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Leadville 100 Registration Open

November 18th, 2010

Registration for the Leadville Trail races is open including for the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. In the past registration didn’t open until late December or early January. The deadline for getting into the mountain bike lottery hasn’t changed though and is still January 31st.

I’m planning on entering again for my 8th time although I haven’t finished the last 2 years. This year I had an asthma attack just before the Columbine climb and last year I got a stomach bug the night before and bailed after 20 miles. Even without the asthma and stomach bug, I was barely in shape the last 2 years but so far I’ve done better at staying active and maintaining my weight this off season.

From everything I’ve heard, it doesn’t increase your changes of getting in the lottery if you enter early so I plan to wait just in case something comes up that would keep me from doing the race. Last year I waited until a few days before the deadline.

The entry lottery isn’t completely random and I have some information on how the lottery has worked in the past. I don’t know how it will change now that Lifetime fitness owns the race. For more information on registering go to the Leadville Trail 100 website.

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Kalan Beisel Rides to Second National Championship

November 9th, 2010

Kalan Beisel - 24 Hours of Moab 2010

This is a guest post by Tim Bergsten from Pikes Peak Sports. Pikes Peak Sports is a site for the outdoor community in the Pikes Peak Region. If you’re interested in guest posting on UltraRob, please contact me.

Two weeks before the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race, fate was beating up local rider and mountain bike racer Kalan Beisel. He had won a national championship as part of a 4-person men’s team at the 24 Hours of Moab Mountain Bike Race in 2009, but he wasn’t entered to race this year. It seemed there would be no defending his title. And then he received a phone call from his racing buddy Len Zanni. Beisel, 28, landed on a dream team and won a second national championship.

Beisel graduated from Manitou Springs High School. He has raced mountain bikes for about five years and has been a pro for two years. He currently rides for Team Pro Cycling and is a scholarship rider for Carmichael Training Systems. He also manages to squeeze in time to make a living as a hairstylist at Genesis Salon.

He recently answered a few questions for PikesPeakSports.us. Here is the interview.

In 2009, you won with teammates Russel Finsterwald, J.J. Clark and Rob Sousa, some familiar names in the C. Springs race scene. This year, you rode with a collection of guys from western Colorado (Len Zanni, Ross Schnell and Jay Henry). What was that like?

In 2009, racing with my Pro Cycling teammates and winning our first national championship was one of the coolest feelings ever! We went into 2010 expecting to have the same team defend the title, but things didn’t work out. Turns out, getting four fast guys together to race a 24-hour race is harder than it sounds, because two weeks before the race my friend Len Zanni called me to ask and see if I was interested to ride on his HoneyStinger/Trek team. He was also having a hard time finding a fourth rider. After I heard the line up for the team, I couldn’t say no! I couldn’t believe I had the opportunity to race on a team with some of the top mountain bike racers in the nation. Of course, this also put huge pressure on me to perform. I was almost more intimidated by my own team more than the race itself! Lol! Thankfully, I had one of the best races of my life and pulled my weight for the team. I also ended up posting the fastest night lap of the race two years in a row!

What was the most challenging thing about this race and how did you deal with it?

The 2-to-6 a.m. night laps are the most challenging part of the race. Getting motivated to tear your legs off at three in the morning isn’t the easiest thing in the world. I figured out – after doing four 24-hour races on a team – that staying awake the whole time is much easier than falling asleep and having to wake up feeling groggy and tired. This year I just started pounding coffee and Redbull starting around 2 a.m. to stay awake until the sun came up. Good music and friends help too!

When you look back on this race, what will you remember?

Looking back I will remember tents, dirt covering everything I own, sand, standing at the starting line shivering waiting for Jay to come in, lots of dirty chamois, Ross being rad, Honey Stinger waffles, stars and stripes, and one hell of a good time!

You rode the last lap. What was that like, knowing you were in the lead and that your team and another championship were waiting for you at the finish?

Coming in for the team’s last lap was quite the honor. I knew as long as I didn’t break my bike in half, or something like that, we would take the win. At that point we had a 45-minute lead and victory was in sight. Crossing the line and hearing the cheers from everyone was a feeling I’ll never forget. I’ve never really felt so proud and overwhelmed with happiness. Very cool!

So with future 24 Hours of Moab races in mind, what do you think of the words “Kalan Beisel, Men’s Solo rider”?

Someday you will definitely hear the words “Kalan” and “solo” in the same sentence, not exactly sure how soon that will be though! Not sure I’m crazy enough … yet..

Looking ahead, what cycling goals are you aiming for in 2011 and beyond?

In 2011 my goals will remain the same as last year’s. I will be racing the National ProXCT series and as many local races as I can squeeze in there. I will also be racing the Bailey Hundo again and thinking I might race the Leadville 100. My main and most important focus is 2011 MTB National Championships.

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Race Across the Sky 2010 Tomorrow

November 3rd, 2010

Race Across The Sky 2010 from Citizen Pictures on Vimeo.

Here’s a reminder that Race Across the Sky, which covers the 2010 Leadville 100 is in movie theaters tomorrow evening, November 4th. It includes a live panel discussion with participating athletes Levi Leipheimer, Rebecca Rusch, Erik Weihenmayer and others. Although there will be an encore presentation on November 9th, it isn’t showing at any Colorado Springs theaters on that date.

Last year the movie sold out in many locations. I’m guessing that was a least partly because Lance Armstrong was in it but I’d get my tickets in advance. From the trailer, it looks like they got some great shots of the race again.

You can get last year’s Race Across the sky on DVD here or at Amazon.

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Chambers Had Something to Prove at 24 Hours of Moab

October 26th, 2010

Cameron Chambers entered the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race with something to prove to himself. He won a 24-hour national title in 2005, but admits he hasn’t ridden well since then.

Chambers removed all doubt when he captured the Men’s Solo Singlespeed title and the Stars and Stripes jersey of the national champion that goes with it.

Chambers, 29, has raced mountain bikes for 18 years. He moved to Colorado Springs six months ago from Kansas City. He works at Carmichael Training Systems. His other big finishes include a win in the 2004 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, fourth place at the 2004 24-Hour World Championships and a second-place ride in the 2010 Singlespeed XC National Championships.

PikesPeakSports.us caught up with Chambers. He was kind enough to reflect on the win. He also provided photos and video.

You are the 24 Hours of Moab Men’s Solo Singlespeed Champion and the national champion. Twenty-four hours seems like a long time to ride one gear. How did you come to enter the solo singlespeed division?
I got my first singlespeed mountain bike when I was in high school. Immediately I just fell in love with the sensation of riding a bike with one gear. Always the idea of doing long rides with only one gear appealed to me as a fun challenge. Something about not shifting just makes me satisfied with where I am at right at the moment during a bike ride. It seems like when I ride or race bikes with gears I just want to push on faster and faster and am trying to get it over with instead of just enjoying my time riding a bike, I am hurrying to be done. I had been riding a one-speed bike all season long and having fun and some success racing them, so when I decided to do 24 Hours of Moab, it just wasn’t even a question if I was going to ride one speed or not. Last season I was on a team that traveled around a did all three Granny Gear 24 hour races. We won the series and that entitled us to a free race this year. None of my old teammates were that interested in racing so I just did it solo.

What was the biggest challenge for you in this race?
I honestly felt really good throughout the race, all things considered. Around about 3 a.m. my head was starting to get really foggy and I was yawning a lot, but my legs kept feeling like they had some pop in them. It got quite cold about that time as well and I was to stubborn to stop and add any substantial amount of clothes so I was shivering pretty bad on the downhills. But I have suffered really bad in these races before and it was nothing like that, so I really didn’t think it was that uncomfortable ever. One time at a 24-hour race in Conyers, Georgia, I was off my bike throwing up and both hamstrings cramped while I was heaving and I fell over into vomit. That was a pretty low point, so it takes a lot to stack up with that.

Tell us about your support crew and what part did it play in your victory?
My support crew performed like absolute Rock Stars during the race. They helped me keep my pit stops extremely short, which is a huge key to success in this type of racing. Patrick Cross of Ascent Cycling was out there with me all night long taking care of whatever I needed. My wife, Amber, who also works at Ascent was up with me and she is a veteran 24-hour pit crew’er and knows how to keep me happy and fast. My dad was racing on a team out at the race and so his crew was helping me a ton, and my mom was there as well. We are a well-oiled pit crew and move very efficiently.

It has to be exhausting with lack of sleep, competitive energy and so many miles in the saddle at one time, what was it like mentally?
It is tough mentally when you have ridden well over 100 miles, it is dark outside and you have well over 100 miles still to ride. Never do I let that thought enter my head while I am racing. I just focus on where I am at right at the moment and riding the terrain ahead of me as efficiently as possible. And there are times when you just have to be tough. For me it is always a hard time right when the sun comes up, and you are ecstatic that you made it through the night, but then you realize that you have five hours yet to ride. I just tell myself to dig in and remind myself that the reward is worth the effort. No matter how long it is, the finish line will eventually come.

What moment will you always remember about this race?
My last lap I was really struggling up the opening climb and I just felt totally empty. I kind of zoned out and just slowly moved forward. I got up to the top of the climb and just felt this huge sweeping sense of relief and was so happy and knew I was going to win the race. I started crying dropping into the descent and the emotional charge kind of re-booted my system. I started chatting with other racers on course and I enjoyed the heck out of the final 10 miles. I will also always remember swiping my RFID card the final time and my wife and parents being there to celebrate with me. It was good stuff for sure.

So you finish, you’ve won a the Stars and Stripes jersey, tell us about that feeling.
This is the second national championship I’ve won, and it is really meaningful to me because I have had some rough times between the two wins. I needed to prove to myself that I was still tough enough to compete and win in this sport and to get the validation of a Stars and Stripes jersey feels really, really good. I did not walk away with the race either. Shawn Gregory put up a heck of a battle and finished on the same lap as I did (which was a singlespeed course record) so that really made it feel all the better. To be able to say right now I am the best in the country at what I do is a pretty awesome feeling.

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24 Hour Mountain Bike National Championship Results

October 11th, 2010

This weekend some of the top endurance mountain bike racers competed in the 24 Hours of Moab. It was USA Cycling 24 Hour Mountain Bike National Championships for several of the classes. Racers rode a total of 65,395 miles and climbed 5,964,960 feet over the course of the 24 hours.

Congratulations to the new National 24 Hour Champions. Two of our local racers came home with National Championship jerseys. Cameron Chambers won the Singlespeed Solo Championship and Kalan Beisel was on the winning 4 man team.

Solo Men

Josh Tostado – 18 laps
Kelly Magelky – 18 laps
Cary Smith – 16 laps

Solo Women

Jari Kirkland – 15 laps
Kris Cannon – 13 laps
Laureen Coffelt – 12 laps

Complete Solo Women Results

Solo Singlespeed Men

Cameron Chambers – 16 laps
Shawn Gregory – 16 laps
Brian Lehman – 14 laps

Complete Solo Singlespeed Men Results

Solo Singlespeed Women

Cat Morrison – 12 laps
Karen Rishel – 11 laps
Heather Thiry – 6 laps

Complete Solo Single Speed Women Results

Pro Men 4 Person Team

Honey Stinger/ Trek – 22 laps
New Mexico Allstars – 22 laps
Hammer Nutrition – 22 laps

Complete Pro Men 4 Person Team Results

Pro Women 4 Person Team

Kent Brothers Women – 16 laps
!fiesta sin pantalones! – 16 laps
TOUGH GIRL / SCOTT – 6 laps

Complete Pro Women 4 Person Team Results

Results for all classes

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24 Hours of Moab This Weekend

October 9th, 2010

The 16th Annual 24 Hours of Moab is going on this weekend and is the USA Cycling 24 Hour National Championships. I raced it solo 4 times with the last time in 2001. The last 2 years I’ve gone and shot photos. I’m at home this weekend but wishing I were out there.

In the Men’s Solo, winner Josh Tostado is back to defend his title. Last year’s 2nd place finisher, Kelly Magelky, is also back and I’m sure he’s looking to move up a spot on the podium. He actually had some faster daylight laps than Josh last year but was slower during the night. As I write this, they’ve finished 3 laps and Kelly is less than 3 minutes ahead of Josh. Last year 4th place Ernesto Marenchin is also back.

2009 Defending champion Eszter Horanyi isn’t back this year but 2007 and 2008 winner Jari Kirkland is. Kris Cannon, who finished 2nd in 2008, is also racing this year.

In the Pro Men’s class, Kalan Beisel from last year’s winning 4 person team is teamed up with 3 different very fast pros racing as the Honey Stinger/Trek team. The other 3 are Len Zanni, Jay Henry and Ross Schnell. I’ll be surprised if they don’t win the championship. Last year’s 2nd place team, Hammer Nutrition is back with 3 of the same racers as last year.

Although there are 3 women’s Pro 4 person teams, I don’t see any names that stand out. In the past the Coed Pro/Am class was very competitive but I don’t see any teams entered in it this year.

Granny Gear has perfected putting on 24 Hours Races and even in the remote Moab location they have nearly real time standings online. The race runs from noon Saturday and noon Sunday. Unlike some other 24 hours races, laps started before noon but not completed by noon count so some teams don’t finish until 1 PM or later.

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Leadville 100 Movie Tickets on Sale Now

October 1st, 2010

Race Across The Sky 2010 from Citizen Pictures on Vimeo.

Tickets are now on sale for the Race Across the Sky 2010 on November 4th. It includes a live panel discussion with participating athletes Levi Leipheimer, Rebecca Rusch, Erik Weihenmayer and others. There will be an encore presentation on November 9th.

Last year the movie sold out in many locations. I don’t know if that was because Lance Armstrong was in it but I’d get my tickets in advance. From the trailer, it look like they got some great shots of the race again.

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24 Hours of Colorado Springs 2010

September 20th, 2010

This weekend mountain bikers got a chance to test their endurance on the Falcon Trail at the Air Force Academy during the new 24 Hours of Colorado Springs. The nearly 13 mile course is nearly all singletrack except for the start/finish area.

I was surprised by the large percentage of solo riders. There were a total of 19 solo riders compared to 18 four person teams and 6 duo teams. Six of the solo men were riding singlespeeds. Nick Thelen won the solo singlespeed class and was 3rd overall in the solo category.

A few photos from the 24 Hours of Colorado Springs are below and you can find more of my photos here. Results are below the photos.

[View with PicLens]

24 Hours of Colorado Springs Results

Solo Female
1. Elizabeth Boese, 5 laps, 19:43:28
2. Gloria Rios, 4 laps, 23:07:01

Solo Male
1. Taylor Shelden, 14 laps, 23:40:56
2. Larry Dewitt, 12 laps, 21:46:15
3. Brad Baker, 11, 22:41:06
4. Joseph Fortin, 10 laps 23:09:03
5. Iggy Baran, 10 laps 23:12:00
6. Anthony Schwartz, 9 laps, 22:01:15
7. Bryan Vaylor, 9 laps, 23:45:30
8. Dustin Breese, 7 laps, 23:54:36
9. Timothy Veldheer, 6 laps, 21:21:34
10. Eric Owen, 5 laps, 20:53:58
11. Jim Hooper, 5 laps, 23:11:19

Solo Singlespeed
1. Nick Thelen, 12 laps, 22:41:40
2. Tim Arnold, 10 laps, 23:34:07
3. Dan Dolan, 7 laps, 21:38:37
4. Tedd Rohwer, 5 laps, 18:48:58
5. Judd Rohwer, 4 laps, 22:21:01
6. Scott Devonshire, 2 laps, 21:36:58

Duo Relays
1. Enforcres, 12 laps, 22:55:05
2. Not So Fat Tire, 12 laps, 23:30:16
3. Clydesdale, 11 laps, 22:34:48
4. Gambro Velo Duo, 10 laps, 18:03:40
5. Ascent Cycling Duo, 7 laps, 23:09:10
6. Dirt Divas, 3 laps, 23:07:53

Male Team Relays
1. Ascent Cycling, 19 laps, 23:46:05
2. Three Hammers and a Nail, 17 laps, 22:51:40
3. First Descents, 17 laps, 23:31:17
4. Four Little Pigs, 16 laps, 23:31:44
5. Skulls, 16 laps, 23:55:44
6. Never Mind the Gap, 16 laps, 23:56:10
7. Team Bicycle Experience, 15 laps, 23:04:36
8. Townie Champs, 15 laps, 23:22:54
9. Crossfit SoCo, 15 laps, 23:23:33
10. Old Fogies Revenge, 15 laps, 23:30:29
11. The Goonies, 15 laps, 23:55:17
12. Blood Sweat and Gears, 13 laps, 22:56:20
13. Adragna Lucas, 12 Laps, 22:23:58
14. Not Exactly Pros, 12 laps, 22:33:36
15. Machos Nachos, 10 laps, 10:24:15
16. Phat TraXX 9 laps, 17:52:20

Female Team Relays
1. Women’s Mountain Biking Association of Colorado Springs, 15 laps, 22:43:41
2. Dirty Cranks, 13 laps, 23:01:45.

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