Just Another Gravel Grinder Race Recap and Results

     The morning started cold.  Mike Wise arrived early, as I was still setting up.  He got his bike ready and got back to the warmth of his truck.  There was a glitch or two before the race, but things worked out.  I was happy to see the High Gear team guys that came.  I figured those guys would battle it out against eachother, and I couldn't wait to see the results. 

       The race started a few minutes late since we had some late arrivals (Mathew Slater).  My 5yo Luke Dudley got us started.  Straight up the lake hill.  I was cold and was not feeling as strong as I had been earlier in the week.  The High Gear guys plus a few more easily passed me on the first hill.  They were off.  There's a hill a couple of mile into the gravel that I call "The Spiral".  That's just what it looks like when you climb it.  A truck with about 200 dogs in the back came around the blind side of that hill.  Thank goodness he was going slow.  Still too close. 

       The first person I passed, since being pased early on, was Scott O'mara.  He was fixing a flat.  I went as hard as I could after I passed him.  Then I saw Randy Smith about a mile past Scott.  I pedaled harder.  I wanted to be way ahead before they passed me again.  Which they did.   The terrain is hilly with roads covered in nasty tire eating gravel, as many were finding out.

       A couple of miles from the finish line, I saw a few riders riding toward me on their second lap.  Really?  Shawn O'Mara was one of those riders.  Man what a fast gravel rider he's become.  I was doing the 13 mile, single lap option, and I was happy to be done.  My quads and calves had been cramping the whole 13 miles.  Only on race day!  Charlie Patterson finished one of his three laps and exclaimed, "Who came up with that course, Satin?"  Call me what you want Charlie.

       It was a great sight to see cyclists dotting the gravel roads of my back yard.  There were reports of flats and more flats.  Mike Wise was having mechanical problems.  Team High Gear wasn't battling eachother, they were battling the terrain and conditions.  Mattie Decker and I set off for Lcas Antes in Matties Truck.  Mattie talks to her truck, but other than that seems normal.  We watched Mattie's mother, Judy Decker and Jane Markowitz on a pretty steep climb.  They are a couple of tough ladies. We came across Jed Sampsel, pushing his bike.  Jed had been in the lead, but cut a tire.  Mattie offered him a ride, but he declined and kept walking.  We also had a report of a lost cyclist.  Other riders were yelling at him, that he missed his turn.  His earbuds prevented that important message from getting through!  So a second vehicle went looking for the lost kid.  We found Lucas and took him back.  I asked who was leading?  I was told, "That Scott guy, that just got his bike this week."  Then I was off to find the lost guy, in my car, with his friends.  Could not find him anywhere!  We headed back to town, in time to see him coming off the gravel, back on course.  Dude was on a Walmart bike too.  I have no idea where he went, or how many miles he covered, but he did it.  I hope Jacob Tapia enjoyed his ride, and will continue to ride.

       I was not at the finish line when the winners crossed, due to my search and rescue duties.  Judy and Jane finshed 2 laps, (26 miles) and rode together the whole time.  The only question with them would be who would accept 1st place.  There were a couple of surprises in the mens field.  Turns out the real battle wasn't man against man, but man against the terrain.

 

39 Mile Women:

     1st   Jane Markowitz

     2nd  Judy Decker

 

39 Mile Men:

     1st  Scott Rothe

     2nd Scott O'Mara

     3rd Shawn O'Mara

     4th  Randy Smith

           Mike Wise DNF

       Lucas Antes DNF

       Jed Sampsel DNF

       Matt Slater DNF

       Charlie Patterson DNF

 

13 Mile Women:

     1st Mattie Decker

 

13 Mile Men:

     1st  Ryan Dudley

     2nd Jamie Rogers

     3rd  Matt Levy

     4th  Jacob "Lost Boy" Tapia

       Congradulations to Scott Rothe on his big win on his brand new Trek Ion!  Flats were not a factor for that Scott guy.  Randy Smith, Good job hanging in there and rolling in with an almost flat rear tire.  Jamie Rogers, We'll be ready for Dirty Kanza 200, 2013!  Jerry Brick, Hope you get to feeling better buddy.

Thank you so much to everyone that came out to support another one of my dreams, and Eskridge Fall Festival.  I hope we're still friends?  Tee hee hee......