Dirty Spokes 6 Hour
Here’s a video of the start.
I rolled wide around that first turn to avoid any potential pile ups and latched on to the lead group of 10 or so. We made the second pass then headed for the single track. It was already single file before we even got there. I was somewhere in the top ten over all and feeling good. I laid down a strong pace to take advantage of the good start. Andy Applegate was a few spots up from and racing on a tean with his wife, Cara, so I used him as my rabbit. I didn’t need to close the gap, just maintain it. That worked for about a half lap until he pushed harder than I cared to go on some of the climbs. Then I hear Shey Lindner chatting me up from behind. We road together for while and then he too rode away. Shey was in my class though, so that was a concern. While we rode together we discussed who was where and then the weather. Yeah, discussing the weather at full on race pace. Anyway, the potential rain was discussed….he did not want to ride in and I was looking forward to it. I enjoy a good mud bath.
Just past the start of the second lap I saw Greg Turner coming on very steadily. We rode together for a the rest of the lap, but I lost him as we started the third lap. My speed has certainly increased, but I’m still figuring out how to pace with it. It’s going to be a another race or two until I nail it down. Hopefully it’s a moving target as I get stronger. Soon after Greg rolled away Josh Nix caught up. We didn’t stay together for long as I was struggling a bit at this point. He’d pull away on the climbs and I claw back on the descents, but eventually strength wins over skills.
I kept the pace steady through the rest of the lap hoping to recover a bit for the last few laps. Based on our pace to this point we’d be going for 6. The rain started at the end of lap 3. I picked up the pace just in case the race gets called early. I rolled through the pit, took my bottle and powered away. The rain was coming down in buckets and the course quickly became creek bed. I tried to avoid the bigger puddles to keep momentum, but many were just unavoidable. Andy Applegate, back after a one lap break, caught me a couple of miles into lap 4. I jumped on his wheel, which turned out to be a great move. We were getting deep into traffic as we caught the back end of the race. He did a great job of moving through and I just had to follow. He left me on the one long climb about 2/3s through the lap, but I kept the pace up as the rain let up.
Lap 5 was a mess. The rain stopped and the mud congealed into a peanut butter type paste. Traction on the climbs was minimal and standing was no longer an option. I kept the pace as high as I could, but the muck was just sucking energy away with each mile. I’d reel in a rider as we climbed and then have to surge to get ahead on the descent so I would not have to slow down much. Some riders were walking down the more technical sections other were just blowing through turns when their brakes failed. My Magura Martas performed beautifully as did the Continental tires. I ran the Mountain King up front with it’s aggressive and widely spaced knobs for control and the Race King in the rear since it was super light and fast rolling. The Race King was surprising good when the mud was it’s worst. Certainly a mud tire the Mtn King would have been better, but at a weight penalty for the rest of the race.
I started doing the math half was through lap 5 and knew I would not be bother with lap 6. We had to be finished with our lap by 4 PM (6 hours in) in order for it to count. My early laps were just under an hour, but with the mud there was no way. I backed off a bit, but then saw a rider closing in and looking at me like I might be a step closer to the podium. I punched up up a climb and drilled until the finish line. 5:19 minutes, no time for another. I handed the timing chip in and headed for the showers (or hose as the case may be).
I checked the results after two hosing to get the mud off me & the Rotwild. The results read that I was finished in 12th with only 4 laps. Shey had dropped out and someone I did not recognize was in 3rd. I asked the time keepers about it and they went to work. I checked back about 45 minutes later and still no updates. I asked again, but got a blanket response about them working on all the results and to please be patient. Patience on an empty stomach after a race is hard to come by. I was expecting some sort of food vendor or post race meal, but there were neither. I did manage to score a burger from some nice folks, but that barely put a dent in my appetite.
I checked back one more time and still no changes. There were a number of discussion about missing laps and missing results. I tried to find someone who seemed to be in charge, but that was not easily answered by more than one volunteer. I don’t want to beat up the Dirty Spokes crew, especially since I know the director could not be present due to a death in the family, so we’ll leave it at I was a little disappointed and opted for a full belly over an argument about 3rd or 4th place. The Mexican restaurant could not come fast enough.
Pictures will be added as they are compiled. Many thanks to Mark D, Mike Livingston & Dave Muse for the photos seen here.
Huge thanks to John Muse and the Muse girls for their help at the race and Mark B for the ride.