Chequamegon Fat Tire 2011 Helmet Cam!
Sorry this took me awhile to upload!
Overall, I think the video quality was awesome. The video was edited from 2+ hours. I would have liked to have the helmet adjusted to view farther up the trail. Not bad for my first try with the helmet cam IMO.
Chequamegon Fat Tire 2011 Cable, WI
Race Report- This was my third forty-mile Fat Tire and I was mentally prepared for the start. There were no crashes, in front of me, anyway. At Rosie’s field I was around 25th position. When we hit the woods I was around 15th position. After a couple riders popped I made it in the front group of ten. I was at the back of the train. I kept trying to move up in the group, but so was everyone else. Over each hill I would have to go very hard to try and keep the pace set by the RadioShack rider who pulled the majority of the race. With twenty-six miles to go I had not been able to get into a better position in the group and I was dropped. I rode by myself for quite awhile. I was caught a couple miles before Fire Tower Hill. With five miles to go Steve Tilford did not really even attack but just went hard. There was a little gap to him and I did not want to work to get him and neither did anyone else. After the last gravel road, with two miles to go, I gave it everything. Cam had me worried as I looked back. I really thought the race was for tenth place. Turns out I was eighth because one of the roadies flatted. It makes me happy that a Midwest guy won. Yeah Matter!!
My dad keeps getting closer to his goal of top-100 in the Short and Fat! He placed 132nd this year. It was another memorable father/son weekend.
Coming down the last hill into the finish area. Skinnyski Photo.
U23 XCO World Championships Champery, CH
I placed 41st. It is hard to be excited about the result, but the race itself was one of my best this season. It makes me proud to say that I raced a complete season; nationally and internationally while riding for the USA, and the BMC mtb Development Team. It was an honor.
Already, I am looking forward to representing the USA again next year at World Championships in the Saalfelden-Leogang region of Austria. Before I count my eggs, there are going to be a few quick first-year U23′s that will surely make me work for my spot. I have driven through Austria, yet spent no time in the country. I remember seeing several hang gliders catching an air current off of an enormous rock face.
Fat Tire is up next! I am trying to make it home by tomorrow night so I can spend one night at home before heading up and over to Telemark Resort where my dad and I have a condo for the weekend. I would really like to see TJ, Matter, Hall, or Tristan take the win. Not necessarily in that order, but I would like to see TJ first.
My friend Antoine following me. We sat next to each other on the plane to Columbia this past Spring.
Getting my arms really wide for extra stability.
Pre race pictures: World Championships Champery, CH
Here are some pictures.
My favorite Swiss chalet!
Nino Schruter's World Championship bike from 2009 is on display in our hotel's reception area.
The tires up close.
Howard Grotts was stung by a bee in his sleep and awoke with a super swollen arm.
The tennis courts outside Kerry's and my room.
Our room.
Swiss Racer Bikes Cup Muttenz, CH
Last Sunday we competed in the last race of the Swiss National Series races. Describing the course: flat, man made features, horse track, bike path, ten percent single track; makes it sound not so fun. As it turned out, the tactical nature of the race made for great, close racing.
The race was less than a one-hour drive from the USA Mountain Bike Camp in Friburg, Germany. It could have almost been considered a home race for us (despite being in the wrong country, much less state). The inside of the horse track enclosed the spectator area, team area, and the many man made features: including small drops, stairs, and a pump track section. Also in the infield, a dirt jump park was set up. The twenty or so DJ’ers, clearly professionals, entertained spectators throughout the day of cross-country races.
Kerry, Russell and I all had good days. Kerry had the most impressive result, finishing 30th. He went on a solo mission in between groups of racers who’s tactical games were of no interest to him. Russell played it safe in the group and revved his engine on the finishing straight, coming around a few guys to sneak into 36th. I placed 46th, just under seven minutes back. I was much more happy with my time back from the winner, Julien Absalon, than my placing itself.
The only picture I have of the dirt jumps.
Sleepover with Speedy Pete
Well in advance of arriving in Colorado Springs for the past training camp, the Johnson family offered me a place to stay with them in Copper, Co. The offer was valid at any time during the two week period leading up to the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race. It was their family vacation, and a major goal was earning another belt buckle at the race for the family man, father, Ben Johnson. On his way to a sub ten hour finishing time, Ben took a tumble while descending around the two-thirds point of the race. Zipping along, to tumbling along, Ben needed stiches of stitches and lots of gauze to soak up his leaky wounds.
On August 14th and 15th Peter Johnson and I spent some time together. Michelle Johnson and company met me half way in Buena Vista so I could pick up Peter for the night, sleep at the O.T.C. and go mountain biking the next day. It was late when we rolled back into town so after a Chipotle run, we went to bed. The next morning at breakfast is when the real fun started! The CU Boulder volleyball players suddenly started paying me attention! Even the cafeteria cooks began to make conversation beyond the very friendly usual, “Good morning Jack! Two or three eggs this morning?” I decided to tell people that Peter was my cousin. Friend or cousin, it is all the same. If there is a better way to meet girls than hanging out with a stud eight year old, I have yet to find it.
I told Peter they had everything to eat, but he stumped me first try. “Sushi.” Peter is a high-class eater and Sushi is not what’s for breakfast. After our Sushi-less breakfast Peter played Angry Birds on my Mac while I had attended a quick USADA meeting. If he was in trouble I told him to just pick up the phone inside my room and start pressing buttons. Red Rocks Park, just outside of Old Colorado City is where we decided to go mountain biking. I think Peter’s favorite part of the ride was whenever we saw small cacti. He also liked the dirt jumps and skills park. We went to the river for recovery and tried our luck at catching trout with a towel. There was lots of effort, but no luck. The rest of the Johnson family picked up Peter from his first sleep over that afternoon on their way back to Minneapolis. It was another perfect, Colorful Colorado day.
Entrance area.
Peter liked the dirt bikes a lot.
In the dirt jump park at Red Rocks.
Nice little rock garden in Red Rocks.
Swiss Bike Trophy Bern, CH
A training race with a quality field was held in the town of Bern this past Thursday. It was scheduled to be about an hour of laps on a 1.6km course. There was no dirt, but a mountain bike was necessary as logs, crates, flyover and stairs, were some of the obstacles.
Rain, lighting, and thunder began a few minutes after the start. We raced around the Capital Building. I was lapped pretty quickly. An unforgettable race though, absolutely.
The start of the mens race just before the rain started.
