For 11 years, the course record for the SM100 - my favorite ultra endurance mountain bike race - has hung in the 7 hour and 15 minute range.
Yesterday was a very different race from years past with a strong group emerging from the first trail section including; myself, Christian Tanguay, Jesse Jakomait, Sam Koerber and 2008 NUE champ Jeff Schalk. This year's event was also different because my injury five weeks ago had me coming in as an underdog not a favorite. In fact, I'd warned my wife Erin and her family that if they found me sitting in the grass at checkpoint 6 it would be because my back hurt too bad and I had to pull the plug!
Working together like clockwork on the paved sections and gravel roads, we sped past checkpoint after check point ahead of pace. We would break up on the single tracks some, but I encouraged the riders to stick together to avoid the "Columbine Climb effect." I knew we were about 7 minutes below the 7-hour pace for the first 50 miles.
I was stoked to see Jesse Jakomait (Cannondale Factory Racing) on the start line, knowing that having a teammate would encourage the others to pull through. It was neat being in a race with a Cannondale suspension engineer. You know someone that is strong and tough enough to finish this thing in the top-5 knows a thing or two about real mountain biking.
I had a cracking point where I almost got dropped about 75 miles in. Christian and Jeff were crushing the early rollers of a 15-mile climb. I was cramping and sure I would get dropped, I just I wasn't sure if it would be in two minutes or 20 minutes later. I somehow got a second wind and found the legs to hang to the finale. Jeff put pressure on the 8-mile section of rocky descending off the top. I was scared of crashing, so I kept to my speed. We regrouped at the bottom and then the race was on.
Christian attacked on a short paved climb, but Jeff and I chased him down. Then we hit the last major 3.5-mile climb. Christian attacked hard and I looked for Jeff to respond, but he let the gap open. I had to jump across.
On Christian's wheel I suffered immensely. Then he got some chain suck and it was just what I needed, time to take two breaths! The third time his chain stuck I decided to counter attack and take control. We topped out together despite being matched. I attacked after the final descent on the last two rolling climbs all out. I gained the 20 seconds I needed to win!
I feel very, very lucky right now, just five weeks after feeling very, very unlucky. I finished almost ten minutes below a longtime personal goal of breaking the 7-hour mark in the SM100, when I came in at ninety-percent fitness and just hoping to have fun!
What a day!
- Jeremiah
P.S. Power file to follow!Labels: Endurance Racing, Viva le Burg
MonaVie-Cannondale.com rider Jeremiah Bishop reporting in after an awesome weekend of not just racing with our team, but also camping! I had been telling Matt Ohran, our manager and fellow racer, that the 100-mile races are a lot of fun. I had no idea that Bart Gillespie, Alex Grant, Bryan Alders and Tiker Juarez would also join in! It was great.
The course was a lot harder than I remember and a good solid 50% trail, double track and brush-wacked trail. In fact the first section was serious backcountry style with sticks rocks and very steep barely rideable sections.
Props to Garth Proser and Ryan Odell for hosting one awesome race this weekend in the heart of Mohican Country. Great course!
After Jeff Schalk blasted up the first hill to win the 200 clams up for the Loudonville prime, I knew it was going to be a fast race. Early I took to the front and set a fast pace through most of the first 25 miles of the Mohican Trail single track, turns berms and ferns!!! Sweet!
After the dust settled a solid selection formed of Jeff Schalk Tinker, Michael Simonson, Christian Tagnauay and Brandon Drugalis . After 2 ½ hours though, I paid for my efforts. First Simonson put in an attack on a hike a bike but Jeff reeled him in. I was on the rivet and almost got dropped before the halfway point.
We hit some nice trail again after aid station 3 and I felt a lot better in the tight single track.
Sensing my fatigue and that of the others, Jeff used the punchy dirt road climbs like a topographic anvil to hammer us with. The amazing thing was that it wasn’t just a couple of guys off the front but a lead group up until the last 5-mile trail and everyone was riding really strong, this allowed things to just come back together.
The finally was crazy our group was 6 strong and I was hurting but I downed a MonaVie Energy drink with 30 minuets to go and my legs seemed to have one short burst left in them.
As we approached the final trail, I sprinted for the hole shot. The final 4-mile single track was twisty with a few rocky stretches and just 5 miles from the finish I thought it could be the deciding factor. Jeff saw the move coming and we locked elbows and almost went down! I jumped again 2 minutes later in a last ditch effort to put a few seconds on the chasers and it worked.
I won by just 45 seconds or so and Christian came around Jeff as he cramped on the last climb to take second! What and exciting end to a 100-mile race through the woods!
It was a lot of fun riding with Tinker in the front group and we were able share water and cover the attacks.
Time to unload and clean up after the fun weekend. The dishwasher is churning, the washing machine loaded the hose blasting. I’ve got to drop off the camping stuff I borrowed for the team to Chris Scott.
Next is the Kenda Cup Massanutten Hoo-Ha! I just wish the week was two days longer.
Thanks for reading.
JB
Full results are up here:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/mtb.php?id=mtb/2009/may09/mohican100_09
Labels: Endurance Racing, Racing
(Erin here, once again invading the main page.) Jeremiah's about to begin the American Mountain Classic stage race in Brian Head, Utah, so before all that excitement gets underway I wanted to throw a link out to a new site that I was introduced to over the weekend.
I saw this graphic for MTBCast.com at the Fool's Gold 100, and by the day's end Jeremiah was giving an audio interview for the site. If you want to check out the broadcast you can follow this link: http://mtbcast.com/wordpress/, scroll down to episode 110 and click the little play arrow.
I'll break it down for you, if you want to get straight to some good stuff. Jeremiah and Jeff Schalk's playful smack talk begins at 3:40, race director Eddi O'dea gives his predictions at 5:23, race notes continue at 6:35, at 8:01 smack talk karma is revealed, Jeremiah's interview starts at 8:33, followed by interviews with Trish Stevenson, Gunnar Shogren, race announcer Bruce "the mouth of the South" Dickman, and others.
We really did have a blast down in Georgia, especially thanks to the great people we met and enjoyed the festival with.
JB should be blogging in with AMC race updates. Check back for those. Results and other updates will be posted on the News page.
Have fun riding!
ErinLabels: E Bishop, Endurance Racing
Ok, it's just a shirt right?
That's what I first thought to myself as my nose started to run from the exertion of yesterday's ride, but I found my self pause to instead wipe with the glove - not sleeve - as I looked at the flag on my left shoulder. I also made sure that I stoped at the light before my right turn.
Trust me I am very proud to wear these colors it is a special honor!
Check this out...
United States Code Title 4, Chapter 1 - The Flag
SS1. Flag; stripes and stars
On the flag of the United States shall be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the flag shall be forty-eight stars [Note that sec. 2 which follows provides for additional stars. Today the flag has fifty stars representing the fifty states - Webmaster], white in a blue field
SS2. Same; additional stars
On the admission of a new State into the Union one star shall be added to the union of the flag; and such addition shall take effect on the fourth day of July then next succeeding such admission
SS3. Use of flag for advertising purposes; mutilation of flag
Any person who, within the District of Columbia, in any manner, for exhibition or display, shall place or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing, or any advertisement of any nature upon any flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America; or shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign upon which shall have been printed, painted, or otherwise placed, or to which shall be attached, appended, affixed, or annexed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, or drawing, or any advertisement of any nature; or who, within the District of Columbia, shall manufacture, sell, expose for sale, or to public view, or give away or have in possession for sale, or to be given away or for use for any purpose, any article or substance being an article of merchandise, or a receptacle for merchandise or article or thing for carrying or transporting merchandise, upon which shall have been printed, painted, attached, or otherwise placed a representation of any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign, to advertise, call attention to, decorate, mark, or distinguish the article or substance on which so placed shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $100 or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both, in the discretion of the court.
Yikes. I think I'm going to start riding with tissues! :)
So, the code goes on for another two pages, but I thought it was interesting.
The next stops on the race circuit are Mt Saint Anne, Canada and Bromont, Canada for consecutive World Cups. My start position may not be great, but it will be fun if my legs are still on! A podium race could be in the cards!
I'm stoked for the rest of the season because I get to do some more really fun endurance races and shift gears a little!
The week after Bromont I'll tackle the Fools Golds 100 miler in north Georgia. This will be my first time doing the race but the reviews are awesome and it sounds like as much of a festival as a bike race!
See ya at the races,
JeremiahLabels: Endurance Racing, Racing
I WON ????? I was confused... Nick Martin, Brian Smith and the rest of the Trek crew were spraying me in the face with Pabst Blue Ribbon, screaming and jumping on me.
Today, somehow, I won the US National Marathon Championships even after a major mechanical.
I had a strong race going and had a 90-second lead with about 35 miles left when my chain got caught in the spokes.
Ryan Trebon and Andy Shultz were not far behind.
I tied up the three broken spokes and took a link out of my chain. This took a while and I assumed my chances of wining the race were becoming next to none as riders passed by. I charged hard hoping to rally for a top-5 finish. Then I caught up with Travis Brown and he helped pull my hanger back out. He gave my a really good pull on the flat fire road before the major descent to the finish. THANK YOU! I thought that if I kept on charging I could pull back some spots.
I just buried my head and went flat out the second time up the first 2000-foot ascent of the course. I was fired up after losing the lead. Then, just as I was making good headway, my chain went out again! I laughed as Travis passed again as I remounted. 'What else can go wrong?' I thought, but I went like hell.
This time I was just possessed to hammer every hill at max! My lungs were on fire but I was moving! I caught Dave Weins with about 7 miles left and he encouraged me to chase the two guys who where just 30 seconds ahead. I only had one climb left and my body was in the hurt locker. I just went max and caught a guy with an orange jersey. I sat for a little and then jumped for the hole shot for the single track. I was going for it hoping to catch the next guy, Evan Plews. I did catch him about halfway down. I tried to surge pass but he picked up the pace. I guess he was going too fast thru some rocks and flatted!
Absolutely exhausted and light headed, I conceded that I was not going to be able to catch any more riders so I just tried to stay smooth and not crash. I found out that behind me Ryan Trebon and Andy Shultz had pulled out - they'd not been among riders who passed me when my chain broke - so I was racing for the win!
Wow. That was a strange but amazing race, I will not soon forget it!
THANK YOU to all that have helped me out past and present to make this win a possible.
I'm donating prize money to the mike Janelle fund www.livelikemike.org. I thought of Mike while I raced today and I knew he was a fighter and loved to push it to the max. So I did the same. Thanks Mike.
Happy Fourth!
JeremiahLabels: Endurance Racing, Racing
Standing amid pre-race music and a predawn marine layer of clouds were just 900 of the 1200 riders who signed up for the hardest and longest event in the history of the Cape Epic.
"Udo," I called out from within the start box. "Which race is harder, this one or the Tour de France?" I asked with a smile.
In a thick German accent, Udo Boelts, a veteran of more than 10 Tours replied, "It is about the same. The Tour is longer, but this... in this you have no recovery, no smooth spinning and descents on which you can eat, drink and recover. This race, it is always go, go, go!"
copyright Sven Martin
Somehow, I suspected that might be the answer to my question. The Cape Epic is like the Tour without the chatty laughing from the peleton or occasional neutral pee breaks. At the stage finishes of the Cape Epic, you'll never see sparkling clean bikes and fresh faced riders. And you'd better bet your ass that the riders in this race are suffering from the beating that close to 1000 kilometers of prehistoric red dust, sand and volcanic rock can dish out on your hands, feet and tail.
This morning was tough at the Trek team camp. Jenny, who is in second place on our women's team, was sick and wore a look of dread on her face. I asked how she was doing. "Not good," she said, holding back tears. I knew she was not only sick, but also run down. Who isn't run down at this point? I know I am. Sleep deprivation, aching muscles, the hardship of brutal five-hour stages, the best competitors in the world; these things add up. I wasn't much feeling like putting my raw ass on a bike's seat for one more day, but I didn't share this. Instead, I said, "I'm proud of you. There's only one more short day after this! We're almost done."
Read the rest of my account, and view photos of Stage Seven, at the King of the Mountain blog.
Links to some of the race coverage are up on the News page.
Wish us luck, tomorrow is the final stage.
JeremiahLabels: Cape Epic 2008, Endurance Racing, Epic Adventures
Another spectacular day of racing here at the cape epic. I had the pleasure of riding on the front of a 1200 rider pack as the sun filtered in to the desert floor. The camera motos and the helicopter are tough to get used to, but I would say that Chris and I are getting settled into the racing. We seem to stay steady and smooth as things fall apart for otherwise really fast teams.
We were rolling fast with a large group through quad-width trails on rolling desert mid-race, when we saw Burry Stander standing there with dust all over him and talking to a cameraman. I didn't even see a moto, so it was really strange, middle of nowhere. I guess he and Sauser are out. Sue and Jenny had a tough day after flatting. They missed the train of faster guys for the long windy sections of road. They're still in second though and I think they can hold it.
The truth of the matter is this is a race of speed but also attrition. I am looking forward to the reward of good preparation and steady strong racing that Chris and I hope to put on for the last 3 days.
Oh, we saw baboons today as we crested the mountain heading back onto the wetter side known as the "garden route." We were hammering on the road, I was on the front and 3 of them came scampering across the road. One had a baby on top of its butt hanging on for dear life.. :)
Later, wish us luck.
JBLabels: Cape Epic 2008, Endurance Racing, Epic Adventures
Yesterday's Stage One was one of the first big stages of the Cape Epic, and it held up to its promise to be one beast-of-a-stage. The route covered three thousand-plus meters of climbing through dense, subtropical rainforest. The front of the race started out wicked fast, and even Bulls rider Karl Platt said the pace was like the blistering start of a cross-country World Cup. At Cape Epic, the difference is we still had 100 kilometers left to race!
Now though, reality is setting in. Some riders are facing the fact that in a rugged mountain bike race with 120-kilometer stages, they cannot race at all-out speeds day after day. I had some idea of what we would face; I have competed in La Ruta de los Conquistadores, Trans Alp and several other stage races.
Today we awoke before dark and headed to the breakfast tent, where riders from South Africa and from around the world were fueling up for the toughest stage ever in the Cape Epic's history. Some racers were already in riding gear, some wearing pajama pants, t-shirts and Crocs; some spoke German, some Italian, some Russian and even others many different styles of English. Common to all were bleary eyes and weary faces. Perhaps they were dreading the hardest day of the Cape Epic, or maybe the realization of seven more days of racing on noodle-legs, sore butts and raw feet was beginning to sink in...
You can read the rest of my recap from Stage Two at the Trek/VW team diary.
And be sure to check out our latest photos. If you haven't seen it already, Cycling.TV is providing awesome real-time coverage and daily shows. There are links on the News page.
Enjoying the adventure,
JeremiahLabels: Cape Epic 2008, Endurance Racing, Epic Adventures
The slogan of the Absa Cape Epic is spot on.
Much like magic, a whole city has sprung up on the Saasveld School Campus.
The bright yellow pod-like tents are a stunning contrast to the tall yellow woods, palms and manicured grass.
Alp-like jagged peaks catch small wispy clouds on their peaks; the sky otherwise blue and cloudless. A hooded white helicopter rests on the right of the field from 5 hours of buzzing incessantly over the leaders' heads.
To say this whole race is a spectacle is an understatement. There are huge shower trucks brought in, a GIANT banquet hall sized big top that is a football field long. The bike wash though outdoors has sponsor bannered splash walls and shining aluminum handle bar racks and power wash guns! The whole thing is a stunning example of why Cape Epic is a world class sporting event.
For the update on the Trek/Volkswagen crew we had tough but respectable days.
The ladies started out on top, stoked from carrying the leaders' maroon jerseys.
Following Sue thru rocky dusty dirt roads took it's toll and Jenny flatted. This had them a little off rhythm but as Sue says "It's not bad luck to flat once in a race like this; everyone is likely to flat at least once."
Chris and I got shelled and the Cannondale guys put down what was reported by Carl Platt as world cup pace for the first few big climbs.
A lot of teams attempted to follow, but we soon reeled them in like tired fish. We ended up with some good groups for extended sections and if we weren't with a group I would get on the front on the road sections and throw down. A wicked workout.
Tomorrow looks to be even hotter than today. I am glad we start at 7 a.m. so its just getting nasty in the last hour and a half.
I have an awesome post from our incredible visit at the Knysna elephant farm but it will have to wait. I forgot my charger on my trek over to the media room.
More coming soon.
Jeremiah
Oh, did I mention we saw two monkeys today? So cool!Labels: Endurance Racing, Epic Adventures
