 |
USAC Fat Bike National Championships
Powder Mountain Resort, Eden UT
February 14, 2015
USA Cycling came to Utah for the first-ever Fat Bike National
Championships, held at Powder Mountain on Saturday February 14. While many
of us were enjoying the "off season," some
UtahMountainBiking.com race team members were training to face tough competition from around the country.
The UtahMountainBiking.com race team was represented at the
Nationals by Jason Sparks, Rick Morris, and Joel Quinn. Rick and Joel came
home as National Champions.
Despite the unseasonably warm weather and lack of snow in Utah's
valleys, Powder Mountain -- at 9000 feet elevation -- had plenty of the
white stuff for the fat tires. Many riders had raced this same course the
previous weekend at the Frosty's Fat Bike Race Series. That day the wind
was brutal and the course was covered with very fine powder in drifts that
made steering nearly impossible. For the Nationals the same course was
packed and perfect. Big thanks to Powder Mountain Ski Resort for prepping
a world class fat bike race course.
This race report is excerpted from Rick Morris' description of the
race. |
 |
When the start gun fired the pack took off like there was a
national title on the line. Oh, yeah, there was. Racers almost
immediately reached speeds of 30 mph -- confirmed by Rick's Strava -- as the
course ran slightly downhill. Then came a few rollers where the speeds
settled into a not-so-comfortable fast pace. In the snow, with fat tires,
at 9000 feet, fast riding hurt. A lot.
Jason Sparks gets some speed on the groomed trail.
|
 |
The race lap was 6 miles, and two laps took just over an
hour. The riding surface was hard-packed and crispy. The loop was mostly
wide XC-type ski trail, with some singletrack waiting near the bottom of
the loop. There were 6 foot berms on some of the turns and few jumps
thrown in for the photographers. After rolling to the bottom, there was
about a mile of sweet singletrack in aspen forest.
Race loop goes counter-clockwise. Aerial photo obviously not in
winter.
|
 |
Next came an all-too-short recovery section on wide XC ski
trail on the flats. But then the trail made a hard left to climb uphill
into the wind. These uphill portions of the course were all fully exposed
to the wind. This is where the race would be won or lost for sure.
Jason Sparks gets a little air as he rockets through the
aspen forest. Jason took 11th in the Men 40-49 division.
|
 |
The landscape looked like a white desert as the
wind whipped up small snow devils across the surface. From this point the
race resembled a road race as small packs of drafting riders
formed pelotons across the white desert to shield themselves from the
wind. If you were caught out in the open by yourself you could easily lose
5 minutes.
Joel Quinn takes first place and the National title in the
70-plus division. Congratulations to Joel!
|
 |
The uphill and upwind rollers continued until racers reached
a hard right and a steep ramp up to the top. Here you could begin to see
and hear people again. The wind increased as did the grade of the hill.
But you knew you were near the start/finish area so that provided extra
motivation.
Rick Morris gets his medal and National Championship jersey
in the Men 60 division. Way to go, Rick! At third place (on the right) is another Utah boy, Dick
Newson. |
 |
Once you'd climbed 400 vertical feet back to the top, you rolled into the start-finish
zone. There you had a huge
banked left-hander in front of all the spectators to start lap two.
Twelve miles. About 1000 vertical feet of climbing, but at 9000 feet
elevation, and climbing into the wind. On fat tires. Rick
reports he had to stay "on the gas" the entire time.
Joel and Rick pose at the top of the mountain. Looking like... winners.
|
|
