MSC Wildflower Rush:
The classic mountain biking town of Crested Butte was the setting for the fifth race in the 2011 Mountain States Cup series, the Wildflower Rush. During the weekend of June 25th and 26th, there were lots of activities in town to keep visitors entertained, but most racers were there for that classic Crested Butte singletrack.
The reason why the race is named the Wildflower Rush. (click photo to enlarge)
Feedback Sports team members Steve Warfel and Dan Dunbar made the trip and raced in the cross country races on Saturday. Steve came away with the win in the hotly contested Cat 2 30-39 race, doing the Feedback team proud!
Dan raced in the Clif Bar Fat Tire 40 "cross country" race for Pros and Cat 1s. It was on a classic, tough but scenic course around Crested Butte. Of course, many top mountain bike racers from around the state were there, challenging themselves on one of the best courses in the state. Dan finished in 17th place in the Cat 1 30-39 race. Then, on Sunday he did the Pro/Open Super-D race, finishing 16th.
Bailey Hundo:
The second annual Bailey Hundo mountain bike race and fundraiser was held on Saturday June 18th. The 100 mile race runs from Bailey, through Buffalo Creek, the Colorado Trail, Deckers and Wellington Lake. The trails are some of the region's best and most picturesque. Because of the popularity of last year's race, entries had to be capped at 250. Racer entry fee "donations" directly benefited three youth biking initiatives in Colorado; Trips for Kids, the Colorado High School Mountain Bike League and Kids on Bikes.
For 2011, Feedback Sports racer Steve Vanderburgh took the challenge and entered the Bailey Hundo. Steve had an excellent race, completing the 100 miles in 8 hours and 28 minutes, which was good for 2nd place in the 50+ age group! Steve's finishing time was only a minute and a half behind first place, after 8 plus hours of racing.
Beti Bike Bash:
The Yeti Beti Bike Bash was a tremendous success in its second year. It was held on a 4 mile loop through Bear Creek Lake park in Morrison, under warm, sunny and dry conditions. The races were for women only and were put on to encourage more women to take up the sport of mountain biking, and to give those who do race the chance for a unique women only racing experience.
There were categories for all ages and abilities from top national pros to first time beginners. In fact some of the most accomplished mountain bike racers in the world were out there racing, including Georgia Gould and Katie Compton. Two Feedback Sports racers competed at the Beti Bike Bash, with Lisa Hudson finishing in 8th place in the Pro division and Heather Brion finishing in 12th place in the Open/Cat 1 division.
Tour Divide:
One other bit of news is that Feedback Sports racer Ross Delaplane is riding in the Tour Divide 4400 km race between Banff, Alberta (Canada) and Antelope Falls, NM (USA). The route follows the Continental Divide from the Canadian Rockies all the way on down very close to the Mexican border. This is an unsupported bike race/adventure that takes racers 20 + days to complete. The route includes about 200,000 feet of climbing, snow covered mountain passes and many unique obstacles that go along with the rugged terrain.
Ross is an accomplished Road, Cyclocross and Mountain Bike racer, but this will be a totally different kind of challenge for him. Here is the website for the Tour Divide where you can check on Ross' progress. He began the Northbound route on June 10th and is hoping to finish in less than 30 days. Go Ross, we're pulling for you.
Teva Games:
On Saturday June 4th, Ken Benesh traveled out to Vail to race with the top professional mountain bikers in the country at the Teva Games. The Teva Games Pro XC race always draws a large and talented field due in some part to the generous cash prize payouts. The big name Pros also come for the tough course, the large crowds and the excellent competition. Ken finished the 18 mile cross country race in 23rd place in a field of 46 top pros. Way to go Ken.
24 Hours of E-Rock:
Also during the first weekend in June, Feedback Sports assembled a team to take part in the 24 hours of E-Rock mountain bike race. There were somewhere close to 100 teams and individuals lined up to race around an 8.25 mile loop in the Greenland Open Space. Team Feedback Sports consisted of Doug Hudson, Lisa Hudson, Jeremy Brion and Heather Brion. They competed in the 4-5 person Co-ed division, and finished in 3rd place. We're not sure if each rider did 8 laps, but the team did complete a total of 32 laps over the 24 hour period!
Chile Challenge:
We began the month with team member Steve Warfel traveling down to Angel Fire, New Mexico to race in the Chile Challenge on Saturday June 4th. The Chile Challenge XC race was the 4th stop in the Mountain States Cup series, and took place on parts of the former World Cup course at the resort. Steve represented the Feedback team well, taking a strong 2nd place in the Cat 2 30-39 race!
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