Four members of the team made the 3 hour drive down to Danville. Tom H. decided to head down the night before while Joe, Jeff and myself decided to head down in the morning. I think Tom had the right idea as it made for a very long day.
Starting in the dark just like we ended the day.
The boys at SVMBA put on an incredible event just like last year. The course is very well marked and littered with volunteers. Not that I would think anybody would cheat, but it is refreshing to see racer numbers being documented as you ride the trail just to make sure you don't cut the trail. Many encouraging and enthusiastic volunteers made the experience even more enjoyable.
Joe and Jeff both race XC, expert and sport respectively. Both fields were some of the largest we will see all year. Joe said he started with 70 people (pro and expert combined) while the sport class here is always large. Tom and I raced enduro along with 30 or so others.
Tom rocking out the start
This was my first enduro race so I wasn't sure
what I would need. As you can see, I erred on the side of caution and brought everything. Tons of food, water, and some tools. Of course Tom and I were one of the few enduro competitors that didn't have an easy up tent. We will know better next time (we need to get a team tent).
The race started out fairly slow. I could tell there was some tension as I witnessed a wreck not even a mile into the enduro race. I was right behind it, but luckily escaped without any issues. Tom and I rode most of the first lap together at about mid pack. I felt very strong for the first 3 laps, but the fourth made me really start to feel the steep, short climbs that was the real backbone of these trails. Of course these climbs were quickly rewarded with some very sweet downhills! There was some technical sections thrown in here and there but the majority of the course was some very smooth and flowy singletrack. Nice for sure.
My goal was to complete 5 laps so I was pretty stoked to look at the clock after lap 4 and realize that I had plenty of time for 2 more laps. I took a nice long break after lap 4 to make sure I was hydrated and eat a bit in preparation for lap 5 and 6. Was able to get down 12 oz of water, 1/2 a ProBar and a Stinger Waffle. I'm glad I took this time as it really paid off with no cramping and enough energy to actually pass somebody on my final lap. Tom finished strong as well with 5 laps complete.
Quick pick rolling transition and starting new laps.
In the end, Joe and Jeff both got 3rd in their respective classes. Strong for both of these guys for sure as we have come to expect. I finished 9th and Tom finished 13th in enduro. Lots of strong racers at this event for sure. We will only get stronger from here. Looks like the off season training is starting to pay off already.
Yeah, it was muddy...and I was tired. Big thanks to our pit crew as well.
Excellent job guys! Two podium finishes at such a large race, that's awesome.
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