Kathy Sherwin Announces a New Team and Renewed Focus for 2010

Crushing, demoralizing, agonizing are all words that can be used to describe Kathy Sherwin’s 2009 season.

Written by: Shannon Boffeli

Kathy Sherwin racing close to home in Heber, Utah

For mountain biker Kathy Sherwin, 2009 presented challenges beyond imagination. The season started off with her husband and number one supporter, Chris, breaking his ankle and tearing 4 ligaments on the first day of her annual California training camp. Next her elderly parents became ill leaving them in and out of the hospital all year. Ultimately their collective struggle ended as both of Kathy’s parents passed away less than two month apart. Finally, Sherwin’s spirit and career seemingly all came crashing down as she was let go by her former team Kenda/Tomac/Hayes.

Certainly Sherwin’s 2009 was more than any one person should have to suffer through. As the season ended Kathy was left pondering her future as a bike racer. “It was a very hard time and I was very down. I told Chris I was ready to cash it all in.” recalls an emotional Sherwin. “But I knew I shouldn’t make any decisions in such an emotional state.”

That was when one race turned it all around. Despite having had very little time on the bike and just weeks after her father’s funeral Sherwin made the trip up to Portland for the Cyclocross National Championship. Being back in the racing atmosphere felt comfortable but Sherwin still had no idea what to expect during the race.

Remembering her feelings on the start line that day Sherwin said, “I hadn’t raced all season so I started like 60th in the group. As soon as the race started I just felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt great even though I knew I shouldn’t. I just kept passing other girls the whole race and when I saw the sign saying one lap to go I was actually sad because I didn’t want the race to end.“

Sherwin taking the barriers at a local cross race

Now anyone who has raced a cyclocross event knows no one is ever sad to see one lap to go. Clearly Sherwin had experienced something special. “I saw so happy during that race.” Sherwin recollects. “So happy to realize that racing was still my passion.”
Thanks to the folks at Mafia Racing Sherwin will be able to pursue her passion in 2010. Sherwin recently signed a contract to ride for Mafia in the ’10 season. An ecstatic Kathy Sherwin said of her team, “Mafia is a very open team. They didn’t put a lot of restrictions on me. They just want me to race and have fun doing it. I am so lucky to have found them.”

Sherwin will be racing a Felt 29er in 2010. She’s very excited about her first opportunity to ride and race a big-wheeled bike. Sherwin will be competing at the US Cup Triple Crown events as well as several legs of the Pro XCT, the TEVA Mountain Games, and is considering taking her first crack at the marathon distance tackling the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Look for Sherwin to be sporting a big smile along with her new Mafia Racing kit at mountain bike races all across the country. For Sherwin, it’s almost guaranteed this year will be better than the last.

MTB Race News is starting a weekly feature. Our weekly "Coach's Column" answers your most pressing training questions. We have brought together some of the greatest minds in mountain bike training to put you on track to being your very best. The weekly column will include coaches Lynda Wallenfels, Alison Dunlap, Namrita O'Dea, Eric Orton, and Travis Woodruff. We start this week with Lynda Wallenfels.
Question: When training for a 100 miler what are the differences between training to finish and training to win or set a personal best?

Response: The first time I signed up for a 100 mile mountain bike race I had a hard time wrapping my head around the distance. I wasn’t sure I could ride that far off-road! I’d never even ridden 100 miles on the road. Finishing was a huge personal challenge. After the finishing glow wore off I wanted to do it again and go faster the next time.

When training for a 100 mile mountain bike race, training to finish it, and training to go faster or to set a personal record time are two distinctly different training plans. The first thing you need to decide is your goal. Next, train that goal, and last, race that goal. It sounds simple but many racers slip up the last step by setting a goal to finish, training on the Finisher Plan, then going out on race day and attempting to execute the (personal record) PR race Plan. Before you start, define your goal (make a decision which plan you are on), train the plan, race the plan, and follow it though to the finish line.

Whatever you choose, training for a 100-miler means lots of riding

The Finisher Plan

On a Finisher Plan the goal is to finish the race happy and within the cut off time. Most hundie races have cut off times. Usually it is 12 hours at the finish line. The important aspects to train on the Finisher Plan are endurance and race execution. Race execution involves fueling, pacing, keeping yourself mentally happy and your bike mechanically working.

Here is a link to the race execution plan for the 100 mile Finisher

The Finisher Plan is a simple endurance volume build plan until 2-3 weeks prior to race day. In the final 2-3 weeks, volume tapers down in order to be fresh on race day. The majority of training is paced within heart rate zones 1-3 (or power levels 1-3) which are aerobic training zones. A focus on fueling practice and endurance pacing are part of every long ride.

The Personal Record Plan

The PR Plan comes into play when a racer wants to go faster. With the PR Plan, it is assumed that a racer has already finished a hundie and has practiced race execution skills. With endurance and race execution skills established, the PR racer can focus on fitness physiology: increasing VO2max, threshold power, and extending the ability to ride near threshold pace for extended durations. You know, the stuff that makes you faster.

Race pace in a PR hundie depends on course profile but consists of mostly upper tempo to threshold pace (power levels 3-4, or heart rate zones 3-4). These are the most important (or most race specific) training zones. Any training plan should progress from general to specific abilities.



To design a 100 mile PR training plan, schedule backwards from your 100 mile mountain bike race day. Follow a 2-3 week taper (race week plus 1-2 taper weeks) before the race to arrive at the start line fresh and ready to execute your PR race plan. The training block prior to the taper is the race specific training block and should predominantly focus on the most race specific abilities. This is threshold and tempo pace (or power Level 3-4, or heart rate zones 3-4) work. The 3-4 weeks prior to the race specific training block should be structured around VO2max work, which is heart rate zone 5 or power Level 5. Cross country racing fits nicely into the VO2max training block. Prior to this, block 3-4 weeks with a mix of neuromuscular power work and endurance work to kick off your PR 100 mile training plan.

Lynda Wallenfels is an endurance mountain bike coach and pro racer. She is owner of LWCoaching.com and current US 24 Hour Solo Single Speed National Champion.

Next Wednesday we will hear from Cross Country World Champion Alison Dunlap about making the transition from cyclocross racing back to the dirt.

If you have training questions you would like answered send them to info@mtbracenews.com

More Races Added to Our Nationwide Calendar Including NUE Series and Much More

Check out the new races we just added to our Nationwide MTB Race Calendar. See if you can find a new race in your area and add it to your race calendar in 2010. We have these new races and hundreds more from across the country. Click here to start your search.

We just updated these races:
National Ultra Endurance Series
Mid-Atlantic Super Series
USA Cycling MTB National Ultra-Endurance Series

Pro Men's podium from this year's Shenandoah 100 part of the NUE series

If you have a race you would like added to the MTBracenews race calendar send your information to info@mtbracenews.com

12 Hours of Temecula - Full Report and Photos from Vail Lake, California

Tinker Juarez Gets First Win for Cannondale Factory Racing

Written by: Jens Raz

Tinker Juarez, still racing in his MonaVie kit, puts the wood to the competition at 12 Hours of Temecula

Fear of rain and treacherous conditions for Jason Ranoa’s long-running 12-hour mountain bike marathon in Temecula evaporated, as quickly as water from Vail Lake trails. Temperatures started out in the 30s, and steadily climbed to the mid 50s for most of the day. Perfect weather for racing!

After a week of torrential downpours just north of San Diego parts of the racecourse were diverted to avoid a few river crossings. Net result from the week was close to 5 inches of water in Temecula. That number might not mean much to the rest of the country, but it constitutes about half our yearly rainfall in one week.

The resulting racecourse was fun, fast, with plenty of hard punchy climbing thrown in. The staple “Damn Climb” was taken out and replaced with the Bridges. A shorter but steeper switch back climb that led to a high-speed descent on the ridgeline climbing back up to Marlin Ridge. Yet another express descent followed with an undulating course that shot riders into the famous “Tunnel of Love.” Flying out of the Tunnel, feeling more like a video game than a bike race, the course drops out onto a BMX track and sets the rider up for the last short but steep plunge into base camp, just to do it all over again.

The solo race started hard and fast with Tinker Juarez (Cannondale Factory Racing) taking the holeshot and not relinquishing it until the race was over. 9 hours 51 minutes into the 12 hour race Tinker forged out enough padding to relax and let Alan La Framboise and Brian Van Vleet (KHS) hash it out for 2nd and 3rd respectively. 2009 series winner Alan La Framboise encountered some bad luck with a broken rear derailleur hangar that put a stop to his winning intentions. The fast lap of the day 42.02 went to Tinker.

Alan La Framboise kept the pedal to the metal until a mechanical forced him to slow down

The Expert class appeared to be the most closely contested group with both winner Daniel Nelson and 2nd place Phil Kelly doing 13 laps. 3rd place Tom Andrews and 4th Henry Valenzuela rounding it out with 12 laps each.

The second round of the SoCal Endurance Race Series will continue on June 12th at a yet to be disclosed location with the finale to be held on November 13th. Racers enjoyed great support and enormous amounts of swag from Specialized, Spinergy Wheels, Night Rider Lights, Baja Design Lights, Cyco Path Cyclery, Hammer Nutrition, Nimbus Water Systems and many more!

The finishing stretch of the 12 Hours of Temecula

Pro Men

1, Tinker Juarez (CFR) 12 laps
2, Allan La Framboise 10 laps
3, Bryan Van Vleet 10 laps
4, Jared Fisher 9 laps

Southern Cross Results and Photos

No rain but lots of fog for Southern Cross 2010 as Cogburn and Wilson take the win. Cogburn has the fastest time at over 3 hours for a cross race!



Southern Cross is one of only a handful of endurance cyclocross races in the nation. The Southern Cross event starts on a with a traditional cyclocross course around the Wahsega 4-H center. Riders wind around a traditional cyclocross race course before busting out for 54 grueling miles of dirt roads, mud, downed trees and climbing.

Cameron Cogburn once again took the Southern Cross title after a tough showdown with top-ranked riders like Thomas Turner, Nathan Sibly, and Garth Prosser. Andrea Wilson took the win in the Open Women's category. Both winners rode cyclocross bikes.

Below is a report from race winner Cameron Cogburn following the race:

The race started with a lap of a unique cyclocross course around Camp Wahsega that included bridges, bench barriers and a stone stair run-up. Leaving the campground for the giant dirt road loop, a lead group quickly established itself at a quick but comfortable pace. There were seven of us, two of which were on mountain bikes. The first climb was only 3 miles long, but 2.5 of those were at 9-10% and on dirt – in other words, a serious climb!

I hit it hard at threshold to see who I would be up against for the day. Yep, it was Thomas Turner. Twenty minutes later, after literally climbing into the clouds, we hit the SAG point at the top of Winding Stair Gap and proceeded to bomb back down into the valley. Thomas was on his mountain bike and put a twenty to thirty second gap on me and my cross bike on the descent. I did not panic as Eddie told us at the start there was a ten-mile stretch of pavement that linked the dirt sections up, and I knew I would have the advantage there.

Turning onto the road portion, I saw Thomas in the distance and I was coming up fast on him. I think he was hoping to work together on the road but I knew I could not forfeit the opportunity here of using my cross bike advantage and isolating him on his knobbies on the pavement, so I blew by as fast as I could and tucked into aero position and kept hammering.

Upon hitting the dirt again, I settled into a steady tempo up the big ring climb back into clouds to the SAG point, and descended quickly but in control down Cooper’s Gap back to Camp Wahsega. There was one more lap to be done on a modified version of the initial CX course that involved an incredibly steep and long “run-up” (like the Wigwam Hill power line run-up from Iron Cross except at the end of the race – ouch!) and a neat section of singletrack with four fallen logs that acted as natural barriers. I rolled through the finish in 3:13, the last two hours of which were ridden alone.

This is definitely one of the more unique races around and comes at a perfect time of year, when people have just resumed riding and are eager to test their legs. Due to the terrain (long mountain climbs and descents) one is guaranteed to be either rewarded with playing in the clouds or spectacular views. The prizes, payouts and swag are top-notch, and I will certainly be back next year for a third helping of this awesome race.

Open Men Finish Time

Cameron Cogburn 3:13:00
Nathan Sibly 3:25:00
Thomas Turner 3:27:00
David Worth 3:38:00
Garth Prosser 3:45:00
patrick harkins 3:45:10
David Hornak 4:07:00
Ryan Bosio 4:10:40
Greg Schisla 4:18:00
Russ Marshall 4:23:00
Kevin Conerly 4:27:00
lee simril 4:27:05
Erik Van Name 4:33:00
Michael Livingston 4:35:00
Robert De Rose 4:38:00
monte hewett 4:41:00
Kurt Rampton 4:47:00
Josh Jackson 4:50:00
Craig Steeds 4:57:00
Jafer Beizer 5:09:00
Mitch Moses 5:09:40
Ben Braxley 5:12:00
mike saunders 5:13:00
Ross Douglas 5:17:00
Zach Davis 5:29:00
Marty Engelstad 5:36:00
Jonathan Moorehead 6:14:00
Leo Anderson 6:15:00
Jonathan Brightwell 6:20:00

Open Women

Andrea Wilson 4:10:10
brenda simril 4:39:00
Emily Brock 4:57:40
Elizabeth Lee 5:01:00
Jennifer Engelstad 5:12:30
Paula Lamberson 5:27:00
Molly Graves 5:47:00

News Flash: Specialized Partners with SoCal Endurance Series/ Cannondale Officially Out as MonaVie Supporter

Just in time for their first race of 2010, the SoCal Endurance series has formed a partnership with California-based manufacturer Specialized.


SoCal Endurance series director Jason Ranoa said, "Specialized will be our headlining sponsor and be on board to support the races and riders at all our events. I am very excited knowing the passion and dedication that Specialized brings to the table.
Having a world leader in the cycling industry in our corner is a phenomenal resource. Both of our companies will be striving to give our riders the best experience possible."

The SoCal series kicks off this weekend with their first 12 Hour of Temecula race of 2010. Utilizing the extensive trail system at Vail Lake, California the opening race of the three-race series should be a real "barn-burner".

Tinker Juarez will be looking to take home the cash again this weekend

Cannondale Factory Racing team member Tinker Juarez is slated to take the start line along with other strong local talents.

MTBracenews.com will be bringing you results, photos, and a full report from Vail Lake this weekend.

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Cannondale Out as MonaVie Team Sponsor

With the creation of the Cannondale Factory Racing Team for 2010 Cannondale's status as a supporter of the MonaVie Epic racing team was left in question. Cannondale has now officially announced that they will not be partnering with MonaVie for the 2010 racing season.

Alex Grant remains one of MonaVie's most promising riders for 2010 (photo by: Lyna Saffell)

In a prepared statement, Cannondale PR Manager Michael De Leon said, "For the past three years, Cannondale has celebrated many victories with the MonaVie team and we have been thrilled to contribute to the growth and development of its athletes. We see an opportunity with Cannondale Factory Racing to continue to support Mountain Biking with an International team that mirrors the global nature of the Cannondale brand.

Sponsoring CFR allows us to focus our efforts and support the team in a bigger way and with the addition of athletes like Tinker and Jeremiah we see an opportunity to gain more traction with CFR in the U.S."

What this means for the powerhouse MonaVie team in the coming year is currently unknown. Our requests for a comment from MonaVie team director Matt Ohran have gone unanswered.

Despite the loss of high-profile riders Jeremiah Bishop and Tinker Juarez to CFR the MonaVie squad retains top-ranked riders Alex Grant, Sue Butler, and Bart Gillespie for the 2010 season.

Stay tuned to MTBracenews.com for the latest news on the CFR and MonaVie teams and other mountain bike team news

2nd Annual Tri-Flow XC Indoor Invitational at Ray Indoor MTB Park--Cleveland, Ohio

Written by: Justin Mann
Photos by: Allison Mann and Justyna Wusek

I think that everyone can agree that the purest form of bicycle racing is the Individual Time Trial. ITT’s are elegant; one person, a bike, a specified course, and of course the clock. There are different ways to approach an ITT. You don’t have to have a silly helmet and wind tunnel tuned parts. Downhill mountain bike racing is a very pure form of ITT requiring tons of skill, fitness, and even luck, to ever approach greatness. So if you were to sit down with some typical mountain bikers and invent an appropriate Cross Country Individual Time Trial what would it look like?

Allison Mann weaves her way through the Ray's Indoor course

It would be just long enough to really test the person's ability to pedal as hard as they can and go really fast. It would be just technical enough to create a chance for errors. If an error was made then of course there would need to be a time penalty. Ideally one would be able to eliminate external factors like course conditions and wind. Add in a bunch of screaming fans, some jumps, berms, drops, maybe a bunch more screaming fans, and a whole lot of cowbell… Sound pretty awesome? It is!

This past weekend a few top cyclists were invited to participate in the 2nd Annual Tri-Flow XC Indoor Invitational in Cleveland, OH. For those who have not been, Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park is the perfect venue for such an event with literally hundreds of lines and features to ride including jumps, bridges, whoops, skinnies, berms, and even climbs! With equal payout, $5k in prize money, and killer unique "Leg" trophies this event is quite a show!

The course: The riders are allowed a rolling start and trip a beam to start the clock. Once the clock starts the riders drop off the GT platform and onto the "Prologue" line with a tricky turn, some 10" high speed skinnies, through the "Whoops", 2 fast corners then out onto the "XC Loop". The "XC Loop" starts with a quick up, a tricky left, then a drop into a big left hand berm. Option lines abound on course as one can choose to ride a "plateau" with speed bumps or drop into a "Rock Garden", then all lines go over a table top jump and up a ramp into the rafters. Dropping out of the rafters the racers fly through left, then right hand berms, over another table top jump, and into the "Beginner Room".

Justin Mann uses up every bit of the Red Bull berm

At the entrance to this room a high speed left hander leads to a ramp back up toward the rafters, then a treacherous downward sharp right hander. A short sprint through a hallway leads to a sharp 90 degree right and a steep up onto a platform. Dropping off the other side of the platform throws the rider into a right hand berm and an option to jump the table top to the right or roll it to the left, carrying speed the riders fly through a hard right, then a left and sprint to a 180 degree uphill turn through a doorway. After negotiating this speed robbing turn the riders sprint off a 3' drop into a right/left option. The left hand line is higher and takes more energy, but sets up the next corner with more speed. The proper technique and a bit of risk taking can make the right hand line very fast as well! Another right hand berm and then the racers face the horrible leg burning climb into the rafters. It is tortuously steep, and they are forced through a momentum destroying tight 180 switchback midway. A narrow catwalk provides the racer with a moment to reflect on their new found max heart rate and the pain in their legs and lungs before dropping from the sky into a series of left hand berms and high speed rollers and finally back to where they started.

At this point you might think the course was done, but indeed you have to make three complete circuits of the "XC Loop" and in between each one the riders are forced to ride 2 of the 6 "Technical Lines". These "Technical Lines" consist of bridges and skinnies and other obstacles that can be tricky when fresh, but when your eyes are blurred from sweat, and your heart is trying to jackhammer its way out of your chest (not to mention lack of mental function due to oxygen debt) it gets really interesting! To make these lines even more treacherous, 15 precious seconds are robbed from your elapsed time for an "Incomplete Line". So a slip of a tire or a dab of the foot, or worse yet a full on yardsale crash, can spell disaster for a race run! Now this is mountain bike racing!

Adam Craig getting it done in one of the tight sections

The male contestants came in all forms including Scott's Aaron Snyder on a full suspension Scale with an integrated seatpost (this alone was a feat of courage on this course), local neo-Pro and fast man Kyle Spisak on a Cannondale Scapel, with Trek's Tyler Morland (Canadian National Downhill MTB Champion) and Giant's Adam Craig (Olympian, and holder of both National and World titles!) rocking hard tail dirt jump bikes. A last minute addition allowed Rock N' Road Cyclery's Justin Mann to race with the big boys on a Rental 26" dirt jump bike courtesy of Ray.

Competing for the women the only returning contestant was Lindsey Bishop, representing Mafia Racing and rocking a SRAM XX equipped Felt full suspension race rig. She was up against some stiff competition though. Also on a full suspension bike was Rock N' Road Cyclery's Allison Mann on a full carbon Specialized S-Works Epic and then a fierce duo racing on hard tail dirt jumpers in Lizzy English (Giant STP), and 15 year old local ripper Lyndsey Prososki on a Gary Fisher.

Lyndsey Prososki attacks a downhill section of the course

Out of this mayhem the winners were awarded their $1,000 prize purse in $1 bills and a full mannequin human leg trophy custom painted for the occasion. Adam Craig showed in dominating fashion how to rip up a course with skill and power and win despite a 15 second penalty (yes even the best make mistakes!). His time without the mistake would have blown away the course record previously set by nearly 15 seconds! Allison Mann showed off not only the power to speed to a winning time, but the skills to make a flawless run to the top of the women's podium.

Results:

The men's podium with Spisak, Craig, Snyder, Morland, and Mann (left to right)

Men
1 Adam Craig (Giant)
2 Kyle Spisak (Canondale)
3 Aaron Snyder (Scott)
4 Tyler Morland (Trek)
5 Justin Mann (Specialized)


Women
1 Allison Mann (Specialized)
2 Lindsey Bishop (Felt)
3 Lizzy English (Giant)
4 Lindsey Prososki (Gary Fisher)

Plews and Rasmussen Solve the El Paso Puzzler - El Paso, Texas

The 3rd Annual El Paso Puzzler 50 mile endurance mountain bike race was held under sunny skies and temps in the mid-60's with 140 anxious riders testing themselves in what was being billed as the toughest race in Texas. With last year's winner performing a bit of course marshaling due to pregnancy, this year's race was a whole different ball game.

The lead group charges out for 50 puzzling miles (photo by: Jennifer Wilson)

Evan Plews (www.evanplews.com - Salem, OR) the 2009 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo solo winner, and ridiculously fit retiree, Travis Brown (Trek -Durango, CO), destroyed the technical course and floated up the climbs. Course designer David Wilson, the SS winner of last summer's Breck Epic stage race, led through the start/finish area for the first 11.5 mile section with Plews, Brown, and El Pasoan Santiago Chavez (Sports Systems) close behind.

After exiting a bit of twisty singletrack onto a super rocky road climb known as Trenchtown Rd., the three riders dropped Wilson and began to grow a large gap. Singlespeeders Cameron Brenneman (Sante Fe, NM) and Beto Villegas (Sierra Vista, AZ) blitzed the 1600' Mundy's Gap climb along with 40-49 winner Kenny Wehn (Colavita – Durango, CO) and 19-29 winner Sem Gallegos (Crazy Cat Cyclery – Austin, TX) close behind the lead threesome of Plews, Brown, and Chavez.

On the west side of the Franklin range, Brown plowed through the infamous granite rock slide to regain the lead. At about mile 30, Plews regained contact and later took control up the final major climb of the day, a 350' foot grind up a newly finished set of 12 switchbacks.

Evan Plews on his way to the Puzzler win (photo by: Chris Oaxaca)

Plews, coming off double pneumonia just before the holidays, went on to take the win in 4:38 with Brown about four minutes back. Moving into 3rd position was Brenneman who pushed a 32x19 on his 29er. Villegas and Gallegos rounded out the top five.

In the women's race, local Susanne Rasmussen took the win in 6:24 with singlespeeder Paula Bohte (Sierra Vista, AZ) coming through in second. Alex Castro (Bicycle Co.- El Paso, TX) was the top finisher in the shorter 35-mile men's event and Diana Almeida (El Paso, TX) took the women's 35 miler.

Susanne Rasmussen was the top female finisher in the 50 mile event (photo by: Rebecca Reza)

115 riders finished the event with no major injuries though many riders looked like they got into a cat fight due to close encounters with the large variety of spiky plants lining the Chihuahuan desert trails. This year’s attrition rate was much lower with only 18 DNF’s in the 50 despite more singletrack than the previous years.

Race director Brent Sanders wasn't sure if comments about the difficulty of the race were compliments or complaints. “I had several people come to me afterwards saying that the race was too difficult,” stated Sanders. “Travis and Evan said it was definitely the most technical 50 miler they've ever completed and both said that with huge grins on their faces. When other riders say that to me without a grin, I take it as a complaint. We consider all suggestions, but this event is intended to be a tough race. All I can say is that we warned people best as we could.”

The El Paso Puzzler, the third race in the Texas Mountain Bike Racing Association's Marathon Series, is hosted by the Borderland Mountain Bike Association whose core members donated countless hours of trail building to a new three mile section of singletrack allowing the race to be held entirely in the Franklin Mountains State Park, the largest urban state park in the country.

50 mile competitors only repeated six miles of trail. The event was originally conjured up by Wilson and Sanders as a way to up the level of riding in El Paso. “David and I had been riding this huge loop around the Franklins for a couple of years, but we could never find anyone that would join us,” said Jennifer Wilson, the 2009 winner. “Brent and Susanne (Rasmussen) rode it with us and we realized that we shared the same vision to put on this event.”

“We've seen a complete paradigm shift in mountain biking in El Paso since the first Puzzler with group rides now consisting of this epic loop around the mountains whereas before, most people never wanted to make the effort at the huge climb up Mundy's,” said David Wilson, the BMBA president.

This year's Puzzler was sponsored by Hunt Communities and the El Paso Sports Commission along with industry sponsors, local bike shops and many others. All proceeds from the event go towards trail projects in the Franklin Mountains State Park.

For complete results click here

Cannondale Plans for Elite Race Team in 2010/ Intermontane Challenge Launches Singlespeed Class for '10

Cannondale Bicycles recently announced that it will expand its Cannondale Factory Racing (CFR) to the United States in 2010 with the addition of two new world-class athletes. The expansion aligns with Cannondale’s focus on global innovation and its recognition that pro-athletes play a critical role in raising awareness and support for the sport on an International and Domestic level.



Cannondale has been actively supporting mountain bike racing since 1994 - first with Volvo-Cannondale; then with the creation of Cannondale Factory Racing; and most recently with MonaVie-Cannondale. As the exclusive equipment and jersey sponsor for these teams, Cannondale has helped to develop several world-class athletes including U.S. National Champion and two-time U.S. Olympian, Tinker Juarez, who will join the CFR team for the 2010 season.

“As we look to the future and how Cannondale will continue to support mountain bike racing and its elite athletes, we recognize the opportunity to create a global mountain bike platform, the Cannondale Factory Racing (CFR) team,” said Rory Mason, director of sports marketing for Cycling Sports Group. “Cannondale is committed to push the boundaries of innovation and technology in order to give athletes the bikes they expect for world class performance. Sponsoring CFR allows us to focus our efforts and support the team in a bigger way, which will benefit both the athletes and consumers.”

This year’s team will be led by 10-time Belgium Champion, Roel Paulissen, and include a diversified group of athletes who compete across multiple disciplines. In addition to Juarez, Cannondale will welcome Jeremiah Bishop to the team, underscoring its commitment to the sport and to helping athletes realize their dreams of competing on a professional level.

It is still unclear what affect the creation of the CFR team will have on Cannondale's other race teams specifically Monavie-Cannondale.com, the team Bishop and Juarez raced with in 2009, . The Monavie squad was one of the top teams in U.S. racing last season and enjoyed multiple race wins including the Breck-Epic, Intermontane Challenge, Blood, Sweat, and Gears, multiple legs of the NUE series, and a second at La Ruta De Los Conquistadors.
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The Intermontane Challenge 2010 is please to add a singlespeed category for both men and women for our event on July 26-31st 2010. The Intermontane Challenge has been fielding questions on why there is no singlespeed categories in our event and we felt that to live up to our commitment to listen to our racers, we would add the additional categories. The course for 2010 has a great mix of single and doubletrack and with the large amount of singlespeeders out there, The Intermontane Challenge sees this as another great addition to our second year event.



The singlespeed category will run with the geared categories and run the same course. The prize break down will be released once we have seen the response to the new category.

The 2010 edition of The Intermontane Challenge is right on schedule with our proposed course awaiting approval. Our limited early registration comes to an end on January 31st so don’t miss out.

Follow the race on Face book and Twitter. Those links are on our web site.

www.intermontanechallenge.com

Report and Photos from the Cold Bear Challenge in Elk River, Minnesota

Writing and Photos by: Clayton Mclagan

January 3rd 2010 marked the start of the 3rd annual Cold Bear Challenge in Elk River Minnesota. The Cold Bear Challenge is a winter race series held in the heart of Minnesota at Hillside Park.

The highly-sought-after Cold Bear pint beer glass

This year’s inaugural race had a solid turnout given that temperatures leading up to the race were well below zero. The course at Hillside park consists of 7.5 miles of tight twisty singletrack with punchy climbs covering approximately 1500’ of climbing. The trails were groomed perfectly by a combination of Pugsley packing and hand grooming.

The hand groomer ready for work

The race was started in 3 waves, Pugsley’s, Advanced, and Recreational and with a starting temperature of 15 degrees below zero 36 of Minnesota’s finest toe’d the line. First to go was the Pugsley class which consisted of 10 racers all looking to test out their winter legs. Next up was the advanced class, a field of 9 men all on traditional mountain bike set ups. Last but not least was the recreational class with a mix of men and women building a field of 18.

The trails were in perfect shape with riders claiming the ability to climb out of the saddle and maintain momentum through the corners. The recreation class endured a 1 lap race with Verlon Langland taking honors with a time of 1:02:48 followed closely by John Smith and Ray Osowski. Corey Coogan-Cisek cleaned up the womens field with a 1:14:51, 45 minutes ahead of second place Samantha Bushendorf. In the advanced field of 9 starters and 4 finishers Dave Hoglund dominated the race from the start with a crushing time of 1:50:32 for 2 laps. Followed by Drew Wilson and CJ smith. The Pugsley class did not disappoint, Larry Sauber cleaned up with a time of 1:51:23 followed by Jack Donovan and Ray Nickles.

After the race I found 50 or so people huddled around a big fire trying to dry out and stay warm and swapping stories from their battles on the trail. The promoter and organizer Rich Omdahl really knows how to treat his racers right. With hot chocolate, cookies, beer and swag a plenty everyone was happy to stick around for the awards (which were some of the nicest I have seen at a race, period!). If you find yourself in Elk River, MN on January 24th stop in to Hillside park for a quick race, you won’t be disappointed.

MTB Olympians to Host Training Camp/ More 2010 Race Dates on MTBracenews Nationwide Calendar

With over 45 years of experience between two celebrated athletes; 3 Olympics, multiple National Titles, countless World Cups and a couple of BC Bike Race wins, Andreas and Seamus know a few things about preparing for a cycling season. Join Performance Cycling Camps to set the foundations for a successful race season or a platform for lifelong cycling success.

photo: Dave Silver

Performance Cycling Camps is the synthesis of Andreas and Seamus’ past and present experience all rolled into one comprehensive package. What do athletes do when they retire or slow down, ensure that the knowledge they gained through the school of hard knocks is not lost but passed on?

The site of the camps is Victoria BC where Andreas and Seamus did their training during the winter months. “Victoria offers world class roads and trails, amazing cross training facilities and opportunities and an ideal network of contacts in the high performance field including access to the best therapists, testing and mechanical support. One of the most important things to setting up a race season is the off-season training that occurs in winter! The weather is not perfect, the hours are long, and the muscles are sore, but this style of training developed a list of Canadian Cycling Champions that is quite impressive,” says Hestler enthusiastically.

photo: Rob Jones

“We are really excited to start out this next segment of our careers. At the Beijing games I started to formulate an idea about what would be next, but when Dre approached me about training camps I knew it was the right step,” says McGrath from his Victoria home.

Long time friends and competitors, Andreas and Seamus rose through the Canadian National team system under the direction of head coach Yury Kashirin. Kashirin passed along the eastern European methods of training and since then Hestler and McGrath have gone on to conduct successful racing careers.

Big Mountain Bike Adventures is a veteran tour operator with over 35 years of history running cycling trips. They have teamed up with Performance Camps to provide and ensure a seamless experience.

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Check out the new races we just added to our Nationwide MTB Race Calendar. See if you can find a new race in your area and add it to your race calendar in 2010. We have these new races and hundreds more from across the country. Click here to start your search.

Barking Spider Bash, Idaho
Velopark STXC and Dual Slalom Championship, Idaho
Jug Mtn Ranch Race, Idaho
20th annual Brundage Mountain Bike Festival, Idaho
Hammer Head 100, Florida
Georgia State Championship series, Georgia
12 Hours of Dauset, Georgia
12 Hours of Tsali, North Carolina

If you have a race you would like added to the MTBracenews race calendar send your information to info@mtbracenews.com

Product Review: Ergon BA 1 Pack

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

Whether I'm riding singletrack, commuting to and from work, or just out on a hike with the family, the Ergon BA1 has become a staple in my quiver of packs for multiple reasons. The unique Flink® Link ball joint is by far the most innovative feature I've seen on a pack and boy does it work well. The revolutionary carrying system manages to distribute the load on both shoulders and hips evenly, keeping it off your back and eliminating sensitive pressure points.

At only 16 liters, the BA1 is just big enough to stash a change of cloths in for my commute or a reservoir and plenty of food for those epic Wasatch rides. There's an external pocket for a multi tool and a few other quick access items and stashed on the underside is an integrated rain cover.

Because of its size and weight I don't think I'll be using it much for endurance racing, but everything outside of that, you can count on it being there with me. The BA1 comes in gender specific sizes, both small and large. See the full line of Ergon Outdoor packs at ergon-outdoor.com and don't forget to check out their entire line of cycling specific packs at ergon-bike.com. There you'll find the BD1 which is they're 12 liter, cycling specific pack that would suit most of you cycling hydration pack needs.

Kashi Leuchs and Marcus Roy Expect a Tough Battle at 2010 Alpine Epic in New Zealand

Head-to-head: Tony Hogg (left) and Kashi Leuchs, both of Dunedin, will become arch-rivals at the multi-day 2010 Alpine Epic mountain bike stage race from February 24 to 27 in South Canterbury. Leuchs will team up with Marcus Roy, of Invercargill, to defend their title and Hogg will team up with Mark Williams, of Queenstown, who finished second in 2009 with Scott Wilder, of Christchurch.

Defending champions of the Alpine Epic four-day mountain bike race, Kashi Leuchs and Marcus Roy, expect a fierce fight from the new pairing of Tony Hogg and Mark Williams at the 2010 South Canterbury event.

At the inaugural epic Olympic mountain biker Leuchs, of Dunedin, and Roy, of Invercargill, won four out of the five stages – relinquishing the last stage to Williams, of Queenstown, and Scott Wilder, of Christchurch.

With the notoriously strong Hogg (35) on his side, Williams (36) hopes his Team R&R Sport team can present Roy (25) and Leuchs (31) with a fight in the South Canterbury high country this February.

"It's always great to be able to ride up the front with those guys, so if we have a few good days we will be able to give it a nudge," Williams said.

"Tony's a real strong rider and it will be good to have his speed up there and to see if we can hold onto those guys on some of the longer sections."

Alpine Epic 2009. February 25-28, Mt Somers to Lake Tekapo. Teams event. Ian Edmund and Nora Audra cross the Orari River on their way to winning the Mixed Teams section in 2009.

Hogg contested his first stage race at the BC Bike Race in Canada recently and finished the seven-day race in third place. The Alpine Epic will be his second race of this type and the endurance expert welcomes the chance to attempt to dethrone Leuchs and Roy.

"We're certainly going to go there and try to beat them – it will be a good wee battle," Hogg said.

"It's my first team race and that dynamic will be a bit different for me, so it will be fun to see what tactics come into play. The main thing will be to make sure we're about the same form level – it certainly wouldn't be any fun being the slow one."

Riding on the newly formed Team Yeticycles.com.nz Leuchs said the team dynamic played an important role in an adventure endurance race like the Alpine Epic.

"The experience from last year really taught us a lot – I think we know the times and places to attack and where to conserve energy. We also have the advantage of having ridden as a team and that will pay dividends," Leuchs said.

Leuchs teammate Roy is excited to have a new team of challengers for 2010.

"Kashi and I will have to fight pretty hard with this strong team to retain the Alpine Epic title for 2010," Roy said.

"Both Willy and Tony are experienced riders at mountain bike stage racing and they race well individually, so they will definitely be a team to keep a very close eye on."

Dubbed the toughest mountain bike race in New Zealand the 2010 Alpine Epic multi-stage mountain bike race will be held from Mt Somers to Lake Tekapo on February 24-27, 2010.

More Races Added to Our Nationwide Calendar, Northstar-at-Tahoe and Giant Need Riders for it's Grassroots Team

Who's got the best, most up-to-date, all-inclusive mountain bike race calendar on the web? MTBracenews.com. And we're constantly updating it with new 2010 dates here are 6 more we added this week. Check out these and hundreds more on the MTBracenews.com nationwide mountain bike race calendar.

6 Hrs of El Lagarto, Florida
Squiggy Classic, Florida
Spa City Extreme, Arkansas
3 Legged Dawg, Arkansas
The Rock Epic, Arkansas
Piney Hills Classic XV, Louisiana

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Northstar-at-Tahoe mountain resort and Giant Bicycles are pleased to offer a special grassroots program that reaches out to competitive mountain bike athletes eager to promote the soul, passion and genuine love for the sport.

This program will provide a great box of tools to help competitive athletes in California and neighboring states reach their full potential at local and regional mountain bike race events. Selected athletes will have the opportunity to purchase a Giant bicycle, Northstar-at-Tahoe Mountain Bike Park Season Pass, Team Jersey and other fine swag benefits at a preferred package price.

We are looking for humble athletes who will be great ambassadors in the expert level categories with riding styles from downhill to endurance for the Northstar-at-Tahoe and Giant Bicycle brands, who are approachable and knowledgeable, and who are passionate about converting all walks of life to the sport of mountain biking. We look to support athletes who are driven when it comes to achieving goals, helping the community, conquering obstacles, and relishing success.

To apply to the grassroots sponsorship program we would like to hear your definition of mountain biking and competing. What defines you as an athlete and a mountain biker? Submit a cover letter along with a resume to help us learn more about your passion and goals for the sport. In the resume, please outline races you have competed in along with your accomplished results. Email your resume and cover letter information to Justin Swett at justinswett@hotmail.com.

2009 A Season To Remember: Part III Late Summer Action to Cross Season

Alex Grant put a huge exclamation point on the end of his 2009 after taking the win and $1,000 of cash and prizes at the Park City Point to Point he proceeded cruise through the mud at the Ruta De Los Conquistadors taking second behind Manuel Prado (photo by Lyna Saffel)

MTB phenom and former Junior National Champion Rob Squire (right) was a regular contributor to MTBracenews throughout his incredible '09 season. Although just 19 years-old Squire finished second at U-23 Nationals and was the top U.S. finisher at the World Championships

Dave Welsh on his way to a Utah State Championship at Solitude Mountain Resort

"Alright, a successful test." MTBracenews pushing our product tests to the limit

The incomparable Pua Sawicki continued to prove she is the best endurance racer in the States. Although she missed a national title she posted a best-ever Marathon World Championship finish for an American taking 7th. Here she is shown winning the Park City Point to Point where she beat all but 4 of the men's field (photo by Lyna Saffel)

Races are more fun if a guy dressed like Raggedy Anne is handing you cash (photo by Lyna Saffel)

Relative newcomer Eszter Horanyi burst onto the endurance scene this season winning the Laramie Enduro, Vapor Trail 125, Crested Butte Classic, and 24-Hour National Championships in Moab (photo by Mark Woolcott)

The perpetually cheery Danielle Musto seemed to be racing everywhere this season. Here she celebrates her 3rd place at the Ore to Shore in Michigan

Racing legend Alison Dunlap returned to the dirt this season seen here celebrating her Iceman Cometh win with runner-up Kelli Emmett (photo by Amy Dykema)

Despite a star-studded field Cross Vegas became a two-person race between Jamie Driscoll and Christopher Jones

USA Cycling Announces Sea Otter and Mellow Johnny Classic to Join Pro XCT

USA Cycling announced today the addition of a pair of races to the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour. With the inclusion of the Sea Otter Classic and the Mellow Johnny’s Classic, the Pro XCT calendar will consist of six UCI-sanctioned events throughout the United States, providing world-class athletes with a national stage on which to accumulate UCI ranking points and top prize purses.



“The 2010 Pro XCT will provide one of the best calendars of quality UCI mountain bike races we’ve had in many years,” stated USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson. “We are committed to our long-stated goals of providing athletes with consistent top-level competition opportunities, increasing exposure for mountain biking domestically and maximizing U.S. start spots at the sport’s highest stages; and the Pro XCT national calendar provides a sustainable platform to help accomplish these goals.”

Following the series kick-off at Fontana, the renowned Sea Otter Classic will serve as the second stop on the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour. Sea Otter’s elite/pro men’s and women’s mountain bike races on April 18 will operate at the UCI C1 level, offering maximum ranking points to top riders. The Pro XCT will then move south to Lance Armstrong’s renowned ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas as the Mellow Johnny’s Classic plays host to the third series’ stop. The Mellow Johnny’s Classic is set to take place on May 29. The nation’s professional cross country mountain bike series will then continue as planned with the Bump ‘N Grind in Birmingham, Ala. on June 5, the Subaru Cup in Mt. Morris, Wis. on June 26 and the series finale in Colorado Springs, Colo. on July 10.

The UCI points up for grabs at each Pro XCT event are crucial in helping the United States qualify mountain biking start spots for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, as well as determining the start order at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. The men’s and women’s overall Pro XCT champions will also automatically qualify a spot on the U.S. squad for the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.

In addition to providing a sequence of international-caliber events where elite cross country racers can earn UCI points, the USA Cycling Pro XCT will spotlight top American races and recognize the best cross country teams and athletes competing on U.S. soil. In order for individual riders or teams to earn points toward the overall Pro XCT titles, they must be registered as a UCI Trade Team or as a USA Cycling Mountain Bike Domestic Pro Team. The Pro XCT will provide leaders’ jerseys to the top male and female rider in the overall standings, leaders’ number plates and a guaranteed cash purse for each race.

2010 USA Cycling Pro Cross Country Mountain Bike Tour:

March 27: US Cup Fontana – Fontana, Calif.
April 18: Sea Otter Classic – Monterey, Calif.
May 29: Mellow Johnny’s Classic – Dripping Springs, Texas
June 5: Bump ‘N Grind – Birmingham, Ala.
June 26: Subaru Cup – Mt. Morris, Wis.
July 10: Carmichael Training Systems International Classic – Colorado Springs, Colo.

2010 Dates for South East Regional Championship Series and Many Many More

Make a New Year's resolution to do a new race this season. Pick from one of hundreds of races on our nationwide race calendar. We are constantly updating our nationwide mountain bike race calendar with 2010 race dates. Check out these and other great events we have added in the last week:

South Eastern Regional Championship Series (SERC series)
SoCal Fat Tire Epic 50, California
Vision Quest, California
Counting Coup, California
The Traverse, California
Julian Death March, California
Sedona Big Friggin Loop, Arizona
Dirty Kanza, Kansas
Rapture in Misery,
Kansas City Cup, Kansas

2009 A Season To Remember

Part II

Sea Otter to Breck-Epic and Beyond

Canadian Emily Batty made her presence known in a big way in the 2009 Pro XCT circuit. Here she launches the winning move in the Sea Otter short track

Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Heather Irmiger provided their own fireworks on the 4th of July - both taking their first Marathon National Champion titles

The Breck-Epic provided much excitement in 2009. The first year event ran like clockwork and provided a truckload of truly epic riding

Epic riding and incredible scenery are on the menu everyday at the Breck-Epic

Jeremiah Bishop continues to be the best stage racer in America. After winning the Breck-Epic and Pisgah Mountain Bike Stage Race he has won every stage race ever held in the United States

Jeff Schalk continued to tear it up on the ultra-endurance front. Schalk took another National Ultra-Endurance title in '09 taking wins at Cohutta, Lumberjack, and the Wilderness 101 (photo by Dan Dewitt)

Betsy Shogren also dominated the National Ultra-Endurance series notching wins at the Lumberjack, Mohican, and Fool's Gold

The Galena Grinder proved you don't need a huge budget to put on a great race. Located just outside Kethcum, Idaho the Grinder provides excellent scenery, dedicated staff, and fun racing atmosphere

Jenna Rinehart had an outstanding season racing outside the national series. Rinehart won the Minnesota state series and became the first woman to challenge for the Midwest Triple Crown (photo by: Danny Marchewka)

Brian Matter also had a strong 2009 winning the Wisconsin Off-Road Series and missing a repeat of the Midwest Triple Crown by just 14 seconds (photo by: Bruce Adelsman)

Check back for Part III of our 2009 season review