Geer pilots the 2010 X through the Rabbit Valley TT course (photo Mike Kane)
The Mountain States Cup kicked off last weekend in Fruita with perfect weather & even better courses than last year.
Justin's/Titus opened with just 2 riders in the TT; Gary Thacker 4th & Drew Geer 11th in the 40+ cat 1 division. It's a little narrow minded to think that a 15 minute race is not worthy - tell that to the Olympic 100 meter men. The Rabbit Valley TT course is a fantastic leg burner & a true test of anaerobic capacity. It starts with a 1.5 mile climb, the last half running 10-15% grade. At the crest the course continues a gradual climb on very narrow, twisty but smooth single track for another mile. This section is very difficult to maintain speed as it is always turning & is on a side hill. A one mile drop is fast with 4 drop-offs that require a bit of attention to detail. The last mile kick in is full speed single track over dozens of rollers that will throw you in a second. The whole race is ridden at max effort & ideally near you maximum HR.
Sunday AM was the return of classic old school XC racing. The entire Hogan crew was out in form with wins from Mike, Karen, Anna, Liz & a 2nd from Ben Hogan! The juniors were out first on their own course which was a mix of sandy roads, steep climbs & rollers.
The 50+ cat 1 men were up next & led home with a win by Gary Thacker. Drew Geer was 4th, John Bliss 8th & Jack Boltz 9th. Mike Hogan won the 40+ men in a close sprint finish. Karen Hogan won the 40+ women followed in closely by our new team member, Coreen Wright in 3rd, Sherri Boltz in 4th & Michelle Bliss in 11th.
The course all started out following the Kokopelli trail. Heavy rains 2 days earlier packed all the sand & the course was fast. The first 20 minutes are largely downhill, just punctuated by a steep 3-4 minute climb. This of course means you will pay for that coming back. After a brutally steep climb out of the valley the course follows the mesa rim on a rocky track before dropping back into the valley.
This year's course used the "Western Rim" trail for the last 30 minute finish stretch. This piece of trail is fun enough for a trip out there just to ride it. It is all single track, mostly smooth, always turning & very fast. The scenery could distract you from racing. Then it is back to the Kokopelli & a fast run in on "trail 2" to the finish. The course is not too spectator friendly - you are out there for 2-3 hours - but is one of the best courses on the circuit.
Nice early season effort for all the Justin's/Titus crew!
Next up:
Front Range Mountain Bike Series in Louisville - 5/2
www. racepacepromotions.com
Front Range 50 & Battle the Bear in 2 weeks
12 Hours of Mesa Verde in 2 weeks
OR 18 hours of Fruita
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