Repairing or upgrading your bike! Look for items on UMB site Discussion board for bike fanatics! Visit the UMB store!
Css Menu Javascript by Vista-Buttons.com v4.3.0

UtahMountainBiking.com
Team Photo Scrapbook 2014
 

Scrapbook Index
Team Index Page
Team Roster
Racer Info


Race 2 of the 2014 UtCX season got underway at 9:30 on Saturday October 4. Shortly before race time, brilliant fall sunshine hit the grass, quickly drying the dew and turning the gooey dirt of the Weber County Fairgrounds into lightning-fast hard-pack. Beautiful weather and fine racing!

Dave Benson leads a cyclocross pack in the second (10:30) race, heading eastbound about 1/4 mile from the start line.

The course was 1.5 miles in length. There were some fun challenges, but the theme of the loop was straight-out cranking. Like a Crit on dirt. There were plenty of grind-it-out straightaways as the race ran clockwise through multiple laps.
The race started westbound at the edge of the trees in the equestrian skills area in the middle of the horse race track. The initial sprint seemed very short as huge groups of racers fought to get to the first turn in good position.

Looking east as the Masters 55-plus group gets ready for their race at 9:30. While it looks like frost, the white stuff is thick dew.

After the first sprint to the west, the course turned 90 degrees north then 110 back to the east. Already racers were spread out in long columns of two to three abreast, tire to tire.

On lap one, Joe Benson sprints south with Ben Lomond Peak in the background. A bit further on, Joe is knocked out of the race with two flat tires.

Here racers hit the first choke point -- a whoop and drop by the fire hydrant. More than once, a rider lost control in the drop and veered into the course marking tape. The poles were uprooted more than once! 

Mike Engberson rolls out of the whoop-and-drop in the Men 35B wave.

Now a couple of tight turns sent racers back southbound in a zigzag pattern, ending up eastbound right next to the start-finish zone.

Dan Hutchings tips into a turn as he heads between the whoop and the barriers.

Here was a double barrier, nicely placed just across the outbound path from the viewing area.

Jeff Kingsford launches himself up and over the first of the two barriers. Behind him is the judges stand.

Now it was time to sprint north. In the middle of the fast grass came a dip and quick left turn leading up to a sharp hump of dirt. After riding north in grassy weeds along the inside edge of the race track, the course crossed to the northeast of the horse track.

In lap one of the 11:30 women's race, Colleen Tvorik sprints across the scant grass in the equestrian skills area.

Waiting across the track was one semi-tricky off-camber dip-turn, then a couple of whoops up the slope and back down. Nothing too tricky. A couple of turns in the trees, and it's off on a straightaway to the south.

Corey Spencer aims the bike back downhill as he hits the apex of an up-and-around.

At the far south end, racers hit two step-ups. I was impressed when C rider next to me hit this first barrier head-on, riding right up and over it. Nice.

Rick Morris attacks the first step-up. About 50 feet further on is another two-foot step up as the course turns toward the horse racing track.

The loop now did a 180 and joined the horse race track for a northbound sprint before veering left and back to the equestrian "trials" area.

Dodging the mud, John Twitchell heads northbound on the race track.

After a quick turn, it was time to head for the finish area. So much of this loop was high-speed "power at lactate threshold" riding, it was a totally different experience than last week's tricky slippery tech-fest. 

On the home stretch, Jason Sparks keeps cranking as he approaches the finish line -- and the log.

At the east edge of the row of spectator canopies waited the traditional log. Some bunny-hopping experts successfully jumped the log without dismounting. About one of three attempters bit the dirt.

From the log, it was a quick 200 feet to the finish line.

Dallin Hatch flies over the log. Still looking energetic after... how many laps?

Thanks to Mike for shooting pics of the first race. We've got 150 pictures for you to browse. Click here to go to Bruce's photo gallery.

And if, for whatever reason, you want a track file of the loop, here it is.

This guy is not the oldest racer on the course. He just feels that way.

UtahMountainBiking.com Team Results!

   Masters 55-plus
       Jeff Kingsford 10th
       Rick Morris 14th
       Bruce Argyle 18th
       Joe Benson DNF
   Men 35-plus C
      Dan Hutchings 25th
      Corey Spencer 31st
   Clydesdale
      John Twitchell 6th

Men 45-plus
     Jason Sparks 11th
     Dave Benson 20th
Men 35-plus B
     Mike Engberson 10th
Men B
     Dallin Hatch 9th
Women Singlespeed
     Colleen Tvorik 2nd
Junior Women
     Rebecca Sparks 6th
     Rachel Sparks 9th


<<Previous Race

[ Return to Scrapbook 2014 Index Page ]

Next Race>>

[Team Index Page]  [Team Roster by Category]  [Team Member Profiles]  [Team Signup]