Frank Villalvazo was out capturing the action… Click here to see if photos. Like what you see you can email Frank to get your yours.

Another photographer around the lake was Lost Manifesto, who threw his photos “on the wall” last night too here and  Here.

Another set of photos comes from our Friends at the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. Derek Nye, James Metcalf, and Jason Rusnak are all racing for the cure! Check out event photos on their site, too.

Thanks to everyone who posts photos, including moms that are  proud of their sons (dads too)…post yours on our Facebook Page

Sid Taberlay racing at Downieville

H2O Overdrive has taken a top level hydration product to market, lining up events all over the country and contributing to the Action Sports scene in a big way.  As a sponsor of events like Battle of the Paddle, in Dana Point, CA, US Cup Mountain Bike Race put on by Sho-Air, and our very own Over the Hump Mountain Bike Race Series.  From the very beginning, H2O Overdrive set out to meet the needs of endurance and performance athletes in a marketthat competes with Goliath hydration products with thousands times the marketing budget and Coke sized mass distribution of  much larger companies. But H2O Overdrive is more than a marketing campaign. Putting their name on events is not a gimmick.  They are raising body performance awareness.  H2O Overdrive believes when put next to mega-market competitors in the athletic beverage department, there is not an equal.

Co-founders Randy Olshen and Terry Giles set out to do something different with H2O Overdrive. Having been in the health and nutrition business for years prior, they came up with a product that would change the way an athlete hydrated.  Randy tells me, “No other company can make this clinical claim, H2O Overdrive is the only hydration product on the market that truly hydrates at a cellular level”.  It’s a special mix of just the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, amino acids, and low glycogen/sugar content, which makes the product stand out, all delivered at a perfect PH balance best delivered in a liquid form (you can only find H2O Overdrive in a bottle).

“People need to address their body’s needs for performance,” Randy said, “with as much careful consideration and planning as they spend time and energy, in a bike shop.  An athlete can spend hours in a bike shop looking at all the carbon handlebars, lighter seat posts, and faster wheel sets, which is all good. But if you take that much energy picking a rear cassette, and don’t hydrate correctly during peak performance the athlete can’t perform.”

So for the gear-head “in” all of us, I wanted to take a look at what’s in the H2O mix.  H2O Overdrive balances a  proprietary mix of protein, carbohydrates, electrolytes, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, then add to that that it contains only 3 grams of sugar per serving. Those minerals, without a huge load of sugar added make for some mean science.  Some phenomenal athletes to rely specifically and only on H2O Overdrive for their nutrition needs during performance.

Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air/Specialized and H2O Overdrive Pro rider) racing Over the Hump Mtn Bike Race Series on August 3, 2010

Sid Taberlay, professional mountain bike racer for Sho-Air and world champion cross-country mountain bike champion literally only carries h2o’s product when he races, Sid told me  “Not only does H2O Overdrive fulfill my sweet tooth, it gets me through a mountain bike race, like no other product has ever done before. No gels or bars, simply H2O overdrive in my bottles which gets me through to the end of the race without much more than a sweat.” So when he showed up at the last race, with his bottle in the cage I sarcastically nudged him and said I was from UCI and wanted was going to make sure it was only h2o Overdrive in his bottle, rather than some other performance cocktail. With a silly Taberlay grin he spun off the lid of this bottle and offered me a swig…straight h2o Overdrive, right out of one of their bottles.  The skeptic in me actually had already been satisfied.

Quoting from H2O’s documentation here’s how it works.

“Based on extensive scientific research and numerous published studies, the team at Innovative Health Solutions developed the unique proprietary formula for H2O Overdrive™ to provide effective rehydration, boost energy and sports performance and aid muscle recovery. Hydration research studies have demonstrated the positive proof that a precise ratio of protein and carbohydrates promotes cellular rehydration and supports muscle recovery, including a recent study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism which measured the effectiveness of three different beverages in rehydrating athletes. This particular study was conducted on 13 endurance athletes who drank either (a) water or (b) a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink or (c) a protein-carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink or water after losing 2.5% of their body weight through exercise-induced sweat loss. Investigators found that the protein-carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink rehydrated athletes 15% better than the carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink and some 40% better than water.”

So on those long extended competitive or athletic efforts our bodies breakdown and dehydrate. H2O Overdrive takes that dehydrated and depleted cell, not just masking the effects of dehydration but truly rehydrating the cells, allowing for more effective and longer lasting hydration during the effort. That mix of protein to carbohydrate ratio in H2O Overdrive, provides the perfect balance to rehydrate intracellular fluids optimizing the absorbsion and utilization of electrolytes in the body. Electrolytes are the chemicals that form electrically charged ions in the body fluids. These ions carry the electrical energy necessary for numerous physiological functions including muscle contractions and the transmission of nerve impulses.

So what’s in it? (full chart below) Besides the noted proteins, carbs and minerals, there are two other essential ingredients in H20 Overdrive, that are delivered in perfectly measured amounts to optimize performance. Taurine and Caffeine. Both essential. Here’s how they work:

Taurine is a major building block for all proteins in the body – it is the principle free intracellular (inside the cells) amino acid in human and animal tissues – found in extremely high amounts in the brain and in myocardium, skeletal and smooth muscle. Taurine is classified as an essential amino acid – it is found in all meats, fish, eggs and milk. Taurine besides its use in cognitive response and mental alertness has extreme anti-oxidant activity.

Caffeine: research has shown, with positive results that caffeine can improve endurance in sports like cycling, running and other endurance sports. Caffeine is shown to decrease fatigue and increase mental acuity.

Glycogen is the immediately consumed fuel for muscles (stored in the muscles), but fat is the most prominent and stored food source.   But fat is not the body’s first stop for reserves. So caffeine, when consumed in conjunction with carbohydrates has an additive effect on muscle glycogen accumulation, and the caffeine also forces the muscles to use stored fat first, saving the muscle’s glycogen reserves for use later. Net Result: fuel within the body is used more efficiently. Studies have shown that moderate caffeine use in physical activity can actually increase output by up to 7%.

How does it compare to others? H2O Overdrive ™ actually pulls nutrients into the muscle cells of the person using it, and does so about 30 to 40% better than pure water or other types of sports drinks can. It actually hydrates the body at the cellular level (intracellular—inside the cells) unlike any other. Intracellular hydration is the mechanism that drives energy, glycogen resynthesis, muscle function, stamina, protein synthesis and recovery. many people “perceive” that high sugar products give you energy – TRUTH is those high sugar products actually can do more harm than good by causing unwanted insulin spikes resulting in instability in your blood sugar levels and a NET Loss in energy available to the working muscles. In addition, consuming high amounts of sugar puts the user at a greater risk for developing diabetes and other health complications and weight gain. So put it against others and you can see for yourself what the each offer.

Compared to energy drinks:

Compared to goos, gels, and powders: click here

After I’d heard Sid say all he rides with is Overdrive, I thought I’d give it a whirl. Mountain biking from Cook’s corner to Old Camp (a two hour ride with 2.500 plus vertical feet of climbing) I usually go through a gel of some kind, carry a sports drink, and have a bar depending on how much I’ve eaten. Almost inevitably on this ride my legs cramp and have to drop an Endurolyte (or five) to recover.

So last weekend when I loaded my bottle I poured Overdrive in my bottle.  I am a believer! Literally, not one cramp and I felt consistently strong along the ride.  In fact, even though I’m only a once a week rider right now, I made it to Old camp with 5 minutes of rest along the way in 1 hour 19 minutes….my personal best. My minds made up: I plan to pack H2O Overdrive in my bottles for endurance rides from now on.

So whether your convinced by empirical data, or just the good old fashioned “I’ll give it a try myself” approach, know this: all roads lead to the same place. H2O Overdrive is the real deal. Get all the product information at http://h2ooverdrive.com

Each of your photos should be up online by the end of the week available for Hi-Resolution purchase and prints. Below are a few quick shots from this week’s race. Look for the rest soon.

A special Thanks to Jason for Coming out and shooting the season. He get’s rewarded next week by getting to race with You!

Jason organizes the photos by classes and tries to grab a shot or two of each racer every week. Here’s a quick sample of the photos. Get yours HERE!

Follow Craig’s tips and you’ll find your way to  faster results:

Over the Hump is convenient, but it’s not easy. The atmosphere at the Hump race is relaxed and incredibly scenic. There is a kid’s race, how hard could this short local Tuesday evening be? You may not realize it before your first race, but within 3 minutes your heart rate will be maxed out and you’ll be producing truck loads of lactic acid! And that’s just the beginning; the race is only 4 minutes young!

Craig Hopps(Right) with his some of his athletes including Costa Rican National Champ Manny Prado (197) between Bow Lemp (left) and Josh Kompa

For the next 40-80 minutes you will find yourself in a semi-conscious sluggishness navigating the dusty crowded course at the limit of your ability!   Remarkably, at the conclusion you’ll find yourself uttering the unthinkable, “That was fun”.

So how do you prepare for this type of “fun”?  As a coach I get this question a lot. After all, no one likes to get dropped! So let me throw out 5 training tips with the disclaimer that each of us is physiologically unique and general information is, well, general. It may not apply. That is why every program I have ever designed is unique to the individual.  Many athletes make the mistake of self coaching through general published truths like piecing a training jigsaw puzzle together from 8-10 different boxes- it turns into a mess! Getting your training comprehensively “dialed in” will require the interaction of a good coach. (That is my commercial) So that being said, let’s talk a little here.
Tip #1: Take the Wednesday off or pedal around easy for short ride to actively recover. The Hump is hard! You have to know that the top pros in Europe are fearful of 60 minute TT effort. It is one thing to “sit in” for 4-5 hours on a road ride, but go as hard as you can for 60 minutes against the clock with no drafting, well, that’s a very different affair altogether. For the most part, the Hump effort resembles a Time Trial in that you go as hard as you can for the duration.  It is hard. Let it be known, this little evening effort will take you down a few pegs. You’ll be tired the next day for sure, so appreciate that you went hard and acknowledge it with needed rest. Even if you “feel” good the next day, chill! Yup, I said it out loud, chill.
Tip #2: Don’t train hard Sunday or Monday. Like prepping your car for a long trip, prepare your body to perform well. Let your Body recover and load up its energy for the race on Tuesday night. Make sure you get plenty of food and sleep on these two important days. If it is hot out like last Tuesday, make an effort to drink more fluids. If you’re a vitamin taker, remember to take them too! Lastly, on Monday give your bike a good once over to ensure your stead is ready to go too.

Craig Mixing it up with the Experts at Over the Hump

Tip#3: All that is left of your training week is Thursday-Saturday. On these days you would be a complete rider if you logged a “base” and “interval” workout. The “base” is simply an aerobic 2 hour plus ride where you go relatively easy. No jumps, bursts, or otherwise hard efforts.  Light and easy on the pedals keeping your cadence at a steady 90+ rhythm. I recommend you put this ride on Thursday. As far as “intervals” go, I recommend you put those ugly little efforts on Saturday AM.  Start by going out for a 30 min warm up with a few good efforts to pry open your physiology. Then drill out 6 X 1-2 minute all out explosions where you go as hard as you physically can. These short 1-2 minute efforts are “Rip the pedals off your bike and eat them” type of animal grunts. The more pain, the more gain today. Yup, time to really pour yourself into the work out. If you do these right, no one will want to train with you on Saturday!  Take 4-6 minutes of easy granny gear type of recovery between your efforts to get a complete recovery.  During your rest period let the kid on a tricycle pass you! You’ll love what intervals will do for your Hump performance. And you’ll cuss me after your first one!

Josh Kompa Men's Sport 1 racer

Tip #4: Your Friday & Sunday rides should be more base riding, or off depending on your normal weekly training volume. Here again, it depends on the individual and where you are with your fitness level.  Please do not increase your volume and intensity all at once in order to get faster at the Hump. You’ll find yourself over-trained and a beautiful race will get less enjoyable for you. Go hard at the Tuesday Hump and on Saturday’s intervals. Make the rest “base” days up to your normal weekly volume. With this approach you should be generally pretty good!

Men's Beginner 3 Series Leader, Bow Lemp, gained 3 minutes on his time last Summer, after coaching with Craig.

Craig’s been out racing with us every Tuesday in the Expert Class and working with some of his clients on the course.  Here’s a little testimony from two “Humpers” as Craig called them.  Craig is coaching these two athletes. Check out what they have to say:

1. Bow Lemp who owns Estate Services AV and can train just 3-4 days a week. He is currently leading the Men’s Beginner 3 Class and here is what he has to say:

“All I can say is WOW regarding the results I have gotten from your training program. Recently, I competed in the Over the Hump Race Series (2009).  After looking over my finish times between the first two races, I noticed I had improved more than 3 minutes. On a short 11 mile course, 3 minutes is a huge improvement. Considering that the two races were only about 2 weeks apart that is quite an improvement in such a short period of time.” – Bow L., Mission Viejo, CA

2.  Josh Kompa is shredding up the Sport 1 class:

“Craig Hopps’ (Efficiency Coaching) personal and professional experience and knowledge is clearly evident.  He personally tests every method and product.  He quickly recognized my needs and customized a program to help me succeed.  His passion for my improvement is contagious and motivating and will no doubt play a large part in my advancement for years to come.” – Josh Kompa.

You can contact Craig Hopps at www.efficiencycoaching.net.  Ask about the Over the Hump Coaching Special.

Hans Rey making an impression on Matt and Trail Angels Jacke Van Woerkem

Wheels4Life.org is a Hans Rey Charity, giving bicycles to people in need of transportation in third world countries, allowing them the means to get to school and work.

We’ll also have Crankbrother’s Dream Bikes on site.  This year Crankbrothers teamed up with Wheels 4 Life.  As part of this season’s display of all the latest “candy” CB and the team could hang on a bike, they partnered with industry leaders, the likes of Titus, Intense, Focus and Tomac as well as with a small group of partners – SRAM, Rock Shox, Avid, Fizik and Continental Tires.  End result they’ve sculpted art…high-end Dream Bikes, showing the best, prettiest, and freakin’ toughest bikes around.   At the end of the season Dream Bikes will be auctioned, and the proceeds of each bike sale will to to Wheels 4 Life.

Crankbrothers Dream Bikes will be on display

We’re proud to support Wheels 4 Life, with Hans.  You will be too.  Hang out a bit later next week.  Participate in the story, and find out how you can help!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 wasn’t just another Over the Hump for me…it was like my first, all over again. Kind of nostalgic, for me.   I remember reading Tonya Bray’s coverage in Mountain Bike Action online, and several of David Whiting’s race reports and news features from last summer.

Over the last year, waiting for the summer to start John and I got a little antsy waiting. The first two OTH’s last summer, had a “great community vibe, and grass roots feel”, as STR members and the reporters recounted their experiences.  OTH allowed racers like Sid Taberlay, Manny Prado, Johnny Omara and the like to race alongside 9 and 10 year old girls and boys.  What we remembered was the vibe, because neither of us had raced personally, in the series, it truly was the family fun and competitive nature of the event that brought us deep satisfaction being a part of this mountain bike phenomenon in Orange County; short course, midweek, all-level racing for everyone…no attitude (less for sure) and a ton of fun.  Summer 2009 has gone down in John and my books as one of the best summers in our history.  We’re honored to be part of your Over the Hump.

Matt's race bike, ready for some fallen tree clearing before the race

But, for me this week was different. I was preparing to race.  And when I get excited about something, I kind of fixate…A LITTLE.  Demo bike was my planned, rather than my 2.4″ tired 5.5″ suspensioned Specialized Stumpjumper, and I was super pumped. Short story, night before demo wasn’t returned so I took my very fast Stumpy into RockNRoad, put a 2″ tire on rear, rolled my 2.2″ Captain to the front tire, threw on an SDG Saddle (gotta roll with the sponsors….loved the saddle, stiff, light, perfect out of the box, won’t need any tweaks on angle or position, but that’s a different story)… and packed the spandex, shoes, helmet, and headed for the lake.

A typical Tuesday has me sitting at the microphone and working with the course marshals officiating, and Billy and John and a myriad of volunteers, doing the brainiac scoring, check-in etc. This week, I headed out on my bike to warm up a little and check the course for the last minute. Somewhere between the morning and the afternoon (course was already set up) 4 trees with 6 inch trunks had fallen accross the singletrack in the cottonwoods, so I got to work, a great pre-ride, into the cottonwoods with our little, handy dandy CHAINSAW.  It took the efforts of Matt from InCycle, Bill Stone, our Beginner 4 Points Leader and several other riders to move the 4 trees out of the course…all around 4:30pm…my heart was pounding, just from the adrenaline of the “what if we can’t get it cleaned up” option (all in the life of a glorious promotor’s world). After the tree was removed and the course clear, I rolled a couple sections of the course, and headed to the start.

The field was led out by our pros and experts, joined this week by Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air), along with expert Racers Ty Kady (Sho-Air) and our resident pro leaders Jason Siegle (Bike Religion) and Expert leader Jason Rusnak. Of course since they started, my wave was only two horn squawks away….my heart was pounding, like a 12 year old with the weight of the world on his shoulders at the 5th grade Jog-A-Thon.

Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air) charging with his H2OOverdrive socks and headed to a 3+ min. pro win (photo Jason Zindroski)

I’m not a race veteran, will kind of, my last race was Vision Quest, 2008, though mountain biking is a passion, I’m a trail rider, not a racer.  I started mountain biking for rehab and it stuck. (For those who love a back story,  you can pick a piece of it up here).   But to see everybody else race all season, made the contagious tingle be a little too much to bare so I decided to line up. Several riders had given me instructions. Get out fast, hold your line, get into the single track before it backs up.  One of my buddies actually offered to escort me through the course on his rear wheel…sounded like a good idea to me (at the time).

John started us off, and I literally headed out, top of my gears toward the single track and hit it in 5th or 6th position going in.  Rolled through the cottonwood section and down the drop out of the single track, along the fire road and into the S-Turns on the far side of the lake, then made the turn still with a large group of the S2’s who I was racing with in sight. (I wasn’t with them anymore, but they were in sight).  My glory, spent, and now the reality kicks in, since adrenaline was gone so was the rest of my group.

(photo Zindroski)

Making that left turn onto the flats on the back stretch of the course, my heart pounding, all I could think about was grabbing someone’s wheel. Actually, there were two thoughts, that gnarly steep/quick climb on the other side, which I’d have to climb 3 times over the course of the race. Uggh! I consider myself fit, usually can hang in the middle of a group ride, and love competition. But now 1/4 into my first lap, the competition was me versus me. I knew I had to finish or my ego would eat me for dinner. DNF not an option, I’d walk through the finish line if I had to.

Rolling through the staging area, I have to tell you the best thing I had going for my pained body was the smile from ear to ear I grew hearing my wife, and 2 and 3 year old saying “Go Daddy, Go!”, it gave me another little boost. (Good to be a hero in your kids eyes, even slipping to the back of my group). The back side of the course single track was my favorite section, super flowy and tight in sections, with the killer roll off the bridge into the left 30 foot climb section immediately off the bridge.  Interesting to me, was though there was a little congestion through the single track (read a few people in front and behind me) I never once was caught in a bottle neck.

From an organizers perspective I couldn’t be more proud of what happens out on the course. Kids were encouraged by almost every rider I heard and saw passing them (and me), riders who couldn’t make sections that could have clogged pulled their bikes out of the way to let people pass, and I had some great quick interchanges with people along the way.  Josh Baldwin (S2) and I rode down the backstretch on my third lap, and he told me, “I’ve raced 3 and I’m hooked; this is great for a dad with kids at home I love being able to race on Tuesdays, close to home and work. Thanks!”. (sorry Josh I know you didn’t know you were being interviewed. James Ackerman looked at me as I rode by him on the last climb and said, “hey, aren’t you supposed to be announcing?”

On lap 2 I found a rythym. It still hurt, but I was in my “no man’s slot” and riding solo, almost the entire two laps…good and bad I suppose.  The light changed all night long, so each time I hit a section into the sun it changed the ride…just another thing spectators miss watching the course. Easy to not notice some the technical aspects of racing in a group of people.  Several times I could see 50 feet in front of me, but not the single track below my tires, so I  pointed and shot…it worked out for me this time.

Back in the staging area, the festivities rocked on, like every night, pre-post race volunteers from Incycle and the Dream Bikes came out with Crankbrothers, to make it another great night at the Lake.

Lap three was my most eventful one, on the back flats I was pushing 19 miles an hour with my big ring, maxing out. Sid Taberlay, caught me (surprised I wasn’t), but he was all alone.  I think I saw him for 1 minute and he was around the corner up the hill, and onto finish more than 3 minutes ahead of the rest of the pro field.  As I climbed the last gnarly steep hill on the back side of the course I ran into one dad, running support for his Junior racer helping him up the back steep section with a turbo boost push, and he was a proud dad.

Then it got really interesting. At the top of the last fast descent I hung on the wheel of Pro Jason Siegle (my new claim to fame), for 10 seconds…and that’s essentially where my race ended.  I came up on our EMT with a rider in the right side of the road chucked my bike, waived riders through slowly, and waited for the paramedics to arrive.

Good news, Dan, the crashed rider is now out of the hospital and walking around, and still loves Over the Hump. However the bad news is Dan’s season is over.  He broke two ribs and suffered a concussion.  Fortunately that was the extent of the injuries for a serious fall. We wish you the best Dan.  Now enter some all-around good people. Candy, from Surf City Cyclery, who knew Dan was one of their own friends and customers,  suspected the injury might be him, rode a bike back to us at the injury.  Candy took care of all things personal that Dan had at the race…including calling family, taking his truck back to Huntington, and locking his bike up for safe keeping.  I was so impressed by each of the riders who rode by asking if they could do anything before continuing.  EMT’s, paramedics, and friends, thanks for all you did to help us during a less than perfect situation.

After sending Dan off to the hospital, I headed on in…knowing DNF was going to be a technical semantic , but heck, I rode the whole course to  get my 1:49:33.0 33rd place finish in the S3 category. That gives me 17 points for the season, and in strong competition for …my girls to keep cheering.

The more notable finishes of the night: movement happened in the S3 Series results with Derek Nye moving back into the #1 slot, and Craig Erion killing it in the S4 category and having worked himself into the #1 Series slot.

Pro finishes went: 1 Sid Taberlay , 2 Jason Siegle ,  3 Eric Bierman

Expert finishes went: 1 Johnny O’Mara , 2 Ty Kady Brea , 3 Jason Rusnak

The best battle of the night was faught between Women’s Sport class riders, and came down to a gnarly battle: 1 Wilhelmina Zuckerman (lost her chain and was down for 30 seconds in last lap, and keeps the Verizon Leader Jersey), two seconds behind her, 2 Amy Griffin , and two seconds behind her 3 Hilary Mann

There were plenty of other battles fought, won and lost out on the course, and you can find all the rest of the results on the RESULTS page.

"End of the race, everyone's smiling" STR (photo Zindroski)

So, from this Over the Hump “racer”, to the rest of our racers. Each of you who races each week, you’ve earned a huge congratulations and ton of respect from our Over the Hump Team.  I knew it was tough, and knew I’d suffer, and as my wife summed it up best at the end of my ride, looking at my dust goggled-tired face (Charity’s raced two beginner races herself), “I told you it was going to be tougher than you thought it would be, didn’t I”.  It was harder than I imagined, and much more fun, too.

Every rider out there rocks!

See you at the lake. We love this race, and all the people involved. Thanks for letting me be a 12 year old kid with you all for one week. Now I’ve got to get back to work and jump back on the microphone and exercise my gums for the rest of the season. If you’re a rider on the fence and been wondering what it’s like to race Over the Hump, like me, here’s how you can find out…CLICK HERE, JUST DO IT. $25 and an hour of your life, you’ll never have a regret.

Only 3 more races left…

Join us for B-B-Q and family fun. The last one was a blast and you won’t want to miss this one!

• Thanks to Orange County Jumpers for providing the kid’s obstacle course. 4pm-8:00pm.
• Kid’s race starts at 5:30pm. (Ages 5-10yrs old. Onsite Registration only).

And of course our Tuesday race for all other classes kicks off at 6:00pm.

• Online registration closes at 7:00pm
• -or- you can register onsite Tuesdays at 4:00pm until Race start.

We sure miss you when you’re not out there Jason, thanks for some more top-notch work!

It was a star studded night, as from the very beginning of the race,  Hans Rey shared his vision for Wheels 4 Life , getting bikes in the hands of people who need them helping people throughout the world through the introduction of bikes given to those who have need. We’ll be debuting the Wheels 4 Life Movie on August 24, in conjunction with crankbrothers Dream Bike Program. Proceeds from the sale of Dream Bikes go to fund Wheels 4 Life this year.

Congratulations to all the kids who finished the kids race at 5:30. Each week we’ll be having a kids race right before the main event for the rest of the season.  This week the top 3 were:

PLACE- NAME – BIB -# -TIME -AGE
1 -Kyler Waymire -563 12:34 -10
2- Ricky Kuciemba- 557 7:30- 10
3- Caleb Smith -564- 7:57- 9

David Tinker Juarez came out with Cannondale, and won the August 3 pro race. He still kills it at 49 years old.

Bike Religion our featured shop for the night, providing the course marshals and race support also brought out a bit of whoop and holler with Cannondale’s iconic David Tinker Juarez leading the pro-race charge. Tinker was in 1st place after the first lap of 10 pros and experts who jetted by the start/finish area, then would never be caught again, by Series Leader Jason Siegle (Bike Religion), who broke his frame as another rider fell on him during the race, and David Santos (Bike Religion), who chased Tinker around the loop finishing back 1 minut 44 seconds. All night Cannondale featured bike demos out of their demo truck.

And it was on, from the first horn.  A hole shot to the East side of the course, and into single track in the middle of the cottonwoods, and around the course.  We had all 4 levels of racers on the course this week, which clogged the works and made going a bit slower, but the highlights of the night were the new water bridge on the NorthWest side of the course and the hike-A-bike 30 foot climb right before the climb that has been affectionately nicknamed “The Equalizer” in the first half of the season.

Jason Siegle, pro points leader, pushes up the 30 yard hike a bike

Be looking for more changes after this next race as the series points  race is hot and heavy. 9 races get scored so after next week it’s anybody’s race (provided you’ve been out to several races) and places in the series standing should shift a bit.

Changes this week were only in 3 categories.

Men Beginner 4 William Stone retook the jersey, along with Women Beginner’s Elise Wallace.  The Junior Boys Verizon Leader Jersey changed hands too. JD Hentzon took that one home this week.

And as always the post-race stories swapped, burgers shared and all-round mountain bike party put another good race in the books.

We’ll see you next week Aug 10 out at the lake.

You can check out all of Andy Abrecht’s photos and order them from this week’s race at:  http://www.socalaction.net/mp_includes/body.asp