Results, Report, and Photos -- Intermountain Cup #1: St. George, Utah

Once again the threatening early forecast for this weekend’s race failed to materialize. Fortunately, some of the most exciting racing in Utah Intermountain Cup history blew in just as predicted.

Men's podium Alex Grant, Burke Swindelhurst, Bart Gillespie, and Chris Holley (left to right) 4th place Rob Squire not pictured

Large fields were the norm for all categories with the Pro men boasting an impressive field 33 strong. The Pro women put 8 of the fastest women in Utah on the start line.

The women’s event started with a burst from top-ranked national rider Kathy Sherwin (Mafia Racing). In normal fashion Sherwin powered to the front and pulled the group along the opening road and toward the first technical climb of the day.
Once into the technical climbing, Lynda Wallenfels (LW Coaching) took a shot at the lead.Once out front the 24-Hour Singlespeed National Champion used her finely tuned handling skills to open up some breathing room on the group.

Sherwin stayed strong in second place with KC Holley (Gary Fisher 29er Crew), Sarah Kaufmann (Titus/Roaring Mouse), and Jen Hanks (Revolution/Peak Fastners) battling behind.

Throughout the 6-mile rock-strewn course, Wallenfels continued to put time between her and her nearest challengers. On her final lap the LW Coaching rider could be heard encouraging the other racers on the course as she passed at one point making her way past several of the Pro men who started minutes in front.

By the finish Wallenfels was 5 minutes clear of the field with Sherwin crossing the line comfortably in second. Third place went to KC Holley who used technical climbing skills to hold off Kaufmann who stayed close by powering through the open sections of the trail. At the finish the two riders were separated by less than 30 seconds. Jen Hanks crossed the line in fifth less than a minute behind Kaufmann.

Sarah Kaufmann, Kathy Sherwin, Lynda Wallenfels, KC Holley, and Jen Hanks (left to right)

The men’s event may have been a coming of age of sorts for Pro MTB racing in Utah. After years of slowly growing fields and deeper talent this weekend’s race was the pinnacle of that progress. Thirty-three of the state’s top riders took the start with names like Alex Grant (Cannondale), Bart Gillespie (Cannondale), Rob Squire (Jamis), Jason Sager (Jamis), Adam Snyder (Jamis), Burke Swindelhurst (Team Give), and Chris Holley (Gary Fisher 29er Crew), all vying for the top spot.

From the start it looked to be a show down between the Jamis and Cannondale teams. Adam Snyder led into the opening singletrack with his teammates Sager and Rob Squire close behind. Grant and Gillespie from Cannondale were still in the mix and quickly took the lead establishing themselves at the front of the pack.

Grant and Gillespie worked at the front getting clear by 20 seconds. On the second lap Snyder fell victim to mechanical while Squire and Swindlehurst stayed close to the leaders.

By the third lap of four, Swindelhurst had bridged to the leaders and launched an attack on the final section of doubletrack climb on the lap. Grant and Gillespie closed back down on the new race leader in the technical descent ending the third lap.
Again on the flat doubletrack Swindelhurst attacked again. This time the Cannondale duo couldn’t respond. Swindelhurst had too much speed in his legs and he held his gap through the final lap crossing the line 20 seconds ahead of Grant.

Gillespie took third just 15 seconds behind his teammate. 19 year-old wunderkid Rob Squire picked up right where he left off last season. Squire rode a strong race taking fourth just 38 seconds behind the veteran Gillespie.

Gary Fisher rider Chris Holley proved once again that you don’t have to have a great start to finish on the podium. After the opening road section Holley was toward the end of the 30-plus rider field. He battled throughout the race slowly making his way all the way to fifth by the finish.

Race Notes

The large turn out and fast course led to tremendous frustration among the racers as over 200 riders were battling on course at the same time. “It was really frustrating” commented Cannondale rider Alex Grant, “ we spent most of the race off the side of the course trying to pass people.” Indeed, many of the racers were disappointed with the conditions on course saying they were either passing lapped traffic or being passed all throughout the race.

Results

Pro Men

1, Burke Swindelhurst (Team Give) 1.43.46
2, Alex Grant (Cannondale) 1.44.06
3, Bart Gillespie (Cannondale) 1.44.21
4, Rob Squire (Jamis) 1.44.59
5, Chris Holley (Gray Fisher 29er Crew) 1.45.59
6, Jason Sager (Jamis)
7, Tom Bender (Kuhl/Specialized)
8, Scott Allen (Canyon Cycles)
9, Jake Pantone (Edge)
10, Rich Abbott (Rveolution/Peak Fasteners)
11, Kevin Day (Kuhl/Specialized)
12, Brent Steinberg (Gary Fisher 29er Crew)
13, Mitchell Peterson (Cannondale)
14, Dylan Cirulis
15, Geoff Montague
16, Danny Van Wagner
17, Zac Ramras (Ski Utah)
18, Dan Nelson (Racers Cycle Service)
19, Matt Ohran (Cannondale)
20, Shannon Boffeli (i Ride Adventures/MTB Race News.com)
21, Keegan Swenson (Cole Sport)
22, Brent Pontius
23, Taylor Foss
24, Brandon Firth
25, Ryan Krusemark
26, Tanner Cottle
27, Reed Wycoff
DNF Brian Tolbert
DNF Adam Snyder

Pro Women

1, Lynda Wallenfels (LW Coaching) 1.25.35
2, Kathy Sherwin (Mafia Cycles) 1.30.17
3, KC Holley (Gary Fisher 29er Crew) 1.34.14
4, Sarah Kaufmann (Titus/ Roaring Mouse) 1.34.38
5, Jen Hanks (Revolution/Peak Fasteners) 1.35.27
6, Joey Lythgoe (Kuhl/Specialized)
7, Erika Powers (Revolution/Peak Fasteners)

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Not So Fast with Brian Hester

After 6 Weeks My First Race Is Here

19 Sports located at the Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah

For the past 6 weeks I have been training with the folks at 19 Sports in an attempt to turn my whoa into go. For those who didn’t read the first installment of this series, 19 Sports www.nineteensports.com offers 8-week classes on a Computrainer with the goal of increasing power and overall fitness. In addition to the classes, the 19 Sports team set me up with a training schedule that details each day’s efforts on and off the bike.

The month of February was scheduled to get me ready for the Intermountain Cup season opener this weekend in St George, Utah. On average, I spent around 12.5 hours a week riding, hiking, running, playing racquetball, weight lifting, and even some yoga. My training plan had me doing easy days, moderate days with a few hard efforts, and impossibly hard days.

There is no coasting on the Computrainer

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I attended 70-minute Computrainer classes at 19 Sports. Each class focuses on a different type of riding. My favorite (said with heavy sarcasm) is the slow cadence riding in a huge gear with increasing tension from the Computrainer. It’s designed to build muscle and power in my legs. After an hour and three hard intervals my legs felt like bricks. All of the classes were hard. 19 Sports claims a 70-minute class is like riding outside for 2.5 hours. No doubt it’s hard, but I don’t think it’s quite that difficult. I usually rode outside for an hour or two after the class.

Is all this work paying off? I retook the 40-minute initial test and my watts have improved from an average of 189 to 223 or about 15% better. I must be doing something right but I won’t know for sure until race day. Check back to see if I can keep up with the 30-39 experts on Saturday.

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The Virginia Off Road Series vs. Mother Nature/Training Tips From Racing Superstar Sue Haywood

Last week, The Virginia Off Road Series race at Camp Hilbert, March 7th, was postponed due to the rough winter Virginia has experienced. After much thought, the decision was based on the current trail conditions at the venue and to give athletes adequate notice. The new date for Camp Hilbert will be April 11, 2010. All registrations will be moved to the new date.



The Virginia Off Road Series will kick off on March 28 at the Blue Ridge School’s ‘Ride the Ridge’. This event is known for its challenging ascents/descents. Ride the Ridge is more than a tough race. It’s also for a great cause. All proceeds from Ride the Ridge go to benefit the World Bicycle Relief. So get ready to race, the startline is getting closer all the time!

Don’t let Mother Nature believe she won this one. VORS doesn’t give up easily. We have recently announced the VORS PayDirt Program. PayDirt gives competitors the ability to earn VORS points while working on our trails around the state. Trail Advocacy groups around the state are encouraged to contact us with their projects. This weekend, CAMBC (Charlottesville) will be offering two days of trailwork projects around the Charlottesville area. Stop by the Virginia Off Road Series website for all the details on the PayDirt Program. So Mother Nature thinks she got us. She’s wrong. Mother Nature has created more ways for VORS athletes to score points!

One last incredible announcement: Sue Haywood ‘Year of the Tigress’!


One of the all-time best female mountain bikers (seen here on the top of the '09 Shenandoah 100 podium) has written a column for the Virginia Off Road Series. Haywood's column gives female athletes insight for better training and motivation. Her new column was just released today. Her words will put a little more motivation into all our pedal strokes! Click Here to read Sue Haywood's "Year of the Tigress" column.

Woody Elliott
Director
-The Virginia Off Road Series-

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Question: I am doing a 24 hour solo race and am hoping to be competitive. How should I pace myself?

Answer: Oooh, this is a big thorny question! 24 hours is a long time to be racing your bike, and the answer to this question contains more than 24 hours worth of variables. The accurate pacing plan depends on race day/night weather, course profile, training and personal limiters.

For example, in a summer 24 hour race when it is hot during the day and cooler at night, it is best to put more effort into riding after sunset when the heat stress is lower. For a winter 24 hour event such as 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo this is not a variable to consider when formulating your pacing plan.

A 24 hour solo mountain bike race pacing plan is best broken down into five segments. It is easier to focus on distinct blocks of time as opposed to one full 24-hour chunk of time.

The Le Mans Start:
24 hour solo mountain bike races start with a Le Mans style run of about 800 yards to your bike. The race is never won on the run, but it definitely can be lost. Pacing the run is all about risk management.

If you haven’t run a lick in training, run at an easy pace with short frequent strides – kind of like pedaling on your feet! Taking long fast running strides and slapping your feet down without any training to do so will tear muscle fibers and create soreness in your legs. This will haunt you for the next 24 hours and may even create a DNF-causing injury. If you have been running short fast bursts in training, stage at the front and run fast.

Noon Start Time to 2 pm:
The next most crucial pacing period is the noon start time to around 2pm. You will have more than enough speed, motivation and energy on tap to over-pace. You need ‘governors’ in place – things to slow you down and keep the pace in check. The solo racer who comes in first place off the first lap is often also high up on the DNF list.

Use a power meter or heart rate monitor to pace yourself. Start the first couple of race laps in heart rate zone 2-3 (or with normalized power near 0.7 Intensity Factor (IF), or about 70% of functional threshold power). A power level and heart rate zone calculator can be found here.

Also, pace yourself by Perceived Exertion (PE). During the first 2 hours of the race, spin uphill in your granny gear, ride one gear easier than you feel you can on the flats, keep your breathing level quiet and ride with no burn in your legs.

2 pm to Sunset:
Keep your heart rate mostly in zone 2, and normalized power in the 0.7 IF range. Aim for even-paced lap splits. Chip away at the lap count at a comfortable PE.

Sunset to Dawn:
At the 6-7 hour mark in a 24 hour solo, heart rate becomes depressed with fatigue and natural circadian rhythm. Allow your heart rate to drop. Fighting to keep your heart rate up after sunset will lead to over-pacing. Lap splits and PE become the key pacing tools after sunset. Keep lap splits as tight and consistent as possible. Keep PE in a comfortable range. No drilling it yet!

Keep pit stops short to avoid cooling down and resist the temptation to crawl into your sleeping bag during the “witching hours”.

Dawn to Finish:
Dawn to finish is the time to spend what you have left. If you are in survival mode, keep it steady, manage problems that have appeared, and stay on the course for as long as possible. Placing is often determined by laps at this point. One more lap can bump you up ten places in the standings. Use the mantra “a slow lap is better than no lap”.

Ideally, you have paced and fueled the first 18 hours accurately. Dawn is the time to start spending big and pick up the pace. Ride faster, bring your heart rate back up and drop your lap split times. Push the pace a little past your comfort level and ride as fast as you can to the finish!

Below is a heart rate file from a beautifully paced 24-hour solo mountain bike race. This athlete finished on the podium.

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Product Review: Mountain Smith's Bike Cube Deluxe

written by: Kevin Day (K-Day Racing.com)

I would dare say that my bag and pack obsession rivals SDAY’s (Mrs. K-Day Racing), but Shan’s are generally a bit different in both form and function. I’m always looking for something nice that fits on my back rather than over my shoulder or if does go over the shoulder, it needs to hold at least a weeks worth of cycling clothing and accessories. That being said, KDAY Racing will now be sporting the Bike Cube Deluxe, at every cycling related event.

Mountain Smith isn’t known for their cycling related packs but this one should put em on the map. I’ve never found a more perfect bag that not only holds a large volume of clothing, but has more than a handful of pockets and compartments for all the extras you pack along to your events.



The Bike Cube Deluxe has three main compartments, two of which are specked with a heavy duty mesh on the top side that allows wet items the ability to vent. A large changing mat is stored in a fourth compartment/pocket located on the back-side of the bag which proves to be extremely valuable when you’re slipping on some shoes and socks and you don’t want to stand in the dirt or on the hot pavement.

Within each compartment are more pockets and dividers that help to allow even better organization. Spots for extra food, gels, bottles. You name it. There’s even a sleeve that holds a roll-up tool pouch that comes with the Cube.

At 56 L. the Bike Cube Deluxe so far has been the pack-all of all my bags. It’s especially nice for those days when you’re just not sure how much clothing you’ll need to bring for your afternoon ride. When in doubt, bring everything. And the Bike Cube Deluxe can handle it.

You can purchase the Bike Cube Deluxe on Mountain Smith’s website or many other online retailers. Check it out here. If you’re a team manager you may want to consider snagging some of these and having them custom embroidered. Not a bad way to show up to any race or event.

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US Cup West #1: Sagebrush Safari

Sawicki and Taberlay start off the 2010 US Cup season with wins

Pro Men's Podium: Vincent Lombardi, Jeremiah Bishop, Sid Taberlay, Manuel Prado, and Dana Weber (left to right) Photo courtesy of Manuel Prado

1, Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air/Specialized) 2.00.20
2, Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale Factory Racing) 2.02.59
3, Manuel Prado (Sho-Air/Specialized) 2.07.31
4, Vincent Lombardi (Velosport) 2.08.02
5, Dana Weber (Trek/World Bicycle Relief) 2.08.06
6, Adam Snyder (Jamis Bikes) 2.08.07
7, Romolo Forcino (Bear Valley Bikes) 2.08.17
8, Miguel Valdez 2.10.03
9, Menso De Jong (Santa Cruz Bicycles) 2.12.05
10, Jason Siegle (Bike Religion) 2.14.42
11, Doug Johnson
12, Charles Jenkins
13, Sean Donovan
14, Dezmin Wilder
15, John Nobil
16, Paul Freiwald
17, Tsering Alleyne
18, Matthew Connors
19, Eric Biermann
20, Alex Boone
21, Robert Herber
22, Ryan Clark
23, Tom Koerner
24, Chris Heinrich
25, Noah Holcomb
26, Matt Freeman
27, Derek Hermon

Pro Women

1, Pua Sawicki (Okolestuff.com) 2.17.03
2, Allison Mann (Rock 'n Road Cycling) 2.26.30
3, Rebecca Tomaszewski (Niner/Ergon) 2.42.21
4, Anna Fortner (Team Socal Cross) 2.49.08
5, Dorothy Wong (Team Socal Cross) 3.16.10

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Online registration is now open for the Beti Bike Bash. On June 12, 2010, women of all ages and abilities will converge at Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood, Colorado to take part in a little piece of mountain biking history.

Hosted by Yeti Beti with the support of Yeti Cycles and Bigfoot Productions, the first ever women's only event will offer several races for all ages and abilities. Whether you are a first time racer or a seasoned professional, this event is truly for everyone. The five-mile, non-technical, singletrack loop, with views of the surrounding Red Rocks Park, will see beginners, sports, and elites race two, three and four laps respectively. There will also be a three-woman relay fun race for those who want to experience the camaraderie of a mountain bike race with their friends.



"Mountain bike races are intimidating for beginner women for several reasons," said Sarah Rawley, Bigfoot Productions public relations and Team Yeti Beti rider, "Steep climbs, rocky descents, high altitude, and often you are gone all day from your family. We wanted to break down those barriers and offer something that any woman who rides would enjoy. With Bear Creek's close proximity to Denver and great trail system, it was a perfect venue for an event like this."

For more detailed event information and registration, please visit www.betibikebash.com.

For event sponsorship opportunities, please email betibikebash@gmail.com.

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Alpine Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race, NZ – Day Four (Final)

Whalley and Miller win stage, Williams and Hogg take the title

Capping off four days of tough racing, Team R&R Sport riders Tony Hogg and Mark Williams sealed the victory at the 2010 Alpine Epic, but not without a big final stage fight from the Property Syndication riders Ollie Whalley and Brent Miller, both of Christchurch, who won Stage 6.

Big Mountain Riders: Team R&R Sports riders Tony Hogg and Mark Williams ride toward New Zealand's highest mountain, Mt. Cook (3700m)

“Brent was on fire today and totally smashed the climb up the Irishman,” his teammate Whalley said.

“I just wanted to be the first one to the top to see the view of Mt Cook,” Miller laughed.

“We tried to attack off the start, got a bit lost and then had to find our way to the front again and just pulled away after the climb,” Whalley said.

Near the end of the 74km stage Whalley, of Christchurch, thought his race might be over when it felt as though he had stripped a cog off his bike's cassette, but it was later that he realised he had actually stripped the spline off the freehub. He managed to preserve the bike to the end and win the stage in a time of 3:22:03 and secure second position overall.

“The event has been lots of fun and I will definitely do it again – but maybe with tougher tyres next time,” Miller said.

“Willie and Tony are a very tough team to beat,” Whalley said.

Champions: Team R&R Sport's Tony Hogg and Mark Williams celebrate winning the 2010 Alpine Epic multi-stage mountain bike race

Williams, of Queenstown, and Hogg, of Dunedin, overcame a tough start in Stage 6 after Williams struggled on the ascent up the Irishman – a climb that took riders to 1300m above sea level and a panoramic view of the Southern Alps on the clear, hot, windless final day of racing on Saturday.

“I was in the box today and Tony had to pull me through. I lost a bit of traction up the climb and then the gap just grew,” Williams conceded.

“I knew we had a big lead going into this stage so it was just a case of managing that lead – maintaining a good pace without blowing ourselves to pieces,” he said.

“You can’t take any lead for granted – anything could happen,” Hogg said.

“It’s good to see those guys win a stage today – they’ve raced bloody hard and had a lot of bad luck, so they really deserved the win today,” Williams said.

Williams and Hogg rode bikes equipped with 29-inch diameter wheels [standard is 26-inch] and they both admitted that this had a hand in their success at this year’s Alpine Epic.

“Stage racing and getting used to the whole team dynamic has been great fun and we were quite evenly matched and didn’t abuse each other too much,” Hogg laughed, vowing to return again in 2011.

“The camaraderie of this event is the best bit for me – getting your tents up, sitting around and having a laugh and hearing all the stories from the day and just eating as much as possible,” Williams said.

The Team Yeti NZ pairing of Kashi Leuchs, of Dunedin, and Marcus Roy, of Invercargill, finished third.

Fast Women: Kath Kelly (left) and Erin Greene, take a swim in Lake Tekapo after winning the women's title at the 2010 Alpine Epic

The lead three women's teams continued their tussle during the final stage with Athena Girls Bec Rae and Jo Turnbull, both of Christchurch, pulling away to a strong lead to the top of the Irishman, ahead of Team Outside Sports, Floortje Draisma and Jo Williams, both of Wanaka, and Team R&R Whippets, Erin Greene and Kath Kelly, both of Dunedin.

However, Greene and Kelly, recovering from a series of bad luck in the preceding stages, determined to build on their lead and applied the pressure through the gravel road section and made it into first place on the second climb and went on to win the final stage and the women’s title.

"We probably worked together better as a team and every night we made a plan about how we would apply the pressure and attack things," Greene said.

"Erin made me hurt," Kelly said.

"Erin came back down on the big climb when I was hurting and she carried my bike up – she's been an awesome teammate."

Greene and Kelly made their move on the second climb and never looked back – literally.

"Erin kept telling me that the other team was right on us, but she wouldn't let me look back at them," laughs Kelly.

Greene and Kelly could not relax to enjoy their final moments in the stage until they had the finishline in sight, they said.

"This has been one of the best races I have ever done," Kelly said.

"The atmosphere at nights is unreal and the food is fantastic ... and as for the weather – four days of perfect conditions – I'd hate to do that in the rain!"

Having two strong women's teams around them throughout the four day journey made it "scary, but made us work harder", admitted Kelly.

Greene and Kelly completed the four-day, six-stage race in 21:18:17, and placed sixth overall.

The race for second was won by Draisma and Williams, who finished Stage 6 three minutes ahead of their rivals, Rae and Turnbull, and in doing so stretched their overall advantage to 8 minutes. Draisma and Williams finished on 21:49:50 for ninth overall with Rae and Turnbull on 21:57:02 and in 11th position overall.

Event co-organiser Nick Ross said the event had surpassed his expectations this year with stunning weather adding to the ocassion.

"You couldn't ask for better – stunning views up the lake to Mt Cook today and for the last two days we've had views right up the Aoraki range – it has been good," Ross said.

"It has been a tough event, the second day in particular, but riders are coming in stoked with a real sense of achievement that they have completed it, which is brilliant."

Stage Winners: Property Syndication team members Brent Miller and Ollie Whalley led the final stage and secured second place in the overall competition

Ross admits that he thought he may have made Day 2 a bit hard at one point.

"The stage across Coal Hill and then on to Clayton Station is a critical part of the race, but we started to worry when we were looking at our watches and no one had come in after five hours," he laughed.

Organisers expect the event to grow and would like to lift the entry numbers to help "streamline some areas of the operation".

"It's great to see some international riders here and we would like to see more coming to take part and to grow the event," Ross said.

Next year's race would maintain the intensity of the 2010 course, but Ross said it might include some new trails and hinted at the possibility of a fifth day being added.

He also suggested that alternate loops would be created for those who want to complete the event, but will be challenged on the longer days.

"That way top riders could have bigger days and less experienced riders would still get to ride most of the course," he said.

Ross was quick to acknowledge that both winning teams in mens and womens were R&R Sport teams – something that fits well with the event sponsor.

"They came on board from the beginning and have been really supportive throughout the race, so it was good to see they also fielded such strong teams," Ross said.

Click Here for full results

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Alpine Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race, New Zealand – Day Three

Leuchs and Roy win Stage 4, Williams and Hogg extend lead

With Day 3 split into two stages overnight, for logistical reasons, the fields had two chances to win a stage on Friday and for Kashi Leuchs and Marcus Roy, the technical Stage 4 played right into their hands at the 2010 Alpine Epic in New Zealand.

Photography by: Derek Morrison

Deep Water: Competitors cross the Tekapo River on Stage 5 of the Alpine Epic

The Team Yeti NZ pairing of Leuchs, of Dunedin, and Roy, of Invercargill, won the 32km technical stage from Lake Opuha to Burkes Pass in a time of 1:45:32, 2mins30secs ahead of second – Team R&R Sport's Mark Williams, of Queenstown, and Tony Hogg, of Dunedin, who are the overall race leaders.

"We had fresh legs after yesterday's nice cruise in the mountains," Leuchs states.

"Marcus put down the hammer quite early in the river section and I just followed. We had one rider from each of the other teams with us after the river and Marcus just led the way."

"It was a fun stage – we liked the gully and real mountain biking terrain of this stage," he said.

Two punctures kept the Property Syndication team of Ollie Whalley and Brent Miller, both of Dunedin, out of the front running in Stage 4, finishing almost 20 minutes adrift of the leaders.

Team R&R Whippets, Erin Greene and Kath Kelly, both of Dunedin, extended their lead winning the women's Stage 4 race from Athena Girls, Bec Rae and Jo Turnbull, both of Christchurch, and Team Outside Sports, Floortje Draisma and Jo Williams, both of Wanaka.

The women continue to keep the intensity in the race – finishing within five minutes of each other in Stage 4, despite Draisma and Williams suffering mechanical problems in the stage.

Stage 5 saw competitors leave Burkes Pass on a 43km route that finished in Windy Ridges, 20km southwest of Tekapo and included a series of climbs above Burkes Pass and a desert traverse through a section of the Mackenzie Basin.

Williams and Hogg controlled the race after Whalley and Miller flatted twice. Roy and Leuchs punctured after a climb early in the stage and never rejoined the front teams.

Big Climb: Mark Williams of Team R&R leads his teammate Tony Hogg and members of the Property Syndication team up a climb above Burkes Pass

"Ollie and Brent were going pretty hard and so we went with them and then they punctured," Williams said.

"Some of the views today were magnificent. Mt Cook looked stunning and clear – as if you could touch it," he said.

Williams said the desert crossing was a tough one because of the rough ground.

Team R&R Sport won the stage in 2:17:03 with the Property Syndication team chasing hard to close the gap to just nine minutes.

"We had four punctures today – two in each stage," Whalley said.

But he admits he enjoyed the variety of the day.

"The desert stage was surreal – you were just riding forever and it was tough going with lots of small bumps," he said.

"We were trying very hard to catch up – we were smashing it, but couldn't claw the leaders back."

In the women's race in Stage 5 Rae and Turnbull turned up the intensity and led the women's race from early on. Draisma and Williams found their form, but were unable to rejoin the leading girls who won the stage in 2:46:41 – making up valuable time in the overall standings.

"We felt good after the break between stages and just pushed hard up a couple of hills, but the R&R girls were right on us," Rae explained.

"We didn't talk as much today so maybe that helped."

"I found the desert really hard – my hardtail wasn't the ideal bike for that," she said.

"But we are happy we won today – we can't let the R&R girls win every stage."

R&R Whippets made a navigation error in Stage 5 that saw them ride 3km down the wrong trail turning their 43km stage into a 49km struggle and relinquishing 18 minutes to the leaders of the stage.

As the race draws into its final day, Williams and Hogg have a comfortable lead sitting on 13:36:05 going into the final 70km stage with almost an hour buffer from Whalley and Miller.

Greene and Kelly are also in a commanding position in the women's at 17:16:34 – 30 minutes ahead of Draisma and Williams and 34 minutes up on Rae and Turnbull.

"We'd like to try to sneak our way into second, but we are still paying for our nine flat tyres on day one," Rae said.

Embarking on the 2010 Alpine Epic are two riders from San Luis Obisto, Calfornia, who have used the race as a catalyst to relocate their lives to New Zealand.

Epic Attractions: Sarah Ledger and Zeph Wadsworth of San Luis Obispo, California, made the Alpine Epic their deadline to relocate to New Zealand

Sarah Hedger and Zeph Wadsworth have embraced the ride and been wowed by the scenery.

"We heard about the great trails here and the New Zealand way of life is a better alignment to our values – it's a better quality of life for us here," Hedger said.

"We booked onto the race and used it as a deadline to get us here – a set event that we had to be at," Wadsworth said.

They sold their belongings and jumped on a plane with four bikes and all their possessions.

"We are just going to travel around and see the country and figure out where we want to be,"

"The race has been much harder than we thought with bigger hills than we expected and crossing the rivers is like something out of Lord of the Rings," Hedger said.

The couple has clocked up 23:19:14 in their first three days on the event.

Saturday's final leg will traverse the mountain tops to the west of Lake Tekapo before finishing in the Tekapo township.

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Kenda Cup West Opener Drawing Top Talent

The Kenda Cup West Series opener at Sage Brush, brought to you by Team Duke.Org is drawing top pro and amatuer athlete’s for 2010.

2009 race winner Sid Taberlay

Last years Sage Brush men’s pro winner; Sho-Air/Specialized rider Sid Taberlay, brings with him a 2010 Austrailian National Short Track title to this year’s event, as the Aussie looks to make it two for two.

Men's start in 2009

Taberlay will be hard pressed in 2010 however, as newly signed Cannondale Factory riders Jeremiah Bishop and Tinker Juarez are set to race this weekend. Add in 2009 La Ruta and Costa Rican XC Champion Manny Prado of the Sho-Air/Specialized team, and the 2010 Kenda Cup West Series opener is shaping up to be a slug fest.

Women's podium in 2009 with Pua Sawicki on the top step

2009 women’s race winner, Pua Sawiki, of Team Mata/Okle Stuff.com looks to repeat as a two time race winner. Sawiki will have a solid line up of women racer’s with Rock N Road’s Allison Mann and others trying to knock off the six time National Endurance Champion.

The Sage Brush racecourse

About Sage Brush: Located east of San Diego off Interstate 8, the Sage Brush course is a throw back to a more tradional mountain bike loop, with multiple distances ranging from 26.8 miles and 3,500 feet of climbing for the Pro and CAT 1 loop, to a shorter 18 mile loop for the CAT 2 and 3 riders.

The course uses exsisting jeep and motorcycle trails of the Lake Morena OHV park and offers racers a wide variety of terrain, with rolling Whoop De Doo’s, banked berm corners and a fun flowy style of riding. For the mountain bike purist, Sage Brush is a must attend event!
Sage Brush course map http://www.geoladders.com/gps_route_racer.php?route_id=21974\

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Alpine Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race, New Zealand – Day Two

Women's teams rise to the challenge on tough Coal Hill stage

Photography by: Derek Morrison

Three women's teams stole the show during Stage 3 of the 2010 Alpine Epic Mountain Bike Stage race held between Rangitata River and Lake Opuha, near Fairlie, on Thursday.

Team Work: Wanaka residents Jo Williams, formerly of Ireland, and Floortje Draisma, formerly of the Netherlands, ride past Mt. Peel in Stage 3

Led by the R&R Whippets team of Erin Greene and Kath Kelly, both of Dunedin, a trio of women's teams reached the Coal Hill ridgeline within whispering distance of each other after an arduous morning climb.

"It was a very tough day – I think we did 3400m of climbing in about 83km," Kelly said.

Race Leaders: Team R&R Sport riders Erin Greene (left) and Kath Kelley, both of Dundin, lead the women's event after Stage 3

Greene and Kelly were the fourth team to arrive overall and were closely followed by Team Outside Sports' Jo Williams and Floortje Draisma, both of Wanaka and Athena Girls riders Becs Rae and Jo Turnbull, both of Christchurch.

"We were tussling with Jo and Floortje," Kelly said.

"They caught us on the ridgeline and were very fast on the descent," Greene said.

"We had girls in front and girls behind us at the top of Coal Hill and we could hear them chatting away – it was a bit of a battle," Williams laughed.

"We got to the descent first, but lost a bit of time on the gravel at the bottom."

The top three women's teams traded the lead across the ridgeline and held the race intensity right to the end of the six and a-half hour stage. Greene and Kelly finished in fourth overall and won the women's stage in 6:27:48 with Williams and Floortje arriving at camp in sixth place overall in a time of 6:34:50 and Rae and Turnbull finishing in ninth overall in 6:42:43 for third in the women.

"I think this is one of the toughest races I have done and that's including the Goldrush and Coast to Coast," Kelly said.

"We didn't expect to finish fourth overall," Greene admitted.

"I was surprised that we were so close to Marcus and Kashi."

Big Challenge: Wanaka residents Jo Williams and Floortje Draisma are among three women's teams vying for the top spot

Williams and Draisma got lost in a bog near Lake Opuha that cost them about 20 minutes they said.

Team R&R Sports riders Mark Williams, of Queenstown, and Tony Hogg, of Dunedin, won the men's stage on a gruelling route across the top of Coal Hill and down into the Hewson River in a time of 5:15:20.

But their race was not without hardship – Williams crashed hard on the first big descent grazing his shoulder, smashing a spoke and ripping the bottom jockey wheel off his rear deraileur.

"That made things a bit interesting for the rest of the race – every now and then the chain would get stuck in between the cassette and the spokes, but it wasn't major," Williams laughed.

"We were fortunate to get through the final half of the day with that kind of mechanical," he conceded.

With them the whole way were the Property Syndication team members, Ollie Whalley and Brent Miller, both of Christchurch after dropping the third member of the front group – Team Yeti NZ's Kashi Leuchs and Marcus Roy on the first climb of the day.

"Brent was battling a bit today – he only had three bottles of water for five and a quarter hours – he suffered from a bit of dehydration," Whalley said of his team member.

Race Leaders: Leading the climb up Coal Hill on Stage 3

"We used lots of tactics today – we had to get between Tony and Willy [Williams] up the hills and slow them down a bit and on the downhills we had to try to slow them up so Brent could stay in touch."

Kashi was just cruising today – he was just out to enjoy a good day in the mountains, Whalley said.

After more than 80km the two lead teams got lost in the final run into camp at Lake Opuha, and finished within seconds of each other.

Team Yeti NZ riders Leuchs and Roy finished in third place more than an hour later with a time of 6:19:49 after what they described as "a fun day in the mountains".

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Travis Woodruff is a USAC Level I (elite) certified coach who holds a B.S. in Kinesiology with emphasis in Exercise Science. He’s coached riders to five MTB National Championship wins and has over 10 years of personal racing experience. Since 2005 he’s competed as a pro mountain biker and has coached full-time. His business, Momentum Endurance LLC, is based out of Tucson, Arizona where he hosts wintertime training camps.

Question: I race a full mountain bike schedule as a Pro throughout season but I still have a full-time job. How do I balance training with my work responsibilities to maximize my abilities as a racer?

Optimizing Training for your Time-Limited Schedule

Most all competitive cyclists have numerous time demands which limit their ability to train at will. Even very few pros enjoy the luxury of a daily schedule, which solely revolves around training -- so time-limited training principles apply to most all of us. If training is going to be effective and enjoyable it is important do some objective planning before turning the pedals. Keep in mind that the perfect training plan isn’t so great if it means you’re neglecting work or family commitments. With less time available to train, there’s less margin for training error and its important to make the most of training opportunities. With an optimized program you’ll be challenged, always improving, and enjoying the experience. A small amount of planning, organization, and time management can bring huge dividends to your training routine.

Plan Ahead for the Big Picture (realistically)

Get a handle on your work schedule, family vacation plans, school schedule, race schedules, or any other schedules that your life might be dependant upon. With this information in front you, you can objectively plan out the bigger picture of your season. Knowing which blocks of time will be great for training, when your riding schedule might be tight, and when it might be best to take a short break will help you to define the season’s goals. Chances are good you’ll be riding your best after periods of consistent training and relatively fewer demands otherwise. Try to choose goal races that coincide with when you’ll best be able to prepare for them.

Woodruff puts his expertise to use on and off the dirt

Break it into Smaller Cycles and Set the Course of Action

With the bigger picture outlined it’s helpful to break down the season overview into smaller cycles. It works well to let overload and recovery do its trick within a block of three or four weeks. Two to three weeks of challenging riding should be followed up by four to seven days of lesser workload. For each of these cycles it’s critical to have a clear goal for the training. This could be overloading a specific energy system such as your Lactate Threshold or tallying up a lot of singletrack miles. Moving from the development of one specific focus onto the next is progression towards your goals.

Be Consistent

With the focus clearly defined for the three or four week cycle it’s time to plan weekly rides. If weekends are a good opportunity for training, try to also incorporate two high quality workouts during the work week. With four days where you’re achieving a training overload the other days can then be of lesser intensity and/or duration – a chance for recovery. The body thrives on consistency so if possible, keep your rides to a similar time of day. In doing so the training becomes a natural part of your day rather than something that’s incorporated haphazardly. The better your body can detect a pattern, the more likely it is that you’ll benefit from the specific overload that you’re placing upon it.

Make Note of your Progress

Most riders will thrive with just a little more organization than they’re currently used to. Keep a training log with objective data (power, HR, or otherwise) and also your subjective notes or comments. Over the long term you can review the log and better fine tune your training while you seek the perfect balance with your busy schedule. Plan for your successes, be consistent with your training and you’ll come through a stronger rider in the end.

Get Optimized

Check out MomentumEndurance.com for more information and some helpful season planning tools so that you can make the most of your time-limited training schedule. With a balanced plan put into action all that’s left to do is accomplish your goals. Related questions or comments can be sent to TJ @ twoodruff@MomentumEndurance.com. Enjoy the ride!

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