Nearly 700 racers and as many spectators braved crisp fall temperatures at the season finale of the 2009 Wisconsin Off Road Series, held this weekend in Sheboygan, WI. Jenna Rinehart of Mankato, MN (Specialized) and Cole House of Oneida, WI (BMC Racing) took home the top honors, and substantial payouts, from the Wigwam MTB Challenge Belgioioso Pro/Cat 1 races.
Cole House (BMC Racing) powers up the 'Equalizer' hill. House went on
to win at Sheboygan. Photo by Extreme Photography.
to win at Sheboygan. Photo by Extreme Photography.
Jenna Rinehart (Specialized) rode to the win in Sheboygan at the WORS
Wigwam MTB Challenge. Photo by Danny Marchewka.
Wigwam MTB Challenge. Photo by Danny Marchewka.
Opportunities to shake things up in the men’s race
With the WORS Series leaders Brian Matter and Mark Lalonde off racing cyclocross in Cincinnati, the opportunity existed for several riders to shake up the remaining series overall points. Mike Phillips, Nathan Guerra and Darrin Braun were all in contention for the remaining top spots.
“The field was smaller than in previous years because some of the ‘fast guys’ didn't make it,” explained Mike Phillips. “Without Brian Matter, Jesse and Marko Lalonde, and Doug Swanson, the race was more wide open than before. I knew going into it that Cole had a good chance, and Tristan as well, because we all rode together last weekend [at the WORS Wolf River Rendezvous]. I thought if I played my cards right, I could possibly get the win, but I would have to be patient. Unfortunately Cole had a 20 second gap into the first section of singletrack and that was pretty much it! Tristan and I worked together to bring him back all race, but only managed to match his pace. The course was super fast and we were all basically riding the same speed, so 20 seconds might as well have been 20 minutes.”
In the end, Tristan Schouten would claim second place with Phillips finishing a close third.
Sheboygan racer Tristan Schouten (Planet Bike / GT) races along the
quarry at WORS Wigwam MTB Challenge. Schouten finished second at
Sheboygan. Photo by Extreme Photography.
quarry at WORS Wigwam MTB Challenge. Schouten finished second at
Sheboygan. Photo by Extreme Photography.
Fourth place finisher Darrin Braun of Butler, WI raced at Sheboygan last year on a singlespeed in the Cat 2 field. Braun has made the big jump to Cat 1 this year look easy. He finishing fourth at Sheboygan, is fourth overall in the WORS Series standings, and is currently the second ranked Cat 1 male in the nation for Mountain XC. The transition to a geared bike, which Braun has been riding during the latter half of this season, has seemed less smooth. In his first two laps at Sheboygan this weekend, Braun found himself stranded in his most difficult gears. He lost touch with the leaders, and struggled on the climbs.
“Basically, I blew myself up trying to chase back on,” said Braun. “I’ve been trying to hang with the lead group all season. That was my goal for this race, and I wanted to be up there and contend. Go for the gusto. I couldn’t shift and tried to make it with one gear. I’m a singlespeeder, right? But the gear I was pushing was just huge – I had to run up the ‘Equalizer’ in my first lap. By the time [teammate] Chris Peariso caught up to me, my legs were cooked. He coached me through, and the problem with the shifting began to work itself out. We rode together until the finish.”
Braun also had props for the course. “Last year, the course at Sheboygan was kind of a surprise for me, because it rips. I figured those trails were in a park in the middle of town, so how good could they be? But it’s just a totally awesome course.”
“The course at Sheboygan is always one of my favorites,” agreed Mike Phillips. “It just never lets up and you're always on the gas! You can hammer through all the corners, no brakes, just on the edge of control. Super fun! And the new root climb right before the Equalizer was a challenge every lap.”
Mike Phillips (Adventure 212 / Specialized) rides off a log jump at
WORS Wigwam MTB Challenge in Sheboygan. Phillips finished third at
Sheboygan and in the 2009 WORS Series Overall. Photo by Danny
Marchewka.
WORS Wigwam MTB Challenge in Sheboygan. Phillips finished third at
Sheboygan and in the 2009 WORS Series Overall. Photo by Danny
Marchewka.
The Sheboygan race also boasts a large spectator turnout and bonuses from the race organizers. In addition to the initial Sprint Prime, everyone who rode to the top of the ‘Equalizer’ hill collected a crisp, five-dollar bill. A huge group of screaming spectators lined the steep climb throughout the day, and near-perfect conditions for racers this year meant they were rewarded with a great show.
“The fans were great as always, and with the big payouts there's always an extra motivation to hurt a bit more, ” said Phillips. “One thing I won't forget is seeing a guy go sailing into the river. Man that must've been cold!”
Jenna Rinehart powered to the win while Wisconsin gave chase
“I look forward to this race every season,” said Specialized racer Jenna Rinehart. “The course is so much fun and always has great spectators. I'm happy with my race and had a fun time.”
Rinehart is wrapping up her greatest season to date, which includes a top 10 finish at Sea Otter, the WORS Subaru Cup stage race win, and two dominant victories at Triple Crown races Ore to Shore and the Chequamegon 40. She seemed untouchable at Sheboygan, crossing the line over 8 minutes ahead of the chase.
“Kyia Anderson and I broke away from the field and were riding together for the first lap”, said Rinehart. “Starting the second lap I had a small gap but she closed it once we got back into the single track. About a quarter of the way through the 2nd lap all of a sudden I noticed she wasn't on my wheel anymore so I just kept pushing the pace as hard as I could. I later found out Kyia had broken her frame and had to drop out.”
Abigail Strigel (Mafia Racing / Pabst / Felt) rides the 'roots of
evil' at WORS Wigwam MTB Challenge in Sheboygan. Strigel finished
second at Sheboygan and first in the 2009 WORS Series Overall. Photo
by Julie Wolf.
evil' at WORS Wigwam MTB Challenge in Sheboygan. Strigel finished
second at Sheboygan and first in the 2009 WORS Series Overall. Photo
by Julie Wolf.
When asked about her own race, Strigel said simply, “it hurt. A lot.”
“Sheboygan is one of the best races of the year,” continued Strigel. “The course is really fast and super fun. There is always really good competition there, and [local organizers] Fat Kats do an excellent job making it really fun for the spectators, and racers.”
And early morning view of the WORS Wigwam MTB Challenge Expo area.
Photo by Danny Marchewka.
Photo by Danny Marchewka.
WORS Series overalls contended to the finish line at Sheboygan
While WORS official point totals will appear on Wednesday, by unofficial calculations Brain Matter (Gear Grinder) and Abby Strigel had their WORS series wins on lock down before the Sheboygan race even began. In fact, both Matter and second place overall finisher Mark Lalonde (Planet Bike), missed the final WORS race of the season to represent Wisconsin in the 2009 Cincinnati Cyclocross Festival. Incidentally, Lalonde and Matter finished in the top five of a stacked professional field on Saturday, prompting VeloNews to start calling Lalonde “the season’s new revelation”.
Back in Sheboygan, Andrea Matter edged out Cat 1 newcomer and current number one ranked Cat 1 Mountain XC female in the nation, Meghan Korol in the final race of the season. Matter and Korol end the season tied for the fifth place podium spot in the women’s field, and will receive identical prize packages. Lisa Krayer retained fourth place overall despite her mechanical at Sheboygan, and Lori Sable surged into second place ahead of Holly Liske (Hayes Disc Brakes).
Mike Phillips made the biggest jump in the men’s rankings to claim the third step, beneath Mark Lalonde. Darrin Braun and Nathan Guerra completed the top five men for the 2009 season.
