Brother Lee AZ Race Report

This past Saturday saw the second race of the 2009 Mountain Bike Association of Arizona State Championship Series come to McDowell Mountain Regional Park, located north of the town of Fountain Hills. The weather was typical for an Arizona “winter,” with partly cloudy skies and an afternoon high in the low 70s. The race was held on the race designed competition loops of the park. The competition loops consist of a 3 mile long sport loop, a 3 mile long technical loop, and a 7 mile long loop. All of the loops can be linked together without coming back through the parking lot to form a 10 mile long perimeter loop. I competed in the collegiate men’s race, which consisted of one perimeter loop and one technical loop connected to a long loop for a total distance of 19.5 miles.

As has become normal for me the collegiate category started with the single speed category. This made for a starting group of around 35-40 riders. At the command to start I was around 6th of 7th wheel trying to chase down my teammate Tim who had gotten the whole shot. I was able to catch up to him and make a pass approximately 2 miles into the first lap. Somewhere near the end of my first lap, I had gotten sort of lazy out in no mans land and while letting some faster riders by, Tim passed me back latched onto the wheel of one of those faster riders. My immediate thoughts were, “Holy shit! Where did you come from?” So I latched onto his wheel and passed him back less than a mile later. From that point on I never looked back and hammered all the way. After completing my first perimeter loop, I went out onto the technical loop which has two really fun ledge drops as well as a long climb with some long switchbacks to the top of a mesa. The descent off of the mesa was quite twisty and full of baby-heads. After the technical loop it was back out onto the long loop for another 7 miles almost at the edge of bonking. In the end, I was able to pull off my second win in as many races. Again I believe the a full season of cyclocross as well as the Church of the Big Ring socks were powerful factors in the win.

Post race hanging out and celebrations were started off with good friends from Team ZumBala. After hanging with the ZumBala crew, it moved over to Team Missing Link’s area to share some of their fine Four Peaks 8th Street Ale from the keg and to relax on their oh so comfortable couch. Thanks to all for their wonderful hospitality!

My ASU Cycling Team had one of our largest showings with a total of 5 riders with two in the collegiate women’s race, two in the collegiate men’s race, and one in the expert race. We were 1st and 2nd in the collegiate men’s race, 1st in the collegiate women’s race, and 1st in the men’s expert 19-29 race.

So that’s it for this report. Next weekend I’m heading down to the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo to throw it down with my team named “El Fuego En Mis Pantelones!!!”

Hail Eddy!!!

-Brother Lee