We met some great people along the way racing in Transrockies 2008.
Scroll down the side and check out the other pictures.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Crazy Larry & The Italian Mafioso
We met some great people along the way racing in Transrockies 2008.
Scroll down the side and check out the other pictures.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Top 10 things to remember for the next endurance mtb race
10. Ingest HEED instead of Cytomax
9. Carry a rain jacket
8. Ride a sub-25 lb mountain bike
7. 8+ hour weekend training rides
6. Learn bike maintenance
5. Race and drink with Kiwis & Brits
4. Add serious hike-a-bike training to your schedule
3. A Camelback can only slow you down
2. Ride UST Tubeless w/Stans
1. Have Sam from InCycle as your lead mechanic
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Re: Stage 6
CRAP!!! Dude, you are so gnarly. You will be forever changed by this event, if they allow you to survive!! I'm buying you the biggest beer I can find the next time I see you.
thanks for the update and keep kickin' arse!
comment
10,000 + feet of climbing
10,000 + feet of descent
95 degrees
The route organizer described todays stage as very challenging. Come to find out 40 teams decide not to start today. Athletes are breaking down and nerves are on edge.
Most of us felt sick just listening and watching the course being described on google earth the night prior. Stuart from team ireland said he walked out of the room as it was being described.
We decide to ride with Laurie and Chris the entire stage as its survival mode...
Critical points in the stage are 8 climbs, one being a 45 minute hike-a-bike and 3 more major hike a bikes at 90k (just when u think u r finished.
The day wore on and it was a very dusty and dry day. The start was a 10% climb for 4 miles and right into beautiful single track. I did not feel good on the 30k ascent of High Rock Range and someone crashed in front of me and almost took me with him thru a 1 foot deep dust bowl section. I ascended at 4 mph and just kept plugging. Vert was having a good day and had to wait at the top.
We peaked out a few more times, at checkpoint 3 with 30k remaining, I was over heating. Luckily I started dumping ice water on me to cool down.
We recovered and powered the last 30k, Chris and Laurie were climbing like mountain goats and Vert and I took 15 seconds back from team Chantry Fats today on the sprint at the line.
The stage went well for us - though it was beyond hard and almost ridiculous. The athletes were in agreement that they just tried to crush everyone today. We finish in 8 hours.
Stage 4
Nipika to Whiteswan Lake
110 kilometers (longest stage)
8,500 feet of climbing.
8,300 feet of descent.
In prep for a long brutal stage. 6am breakfast of 3 pancakes, eggs, ham slices, fruit, coffee, oj and coffee.
Race starts at 8am with an expected 8 hour day on the bike. Sammy dialed in the bikes last night and says I need a new headset.
The profile shows two mtn ranges we need to fly over with 3 checkpoints - the rules state that u have to checkin as a team at each checkpoint or get penalized. The weather is ideal today at 30 degrees celcius..
At the first descent a pro crashed head first and received 10 stitches. The start was fast on dirt roads - we rode well and finished in 8 hours -- the descents and scenery was amazing - with lots of rivers, 8,000 feet of descent. Today water bars in the trails were dangerous and one guy hit one at full speed and launched while breaking his clavical. We passed him and he was laying on the ground with an emergency blanket waiting to get air lifted out via helicopter while his teammate finished the day with a broken crankset. We hit major water crossings and a fast finish into Whiteswan Lake.
Finished in 7 hours 55 minutes exhausted. Very tough day.
110 kilometers (longest stage)
8,500 feet of climbing.
8,300 feet of descent.
In prep for a long brutal stage. 6am breakfast of 3 pancakes, eggs, ham slices, fruit, coffee, oj and coffee.
Race starts at 8am with an expected 8 hour day on the bike. Sammy dialed in the bikes last night and says I need a new headset.
The profile shows two mtn ranges we need to fly over with 3 checkpoints - the rules state that u have to checkin as a team at each checkpoint or get penalized. The weather is ideal today at 30 degrees celcius..
At the first descent a pro crashed head first and received 10 stitches. The start was fast on dirt roads - we rode well and finished in 8 hours -- the descents and scenery was amazing - with lots of rivers, 8,000 feet of descent. Today water bars in the trails were dangerous and one guy hit one at full speed and launched while breaking his clavical. We passed him and he was laying on the ground with an emergency blanket waiting to get air lifted out via helicopter while his teammate finished the day with a broken crankset. We hit major water crossings and a fast finish into Whiteswan Lake.
Finished in 7 hours 55 minutes exhausted. Very tough day.
Stage 2 : detail
Stage 2 - August 11: Invermere to Nipika Resort, 74km
13,000 feet of climbing.
A detour to heaven. It was a long day for everyone on the TransRockies trail today, as an already gruelling stage got longer when the front pack went off course and everyone played "follow the leader," The riders went awry when some of the top teams missed the flagging tape on course indicating a right-hand turn. Instead, the group marched up a steep avalanche gulley shouldering their bikes all the way to the top, missing the turn and finding out, upon summiting the chute, that the trail had gone cold.". Everyone was so focused on putting one foot in front of the other that we ended up just following riders at the front of the race, realizing their mistake, turned and began backtracking, eventually finding the route the leaders completed the course with a time of 5h50'37. There was a lot of climbing today even without adding an extra hour and a half of uphill with my bike," said Frederic at the finish line, still sporting a smile but showing signs of fatigue after two straight days of steep vertical.
The degree of difficulty was high and the wrong route created an extra hour of hike-a-bike. The descent was so difficult with roots, mud, water falls, stream crossings. Today I question my tire choice of Michellin Pythons as I slide down shoots of mud and scree at high speeds, though no major crashes - maybe they will be ok.
The 3 climbs today were absolutely brutal at well over 15% for 20k each. It took us 7 hours and 56 minutes to complete todays stage.
The next stage is at Nipika Mountain Resort and promises to deliver that with some exceptional private singletrack along the Kootenay River, bordering Canada's Kootenay National Park. The weather is clearing now as the clouds cracked open to reveal blue skies today.
There was plenty of snoring in Tent City last night. Perhaps this collective deep sleep, after only Stage 2, it is concrete evidence that TransRockies VII is indeed the most challenging edition yet?
strong Kicking Horse Coffee is on the menu in the morning.
13,000 feet of climbing.
A detour to heaven. It was a long day for everyone on the TransRockies trail today, as an already gruelling stage got longer when the front pack went off course and everyone played "follow the leader," The riders went awry when some of the top teams missed the flagging tape on course indicating a right-hand turn. Instead, the group marched up a steep avalanche gulley shouldering their bikes all the way to the top, missing the turn and finding out, upon summiting the chute, that the trail had gone cold.". Everyone was so focused on putting one foot in front of the other that we ended up just following riders at the front of the race, realizing their mistake, turned and began backtracking, eventually finding the route the leaders completed the course with a time of 5h50'37. There was a lot of climbing today even without adding an extra hour and a half of uphill with my bike," said Frederic at the finish line, still sporting a smile but showing signs of fatigue after two straight days of steep vertical.
The degree of difficulty was high and the wrong route created an extra hour of hike-a-bike. The descent was so difficult with roots, mud, water falls, stream crossings. Today I question my tire choice of Michellin Pythons as I slide down shoots of mud and scree at high speeds, though no major crashes - maybe they will be ok.
The 3 climbs today were absolutely brutal at well over 15% for 20k each. It took us 7 hours and 56 minutes to complete todays stage.
The next stage is at Nipika Mountain Resort and promises to deliver that with some exceptional private singletrack along the Kootenay River, bordering Canada's Kootenay National Park. The weather is clearing now as the clouds cracked open to reveal blue skies today.
There was plenty of snoring in Tent City last night. Perhaps this collective deep sleep, after only Stage 2, it is concrete evidence that TransRockies VII is indeed the most challenging edition yet?
strong Kicking Horse Coffee is on the menu in the morning.
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