NW Cup #2

Rachel, Edward and Dani all headed back up to PA this weekend for the NW Cup #2. This was also the first stop on the Pro GRT tour, so they were treated to seeing some top DH racers rip it up as well! Race report soon....maybe?

Results

Cat II Open Women

Rachel Delateur, 6th

Cat III Men 19-29

Edward Vergara, 3rd

Cat III Women 30-39

Dani Vergara, 3rd

Budu Final Race: Soaring Eagle

What a way to end the series! Not only was the weather warm enough for sightings of shirtless racers at the finish line and pale white Washingtonian legs, but there was cash and schwag at the end. Dani even managed to score a pair of $150 Specialized sunglasses! I walked away with a waterbottle, but the pinkish tinge of a sunburn was very satisfying. Theresa was still out with a sprained ankle, but Dani represented GL6 during the beginner race and earned third place! Erin, John, Dave, Kyle, and Edward raced the Sport race and Erica was back from her injury in the Singlespeed category.

The course was identical to the previous Soaring Eagle race, in layout and conditions. Though it was sunny, the previous day's rain created some soft muddy sections the gave the calves a nice splattering. Unlike last time, however, the race organizers decided to let the Sport women start first instead of last, with a three minute interval between them and the next category. Last time around, only one woman was able to complete the entire four laps without being lapped and pulled off the course, so the point was to give the women a head start so they wouldn't get lapped. Thoughtful though this gesture was, it did not work as intended. Instead of only getting passed by a few leaders at the end of the race, the women were now passed by over half of the ENTIRE sport category throughout the race. On top of this, places to pass effectively were limited. I found myself riding off into the bushes, taking poor lines, loosing speed and spinning out to let someone pass me, which made getting into a good groove nearly impossible. Those passing were forced into an equally awkward position while trying to pass strings of people that were going slower than they were. Good idea gone wrong, but at least everyone, both women and men, were equally screwed =) In the end, the constant passing was more an annoyance than something that sucked up time.

Unfortunately, Kyle had his first mechanical of the year, breaking the chain on his sweet new singlespeed ride. That didn't stop him from dominating the U-18 category for the series; he had enough top three finishes under his belt to keep him in the first place slot for the series in the Sport U-18 category. I had my best race of the season so far, complete with an all-out push to the finish, shaving three minutes off my previous time for the course and finishing 2nd in both my age category, overall for the Sport women, and for the series. David finished a solid 9th, breaking the top 10 for his large age category, and Erica finished 3rd. This was a great early season series!! Well-organized, mellow, and FUN!

Results

Beginner Women 30-39

Dani Vergara, 3rd

Sport Men 30-39

Edward Vergara, 13th

Sport Men 40+

David Snyder, 9th

John Curtin, 20th

Sport U-18

Kyle Curtin, DNF (mechanical)

Sport Women 30-39

Erin Roe, 2nd

Sport Singlespeed

Erica Keller, 3rd

Budu #5: Ft. Steilacoom

Ft. Steilacoom Park is located just off a busy street, boasting sprawling parking lots, three soccer fields, a dog park and some random red barns. The starting line was set up in a wide grassy field, with a stand of trees at the far side and no visible hills whatsoever. Looking at this landscape, we assumed the race course would be mellow, maybe twisty, but mostly flat and fast. Derik even brought his single speed cyclocross bike, feeling it might be the best performer given the terrain. At the registration tent, one of the race organizers mentioned that each 4.5 mile lap had 1100 feet of elevation gain. Not possible, we thought. 1100 feet in 4.5 miles? Here? We were wrong.

If there is anything the course was not, it was flat. With the exception of the starting sprint into the trees and the singletrack, the course was constant up and down. There was no sustained climbing, but many short climbs, and three lung-busters. The course started off tightly twisting through trees, where there were some large log rollers, and then it headed up some doubletrack to the water towers that was the first (and steepest) climb. After a short downhill section where I crashed on my second lap, the course climbed back up and opened up into a field of small bushes and scotch broom. The course ended with a fast downhill section. With the climbs, log rollers, fast downhills and hairpin turns, racers were kept on their toes the entire time. The course was an unexpected pleasure to ride!!

Results

Beginner Women 30-39

Dani Vergara, 4th

Sport Women 30-39

Kerry Tarullo, 1st

Erin Roe, 4th

Sport Men 30-39

Edward Vergara, 15th

Sport Men 40+

David Snyder, 13th

John Curtin, 26th

Sport SS

Derik Archibald, 7th

Lee Peterson, 9th

Sport U-18

Kyle Curtin, 2nd

Expert Men 40+

Bernie Miller, 6th

Expert Women 40+

Michelle Kautzmann, 4th

Budu #4: Cookin in the Kettles, Ft. Ebey State Park

What an awesome weekend! While Rachel and Edward were representing GL6 in the NW Cup in Port Angeles, Lee, Kerry, Todd, Matt, Erin, Erica, Kyle, Theresa and David were across the Puget Sound at beautiful Ft. Ebey State Park on Whidbey Island. It was a preview of the summer to come; camping in a beautiful location, surrounded by a horde of other mountain bikers, racing along dry (!) trails that served up a hearty helping of challenges for the skills and the lungs. Pure NW bliss!

The weekend started out on a good note: we ended up scoring the LAST campsite in the entire campground! On top of that, the rain that battered everywhere else (including our teammates in PA) passed through briefly at night, leaving the sandy trails nice and tacky without being muddy for the race the next morning. We even had sunbreaks during the race!!

The course was the best of the Budu series, hands down. Perfect trails twisted through beautiful coastal forest with peek-a-boo views of the beach and the Sound for those who could tear their eyes away from the course. Colin, our photographer for the day, reported to seeing a racer stop and take a photo during the race. The 95% singletrack course had a bit of everything; climbs, roots, tight turns, switchbacks going both up and down, and ripping downhill sections (which more often then not ended in a hairpin turn leading to another steep uphill) Beginners did one loop (7 miles) Sport/Singlespeed did two laps (14 miles) and Experts did three laps (21 miles) My GPS reading for the 14 sport course clocked 2570 feet of elevation gain.

As icing on the cake, several GL6 racers walked away with medals around their necks. Matt Jagger earned 2nd place in the single speed category, with the second best time in the sport/singlespeed class overall. Erica and Kerry Tarullo (GL6er in all but name) represented for the ladies, with Kerry earning 1st place in Sport Women 30-39 on her single speed, and Erica taking 2nd in the women's single speed category. Erin joined Kerry on the podium, taking 3rd in 30-39 Sport women. Kyle continued his podium streak with 2nd place U-18 Sport, and Theresa earned her first medal, taking 2nd in the Beginner Women 30-39 category. And of course, we could be found at a local brewhouse (all ages of course, Kyle) raising a glass to another awesome weekend of camping and mountain biking in the Northwest.

Results:

Beginner Women 30-39

Theresa Nation, 2nd

Sport Men 40+

David Snyder, 13th

Sport Women 30-39

Kerry Tarullo, 1st

Erin Roe, 3rd

Singlespeed Men

Matt Jagger, 2nd

Todd Davison, 10th

Lee Peterson, 11th

Sport U-18

Kyle Curtin, 2nd

Singlespeed Women

Erica Keller, 2nd

NW Cup #1

While other GL6ers were across the sound at Ft. Ebey, Rachel, Edward and his wife Dani were ripping it up on their big bikes at NW Cup #1. Hopefully a race report to follow....

Results:

Cat II Men 30-39

Edward Vergara, 13th

Cat II Women 40+

Rachel Delateur, 4th

Cat III Women

Dani Vergara, 3rd