So the nationals occurred this weekend, pretty cool I bet but four of us (Parker, Charlie, Micah, and myself) decided we wanted to be punished up in Breck this weekend.
The B68 course was amazing, and even more so since the promoter decided to change about 15 miles of it at the last minute! He definitely added more singletrack (Colorado Trail, Toxic Forest, Blue River Trail, Indiana Creek) which was awesome but it dialed up the suffering so much more. The overall winning race time was 30 minutes longer than last year.
Props go to Micah who not only finished with the fastest time (6:48?) but also had to endure a flat tire change that included a disc pad removal (unintentional) and a complete tire exchange from his wife’s bike at the 35 mile mark. Micah turned himself inside out to get 3rd in the crazy strong 30-39 class. Strong effort man!
Charlie was Mr. Consistency and got 3rd in the 40-49 class. His visit to the pain cave should be something to remember for a long time.
Parker showed that he isn’t afraid of riding anything in Breckenridge. I think he actually liked the climb going up Indiana Creek! Apparently he rode another 30 miles at elevations up to 12,000 feet the day after the race. I sense a podium finish at the 12 hours of Rage in the Sage for Parker.
Thanks to Jason, Steph, and Betsy for providing support for us lunatics. It was great to have them at Carter Park!
As for me, I proved once again that Breckenridge eats tires. I flatted twice within 200 feet on the rear tire. That was 1:15 and just over 10 miles into the race. Somehow the tire and bulging tube held up for the next 60 miles. Crazy. Personally I couldn’t have been more prepared for the race and I fell truly really good about how I rode. Once I was long gone from the lead group I was content with catching as many people as possible and just staying hydrated and cramp free. I drank nearly 10 bottles of electrolytes, ate a dozen Ecaps, dropped my shorts on top of Boreas Pass for some chamois butter, and took a much needed cool down break with Parker on Indiana Creek. There is nothing like dunking your head in a cold mountain stream on a cloudless mid-70s day at 10,000 feet. I would have stayed there all day if the water was any deeper.
4 racers riding Bikeparts.com kits all on Giant AnthemX bikes all finishing in the top 10. Thanks for a great weekend!
Colin M
Peak Cycles - BikeParts.com Blog 