Rider Chat with Alex Grant

Monavie-Cannondale.com rider Alex Grant has been a top-flight rider on the U.S. cross country circuit. For years he has shown flashes of brilliance in the cross country arena. In 2009, Grant made the transition to ultra-endurance racing and enjoyed a sesaon most could only dream of. He finished tenth at the Mohican 100, fourth at the Leadville 100, behind Lance Armstrong, and polished it off with a courageous second place finish at La Ruta De Los Conquistadors.

We wanted to learn more about Grant's tremendous ride in the Costa Rican jungle and his plans for the future.

Alex Grant descends during La Ruta

MTBracenews.com- Give a short introduction of yourself including some background on your racing career.

Alex Grant- I live in Utah but am originally a Vermonter- I grew up in Richmond, a
small town up north near Burlington. I used to play a lot of pond
hockey, street hockey, ski and snowboard.

I started mountain biking when I was 15 just as a way to explore
Vermont's extensive network of snow machine trails. I did some racing at
Catamount Family Center which hosts the largest and longest running
weekly mountain bike race series in the country. I raced pretty much
every summer until I was 19 when I took a break to do some traveling and
snowboard a lot. I had moved out to Salt Lake City the year before
(1998) to attend the University of Utah and got hooked on the
snowboarding right away.

After college and a few years snow bumming I got back into racing and
have been doing more and more since about 2005. I also work in the bike
industry as a sales rep and it's nice to be able to mix work with what I
love to do.

MTBracenews.com- What were your expectations heading into this year’s La Ruta. Were
you expecting a podium finish with this being your first La Ruta?

Alex Grant- The only expectations coming in to La Ruta this year were of the
difficulty of the race! I was anticipating a brutal event that would
come down to attrition and suffering. I had heard about the mud, climbs,
railroad tracks etc. I was expecting an adventure and thought that if I
could put together a decent race I would be able to get a top 10. Top 5
was a best case type of scenario- but wasn't an expectation, just an
outside shot...

I certainly wasn't expecting 2nd!

Just one of the treacherous aspects of La Ruta

MTBracenews.com- What was the hardest part of La Ruta?

Alex Grant- Plenty to choose from here... I would have to say the attrition. Getting
up at 3:30 a.m. and doing a 6 hour race is hard but manageable for a one
day event. The fact that you need to get up at 4:00 a.m. for the next
three days to do another 4-5 hours a day is so tough! You are definitely
making some withdrawals from the sleep bank. And its not like you are
just out there cruising at an endurance pace- you need to be on it and
focused the whole time. Ready to suffer. It takes a mental toll.

MTBracenews.com- You raced with a hydration pack and multiple water bottles while some
of your teammates just raced with very few bottles and no pack. Why?

Alex Grant- Just personal preference I guess. Some people hate them, I don't mind
wearing them. For this race I chose the hydration pack for a few reasons.

First, I tend to need to drink a lot in hot/humid conditions. After
doing BC Bike Race I learned that during a multi day race you can't let
yourself get too dehydrated (even though I still did on Day 1). I put
Carbo Rocket in my bladder too. Some people don't need to drink as much;
the more I race with Tinker the more I become convinced he is a camel!

Also with a completely unknown course and spotty info on the feedzones,
I didn't want to chance it. Even on Day 1 I ran out- we just misjudged
the distance from the last feed zone to the finish.

It's really not that much heavier. I have this Black Diamond pack that's
made out of parachute material and a 50 oz bladder. I like to be able to
bring 2 tubes, a mini pump, spare suspension link bolts, a derailleur
hanger, etc. on me for these kind of things. I mean I flew all the way
to Costa Rica, I want to be able double flat, have a CO2 malfunction,
bend a hanger in the middle of the jungle and still ride to the finish.
The pack takes some pressure off the jersey pockets.

It's nice to be able to drink on the downhill too, and you should have
seen the mud/cow manure on my water bottle at times- undrinkable.

Cows on course making a hydration pack a good idea

MTBracenews.com- How much hiking did you do the first stage and how did that affect you?

Alex Grant- Wow... it's hard to say but the whole Carara National Park section was
probably two or three hours. That involved a lot of hiking interspersed
with a little riding, cleaning your bike in streams and trying to get
out of knee deep quicksand!

I could have been better prepared for the hiking for sure. My back got
tired from carrying my mud laden bike up and downhills and I know my
legs got torched from it. I was very sore, especially two days later.
Next year I am going to mix some hiking into my preparation for sure.

MTBracenews.com- How much of a factor was team racing during the event? With you
having Sonntag and Bishop and Prado riding with Ben Bostrom how did that
impact the race outcome?

Alex Grant- The nature of the course at La Ruta doesn't really lend itself to team
riding because there is a very selective climb right at the start of
each stage (with the exception of Day 4). That tends to shatter the
group and on Day 1 and 2 even Ben Bostrom and Manny Prado were split up
from the first climb. Our team was spread out too but somehow over the
course of the race would come back together and then really be able to
take advantage of team work. It would be ideal to stay together over the
first hills and really take advantage of numbers. We did that on Day 4
and had Jeremiah off the front for the stage win until he flatted, then
Ben was in line for it and dropped a chain! Team work will be part of
the strategy next year for sure. It's nice to have some company out
there on these long races too. Good for the morale.

The pack starts one of the steep opening climbs

.MTBracenews.com- You finished on the podium at the Leadville 100, Park City Point to
Point, and La Ruta. Each race involved significant contributions from a
team of riders not just one individual. Where do you see the team-racing
phenomenon in endurance mountain bike events going from here?

Alex Grant- It's always nice to have teammates out there to race with. Though
mountain biking will never be as tactical as road racing, some of these
longer events do involve long sections where team riding comes into
play. We are fortunate enough to have a great team with the depth of
talent to ride as a team at these races. On any given day we have a
number of guys who can ride at the front. A lot of mountain bike racers
are just privateers and soloists but as endurance racing continues to
grow and gain sponsorship and exposure I think we will see some more
teams come forward to focus on these types of events.

MTBracenews.com- You did a wide array of races in 2009, everything from Canada to
Costa Rica. Which was your favorite and why?


Alex Grant- Wow, apples and oranges. BC Bike Race was like a guided tour of the best
singletrack you can imagine every day with beautiful weather and
civilized waking hours... more like a vacation. La Ruta- so hard and so
intense. But also so rewarding.

I am going to have to say my favorite was the Park City Point to Point
because it was 75 miles of singletrack in our own back yard.

MTBracenews.com- What are your plans and goals for 2010?

Alex Grant- I'd just like to continue to improve in 2010. I am happy if I can
improve a little bit each year consistently. This year I made my biggest
jump so I just hope to be able to step it up a few more percent for 2010.

As for plans- this season just ended and I haven't thought too hard
about that yet but will soon- there are so many great events out there
to do.

MTBracenews.com- Name one race you have never done but would like to one day.

Alex Grant- Trans Andes. Probably not this year but I would love to do it at some point.

MTBracenews.com- Tell us something interesting about yourself that most people don’t know (Example: I love NASCAR. I can’t help it. I was raised that way.)

Alex Grant- I grew up in a log cabin on a dirt road heated only by a wood burning
stove and our antenna only picked up two TV channels.


Type rest of the post here

Part II of Rider Chat with 24-Hour Solo National Champion Eszter Horanyi

Photos by Mark Woolcott www.markwoolcottphotography.com

Part II of my interview with Eszter touched on her 2009 season. After road racing in college for CU Boulder and being kept off the list of selected riders for collegiate road Nationals, Eszter quickly found a home on the mountain bike team. She turned professional only in 2007 and has quickly gained attention in endurance races on some of the hardest courses in the country.



Amy Thomas- You had a great list of endurance wins this season-Gunnison Growler, Laramie Enduro, Breck 100, the only female finisher in the Vapor trail, and Crested Butte Classic. How did you recover quickly between these events leading up to Moab?

Eszter Horanyi- They shortened Vapor Trail due to rain, snow, and cold temps. It was only 13 hours and 115 miles instead of 16+ hours and 125 miles, so maybe that helped. That was a month out. But in all honesty, after Vapor Trail I had said I wasn’t going to race Moab. I’d poured my heart and soul into getting ready for Vapor, was digging the ‘underground’ race scene and wasn’t sure I wanted to finish the season off at a big deal race like Moab. I was behind in life and didn’t know if I had the time to organize another logistical nightmare like Moab without getting kicked out of grad school.

Two weeks later, I agreed to do the Crested Butte Classic and ride it with then boyfriend Chris, because it gave us an excuse to head down to Crested Butte for the weekend. I was still completely over Moab at the time. We rode it single speed pace and not leaving Chris behind on the flat sections netted me a marriage proposal the following day. Totally worth it.

Registering for Moab ended up being the result of procrastination. Before I could send out my ‘I’m sorry, I’m not racing’ email to my volunteer crew, they’d planned transportation, food, music, etc. So I registered and mentally prepared for one more really hard effort. I was much more worried about mentally pooping out than physically pooping out.

Amy Thomas- You raced mostly endurance mountain bike races, races typically over 50miles. What’s the appeal with the longer vs. 2 hour races?

Eszter Horanyi- For cross country races, the training consists of going out, riding really hard for two or three hours, and then you go home. I really like going out on my mountain bike for 6 or 7 hours and just exploring the mountains around Boulder.

The race scene is also a lot more laid-back than the typical XC race, which I really enjoy, and generally the driving to riding ratio is significantly lower for a 100 mile race compared to a 20 mile one.



Amy Thomas- How did growing up in Boulder influence or motivate you to ride? How did you get into mountain bike racing?

Eszter Horanyi- ? Boulder is a community that sucks you into some sport. When I was younger, my parents made my brothers and I get involved in some sport, mostly to keep us out of trouble. When I was about 12 years old, they signed me up for Y-Riders, which is a mountain bike program through the Boulder YMCA (www.ymcabv.org). They take you out and teach you how to mountain bike during the summer. Then there was a really cute boy in camp. His bike had suspension (early 1990’s, this was big) and I was immediately in love. As horrible as it sounds, I got really into riding to impress said boy. After that summer, I was still swimming and was in the pool 5 hours a day and 6 days a week and pretty much stopped riding during high school.

I got back into bikes via the idea of doing a triathlon. I ended up quitting swimming and viewing running as good osteoporosis prevention, only to be done in winter months.



I started racing for CU Boulder on the road team in 2003. I got left off their National Team because I had the least amount of experience of all the girls, which just fueled the fire to train more. That fall, the mountain bike team needed another girl to take to collegiate nationals in Angel Fire, NM and I was immediately hooked. I loved the fact that if I was going to fall off my bike, it was going to be my own fault.

Amy Thomas- Racing as a professional mountain biker these days doesn’t necessarily mean you are making a living from racing. Do you think having to also work impedes or balances you as a rider?

Eszter Horanyi-? I have tried for two summers to “make it” as a pro, first as a road racer and then as a mountain bike racer. I got so ungodly bored just training. The first time around, I put on 15 pounds in 3 months while ‘training’. I do much better with my time when I have a schedule, when I have a specific window to ride and stuff to do with the rest of my day. I think it helps to have other things going on. I don’t make any living off of riding, but I don’t want to. I’m trying to keep racing as inexpensive and fun as I can.



Amy Thomas- A lot of women are mountain biking these days and maybe want to get into racing. Do you have any suggestions for beginner racers?

Eszter Horanyi- ? In Colorado, the Winter Park series (www.epicsingletrack.com) is great for beginners. Start with small, local races. Make a circle of friends from racing and riding. Half the fun is seeing your friends at races. Make racing a fun social event. Don’t take racing so seriously that it’s not fun.

Amy Thomas- What’s your off-season look like and what is on the horizon for 2010?

Eszter Horanyi- The hope is to do a lot of backcountry skiing on the weekends and bike riding on weekdays. I’d like to learn how to skate ski, too. For 2010, I’d like to do 24 hours of Big Bear in West Virginia in June as my major first-half of the summer race. I’m intrigued by the Colorado Trail Race for the second half. I’d love to pull the funds together to do the Breckenridge Epic, and maybe Moab again. Definitely the Gunnison Growler and the full Vapor Trail 125. There's so much to do and so little time.



Amy Thomas- Lastly, anyone you’d like to thank this season?

Eszter Horanyi-? Everyone who rode bikes, drank beer, or otherwise came out to play this past summer!

More specifically:
Walt of the infamous Waltworks Custom Bicycles, the best bikes in the world. It’ll take a lot to get me to ride anything else.
Brian from Fuentes Design. He sold me his two year old brakes for cheap after his/our mechanic threatened to stop working on his bike unless he got rid of them.
Chris - fiancé extraordinaire, who is a constant inspiration to ride downhill faster.
Mike – training buddy, inspiration to race Moab, head of my support crew, and constant nag to put a big ring on my cross bike.
Shep – Bike magician, I mean mechanic, who must have sold his soul to get my bike running flawlessly for 24 straight hours. I don’t think that’s ever happened in the history of my owning bikes.

And of course, my parents, who never told me that I should stop racing bikes and move on with my life, even though I got a good number of head shakes and sighs.

Once again we would like to thank Amy Thomas and the Yeti Beti team for their on going contributions to MTBracenews.com and the entire mountain bike community. Click here to visit the Yeti Beti site and learn more about the team.

Rider Chat with 24-Hour Solo National Champion Eszter Horanyi

Twenty-seven year old Eszter Horanyi was a last minute registrant for the 24 hours of Moab, this year’s US 24 hour National Championship. When the dust settled early Sunday afternoon, the Waltworks/Fuentesdesign rider stood victorious atop the podium. The pre-race favorite Pua Sawicki had succumbed to the bad luck of endurance racing and left the door wide open for a new rider to be crowned. Moab would serve as the pinnacle of Eszter’s 2009 season, even if it had been a last minute decision to race.

Eszter sports her new National Champion jersey (photo by: Chris Miller)

Yeti Beti team director Amy Thomas spoke with the new U.S. National Champion, the week after her win, to talk about Moab and the race that proved she’s one of the best female endurance racers in the country.

Amy Thomas- It’s been a little over a week since Moab. Did you have any idea 8 days ago that you would be the 2009 US 24-hour National Champion?

Eszter Horanyi- I knew that I had a chance but that I would have to have the ride of my life and a good bit of luck on my side. The beauty of endurance races is that anything can happen, and it will happen. I knew that I was sitting on good fitness and riding well, but having never having done a 24-hour solo before or a 24 hour race period, I didn’t really know what to expect. I had no clue how my body was going to react to more than 13 hours of racing or how my head was going to react to doing laps on the same course over and over and over. I thought that a win could be possible, but I didn’t believe it completely.

A month out, I’d nixed the idea of racing Moab. It had been a long season and I was ready to kick back and drink some beer. But I’m the type of person who can be talked into anything, so I signed up for the experience if nothing else.

Eszter Horanyi (photo by: Chris Miller)

Amy Thomas- Compared to other courses, how did Moab suit your ability, both from the technical aspect and the power sections?

Eszter Horanyi- I really, really liked the technical aspects of the course but at times it really made me really wish I had a full suspension bike. Mentally, it was really nice that it was split up between the first half being super technical and the last ½ being fairly flat and pedally. Generally, the flat sections are where I lose a lot of time but I was loving them as the race went on. I generally prefer just straight up and straight down courses but you could get on some good dude trains and draft, especially earlier in the race when I still had some energy.

AT- If you broke up the race into thirds, 1st 8 hours, 2nd 8 hours, and the last 8 hours, which 8 hour segment was the hardest for you?

EH- That’s actually how I broke it up in my head because I knew I had to get a meal in every 8 hours. I couldn’t wrap my head around riding for a full 24 hours, so this was my way of mentally dealing with the race. The first 8 hours were pretty rough and that first lap was just chaos. I was riding way too hard, far beyond what was sustainable. I knew that but I didn’t really pay attention to it, I got way to caught up riding with Jari Kirkland and Sarah Kaufmann. Jari crashed on the 2nd lap and cut her knee open but I didn’t find out about it until after I was done and was asking my crew how far behind me she was. She was in the back of my head the whole race, wondering how far back she was.

The first eight hours were hot. It’s been cold and rainy in Colorado, so it ended up damage control for a couple of laps with severe digestive issues, wanting to poop and vomit all at the same time. I kept telling myself ‘You have 20 more hours of this and so do not blow up yourself up like you did at the Firecracker 50’. I kept reminding myself, “Remember Firecracker, remember Firecracker. Remember what it feels like to crack. Remember how horrible that felt”.

Horanyi enjoyed the night laps but not her hardtail on the Moab course (photo by: Mike Cubison)

My first night lap was my favorite lap of the whole race. I was borrowing a set of lights from a friend and I ended up being about to ride a lot of the technical sections when other people were walking. They would cheer every time I cleared something and I fed off of that energy. That pushed me. The second night lap was the same. The third night lap around midnight was heinous. Some switch went off in my head and I keep thinking this is stupid, you have 8 more hours of darkness and then 6 hours with Sarah still only minutes behind me and Pua 40 minutes ahead, why did you sign up for this again? I couldn’t mentally deal with it. Then the gap to Pua started to come down and the gap to Sarah started to go up and I rallied. Goes to show how mental 24-hour racing really is.

After Pua dropped out, the adrenaline kicked in. My crew gave me the sage advice of ‘Don’t panic and just keep pedaling’. They just kept encouraging me to keep moving as the gaps were opening up.

Sarah and I called a truce after 13 laps. When my crew told me I was done, I couldn’t believe them. I’d spent my last lap mentally preparing for two more laps and feeling miserable about the prospect, so to be able to be done was the best feeling in the world.

AT- Describe how it felt to stand on the top podium in Moab?

EH- It was really cool. I wish I could take all the emotion, bottle it up, and save it for later. I always say it’s just bike racing- we’re not saving puppies from burning buildings - and I try not to take it too seriously, but to have something like this come together was beyond my wildest dreams. I had a 9 person crew taking care of me and cheering for me, the entire Colorado community cheering for me, all the people I had met racing over the summer, the CU Cycling community (who I had completely let down because I wasn’t racing Collegiate Nationals because I’d opted for Moab instead), and my parents behind me. I knew my mom was probably up all night hitting refresh on the live updates. Everyone believed in me much more than I believed in myself so it was neat to prove them right. I didn’t want to crack and then face everyone, which was my biggest fear during the night. Winning and standing on the podium was like a big community happy event for me.

Check back next week for part two of Amy's interview with the 2009 U.S. 24-Hour National Champion Eszter Horanyi.
We would like to thank Amy Thomas and the Yeti Beti team for their on going contributions to MTBracenews.com and the entire mountain bike community. Click here to visit the Yeti Beti site and learn more about the team.

Eszter brings home the Walt Works Dream Team flag (photo by: Mike Cubison)

Horanyi downs her recovery drink after 24 hours of riding (photo by: Mike Cubison)

Rider Chat with Jenna Rinehart

For years Jenna (Zander) Rinehart has been one of the top-20 female cross country racers in the nation. She is in the midst of her greatest season. After finishing in the top-10 at this year's Sea Otter Classic cross country and short track, Jenna has returned to her home of Mankato, Minnesota, to win just about every race she's entered. She has multiple wins in the Wisconsin Off-Road Series and recently took home first place in the Ore to Shore point to point race putting her in line to be the first woman to win the Triple Crown of point to point races.


In a very candid interview, Jenna shares her thoughts about mountain bike racing and why, despite being one of the best female racers in the US, she chose to forgo the US Cup in 2009. And if that little voice in the back of your mind ever told you you were soft for riding your indoor trainer when the temperature dips below 50 degrees, wait until you read this!

MTBracenews: Where the heck is Mankato, MN?

Jenna Rinehart: Mankato is a town of 50,000 people 70 miles southwest of Minneapolis/St. Paul nestled in the Minnesota river valley. For the last few years it has been a stop for the Nature Valley Grand Prix road stage race.

MTBracenews: How did you get started mountain bike racing?

JR: In high school I downhill ski raced and ran cross country and track. I started getting injuries with running and was looking for another way to stay in shape. Our local ski hill had mountain bike trails in the summer so I decided to give it a try. I was immediately hooked and started to get more serious about racing bikes in college.

MTBracenews: What mountain biking accomplishment are you most proud of?

JR: One accomplishment that stands out and I will never forget is winning the U-23 National Championship in 2006. That victory not only gave me that title but also provided me with the awesome opportunity to race for the US National Team. As a member of the US National team I was able to race the World Championships that year in New Zealand at which I placed 12th. I also was able to race the Pan American Championships in Brazil where I placed 2nd.


MTBracenews: What are your future goals/plans with mountain bike racing?

JR: My main goal is to have Fun and enjoy riding my bike. I would love to race more world cups and have a chance to represent the US as an elite racer at Worlds sometime. Right now with the sponsorship situation being what it is and the lack of funding available I am racing more regional events in which there actually is prize money.

MTBracenews: In the past you have traveled the National circuit, however recently you have changed your focus to more regional races. Why?

JR: I finished off the 2008 season feeling very frustrated and needing a change with National level racing. I spent 4 years going to every National race. Every year I would have better results but it didn’t seem to matter as sponsorship got worse and worse. It just didn’t make sense and became so unaffordable to travel to these far off places (the closest race was a 14 hours drive). The amount of money spent traveling to these remote places just didn’t give enough of a return to make it as fun anymore.

The organization of the National level races has turned into a joke. Our local series being the MNSCS and WORS have 10 times better organization in setting up there series and actually carrying out an event. It became more and more clear to me that if you weren’t on one of the BIG teams that none of your concerns mattered. I attended many Managers meetings to see that all was being dictated by a select few. I find it odd that the Organizers of the national level races always catered to the big teams and never considered the recreational racers needs or concerns. They would rather put an event in the middle of nowhere at 12,000 feet then consider hosting an event near a population base where most people actually live. Enough ranting!

I would love to return to the national level events when they become worthwhile to attend. Until then I will race the truly great events!

Rinehart on her way to another win on the WORS circuit

MTBracenews: How does mountain bike racing in the Midwest compare to other regions you have raced?

JR: Despite not having true Mountains I would say that the Midwest has some of the best mountain bike racing available in the US. As I mentioned above the organization of our series here in Minnesota and WORS next door in Wisconsin is outstanding. The results are posted online before you get back home (within hours of finishing the race) The format for each event is identical. (Races always start at the same time) ( Entry fees are the same all year long) etc. The courses range from flat speed oriented events to steep climbs and descents. We have some of the most fun tight single track that I have ever ridden.

The WORS series is the largest attended Mountain Bike Series in the US. They cater to the people who truly keep this sport alive. They are the family’s who bring their tents and kids and make a weekend out of the race. It is so amazing what a following the series has and how it continues to grow. I would love to see the national level races take a step back and witness how Don Edberg runs the WORS series. I think they would be shocked at how successful they too could be.

MTBracenews: Now that you won the Ore to Shore race in Michigan, are you planning to contend for the Triple Crown?

JR: Maybe. I’ll take one weekend at a time. Next up is Chequmegon on the “Triple Crown Series” I won it a couple years ago, but there is always stiff competition and a lot can go wrong when you mass start with 1500 people. I don’t want to make any commitments until after Chequemegon is over.

MTBracenews: What is an interesting fact about you that most people don’t know?

JR: Despite living in the cold of Minnesota I hardly ever touch my trainer. We ride outside down to -5 degrees F with ski goggles, toe warmers, and many layers of clothes. We will even ride on the frozen lakes and rivers. Riding on snow can be fun and exciting as the conditions are always changing.

MTBracenews: You recently changed sponsors to Specialized. Tell us about your new ride?

JR: Yes, I am riding the Specialized Era. It is the women’s version of the Epic. I absolutely love the Brain with the inertia valve in it for the rear suspension. It is so comfortable to ride and has definitely improved my technical and downhill riding ability. I am able to go faster without losing control.

MTBracenews: Full suspension or hardtail? Why?

JR: Full Suspension! With the Era I really have the best of both worlds. The brain keeps the back end locked out until the rear wheel hits a large enough trail event ( Being a log, rock, hole etc.) in which it that opens up and allows the rear suspension to be fully active. As soon as the trail smoothes out again the rear end is locked out. This allows me to not have to decide whether to lock out the rear end or not. It is all done automatically and instantly. So this bike climbs and sprints like a hardtail and descends and rides technical terrain like a trail bike. Until I rode the Era I was a hardtail fan all the way, however, this bike has converted me.

MTBracenews: What is your favorite mountain bike race of all time?

JR: My favorite race that I look forward to every year is the Laddies Loppet stage race at Maplelag XC ski resort in Callaway, MN. This race is part of the MN state series and usually held every Labor day weekend. It was also host to a UCI race in 2007. Jay Richards and his family put on such a well organized event with 3 stages (TT, short track, and XC) and great prize money. Most racers stay at small cabins at the resort. We eat family style meals and swim in the lake after the race. It’s so much fun, and a great way to get to know other racers.

MTBracenews: Name a race you haven’t done but want to?

JR: I would love to be able to do a European world cup race some day. Just seeing the pictures and videos and hearing the stories of the crazy fans seems like so much fun. To race against so many strong women would be awesome!

Rider Chat with Amanda Carey

This week MTBracenews sits down with Kenda/Tomac rider Amanda Carey. The Victor, Idaho resident is one of those rare racers who can excel in the high-octane world of cross country racing and has the diesel to podium at ultra-endurance events. Carey can finish in the top-10 on the US Cup circuit and battle for the win at races like Leadville and the Breckenridge 100- she has finished second at both.

We talked a little about what makes her so dangerous on the dirt and why you shouldn't assume she likes Dick Cheney because she lives right over the border from Wyoming.

MTBracenews- You have been an ultra-endurance racer for many years but have recently made a switch to the shorter Olympic distance XC (OXC) events. Why the change in focus?

Amanda Carey- For the challenge. XC is clearly my weakness. Although it’s fun for me to do the events that come easy to me, it is a lot harder, more challenging and therefore more rewarding to do the things that I am not as good at. Also, I got a late start in the sport and I’m not getting any younger. If I ever wanted to start racing XC, now was the time.

MTBracenews- How does your prerace warm-up differ for OXC vs. Ultra-Endurance events?

Amanda Carey- My ultra-endurance warm-up is a lot like my warm-up for XC. It is still intense, but slightly shorter. Typically, I do a significant taper for ultra-endurance events, so I warm-up hard the morning of and do some openers the day before to make sure my legs are open and ready to go.

MTBracenews- How does your pacing differ for OXC vs. Ultra-Endurance?

Amanda Carey- Believe it or not, my approach to XC and ultra-endurance events is quite similar. I have never used a pacing strategy for Ultras. I just go as hard as I can for as long as I can in the context of what my body is allowing me to do at that moment. It’s just how my body/mind works. I never look at my HR or my computer in Ultras to gauge my effort. If I have the time to look at a computer to tell me if I am working hard enough I figure I am probably slacking.

My mantra in my head during long events is the same as it is in a XC: “Are you going as hard as you can right now?” So, it’s not so much that I pace in Ultras, it’s more that my “as hard as I can” pace fluctuates over a 2-12 hour period. I don’t think very much about the future or the past in long races. If it’s hour 2 and I start thinking about how I may feel at hour 10, it negatively affects my concentration. It’s funny, people always ask me “What do you think about during these long events?” and my answer is “what do you mean what do I think about? I think about racing my bike. There isn’t time to think about anything else!” That’s why UE is so appealing to me. Is so much more of a mental battle to stay mentally disciplined and focused on staying on the gas for 10 hours as opposed to 2.

MTBracenews- Not many racers can excel at both OXC and UE. How do you adjust your training to be successful at both disciplines?

Amanda Carey- With a lot of help from my coach, Eric Orton. His job is the hard one and he’s really good at preparing me for any type of event I want to do. Because I live in a cold climate, focusing on XC early in the season and UE later actually works out perfectly. I have to train indoors in the winter anyway, so training for XC keeps my indoor workouts short and sweet. As the weather gets warmer in the spring and I can begin to ride outdoors, I slowly up my mileage and back off the XC oriented speed training and gear my training more towards long distance events.

MTBracenews- You have had success racing at high-altitude races like Leadville and Breckenridge 100. How do you prepare your body for a high-altitude event like that?

Amanda Carey- I really don’t do anything special. My house in Victor, ID is a 6,500 feet and I try to get up mountain passes as much as I can the closer I get to a high altitude event, but that’s about it.

MTBracenews- What are your goals for this season?

Amanda Carey- My main goal is to win the Leadville 100 and to take a bunch of time off of my 2007 time. I also want to continue to improve my XC racing. Racing XC has made me a much better endurance racer.

MTBracenews- The Kenda team is riding Tomacs this season. What is your favorite thing about your bike?

Amanda Carey- How long is the interview? Seriously, my Tomac Type-X has the nicest ride-feel of any hardtail I have even ridden. It smooths out anything you throw at it but at the same time doesn’t waste any of the power you put to the pedals. You just can’t seem to ride it fast enough, downhill or uphill. Plus, Joel Smith (the owner of Tomac) is one of the kindest, most passionate people you’ll ever meet. His attention to detail and high standards are unbelievable. You can feel that when you ride his bikes. All of my teammates are stoked on their Tomacs.

Carey strikes a pose she is quickly becoming accustomed to

MTBracenews- Coming from such a cold climate near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, how do you stay fit and ready to race early in the season?

Amanda Carey- As much as I don’t like to admit it, I ride the trainer a lot. Maybe it’s because it’s a necessary evil, but I actually kind of enjoy it. Eric is great about keeping my workouts very short and effective in the winter so I don’t have to be on the hamster wheel for very long. I also Nordic ski a lot and telemark ski. My husband and I moved here for the skiing. Long days touring and skiing backcountry powder is great for my base fitness and it’s just so good for the soul. We live on Teton Pass, so it’s right out my backdoor.

MTBracenews- Tell us something funny/interesting about yourself that most people might not know.

Amanda Carey- I am a political junkie, a dyed-in-the-wool liberal Massachusetts democrat and love to get into heated political debates. It’s really hard to tear me down from my soap-box when I get going. I sobbed when Obama was elected. I have actually had terrifying nightmares about Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin joining forces and taking over the world.

MTBracenews- Name one race you have never done but would really like to.

Amanda Carey- Downieville.

MTBracenews- What is your favorite racecourse and why?

Amanda Carey- Iceman Cometh. Not so much for the racecourse itself, but for the atmosphere. Coming into the finishing chute of that race is like pedaling through a sold-out Rolling Stones concert-absolute mayhem. The Cascade Creampuff is a very close second.

MTBracenews- You have had a very successful start to the 2009 season. To what do you attribute your early success? Have you made any changes over the offseason that have contributed to your strong early season form?

Amanda Carey- I give a ton of credit to my coach, Eric. He is very flexible, listens well and is always ready and willing to come up with new ways to attack my weaknesses. Also, I raced cyclocross for the first time last fall, so I came into the winter with more intensity in my legs than in years past when I simply took the fall off from training and just rode for fun.

The biggest change was that I quit my job as the development director of a cycling/pedestrian advocacy nonprofit and started an online graduate program in Sports Psychology. Even though I seem to be just as busy time-wise, my schedule is a lot more flexible, enabling me to train mid-day and structure my studying around my training. Last winter was insane-I’d get home at 7pm, ride the trainer, eat dinner at 10pm, get up at 5am to ski the pass or go to the gym before work, commute to Jackson, work, and repeat. This winter, I got a lot more sleep and got to spend a lot more time with my husband. The bags under my eyes are a lot smaller now that I average more than 6hrs. of sleep a night

Rider Chat with Mark Lalonde

Lalonde leading the way in the Wisconsin Off-Road Series 

(photo by John Wrycza)

Mountain bikers outside the Midwest may not be familiar with the name Mark LaLonde. The Wisconsin Pro doesn't get many opportunities to race outside his home state. But when you're winning races in the largest cross country mountain bike series in the country-the Wisconsin Off-Road Series (WORS)- why would you leave?

I know what you're thinking, "I'm faster than any beer-swilling, cheese curd- eating, dairy farmer from Wisconsin. Why should I care about him?" Think about this, when is the last time you won a cross country race with over 50 Pro riders? For Mark Lalonde, it was May 17th. The location: Iola, Wisconsin. He's finished in the top-20 on the National circuit and in 2008, Lalonde just missed a spot on the U.S. National Cyclocross team which went to another Midwest marauder Brian Matter.

His look is a bit unorthodox, with his many tatoos and penchant for heavy metal music, but that is nothing in comparison to his race bike. The self-described "GT Freak Bike" Lalonde has put together weighs in at an astonishing 17.2lbs and as he proved in Iola, it's fast! Read our interview to learn more about this up-and-comer from the land of milk and Miller Light.

MTBracenews.com- Is it Mark or Marko?

Mark Lalonde- Mark, but most people know me as Marko.

MTBracenews.com- You and your brother Jesse have been very successful in the ultra-competitive WORS series but have done fairly little mountain bike racing on the National circuit. Why?

Mark Lalonde- Last year was the first year we had any travel support. We went east to do the Windham Mt and Mt Snow races with mixed results. The courses were definitely tougher to ride fully rigid than the WI races. It’s tough to mix racing a nat’l schedule and working 40 or more hours a week. Then you throw in a fairly national-oriented cyclocross season, it’s really just a juggling act. Wisconsin has a pretty solid mtb scene, so I can make racing a one day affair, keep my job, and I get to spend some quality time with my fiancée Meghan. Now if I was getting paid a salary to race, that would be a whole different story. That’s not to say that it can’t be done working a full time job. I know there are guys out there doing it.

MTBracenews.com- Why is it so many talented Wisconsin racers seem to limit their racing to the Wisconsin Off-Road Series?

Mark Lalonde- I think most are in a similar situation. WI has a pretty deep group of racers that are pro, but work full-time jobs. There’s maybe 5 or 6 guys that have done some national races finishing anywhere from top 10 to the 30s. There’s some serious bragging rights if you can win the WORS overall. It’s really cool that we can have this rivalry and competition at these local races. Most people don’t really think of the Midwest as an mtb hotbed, but I’d say we can hold our own. Also, the proximity of any national races poses an issue for us cheese heads. I think the closest ProXC event is CO for nationals.

MTBracenews.com- What makes the Wisconsin Off-Road Series so popular?

Mark Lalonde- A lot of it has to do with the way the events are run. Don Edberg has got the system dialed in. Everything runs super smoothly. Races take off on time; results are up within an hour of the finish. It’s really a fun and inviting atmosphere. Word of mouth goes a long way and year after year there’s a new crop of riders itchin to get into the WORS traveling dirt circus.

MTBracenews.com- Tell us about your race bike for 2009.

The GT Freak Bike or "96er"

Mark Lalonde- I switched sponsors this year. I recently started working for Planet Bike (a bike accessory manufacturer) and it only made sense to ride for them as well. I really couldn’t ask for much more support from them. GT Bicycles signed on as our bike sponsor for the mtb team and I matched that up with a line of other personal sponsors: Twin Six clothing, Oakley, Crank Brothers, and Surly (cogs). I’ve also got some additional support from Edge Composites. GT set me up with two of there carbon Zaskar Pro bikes. I’ve ridden a 29er since 2002 and really loved it, but I was willing to try something new. Being a serious tinkerer, I decided I’d swap out the wheelset for some 650b’s. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough clearance on the rear. The next test was to convert it to a 96er with a rigid fork. I swapped out the 100mm fork for a 445mm rigid fork w/ the 29 inch front wheel. The geometry is almost identical. I managed to get my hands on Trickstuff’s Excentriker, an eccentric bottom bracket for use in a standard bb shell to convert it to a single speed. Edge built me up some super light wheels, DT 240 hubs on the carbon Edge rims. I got a little weight-weenie on this build w/ Alligator rotors, Avid Juicy Ultimate SL brakes, XTR crankset, Crank Brothers quad ti egg beaters, FSA OS99 stem and Carbon Pro bars, Thomson Masterpiece post, Fizik Tundra saddle, ESI grips, Surly cog, KCNC skewers, Ritchey WCS bar ends. Tires vary on the course. Since I have no tire sponsor, I pick and choose what I like. Some of my favorites are the Kenda Small Block 8, Stan’s Crow, WTB Vulpine, Bontrager XDX, and the Schwalbe Racing Ralph.

My other bike is set up with Shimano XTR shifters and derailleurs and an FSA K-Force Light double crank, everything else is identical. Training wheels are Bontrager Race Xlite.

MTBracenews.com- You have a history of racing some nontraditional mountain bike set-ups. How has that evolved and how does it impact your racing.

Mark Lalonde- I’ve always raced a single speed. Last year and year prior I was involved in some product testing for Gary Fisher. They built some one off bikes for us. I just like to try out different things and eventually I’m going to find the perfect set up.

Lalonde uses the Exzentriker bottom bracket to turn this traditional bike into a singlespeed

MTBracenews.com- What is your proudest accomplishment on the mountain bike?

Mark Lalonde- Finishing 4th at the Fat Tire 40 on a single speed, with my brother Jesse taking the win. That race is the unofficial “Midwest World Championships”.

MTBracenews.com- What are you mountain bike goals for 2009? I’d like to do well in WORS and contend for the overall win.

Mark Lalonde- I’m getting married in July so there will likely be little, if any, national races on my schedule this summer. I’d also like to be in the mix in the Triple Crown races (Ore to Shore, Chequamegon, and Iceman). If I could take home a win in one of those I’d be ecstatic. Then I will likely race a pretty decent cx season with some traveling.

MTBracenews.com- Your blog is called “Kill the Darkness” what is that all about?

Mark Lalonde- Somewhere along the line I picked up another nickname, the Darkness. I think it had something to do with Charlie Murphy. It’s really just joke, just egging people on to put the hammer down on me. I’m always one for some good friendly competition.

MTBracenews.com- Tell us something about yourself that most people may not know about you.

Mark Lalonde- My favorite genre of music is metal. Love it. But I’ve got a sweetspot for bluegrass as well. I’m quite fond of the banjo, so much so that I went out and bought one to try to teach myself. I haven’t gotten very far but I swear I’m gonna get serious about it any day now.

MTBracenews.com- What is it like racing against your dicing it out at the front with your brother every weekend? Is 2009 your year to dominate?

Mark Lalonde- It’s always fun to be out there racing with the family. Our younger brother James is on the way up too, so hopefully we can have a serious bro-down in the near future. It seems that we have very similar racing styles and this makes it really tough for either of us to get a gap. It’s always nice to be able to bust out the tactics when we need to.
I think it’s far too early for me to be making any claims of domination for this year. I’m pleased with the way things have been going so far, but it’s a long season. As long as I can keep going the way I have been, I think I should be in contention.

Check back with MTBracenews.com for all the action from Wisconsin Off-Road race #2 this Sunday in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

Rider Chat with National Ultra Endurance Champion Jeff Schalk

Trek Co-Op rider Jeff Schalk (Photo by Steven Hoover)

This week Ultra-Endurance phenom Jeff Schalk takes some time to speak with MTBracenews.com. Read his interview as the defending National Ultra Endurance series champion shares his thoughts about racing, his near death accident with a trolley, and the secrets behind being one of the country's top endurance mountain bike racers. On the trail Schalk routinely hands it to bigger name riders like Bishop, Landis, and Eatough today he's taking a second to hand it to the MTBracenews.com readers.

MTBracenews.com- You worked your way through the ranks as an Olympic distance XC racer. Now that you are a Pro you seem to have shifted your focus to Ultra-Endurance events. Why?

Jeff Schalk- I first pursued the races that were the most obvious for trying to “make it” as a Pro, namely the National XC races. But, I began to gravitate towards the Ultra Endurance world as I saw that I was better suited towards longer races. My first year as a Pro, my manager (Steven Hoover) had me compete in the Shenandoah 100 because it is a local favorite that serves as good exposure. I first thought that 100 miles sounded terribly painful, but went along with it and did really well, getting 3rd place. That seemed to catch the attention of my teammate Chris Eatough because he asked me to be his partner at the BC Bike Race the next year. His taking me on and acting as a mentor more or less made my career. I learned a ton from training/racing with him and saw that the exposure we got from winning BC that year was much more helpful for Trek and my career than anything else I could do. Later that year, I focused on the Shenandoah 100 again, knowing that I might be able to win. Floyd Landis had signed up, and there was a bunch of hype about his participation (he entered a few MTB races during his legal battles against alleged doping). I really went for it that day and won by a big margin, setting a new course record. I received so much attention for that win that I realized again, for both Trek’s exposure and my own career, I should focus on the NUE. The following year, I won four of the NUE races, locked up the series, and had found my niche. Trek has been behind me all along, but has dramatically stepped up the support as I have gained bigger and better exposure with my Ultra-Endurance successes.

MTBracenews.com- How does your training differ now as compared to your days as a Olympic distance XC racer?

Jeff Schalk- More hours and more time spent doing Tempo is important, and the need to do really short intervals is no longer very necessary. But, I honestly don’t train too much differently. Maybe this is an indication of always training my strengths and why I never quite broke out as an XC racer? I’ve always loved doing exhaustive all-day training sessions with tons of climbing.

MTBracenews.com- When you are competing at a 100 miler what are your nutritional goals during the race? How much and how often are you eating?

Jeff Schalk- Fluid and calorie intake is a crucial part of Ultra Endurance racing. You can’t really wait to listen to your body since it might be too late once you are thirsty or hungry, so you have to systematically ingest as much as you can absorb. I take one Powerbar Powergel every 30-40 minutes. I love those things – they taste like candy and I never get sick of them; I end up going through 10-15 for any given 100 mile race. But, I seem to have a more tolerant stomach than most since other racers seem to need to balance a between solid food, bars, and gels.

MTBracenews.com- What qualities do you look for in a race before committing to competing?

Jeff Schalk- I’ve always loved the sport aspect of racing, meaning that the competition is more thrilling to me than the course itself. You could set up a series of cones in a dirt parking lot and I’d be satisfied. I won’t deny that I love good trails and pretty scenery, but that is more important to keep motivated for training as compared to racing. As for wanting a race that plays to my favor, I’d prefer a race with a lot of climbing.

Jeff parting the waters at Kenda Cup East #1

MTBracenews.com- Name one race you have not done but would like to someday.

Jeff Schalk- I really can’t think of any because I feel so incredibly privileged to have received all the support I’ve already gotten and to have been able to do so many different great races. I’ll gladly take on any race in the future that might help gain exposure.

MTBracenews.com- Explain what happened to the Trek/VW team after last season. I think most people are still wondering how a team could fold following such an incredible year of racing.

Jeff Schalk- I feel a little bit under-qualified to answer since I wasn’t part of the negotiation process. However, my understanding is that the team was caught off guard by the timing of the economy’s downfall and the pullout of VW. A large amount of the team’s budget came from VW, and after yet another very successful year for the team, all were very confident that the Trek relationship with VW would continue. When that didn’t happen, it was very late in the game for the team to try and replace such a huge sponsor, especially since the economy had everyone playing conservative with their budgets. The formation of Trek World Racing took a lot of blame from some who thought that Trek was abandoning domestic racing. However, TWR had been in the works long before the end of last year and it was a coincidence that the two entities’ destiny appeared to correlate.

Jeff's Trek Top Fuel race bike (photo by Steven Hoover)

MTBracenews.com- Explain the Trek Racing Co-Op?

Jeff Schalk- Trek maintained its commitment to domestic racing by putting together a collaboration of riders from the previous team. Because the Trek/VW infrastructure (team cars, team trailer, etc) has disappeared, and this is somewhat of a rebuilding year, the team is more of a co-operative association since each athlete is in charge of their own schedule and agenda, yet draws from the same pool of resources. This is all coordinated by our leader at Trek, Michael Browne.

MTBracenews.com- How did you start riding mountain bikes and when did you decide to focus on succeeding as a professional racer?

Jeff Schalk- I had always wanted to be a professional athlete, but had written that dream off after college because I got married and went down the path of having a house and an office job (as a structural engineer). But, we divorced after only a few years and I decided to get into racing as an amateur, mostly as a way to “rediscover” myself while going through the break-up. I had success and was moving up the ranks, but it was still mostly for fun until I had a near death experience that pushed me over the edge towards wanting to try and compete full time. I was hit by a trolley car in San Francisco while on my bike and was incredibly lucky to not be run over and killed by the thing; on the way to the hospital I decided that life was too short to sit around and wonder if I could turn Pro. So, I had a year of transition where I raced more and worked less, then quit my job a year later. A position on the Trek/VW East team opened up at the same time that I turned Pro; manager Steven Hoover took me on and gave me the necessary backing that I needed so that I could focus on developing as a full time racer.

MTBracenews.com- Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know about you.

Jeff Schalk- My love for sport and my dream of being an athlete came from watching football. I was too scrawny (and scared) to ever play the game, but grew up watching the NFL and the 49ers. I was largely influenced by players like Roger Craig and Jerry Rice because the media constantly talked about how hard they worked, staying after practice and putting in more hours than anyone. The NFL today is filled with overpaid, disloyal idiots, but I still like the game itself and try to model my athletic career after my childhood heroes, the ones who achieved big things based upon an enormous amount of desire and work ethic.

MTBracenews.com- How do you train to maintain such a high intensity over 100 miles of racing?

Jeff Schalk- The 100 mile MTB format isn’t like a long road race where you can sit in and soft pedal, waiting for the decisive move to happen late in the day, so conventional training that involves going hard for shorter intervals isn’t adequate. You have to be willing to ride Tempo all day long; preparation for that is to do long training rides where you never let off.

MTBracenews.com- What are your goals for this season and in the future?

Jeff Schalk- My focus for this year is the NUE series and the BC Bike Race. As for the future, I like to take one season at a time.

MTBracenews.com- What racing accomplishment are you most proud of?

Jeff Schalk- I’m most proud of winning the Shenandoah 100 in 2007. Floyd Landis wasn’t in peak form, so beating him was a nice perk but not the highlight. The biggest accomplishment that day was that I finally came into my own as a racer. I believed that I could win and confidently set about doing so regardless of external factors.

Rider Chat with Sam Schultz

At the tender age of 23, Subaru/Gary Fisher rider Sam Schultz is already making a big impact in the mountain bike racing world. After many career best finishes last year, Schultz has come charging out of the blocks in '09. He has logged top-5 finishes in both Pro XC Tour races this season and posted a 16th at last weekend's World Cup in Offenburg, Germany. While in Germany, the impressive youngster took some time out of his busy schedule to talk with MTBracenews, giving us some insight into his phenomenal start to the season.

MTBracenews.com- How did it feel to be racing up front at a World Cup race?

Sam Schultz- It was awesome. I felt really good and I think it was the fastest that I’ve ever ridden. The guys I was racing with were riding the steepest climbs faster than I normally ride on the flats and somehow I was able to match their pace (at least for a little while). I was riding my Superfly 29er and it felt awesome out there. I was able to hold my momentum through the corners and up the climbs, saving some precious heartbeats. I was still a ways off from riding with the guys in the front, but at least now I can comprehend the speed I need to ride to be in the mix. I was less than 2 minutes off the podium at the finish. With some added confidence, experience, a better callup, and a whole lot of luck maybe I can be up there in the near future…

MTBracenews.com- Did you expect to have results this good so early in your career?

Sam Schultz- I wouldn’t say I have expected any certain results, but I know how much work I’ve put into training and race prep and I know what type of results I’m hoping for. I am always psyched to see improvement from year to year. Every season has its peaks and valleys but as long as I keep improving in the big picture things are good. It’s always an added bonus when you have one of those ‘break out’ rides. I’m certainly doing everything I can to work towards more of those.

MTBracenews.com- To what do you attribute your increased success this season?

Sam Schultz- I’m not exactly sure. I had a really good winter of training down in Tucson. I had a good crew to hang out with and things went pretty smooth all winter. My coach, Kristen Dieffenbach, has been great. She has been working with me for a while now, so we have been able to dial in the types of training that I respond really well to. This season I have been doing a little bit more short interval work. I’m not a big fan of doing them, but they seem pretty important, especially for power heavy world cup races. Every year I also learn a little bit more about training, racing, traveling-- and how to balance them all with being a 23 year old guy who likes to have fun. Needless to say, I still have a lot to learn. Luckily my teammates are great mentors. They have been career racers for quite a while and they have things pretty well figured out.

MTBracenews.com- You rode on the US National Team for several years. How much did they help in getting you to where you are today?

Sam Schultz- The U23 National Team program was a huge help. There is absolutely no way that I would be as experienced of a racer as I am now without USA Cycling’s support. During the transition between being a junior and a pro racer it would have been hard to find a team at all—let alone one that was fully supported and willing to give me the opportunity to race internationally. USA Cycling put a lot of resources into getting me to a bunch of international races that I got crushed in, but I learned a lot. They also took me to the domestic ones where it is easier for a developing rider to get noticed. Eventually I landed a spot on the Subaru Gary Fisher squad, which has been great about giving me the opportunity to keep chipping my way (slowly) up the international ranks. Now I am on one of the best supported teams out there with great equipment, staff, and teammates. I’m not sure how I got so lucky.

MTBracenews.com- What are your strengths as a racer?
Sam Schultz- tend to like long, extended climbs.

MTBracenews.com- What would you like to improve on as a rider?

Sam Schultz- I need to get better at the short punchy stuff. That is what I have been working on a lot this season and it seems to be helping a lot. Also, I need to work on how to race more tactically. I’m pretty used to just going as hard as I can for the whole race, but now it seems like at the domestic races I can be close enough to the front that I am not going all out the whole time. I need to start thinking about how to play my cards right and figure out when to attack.

MTBracenews.com- Did you and your brother Andy grow up riding together?

Sam Schultz- Yeah, we grew up riding together. I was the first one that really got into the racing thing but once I started talking my parents into driving me to local races every weekend in the summer Andy decided that he should get in on the action.

MTBracenews.com- How does Andy feel about his little brother beating him?

Sam Schultz- I think Andy and I have a pretty positive mentality when it comes to racing against each other and we are super supportive. If I am going to get beat by anyone out there I would prefer it to be Andy, and it seems like he feels the same way.

MTBracenews.com- Name one mountain bike race you have never done but would like to someday.

Sam Schultz- I really want to do a race in Japan. My teammate Ken Onodera, from Japan, seems to think I would enjoy myself over there and I think it would be cool to check out the Japanese riding scene. Doing a race like TransAlp or something epic like that would also be pretty sweet.

MTBracenews.com- What is your favorite mountain bike racecourse? Why?

Sam Schultz- I really like the course in Brian Head, UT. I haven’t ever actually had a great race there, but it is definitely one of the coolest trails that we ride. It is just one big lap, all above 10,000 ft with lots of pristine alpine singletrack. It feels like ‘real’ mountain biking.

MTBracenews.com- Tell us something about yourself that most people probably don’t know.

Sam Schultz- My favorite t-shirt has a picture of my face on it and it says “I want that”. Only two of these shirts exist, but they are awesome.

US Cup Series Coordinator And Marketing Director Ty Kady Talks With Us About The Series And The Future Of The US Cup

As marketing director for Sho-Air International, Ty Kady anticipated being deeply involved in the high-pressure world of business. What Kady may not have anticipated in his job description was becoming one of the key driving forces behind the premier race series in U.S. mountain bike racing, the U.S. Cup. 

The accomplished Semi-Pro mountain biker and for AMA Supercross Pro has performed admirably in his new career and he took a moment to answer some of our questions about this new series and what we can expect in the years to come. In part one of this two part interview we delve into the reasoning behind Sho-Air bursting into the mountain bike world and what we can expect from the U.S. Cup in the 

MTBracenews- What was your reasoning behind taking over the U.S. National series?

Ty Kady- Scott Tedro really felt passionate about keeping a cohesive National Mountain Bike series in the U.S. alive. On one hand he wanted to offer the Pro’s a #1 plate to chase, along with some UCI points for the 2012 Olympic Games; so out of that the PRO XCT tour was born. Then we wanted to reward the amateur racer with a better race experience by providing extra swag, nice number plates, event T-Shirts a more festive atmosphere, some new venues etc. In the past few years the old series model had really deteriorated and wasn’t giving back to the Pro and amateur rider’s alike. And it was no fault of their own, between the economy, the cost of running the series and dwindling industry support it was an inevitable downward spiral that finally hit bottom in 2008.

That’s why we added the Kenda Cup West and East series to the U.S. Cup. The concept being that the regional or local Pro who may not have the budget to chase the seven round PRO XCT tour, they could hit the six regional events on their respective coast and try to win that title. That also goes for the amateur who in today’s economy or with other commitments can’t drive to Windham, NY to chase the series or vice versa.

He also had a deep respect for Tom Spiegel and Jeff Frost who had essentially inherited the old NORBA series. Those two really tried to fly the flag over the years, but as we found out at MT. Snow, it was no longer penciling out for them to make a living and running the series.

MTBracenews- When you started the series how did you want to improve on previous variations of the U.S. National series?

Ty Kady- Again we just wanted to try and legitimize the sport again. After all we created the sport in the US, but you would hardly know it by the past few years. More top Pro’s and team’s are heading over to Europe to chase World Cups and the amateur riders haven’t been showing up in the numbers we used to get in the mid to late ‘90’s.

Plus being an outsider myself to this industry, essentially I grew up chasing Moto Cross my whole life; I saw a lot of division and negativity between certain segments and parties in the sport. While we can’t fix everything, we wanted to wipe the slate clean and start fresh. I think with Sho-Air being an outside industry sponsor, we have a fresh look on the sport, while still having the knowledge on what the sport and riders want. Plus we have been very open to feedback from the industry and riders alike, and I think that was a key missing ingredient.

Additionally, the marketing of the series and riders was just not there in the past. In the past the promoters were left to not only run and time the race, set up the course, put up the feed zones, but were essentially the marketing machine behind the series. So that was a big goal for us to have up to date press releases, a dedicated series website, series T-Shirts, number plates etc. Now you can see we are working with helmet cam’s and a lead moto, with the goal of getting some of this race footage posted to the US Cup site, You Tube and other online marketing forums. It’s what has been missing for some time and I think once people realize how gnarly this sport really is and how legit these Pro riders are, we hope that attracts more outside series sponsors, as well as gives the people in the industry sitting on the side lines a reason to jump on board.

MTBracenews- What are your goals for the US Cup/Pro XCT? Both short and long–term.

Ty Kady- Short term is just to stabilize the sport and make it whole again. Also quite frankly prove to all the doubters that Mountain Bike racing in the States isn’t dead and that Scott Tedro is for real. So many people doubted it couldn’t be done, so first we have to convince them that it can be accomplished. When you have an uphill battle like that, it makes getting things done even harder. Once we get more people onboard, we can carry that momentum into 2010 and beyond.

I must say a big thanks to the people who took the risk on us and the series in the first place. Companies like Specialized, Subaru/Gary Fisher, Giant, Hayes Bicycles, Kenda, USA Cycling, E2 Hydro, KMC Chains , ESI Grips, Primal Wear, Static, H20 Overdrive, Static technologies, Thule, Mountain Bike Action, Mountain Biking and others that provided money and product to get this thing off the ground. Without them, it would have been even harder. So I hope these riders who attend our series, go out and support the sponsors who made this possible next time there at the local bike shop.

Long term is to obviously make the US Cup series the premier series in North America for the Pro and aspiring amateur racers. The ultimate fantasy is to have TV coverage, a World Cup or two and large corporate sponsors, while still maintaining the integrity and feel of what makes mountain biking so great.

It’s a fine balance of not “selling out” the sport, but on the other hand getting enough sponsorship dollars to run the series and legitimize the sport. So we definitely have to change some things for the better.

MTBracenews- After the first round of the Pro XCT what would you say were the successes?

Ty Kady- Well I think the men’s Pro XCT field was unreal! I think we had 120 men, which included like five Olympians, Current and former National Champions, U-23 bronze medalists and a good crop of top Pro’s.

I also think the change in the course was a hit with the riders. The same old course for the last five years gets boring, plus with the layout we had, I don’t think anyone walked away saying it was too easy.

Another small victory was we increased the amateur turnout by over 56% over last year. Given the tough economic times, we would have been happy to break even with last years amateur numbers! So that was good to see.

MTBracenews- What still needs to be improved?

Ty Kady- It’s definitely a work in progress. There are so many things right now; we just have to take them one step at a time.

One thing I see right away is increasing the women’s Pro field turnout. Only twenty-six female Pro riders showed up, which was a bit of a letdown for us. I think those numbers were down from last year?

The series is doing everything in its power to draw more female racers, both Pro and Amateur alike. Rider clinics with PRO XCT racer Krista Park the day before, just for fun rides so the first time riders can get a feel for riding some sections of a mountain bike course. Plus we are offering the ladies equal UCI prize money to the men if they can get a minimum field of 25. Not too many people realize that the World sanctioning body (UCI) or even our National sanctioning body (USA Cycling) don’t make it mandatory for the promoters to pay the women equal prize money with the men at these UCI events, or any other event for that matter.

But we understand that the girls are working just as hard, so we are doing our best to honor their efforts by pulling money out of our own pocket to make up the difference. We even got a dedicated PRO XCT tour page on the US Cup website and have some of the girls bio’s up there. We want to market them along with the guys, because they have a lot to offer as well.

But at some point, it’s all simple economics for these promoters. A field of 120 Pro men brings in considerably more dollars than a field of 26 Pro women, and so these promoters are losing money trying to match the women’s prize money with that of the men. It’s a double edged sword that we have to deal with, but the US Cup is here to market them as much as the guys and try to bring in more female participation.


MTBracenews- How can the US Cup/Pro XCT attract more amateurs to Cross Country racing?

Ty Kady- I think by keeping the racing fun, switching up the racecourses and venues. Then adding things like Jason Britton’s stunt show, In N Out burgers at select events and giving out better awards and swag keeps them coming back and hopefully increases the numbers. The bottom line for the Am’s is to keep it fun and make them feel like they got something for their entry fee.

MTBracenews- How do you respond to the criticism that the Pro XCT will be just like the old U.S. National series because you utilize the same venues and many of the same race promoters?

Ty Kady- That criticism will always be there. The old “lipstick” on the pig philosophy that we saw in this year’s presidential election keeps popping up.

We have addressed that with adding new venues and promoters, as well as going back to the tracks and venues that are classics. We got Sea Otter on board, we added Bump N Grind to the PRO XCT tour, there’s going to be killer shootout in Vegas, and we’ve made track changes at the last two events, so we are trying to keep it fresh for these riders. The whole Kenda Cup East series is basically a hand selected series with the help of Kelli Lusk at USA Cycling. Her input was invaluable with putting us in touch with some of the east’s best promoters and courses.

To be honest that was one of my biggest fears when Tedro wanted to take this thing on. I wasn’t about to invest my time and energy into “propping” up the series for a few years and just letting it regress back again or using the same old courses, venues and promoters. In fact that is why I took my little departure in September and took another job offer outside the industry.

I wasn’t convinced at that time that the industry was behind Scott enough to pull it off in the way I envisioned. I was confident Tedro could fund the whole thing if he wanted to, but in my opinion the series belongs to all of us, not just one entity like Sho-Air.

In fact when you think about it, the fact that some guy who’s only been into mountain biking for four years and owns a freight company takes over the US National mountain bike series is pretty insane to me. That just shows you how divided the cycling industry really was, in that they let Tedro step in and take over. The old series was like a redheaded step child that no body wanted… man I think I just made fun of myself right there!

My other fear back then was they (MTB industry) were just going to stand back and watch Scott carry the series and the industry on his back and right into the ground, I wasn’t down for that scenario. I told Tedro, “if they don’t want it that bad enough to help out, I don’t think it’s worth the effort.” Clearly a guy that runs a $20+ Million dollar company has bigger and better things to do than run a series that no one supports. Contrary to what people think, running a series is very time consuming and no one is getting rich off of it. It’s definitely a labor of love.

But once Tedro has his mind set on something, he is relentless. His passion for the sport and the goodwill he wants to spread by taking this series on should be highly commended, and that includes myself. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t even be talking about the success we have had this year with the US Cup. Viva La Tedro!!

Check back tomorrow for part two of our interview with Ty Kady.