Keyesville Classic

This is slightly south of NorCal, but since it's such a large race/festival, I thought it deserved a mention:

For 22 years, the Keyesville Classic has drawn casual riders , pro mountain bike racers and their friends and families to participate in a fun-filled weekend of bike-related events and activities. From the entertaining Vintage class, Observed Trials, and popular Kids' Race, to the highly challenging Bionicon All-Mountain Stage Race where riders tackle the Short Track, Cross-Country and Downhill courses all on the same bike, the Keyesville Classic has something for everyone, riders and spectators alike.

Every year, the Keyesville Classic brings together local riders, advocacy groups and racers from all over the West Coast to raise awareness and generate contributions for trail stewardship in the Kern River Valley, and southern California. Up until last year, the Southern Sierra Fat Tire Association (SSFTA) in Bakersfield ran the event, and at one point it was the largest race on the west coast. Bionicon now directs the event with support from the SSFTA from their newly opened headquarters in Kernville.

This year's Keyesville Classic will be March 19th - 21st in Keyesville, CA. Keyesville is just east of Bakersfield, CA and about 3 hours from Fresno, CA [MAP].

NorCal MTB Racing This Weekend: March 7 - 8, 2009

It's the first full weekend of multiple races throughout the region this weekend:

• 03/07/09 (Saturday): Sand Hill Spring Gravity (4X): As we talked about yesterday, this race is a goer. This is the first race in the series and it will be a Mountaincross/4X race. It'll set you back $35 (plus $5 if you haven't renewed your USA Cycling license) and racing starts at 11 AM in Brentwood (East Bay).
• 03/07/09 (Saturday): Chanoko Mountain Bike Duathlon #3 (MTB Duathlon): The Chaoko MTB Duathlon is the lesser known sibling of TBF's MTB Challenge races. Similar course, but your MTB racing will be bookended with running (one run before, one after). Probably fun ... if you like being off your bike. It starts at 9AM at Folsom Lake near Sacramento.
• 03/08/09 (Sunday): MTB Challenge #3 (XC): This is the last race in the 2009 MTB Challenge series, which we have covered at length. I'll try and have a trail preview (after this week's monsoons) later today or tomorrow.
• 03/08/09 (Sunday): Buck Ridge Race 2009 (XC): Sick Promotions has brought back the Buck RIdge Race for 2009. It'll start at 11 AM outside Fresno.

It looks like the weather is going to be great this weekend, so make sure and get out to support your local race scene.

2009 SSWC Registration Opens

Just on time registration is open for the 2009 Single Speed World Championships in Durango, CO: There is a form (yes, it's a coloring test) and some instructions. It looks like the basic drill here is that people need to download the registration form, do some coloring and then get it in the mail.

There is room for 500 men plus any women as long you get your forms postmarked by Jan 23rd, 2009. Yes, women are guaranteed a spot if they get their registration in on time. The race will cost $35 and you need to include a check with your registration.

You can see the video instructions here.

Post a link to your coloring creations in the comments.

Roadtrip: 2009 Mob In Mojave (Las Vegas)

Although this is a bit of a roadtrip, I've heard nothing but good things about riding in Boulder City. And the US MTB Cups will be held nearby this summer, so you could gather some intel:

Presidents day weekend (Febuary 14/15, 2009) will be filled with mountain bike racing for all to enjoy in Bootleg Canyon (outside Las Vegas in Boulder City, NV). This is the fourth year for this festival style race, and the word has been spreading rapidly through the grapevine of racers, spectators and enthusiasts. With over 200 racers last year, the event continues to draw larger crowds annually. Bikes, Bands, BBQ and of course being with your friends riding & racing bikes.

Here’s a quick look at what we have planned so far for this years event:

• Downhill ~ Super D ~ Dual Slalom
• Shuttles Friday, Saturday & Sunday
• U.S.A. Cycling sanctioned event
• $2,000.00 pro cash purse and USAC National Points awarded for the downhill competition
• Prizes for the top 3 finishers in each amateur category in each discipline
• Professionally timed
• World renown coach Gene Hamilton will host a 3 day race clinic at the event beginning on 2-12-09
• All information including race course maps, registration, videos of last years race(s) can be found on http://www.downhillmike.com
• With All Mountain Cyclery allowing us to promote this years event we hope many east coast racers will be venturing out to Nevada.

dhRENO has some good reporting about last year's race.

2008 MTB National Championships This Weekend

Although we don't cover it much anymore, USA Cycling is holding their MTB National Championship on the East Coast this weekend. Ever since they moved after the somewhat disastrous 2006 championship at Cougar Mountain, it's just hard to get excited about. However, in the interest of fairness, here is the press release:

"The 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships will return to Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vt. for the second year in a row, July 17-20.
 
2008 Olympians Adam Craig (Bend, Ore.) and Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass.) will be on hand to defend their 2007 national titles in the pro Olympic-style cross country contest, along with Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) and Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo.) who have also qualified for Beijing. Fresh off the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Cole Bangert (Twin Lakes, Colo.) and Kathy Pruitt (Santa Cruz, Calif.) are set to defend their Stars-and-Stripes jersey in the pro downhill races on Sunday.
 
Utilizing largely the same routes as the 2007 competition, athletes can expect demanding and technical courses that will challenge even the sport’s best. This year’s cross country competition will cover the same five-mile loop as in 2007 with race lengths from five miles for the 12 & under juniors, to 25 miles for the professionals. The 2008 downhill competition will feature two different courses with one specifically suited for the beginner and sport classes and the other designed to challenge the skills of the nation’s top pro gravity riders.
 
In addition to the various off-road cycling competitions, USA Cycling is set to present the four U.S. Olympic mountain bikers with their official Olympic jersey during a special ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. At that time, the national governing body will also be announcing the dates and host venue of the 2009-10 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships.  "

Via USA Cycling.

NorCal HS MTB Goes to Deer Valley

Cool news from the folks at the NorCal High School MTB league.

Seven of the top riders from the NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League, who were selected from a special invitational camp, traveled to Park City, Utah, to compete in the Deer Valley stop of National Mountain Bike Racing Series. The team was hosted by the Subaru-Gary Fisher professional mountain bike team, giving the young riders the first hand experience of preparing to race alongside top American pro’s, such as Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, and Heather Irmiger, and Sam Schultz.

Early Saturday was the expert cross-country race and in the boy’s race were two sophomores, Bjorn Fox (Redwood) and Ben Sukys (Contra Costa), and Junior Will Curtis (San Rafael). The thin air and a 300-foot climb made for an intense battle to be first on the single-track. All three riders reached the single-track in good position and Bjorn decided to attack early but over-powered the tight single-track and ended up crashing out of the race with some bruises and trail rash. Will and Ben kept up the pressure and Will edged out last year’s winner by a bike length. Ben rolled in minutes later for 3rd place. “That was such a close race – I’ve never had a finish be that close and it made for a very exciting race for me” commented Will. Christine Weir (Nevada Union) overcame pre-race worries to take a 2nd place. “I wasn’t sure I was ready for the expert class and was nervous racing against Dierdra.” Chirstine ended up beating Dierda York, who recently raced at the world championships in Italy.

The remaining NorCal representatives competed in Sunday mornings sport-class race. 11th grader, Nick Newcomb (Drake) settled into what looked like third place and overtook one rider in the final lap when they began to fade. At the end of the race he learned he’d been chasing a rider in an older category. When he learned of his win he lifted his bike over his head and exclaimed “beast mode!” His teammate, Alec Kassin (Drake, 11th grade) sprinted to the line for a strong third place finish. Lauren McQuinn (San Marin, 11th grade) raced uncontested for 1st place – also beating many of the older riders in that start-wave.

This first-ever travel team raised a lot of eyebrows around the Deer Valley race venue as interest seems to grow for the concept of scholastic mountain biking in other states. “The team concept fits our mission for growing the sport in schools, as well as gives some of our top riders an opportunity to reach higher levels; the victories were an added bonus. We plan to return next year – the Deer Valley race is an exceptional event, the trails, the accommodations, and the scenic town made for luxury racing. I predict many more NorCal riders attending next year,” stated Fritzinger.

‘08 Ashland 12 Mile Super D

The good folks at dhReno have a race report from last weekend's north of the border Ashland Super D:

"Local racers had a great turnout at the 12 Mile Super D. Don Morehouse, Jordan Lopez, Casey Coffman and Jon Wilson all posted awesome times. Check out the results at  http://obra.org"

Via ‘08 Ashland 12 Mile Super D « dhRENO

Watch Great Divide Race in Realtime

I totally forgot to post this over the weekend, but better late than never:

"This might the most interesting website to look at over the next 3-4 weeks. Starting any day now [ed: already started], the Great Divide Race/Tour starts ... Select riders are carrying the SPOT locator beacon and will be able to be tracked on the above website. Sit back and become an armchair endurance racer."

I noticed this over at the Official Website of Jeff Kerkove.

You can find out more about the Tour Divide Race at Bike Magazine.

MTB Racing This Weekend: Feb 9-10, 2008

Now that we are solidly into February, the weekends are filling up. This weekend all the racing action is down south:

02/09/08: Buck Ridge Race #1 (XC in Fresno Area)
02/09/08 - 02/10/08: Southridge Winter #3 (DH, XC, 4X in SoCal)
02/10/08: CCCX XC #1 (XC in Monterey Area)

I'm a little torn where I might be racing this weekend. With the nice weather it seems wrong to spend 6+ hours in the car driving, but I wouldn't mind catching the CCCX opener... More of the upcoming nationwide MTB schedule can be found over on MTB Calendar.

2008 Brake Burner 6hr Super D with Mark Weir

Racing news from New Zealand (my sometimes workplace) with a NorCal twist:

"
Weir traveled to New Zealand to race a 6hr chair lift Super D race called the Brake Burner. Very cool idea behind a unique Super D race that we could easily see becoming more popular. Weir claimed 2nd place at the race behind Geoff Small.It’s not often Weir doesn’t win a Super D race and Vorb has got a cool interview up as well that is definitely worth checking out with Weir about the race and more. Additionally, there’s a helmet cam video on Vorb as well showing some of the terrain." (Via Sicklines.com)

If you ever find yourself in Queenstown, you owe it to yourself to rent a bike.

2008 USA Cycling MTB Calendars

USA Cycling, the UCI MTB governing body here in the US (also referred to as NORBA), has announced their 2008 endurance (XC/STXC), ultra-endurance (8/16/24 hr and marathon) and gravity (4X/MTX, DH, SD, DS) schedules:

"With more than $150,000 on the line to off-road cyclists next season, the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Calendars were announced today by the national governing body.
 
The 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar welcomes eight new events and features four UCI-sanctioned races and the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships. The calendar begins in early spring with the 20th Annual Keyesville Classic in Lake Isabella, Calif., March 15-16 and concludes seven months later with the Piney Hills Fall Classic in Ruston, La., Oct. 25-26.

The National Gravity Calendar also opens with the Keyesville Classic in March before concluding with the Whiteface Third Annual 5k Downhill in Wilmington, N.Y. on Aug. 31. New events include the Keyesville Classic as well as the Sol Survivor in Sol Vista, Colo., the Third Annual Capital Cup at Wisp in McHenry, Md. and the Sol Squared, also in Sol Vista, Colo.
 
After featuring six events last season, the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Ultra-Endurance Calendar will include eight races. Added to the Calendar next season are two national championship events – the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships in Breckenridge, Colo. on July 4 and the USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships in Wausau, Wis., Aug. 2-3. The last event on the Calendar – the Shannon Ridge Showdown in Clear Lake Oaks, Calif., Oct. 18-19 – is also new. Once again the Calendar begins with the Mas O Menos 100k in Terlingua, Texas, Feb. 14-16.
  
For compete 2008 calendars, click on the corresponding links below:
2008 MTB National Cross Country Calendar (PDF)
2008 MTB National Gravity Calendar (PDF)
2008 MTB National Ultra-Endurance Calendar (PDF)"

View the press release over at USA Cycling website (2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Calendars announced). I'll have some analysis of the calendars this weekend.

2007 Iceman Cometh Video

Although it is still relatively balmy here in the NorCal (unless you live up in Tahoe), the 2007 Iceman Cometh was earlier this month in Michigan.

The Iceman Cometh Challenge is a 27 mile point-to-point mountain bike race held traditionally on the first Saturday in November.

2007 24 Hours of Moab Results

Race reports from this weekend's final 24 Hours National Point Series race have been posted over at Ride 424:

"Looks like another clockwork performance by Eatough for the win and a rough night for a lot of riders favored to make the podium - Marenchin, Tostado, Harris all look to have bailed early, Ernesto said he ran into some asthma issues, dont know about the other 2. Rebecca Rusch came in second behind Jari Kirkland in the women’s field ... Full results here." (Via Ride 424)

Jeff Kerkove has pictures up at his flickr site.

2008 BC Bike Race Dates

Dates have been set for the second annual epic MTB stage race, the BC (British Columbia) Bike Race:

BC Bike Race Newsletter: "After a very successful inaugural race in 2007, BC Bike Race is back for the 2008 season and registration is raring to go!

For BC Bike Race 2008 (June 28th-July 4th 2008), we will welcome up to 400 riders, in teams of 2 and 4, to challenge the 7 stages from Victoria to Whistler, BC."

This seven stage race covers over 500km (~320 miles) from Whistler to Victoria in Western Canada. You can check out Ride424.com's race report from this year's BC Bike Race or the official BC Bike Race blog for more details.

Crankworx Slopestyle Highlights

Courtesy of RipTV:



15,000 spectators at Whistler watched the ever popular Slopestyle competition at Crankworx 2007.

Slopestyle Final Results:
1. Ben Boyko
2. Andreu Lacondeguy
3. Brandon Semenuk
4. Cam McCaul
5. Paul Basagoita

US MTB Championships (XC and DS)

So the second day of US MTB Championships are over and both the cross country (XC) champions have been crowned.

In the Men's Pro XC, Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Giant) won his first title. According to USA Cycling, "Craig turned in a dominant performance in the 20-mile race, earning the stars-and-stripes jersey with a winning time of 2 hours, 16 minutes and 31 seconds – a 4:26 advantage over second-place finisher and defending bronze medalist Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va./TrekVW). Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven) finished third, 6:35 off Craig’s pace to score arguably the best result of his career."

The Women's Pro XC was decided on Friday, when Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven) claimed the national title. McConneloug became the first two-time winner in the women's xc. According to USA Cycling, "Entering the event fresh off her silver-medal performance at the XV Pan American Games last weekend, McConneloug opened up an early lead over the remainder of the 43-rider field before finishing the 15-mile contest with a winning time of 2 hours, 6 minutes and 59 seconds. Defending champion Georgia Gould (Ketchum, Idaho/Luna) finished 1:17 off McConneloug’s pace to claim the silver, while Willow Koerber (Horseshoe, N.C./Subaru-Gary Fisher) placed third, 3:57 back."

In the final pro event on Saturday, Christopher Herndon (Etowah, N.C./Specialized-Cane Creek) won the national title in the men’s dual slalom, while Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz./KHS) captured the women’s crown. The eighth-seeded Herndon beat favored seventh-seeded Rich Houseman (Oceanside, Calif./Yeti-Fox). In the women’s contest, the top seeds progressed to the final as the top-seeded Buhl ousted Kathy Pruitt (Lake Almanor, Calif./Jamis), the number-two seed, for the win.

However, the biggest news of the weekend for NorCal was George Stephenson (Folsom, CA/Northern Lights), won the bronze medal over Joe Haley (Raleigh, N.C./Eastern Bikes-Maxxis) in the men’s category. George has won numerous events at Sand Hill.

For complete USA MTB Championship results, click here.

OFF TOPIC: Tour de France

So while this has little to do with Northern California, mountain biking or even beer, the Tour de France starts today.

Those of you with cable or satellite can catch most of the action on Versus (Tour de France TV schedule).

2007 Teva Mountain Games Video

Here is the video from this year's Teva Mountain Games XC race:


So the announcing is a bit cheezy, the video quality is quite good.

They also have slopestyle and freeride videos.

2008 UCI Schedule

The world governing body for cycling, UCI, has announced the 2008 Nissan UCI Mountain Bike Would Cup schedule. For 2008 there are only four gravity events on the calender - none of which are in the USA. Two of the four venues for gravity racing are new for 2008.

• 3/15/08: UCI XCM 1 / UCI World Cup (Manavgat/Antalya, Turkey)
• 4/19/08: UCI XCO 1 / UCI World Cup XCO 1 (Houffalize, Belgium)
• 4/26/08: UCI XCO 2 / UCI World Cup XCO 2 (Offenburg, Germany)
• 5/3/08: UCI XCO 3 / UCI World Cup XCO 3 (Madrid, Spain)
• 5/10/08: DHI/4X 1 / UCI World Cup DHI/4X 1 (Maribor, Slovenia)
• 5/31/08: UCI XCO 4 DHI/4X 2 / UCI World Cup XCO 4 DHI/4X 2 (Vallnord, Andora)
• 6/7/08: UCI XCO 5 DHI/4X 3 / UCI World Cup XCO 5 DHI/4X 3 (Fort William, Great Britain)
• 6/17/08: Championships UCI XCO/DHI/4X UCI XCO/DHI/4X WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (Val-di-Sole, Italy)
• 7/6/08: UCI MARATHON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (Villabassa, ITA)
• 7/26/08: UCI XCO 6 / DHI/4X 4 / UCI World Cup XCO 6 / DHI/4X 4 (TBD, Canada)
• 8/2/08: UCI XCO 7 / DHI/4X 5 / UCI World Cup XCO 7 / DHI/4X 5 (Mont Saint-Anne, Canada)
• 8/9/08: UCI XCM 2 / UCI World Cup XCM 2 (Les Deux-Alpes - Bourg d'Oisans, France)
• 8/31/08: UCI XCO 8 / DHI/4X 6 / UCI World Cup XCO 8 / DHI/4X 6 (Canberra, AUS)
• 9/13/08: UCI XCO 9 / DHI/4X 7 / UCI World Cup XCO 9 / DHI/4X 7 (Schladming, Austria)
• 10/4/08: UCI XCM 3 / UCI World Cup XCM 3 (Innsbruck, AUT)

This year's championships are being held in Great Britain.

RACE REPORT: NMBS Deer Valley DH

Results continue to pour in about this weekend's NMBS / NORBA event at Deer Valley, Utah. In the downhill event, Duncan Riffle held off Justin Loev for the Men's Pro win and Melissa Buhl beat NorCal's Kathy Pruitt for the Women's title. Decline Magazine has the latest DH results from the NORBA / NMBS Deer Valley race (via Sick Lines).

MTBR has some sweet photos in the DH forum.