject to disqualification
b. Racers starting in an earlier wave than their registered class age group are subject to being protested per USA Cycling rules
c. Protesting racer must contact Timing and Scoring within 15 minutes after race results have been posted.
6. Lapped Racers:
a. Racers who have been lapped by the leading racer in their own race class(Category), of the same gender, may be pulled from the race course as they begin their final lap
b. The decision to pull a racer from the course will be made by the Chief Judge, USA Cycling official, and the event Promoter
c. Timing and Scoring will assign an appropriate time for the racer being pulled. They will not receive a DNF.
Thick, sticky mud clogs and chokes a series favorite
MONT DU LAC – There was no dirt spanking at the annual Mont Du Lac Dirt Spanker south of Duluth on Sunday.
This year, it was just mud.
All mud.
Mud so thick that it choked derailleurs, cranks, wheels and chains to points that they could no longer turn.
Mud so thick that some 20 Comp and Expert riders logged DNFs, because they literally had to walk more than 70 percent of their first lap.
Mud so thick that organizers shortened races by up to 2 laps to ensure all the racing got done. It was taking Expert riders more than an hour to complete just one 5-mile loop.
“It was unfathomably bad,” said Race Director Adam Sundberg. “It was worse than we could ever have imagined.”
It wasn’t just that rain poured on Duluth the entire day before the race. It was that Duluth had been without sun — or temperatures above 60 — for almost a week leading up.
Still, conditions were rideable Saturday night, Sundberg said.
“We thought it would be just some puddles and a little mud at the top,” Sundberg said. “But the trail deteriorated so fast. It just got progressively worse. Mother Nature really pulled a fast one on us.”
Sundberg said he actually had looked early in the week into whether to cancel the race, but weather forecasts had been calling for sun.
“Today was supposed to be sunny,” Sundberg said. “And the race always goes on unless there’s lightning.”
Freewheel Bike Shop racer Bruce Parker waited almost an hour in line to wash his bike after the Citizen race. He finished second in his age group — but not before crashing twice and cracking his helmet in several places.
“It was a mudfest out there,” said Parker, who himself was covered in it. “It was sloppy.”
Ironically, Mont Du Lac’s notorious climbs were the easiest part of the race. The ski area’s new ownership recently retooled the gravel road climbs, so they were essentially mud-free.
Not so with the race course’s infamous roller coaster compressions. The typical thrill-ride twists and turns quickly devolved into greasy death traps, bruising shins and egos alike.
Remarkably, injuries were kept to a minimum, Sundberg said — perhaps by the lack of any real speed.
“Nobody was seriously hurt, but everybody was seriously miserable,” Sundberg said.
For Lisa Heyesen, it was all a big welcome to mountain bike racing: Saturday marked her first-ever mountain bike Race. The Duluth racer had only competed in road events until Sunday.
“It was crazy — like cake batter out there,” Heyesen said. “My friends all told me if you can ride this, you can ride anything.”
Troy Melhus is a Saint Paul writer and an expert racer for the Peace Coffee Racing Team. He can be reached at tmelhus@mac.com.
Many thanks to those who raced the Freewheel Frolic and Lifetime Avalanche at Afton last weekend. The attendance at both races was outstanding. Here are some reminders and also some actions we will be taking and considering to improve the wave starts.
For the response to pulling racers who have been lapped:
From the Series perspective, we have a schedule that provides racing for up to 570 people that begins at 9 am and ends around 3 PM. The ‘getting pulled after being lapped” rule is not so much aimed at Expert or Pro racers, as is it aimed at the Sport and Comp racers who are unable to maintain a “race” pace throughout their race. At the Freewheel Frolic, we had two or three racers beginning their last lap 20 minutes after the top 10 had finished. This delays the beginning of the next race, as well as the medal ceremony, and prolongs a very long day for our heroic volunteers who are staffing the event. These last racers, when asked to leave the course, will get the same finishing order as if they completed the lap. The only thing that’s really happening by letting them slog through the lap is that the entire program is being held up while they finish. Our series is a “racing” series. It’s not a “training” or “endurance” series. If you’re unable to maintain a race pace for the class you’ve entered, you need to think about dropping down a class.
2. For the headphones issue – The MNMBS Guidebook, on page 9, clearly states that wearing headphones or ‘listening devices” is prohibited. If we see you wearing headphones, we’ll ask you to leave the race immediately.
3. For cutting the course/switchback trails – cutting the course, under any circumstances, is prohibited as indicated in the Guidebook, page 9.
4. Wave starts A) – the Executive Committee of the MNMBS Series is aware of this issue. In some cases, due to inexperienced racers, it’s ignorance. In other cases, we’re not sure if some people are taking advantage by starting in earlier waves. If they are, this is blatant cheating and pathetic.
To help rectify this situation, we’re going to implement Wave Start signs in the starting area so each wave knows where to gather prior to call-ups. We’ll also ask that announcers clearly repeat the wave starting order, and that just prior to the start, the announcer will ask racers individually to check that they’re in the right wave. We’ll also request that promoters post in several locations (registration, the restrooms, etc.) a list of wave start times and age groups, and we can post this on the MNMBS web site two days prior to the event.
As you know, to allow different classes or age groups the opportunity to get a clear start, we rotate the order of the wave starts. So it’s important for the racers to assume the responsibility to know when their wave starts and seek out this information. We can’t get these methods into place before the Dirt Spanker, but we’ll have them in place for the Bluff Rider’s Charge on June 27th.
5. Wave starts B) – The Series can implement various methods to ensure that the right age group is in the right wave start order. But “self- policing” by the racers will be the most effective manner to keep the right age group in the waves. Peer pressure works best of all. If you see someone who is clearly in the wrong wave, bring it to the attention of the announcer or start line personnel.
6. Wave starts C) – if the methods implemented above still haven’t effectively dealt with wave start issues after the Bluff Rider’s Charge, the Series will look at other methods (duplicate number bibs on the back of the jersey, for example) to rectify this issue. Keep in mind that duplicate numbers means additional race and administrative costs for the racers. We’re trying to keep costs down, so would rather not have to impose additional expense for a process that’s really pretty simple to comprehend.
Sunday morning was the first time my wife had been to Afton Alps. As we pulled into the parking lot the Taos, New Mexico native stated “we can pretend like we are in the mountains.” I thought that was a pretty good idea until I was half way up Shady Lane during the first lap of the Sports race. At that point, there was no more pretending!
Special thanks to the folks responsible for making sure the course was ready for the Lifetime Avalanche at Afton Alps. The trail was simply phenomenal. With temps in the mid 70s and plenty of sunshine I can safely say Sunday’s race had to be darn close to ‘as good as it gets.’
Add more than 450 slightly abnormal individuals who choose to interrupt a peaceful Sunday with lung burning climbs and bone jarring descents and you have yourself a perfect day in the world of mountain biking. Don’t get me wrong when I say perfect. Afton Alps hurt……a lot. Just ask the 40+ riders with DNFs. As always, the Lifetime Avalanche at Afton Alps proved to be a formidable course in which regional mountain bikers can test their physical and mental strength not to mention their equipment! The course and the people running the race showed once again why Afton Alps is widely considered a ‘can’t miss event’ for Midwestern mountain bikers.
In the Pro Open Men’s Category, Brendan Moore (1:46:14) took top honors for the second straight race with Doug Swanson (1:47:46) taking second. Jenna Rinehart was the lone finisher in the Pro Open Women’s Category with a time of 1:33:25.
The Expert Women Category saw Corey Coogan Cisek (1:51:17) Lisa Humphrey (1:51:48), and Anne Grabowski (1:53:10) take top honors. Michael McBurney (1:53:10), Garrott Kuzzy (1:54:42), and Sam Oftedahl (1:57:21) took top honors for the Men’s Category.
The Men’s First place in the Kid’s Comp Boys Category went to Thomas Todd (22:14) followed by Cole Herrman (25:23) and Jonathan Busse (25:44). In the Girls Category, Sydney Carlson (28:42) took top honors followed by Kaitlyn Bakke (36:09) and Josie Amo (42:45).
The top Sports Men racers included Mark Foslein (54:56), Ryan Marsel (55:22), and Scott Lund (55:28). Great racing guys as the top three spots were separated by just over 30 seconds! Sophia Marchiando (1:06:37) won the Women’s Category for the second consecutive race followed by Kris Brazil (1:07:34) and Emily Goltz (1:07:45). As many of you know, Emily was a Citizen rider last year and it is clear she is making a strong impression on the Sport Category this year.
In the Citizen Category, Beth Shedd (43:46), Amy Ochs (47:45), and Sarah Williams (47:58) made the podium on the Women’s side while Paul Jacobs (36:16), John Holst (37:13), and Jason Donlan (37:37) did so for the Men.
Rest well my friends as the MNMBS picks right up this Sunday (June 13) with the Dirt Spanker Classic. Live tunes, bike polo, and good food will be available to those camping on site the night before. See you there!
Ever been interested in helping out the Series? Want to know more about what goes on behind the scenes? The MNMBS is looking for volunteers for this Friday, June 4th. We will be meeting at QBP in Bloomington at 6:00 P.M. to label the remaining medals for this years series events. Pizza and Beverages will be provided. Please RSVP to d.schoppe@comcast.net if you can make it, and a HUGE Thank you in advance for your help!!
Many thanks to those who attended the Freewheel Frolic and endured our altered schedule due to the bad weather. Now that the season has begun, we’d like to remind our racers about the following Series Race Procedures:
1. Lightning – lightning was a key factor in the Freewheel race delay. We cannot race when lightning is present. If lightning occurs during a race, we need to shut the race down immediately. So if lightning is imminent, we’d rather wait for it to pass than start a race and have to cancel it halfway. The good news is that intense weather generally moves quickly, so delays will be relatively brief.
2. Race delays – we will do everything possible to complete our races on race day in the event of bad weather. As indicated at registration, there are no transfers or refunds due to a race being held later than the published time on race day.
3. Race results – it is the responsibility of the racer to check the race results timing sheet to ensure proper placement. Typically, preliminary race results will be posted after the first 50 racers have finished. Often a second results sheet will be posted when almost everyone is in. A final results sheet will be posted once the course has been cleared. Between the posting of this final result sheet and the awards ceremony (typically right after the next race begins), it is the responsibility of the racer to bring any discrepancies to the Timing tent (look for the tent with the blue top next to the finish line). Once the award ceremony has taken place, results are final and cannot be changed.
4. Medals – generally, we try to begin the awards ceremony right after the next race has started. The race announcer will also announce a time for the award ceremony to begin. For those who placed in the Kids Comp and Citizens classes in the Freewheel race, but did not pick up your medal, please stop by the Series desk at the Lifetime Avalanche at Afton Alps and pick up your Freewheel Frolic medal. If you were told at the Freewheel Frolic that we would mail your award, and cannot pick your award up at the Afton race, please contact Gary Sjoquist (garys@qbp.com) with your name, class, and age.
5. DNF - If you DNF a race, you must report your DNF to the blue timing tent at the finish line in order to receive points credit in the Series standings. You can also leave your transponder at the blue timing tent.
6. Lapped riders – with a full day of racing scheduled, and classes approaching 200 racers, it is simply not possible to allow everyone to complete their races at their own pace. A full day of races is scheduled with reasonable intervals between classes. Any rider who is lapped by the race leaders before the last lap should complete their lap and leave the race at the finish line. Racers who have been lapped and need to leave the race will be placed according to the number of laps they are down and their position at the finish. If you cannot complete a race within a reasonable amount of time behind the leading racers, you should consider moving to a class with fewer laps of racing.
Though delayed by a spring thunderstorm, nearly 500 compete at annual spring race at Salem Hills
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.
Series Update - 05/29/2010
Many thanks to those who attended the Freewheel Frolic and endured our altered schedule due to the bad weather. Now that the season has begun, we’d like to remind our racers about the following Series Race Procedures:
1. Lightning – lightning was a key factor in the Freewheel race delay. We cannot race when lightning is present. If lightning occurs during a race, we need to shut the race down immediately. So if lightning is imminent, we’d rather wait for it to pass than start a race and have to cancel it halfway. The good news is that intense weather generally moves quickly, so delays will be relatively brief.
2. Race delays – we will do everything possible to complete our races on race day in the event of bad weather. As indicated at registration, there are no transfers or refunds due to a race being held later than the published time on race day.
3. Race results – it is the responsibility of the racer to check the race results timing sheet to ensure proper placement. Typically, preliminary race results will be posted after the first 50 racers have finished. Often a second results sheet will be posted when almost everyone is in. A final results sheet will be posted once the course has been cleared. Between the posting of this final result sheet and the awards ceremony (typically right after the next race begins), it is the responsibility of the racer to bring any discrepancies to the Timing tent (look for the tent with the blue top next to the finish line). Once the award ceremony has taken place, results are final and cannot be changed.
4. Medals – generally, we try to begin the awards ceremony right after the next race has started. The race announcer will also announce a time for the award ceremony to begin. For those who placed in the Kids Comp and Citizens classes in the Freewheel race, but did not pick up your medal, please stop by the Series desk at the Lifetime Avalanche at Afton Alps and pick up your Freewheel Frolic medal. If you were told at the Freewheel Frolic that we would mail your award, and cannot pick your award up at the Afton race, please contact Gary Sjoquist (garys@qbp.com) with your name, class, and age.
5. DNF - If you DNF a race, you must report your DNF to the blue timing tent at the finish line in order to receive points credit in the Series standings. You can also leave your transponder at the blue timing tent.
6. Lapped riders – with a full day of racing scheduled, and classes approaching 200 racers, it is simply not possible to allow everyone to complete their races at their own pace. A full day of races is scheduled with reasonable intervals between classes. Any rider who is lapped by the race leaders before the last lap should complete their lap and leave the race at the finish line. Racers who have been lapped and need to leave the race will be placed according to the number of laps they are down and their position at the finish. If you cannot complete a race within a reasonable amount of time behind the leading racers, you should consider moving to a class with fewer laps of racing.
