Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
La Ruta Stage 4 by Cyclingdirt.org
Tinker checked in just now, about 9:30 PM pst. They have to be up in a few hours to head home after this brutal, magical, amazing race. Here is what he had to say:
"It's been a very long day, but over, Thank God. I didn't do too bad today , but before the railroad track my seat bag was falling off and I had to hand it to the crew that was fliming the team, but that didn't get coordinated quite right when I ended up needing it. The last few miles looked very good since I didn't flat riding the train track, but with just 3 mi or so I was racing for 3 place and got a flat so I rode on the flat tire to the finish line since I didn't have a tube. I ended up with 8th place for the day and I think so I'm just happy I had 2 good days. It's late right now and I have to wake up at 4:30 am which means I'll be home to my wife and son who I miss very much!"
It has been a long season and we miss you very much, too, Tinker.
We wish a safe journey to all the athletes....
Stage 4 La Ruta de los Conquistadores
Colt From Cyclingdirt
November 14, 2009
As if the previous day wasn’t enough, the Caribbean weather opened its clouds and rain fell from the heavens all of last night and throughout the entire day.
Yet what for many might be terrible weather for some it means no more than a day at their hometown slopes with the cool water keeping them sane, or must we say insane?
Setting an amazing pace the compact leading group left the town of Turrialba towards the railroad tracks in the lowlands where one of the main highlights, besides riding on the tracks for over 50 kilometers were the railroad bridges over some of Costa Rica’s most ferocious rivers.
Special carts were created to transport some of the racers across the bridges, mainly those that were affected by vertigo.
The level of the rivers, high in volume roaring down from the many mountains forced the organization to detour the race to a new course which led racers nearly 20 kilometers on a parallel highway. Cars, buses and trucks were now also involved in the race, beeping as racers passed and taking pictures of the racers while they passed them along the way. An entire country participated on this event.
Flat tires, blown gear sets and broken rims were the seen all through this section.
At the end, Manuel Prado, a true conqueror and a humble man faithful to his roots shower the leg-power that brews on the mountains of Costa Rica.
Congratulations to Manuel Prado, Alex Grant, Deiber Esquivel, Louise Kobin, Adriana Rojas, Emma Smith and 219 racers from all over the world on the completion of this challenging event.
1 Deiber Esquivel 4:34:15
2 Benjamin Sonntag 0:00:17
3 Manuel Prado 0:02:46
4 Alex Grant 0:02:47
5 Carlos Abellan Ossenbach 0:04:53
6 Roberto Heras 0:11:10
7 Jeremiah Bishop 0:15:06
8 Luis Diego Sibaja 0:17:44
9 Bart Gillespie 0:17:45
10 Marc Traiter 0:22:04
11 Kris Janssens 0:29:30
12 Juan Ignacio Mendez 0:31:53
13 Alfredo Acosta Gonzalez 0:34:59
14 Alban Figueroa 0:35:50
15 Cory Wallace 0:37:56
16 Simon Tremblay 0:40:20
17 Esteban Pacheco Quiros 0:41:11
18 Brayan Alders 0:45:45
19 Eduard Hernandez Teixidor 0:58:38
20 Samuel De La Sotta 1:01:19
21 Oscar Marin Jimenez 1:06:55
22 Daniel Garcia Matamoros 1:11:13
23 Arnoldo Loaiza 1:14:52
24 Sebastian Conejo 1:29:55
Women Result
1 Louise Kobin 5:13:00
2 Adriana Rojas 0:26:16
"It's been a very long day, but over, Thank God. I didn't do too bad today , but before the railroad track my seat bag was falling off and I had to hand it to the crew that was fliming the team, but that didn't get coordinated quite right when I ended up needing it. The last few miles looked very good since I didn't flat riding the train track, but with just 3 mi or so I was racing for 3 place and got a flat so I rode on the flat tire to the finish line since I didn't have a tube. I ended up with 8th place for the day and I think so I'm just happy I had 2 good days. It's late right now and I have to wake up at 4:30 am which means I'll be home to my wife and son who I miss very much!"
It has been a long season and we miss you very much, too, Tinker.
We wish a safe journey to all the athletes....
Stage 4 La Ruta de los Conquistadores
Colt From Cyclingdirt
November 14, 2009
As if the previous day wasn’t enough, the Caribbean weather opened its clouds and rain fell from the heavens all of last night and throughout the entire day.
Yet what for many might be terrible weather for some it means no more than a day at their hometown slopes with the cool water keeping them sane, or must we say insane?
Setting an amazing pace the compact leading group left the town of Turrialba towards the railroad tracks in the lowlands where one of the main highlights, besides riding on the tracks for over 50 kilometers were the railroad bridges over some of Costa Rica’s most ferocious rivers.
Special carts were created to transport some of the racers across the bridges, mainly those that were affected by vertigo.
The level of the rivers, high in volume roaring down from the many mountains forced the organization to detour the race to a new course which led racers nearly 20 kilometers on a parallel highway. Cars, buses and trucks were now also involved in the race, beeping as racers passed and taking pictures of the racers while they passed them along the way. An entire country participated on this event.
Flat tires, blown gear sets and broken rims were the seen all through this section.
At the end, Manuel Prado, a true conqueror and a humble man faithful to his roots shower the leg-power that brews on the mountains of Costa Rica.
Congratulations to Manuel Prado, Alex Grant, Deiber Esquivel, Louise Kobin, Adriana Rojas, Emma Smith and 219 racers from all over the world on the completion of this challenging event.
1 Deiber Esquivel 4:34:15
2 Benjamin Sonntag 0:00:17
3 Manuel Prado 0:02:46
4 Alex Grant 0:02:47
5 Carlos Abellan Ossenbach 0:04:53
6 Roberto Heras 0:11:10
7 Jeremiah Bishop 0:15:06
8 Luis Diego Sibaja 0:17:44
9 Bart Gillespie 0:17:45
10 Marc Traiter 0:22:04
11 Kris Janssens 0:29:30
12 Juan Ignacio Mendez 0:31:53
13 Alfredo Acosta Gonzalez 0:34:59
14 Alban Figueroa 0:35:50
15 Cory Wallace 0:37:56
16 Simon Tremblay 0:40:20
17 Esteban Pacheco Quiros 0:41:11
18 Brayan Alders 0:45:45
19 Eduard Hernandez Teixidor 0:58:38
20 Samuel De La Sotta 1:01:19
21 Oscar Marin Jimenez 1:06:55
22 Daniel Garcia Matamoros 1:11:13
23 Arnoldo Loaiza 1:14:52
24 Sebastian Conejo 1:29:55
Women Result
1 Louise Kobin 5:13:00
2 Adriana Rojas 0:26:16
La Ruta Stage 3 update story from Tinker
Tinker checked in late yesterday with a report. He is tired but ready for the final stage on Saturday.
"Things went a lot better today, I led half race with most of the hardest parts and climbing up the volcanos. I took the lead early with at least 2 min lead. Bishop caught me at the top of the volcano. At one point I had a 5 min lead and kept trying to hold off the group behind me but they were working together. Bishop was the only rider to ride away from the group and he just caught me right at the very top. We were so glad we had our jackets and arm warmer. We started heading down hill and half way down there was a climb that was pretty long and almost near the end of the climb he started riding away. It was hard to get traction since I was just pounding over rocks on my Flash and his Scalpel cruised over them really easy! I looked back and two more rider were getting near me so I tried to go down hill fast, but this part of the down hill was really rocky so I went very easy. One guy broke his chain so now I was back in 3rd place and started riding faster, because the down hill was better for me. I got off the dirt and headed on a very fast road but it was raining and had to be very careful in all the tight twisty turns. Someone told me to turn right onto the dirt and as I was starting to climb. I looked back and there was Bishop, then another guy waved us to come back so we turn around got back on the road we just were on and went the direction that I was originally going. Now me and Bishop were flying down the wet rainy road following the guy on the motorcycle. We must have lost about 8 or 10 min but he finally showed us the right way. It was only 1 km away and two more of our team mate caught us and we all finish together with me crossing in 3 place.
I hope you can make since of what I wrote. sorry a little tired.
Tinker"
"Things went a lot better today, I led half race with most of the hardest parts and climbing up the volcanos. I took the lead early with at least 2 min lead. Bishop caught me at the top of the volcano. At one point I had a 5 min lead and kept trying to hold off the group behind me but they were working together. Bishop was the only rider to ride away from the group and he just caught me right at the very top. We were so glad we had our jackets and arm warmer. We started heading down hill and half way down there was a climb that was pretty long and almost near the end of the climb he started riding away. It was hard to get traction since I was just pounding over rocks on my Flash and his Scalpel cruised over them really easy! I looked back and two more rider were getting near me so I tried to go down hill fast, but this part of the down hill was really rocky so I went very easy. One guy broke his chain so now I was back in 3rd place and started riding faster, because the down hill was better for me. I got off the dirt and headed on a very fast road but it was raining and had to be very careful in all the tight twisty turns. Someone told me to turn right onto the dirt and as I was starting to climb. I looked back and there was Bishop, then another guy waved us to come back so we turn around got back on the road we just were on and went the direction that I was originally going. Now me and Bishop were flying down the wet rainy road following the guy on the motorcycle. We must have lost about 8 or 10 min but he finally showed us the right way. It was only 1 km away and two more of our team mate caught us and we all finish together with me crossing in 3 place.
I hope you can make since of what I wrote. sorry a little tired.
Tinker"
La Ruta Stage 3 Video and update
www.Cyclingdirt.org is closely tracking the La Ruta race with tons of interviews, reports, videos, and updates. This is the excellent video of Stage 3 showing the Monavie-cannondale.com team pushing hard along with the rest of the top riders through the mud and rain. The team had an excellent day.
Tinker made up for his bad day on Stage 2 and finished tied with Ben for second place. However, due to Tinker's DNF in Stage 2, his time did not count for the overall. He is on a mission, however, following suite with the theme of the event - as a Conquistador.
Click these links:
Stage Three Video
Race Report by Colt www.cyclingdirt.org
Stage 3 La Ruta de los Conquistadores
Colt From Cyclingdirt
November 13, 2009
Monavie-Cannondale team worked their way up the volcanoes on Stage 3. Tinker Juarez did an outstanding climb towards the Irazú Volcano, he ascended like it was his last climb.
Jeremiah Bishop followed Juarez with a gap of close to 3 minutes along with Deiber Esquivel and Marc Trayter, both trying to break the trio apart and move upfront on the hunt for Tinker.
Manuel Prado fell back throughout the climb, he mentioned that this was nit his day and thanked the outstanding labor of his teammate Benjamin Bostrom did to give Prado enough leverage to make it to the finish line and stick to his overall leadership of the race.
The Irazú and Turrialba Volcanoes, both covered with clouds, greeted racers with a cold and wet passage through the surrounding forests. Abandoned roads of rocky terrains at an angle inviting racers to fly head first down the slopes towards the town of Turrialba hosted a cold and extremely technical route.
Costa Rica's Adriana Rojas continues ahead of the pack of women. A solid display of technical skills and strength in the past 3 stages could get her in the 1st place in the podium on the last stage tomorrow.
Stage 4 is composed of 121 kilometers of dirt roads, defying climbs and an eternal railroad segment that will lead racers to the Caribbean coast, north of the port of Moín, Limón. Racers will ride a final 12 kilometers of marshy, abandoned roads parallel to the coast.
---
Men’s Stage Results:
1. Deiber Esquivel – 03:53:01
2. Benjamin Sontaag – 04:01:33
3. Alex Grant – 04:01:34
Women’s Stage Results:
1. Louise Kobin – 04:58:30
2. Adriana Rojas – 05:01:50
3. Emma Smith – 06:11:12
Tinker made up for his bad day on Stage 2 and finished tied with Ben for second place. However, due to Tinker's DNF in Stage 2, his time did not count for the overall. He is on a mission, however, following suite with the theme of the event - as a Conquistador.
Click these links:
Stage Three Video
Race Report by Colt www.cyclingdirt.org
Stage 3 La Ruta de los Conquistadores
Colt From Cyclingdirt
November 13, 2009
Monavie-Cannondale team worked their way up the volcanoes on Stage 3. Tinker Juarez did an outstanding climb towards the Irazú Volcano, he ascended like it was his last climb.
Jeremiah Bishop followed Juarez with a gap of close to 3 minutes along with Deiber Esquivel and Marc Trayter, both trying to break the trio apart and move upfront on the hunt for Tinker.
Manuel Prado fell back throughout the climb, he mentioned that this was nit his day and thanked the outstanding labor of his teammate Benjamin Bostrom did to give Prado enough leverage to make it to the finish line and stick to his overall leadership of the race.
The Irazú and Turrialba Volcanoes, both covered with clouds, greeted racers with a cold and wet passage through the surrounding forests. Abandoned roads of rocky terrains at an angle inviting racers to fly head first down the slopes towards the town of Turrialba hosted a cold and extremely technical route.
Costa Rica's Adriana Rojas continues ahead of the pack of women. A solid display of technical skills and strength in the past 3 stages could get her in the 1st place in the podium on the last stage tomorrow.
Stage 4 is composed of 121 kilometers of dirt roads, defying climbs and an eternal railroad segment that will lead racers to the Caribbean coast, north of the port of Moín, Limón. Racers will ride a final 12 kilometers of marshy, abandoned roads parallel to the coast.
---
Men’s Stage Results:
1. Deiber Esquivel – 03:53:01
2. Benjamin Sontaag – 04:01:33
3. Alex Grant – 04:01:34
Women’s Stage Results:
1. Louise Kobin – 04:58:30
2. Adriana Rojas – 05:01:50
3. Emma Smith – 06:11:12
Friday, November 13, 2009
La Ruta Stage 2 by bicycling.com
November 13th, 2009
Esquivel Wins La Ruta Stage 2, Prado Still Leads
La Ruta de los Conquistadores takes racers on a four day, 239 mile trek across Costa Rica, following the west to east route of 16th Century Spanish Conquistador Juan de Caballon (read more about the event here). J. Andres Vargas with Lead Adventure Media wrote the following account of the second stage.
Climbing Escazú Mountains. Photo credits - J. Andrés Vargas - Lead Adventure Media
La Ruta racers took on one of the strongest ascents today about one and a half kilometers after the start of the stage, a wall that took riders from 800 meters up to 1,400 meters above sea level within 8 kilometers.
Top racers showed their world-class skill, making the first ascent seem like a ride in the park although several elite riders paid the price of a rapid pace and a grueling push to the top. Such was the case of Ben Sonntag when at 100 meters from reaching the top of the mountain, his chain jammed in his rear cassette.
The climb continues.
Paolo Montoya from team Giant-Italy, who was near the scene as a spectator due to recent injury, said Ben had a top-five position when the chain jammed. Sonntag lost over twenty minutes and was passed bymore than half the participants, yet he managed to make it into 10th position.
Costa Rica’s Deiber Esquivel had another amazing comeback from a hardware malfunction. After finishing in 13th position on Stage 1, Esquivel came in first place on Stage 2, 30 seconds before Manuel Prado, who still holds 1st place in the general standings.
Deiber is the only elite racer from team Economy-Citi-Blue. The Costa Rican Cycling Federation threatened local elite riders with disqualifications for upcoming events if they participated in La Ruta. The event, considered by UCI regulations three years ago to be too far on the adventure-racing side of the fence, is now amidst allegations from the local cycling federation. It claims La Ruta must pay honoraries and percentages for purposes unclear to this day.
Students from local schools cheer on racers.
Both Esquivel and Prado would be subject to sanctions, but have clearly stated their main goal throughout the season has been to prepare for La Ruta. They said they were willing to undergo penalties to represent their country and teams.
Monavie-Cannondale’s Tinker Juarez was not able to finish the stage when he found himself lost on an abandoned road for more than an hour, immediately followed by an unfortunate flat tire that set him down to a car ride from his nearby location.
“It’s truly unfortunate, but these things happen,” Tinker said. He will continue unranked and keeps a signature smile on his face, always available for a photograph with his loyal fans.
Tomorrow awaits one of the toughest stages of the race, the climb to Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes, reaching a height of close to 3,400 meters above sea level.
Men’s Stage Results:
1. Deiber Esquivel – 03:45:27
2. Manuel Prado – 03:45:58
3. Marc Trayter – 03:46:02
4. Milton Ramos -3:51:09
5. Heinz Zoerweg - 3:51:35
6. Jeremiah Bishop - 3:51:35
7. Alex Grant - 3:51:35
Women’s Stage Results:
1. Louise Kobin – 04:42:34
2. Adriana Rojas – 04:44:52
3. Yesennia Villalta – 06:23:30
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
La Ruta Stage 1 photos
This will long be known as the 'mud race'.
Photos from http://www.cyclingdirt.org/
Also check out the interviews, including one with Tinker here: Interviews
Photos from http://www.cyclingdirt.org/
Also check out the interviews, including one with Tinker here: Interviews
La Ruta Stage 1
Whooohoo!! The MonaVie-Cannondale Team rocked La Ruta today even with a few mechanicals. http://www.cyclingdirt.org/ is working hard on updates now. Check out the recap video here: La Ruta Stage 1 Recap
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Getting Ready for La Ruta de los Conquistadores
Tinker checked in tonight and he was in good spirits and is ready for the race tomorrow. His weapon of choice is the Cannondale Carbon Flash equipped with a triple chain ring and Kenda Dred Tred tires - perfect for the brutal climbs and pasty mud expected for the next four days. We will post updates and race reports for the next four days so keep checking back. Also check the team website for videos, stories, photos, and updates: www.monavie-cannondale.com.
Tinker and the rest of the MonaVie-Cannondale team spent part of the day visiting a local Costa Rican Children's Hospital where they got a chance to talk with some of the children and hand out hats and t-shirts. The whole team was so happy to be able to meet everyone. They will raise funds for the children through the sell of Costa Rican coffee and a raffle for an all expense trip to the 2010 La Ruta de los Conquistadores race to raise money for the children, who mostly are battling cancer. Anyone can donate and buy tickets on the www.MonaVie-Cannondale.com website so check it out when you get time. The team posted a great video and a story about the visit.
Tinker mentioned there were some changes in the sanctioning with the Costa Rican Cycling Federation. Cyclingnews.com has a good write up about it here: La Ruta & Federation Battle
www.Bikeradar.com has a great preview here: Preview (not sure why the title is '2010'??)
Tinker and the rest of the MonaVie-Cannondale team spent part of the day visiting a local Costa Rican Children's Hospital where they got a chance to talk with some of the children and hand out hats and t-shirts. The whole team was so happy to be able to meet everyone. They will raise funds for the children through the sell of Costa Rican coffee and a raffle for an all expense trip to the 2010 La Ruta de los Conquistadores race to raise money for the children, who mostly are battling cancer. Anyone can donate and buy tickets on the www.MonaVie-Cannondale.com website so check it out when you get time. The team posted a great video and a story about the visit.
Tinker mentioned there were some changes in the sanctioning with the Costa Rican Cycling Federation. Cyclingnews.com has a good write up about it here: La Ruta & Federation Battle
www.Bikeradar.com has a great preview here: Preview (not sure why the title is '2010'??)
Friday, November 06, 2009
Suwanee Fat Tire Festival & World Famous City Cycle!
Promoting the Festival!
I'm getting ready to head to Costa Rica for the La Ruta de los Conquistadores and desperately trying to catch up with blog posts and the rest of the stuff going on lately, especially getting ready for the race. I cannot head out for this big trip without a report about the awesome trip to Florida for the Suwanee Fat Tire Festival and to visit my very good friend Drew Johnson of the World Famous City Cycle in Jacksonville, FL.
Drew's World Famous City Cycle mobile
Drew, me, and some riders
Ride leader and me
The trip started with a nice evening hanging out and catching up with Drew at his cool place. He fed me real good, and was incredibly patient as I was beat from just getting back from Brazil the night before heading to FL. The Florida weather was just perfect and we headed to the White Springs where the Festival was staged. What a beautiful place, right on the Suwanee River. I went and bought a new fishing pole and bait and got a couple of short hours relaxing on the shoreline, dazing off, and watching the Spanish moss sway in the big trees. Oh and I caught a bunch of fish I let go. It was awesome. I don't catch fish all that often so this was awesome. Fishing is sort of my 'therapy' and it's all about sitting, relaxing, not worrying about what food to eat or not, riding, sleeping right, and all the other things I have to do every minute of every day to keep my fitness and perform optimally. It is exhausting so this fishing thing is really a great get away from all that and I'm hooked. I just kick myself for not finding this when Terri and I lived on a lake in Florida! I might have never left....
The Festival was a blast. They had great rides, excellent food, and it was nice not having to stress about racing and kicking back with my good friend. One thing I wish I could redo was instead of fishing I wish I could have hung out for dinner one night I sort of bailed. I think my brain was too tired and with all the traveling and being 'ON' since Interbike, I was mush. One other thing I wish I could redo is on one of the rides two ladies missed a technical climb and crashed. I don't know what I was thinking and maybe I was somewhat bashful and didn't want to embarass them, but I wish I would have stopped and helped them try again to make that climb. It's been bugging me ever since. Sorry ladies.... I hope you go back and try again and again until you make it. I know you can.
What a beautiful place
Well, I really want to thank the bike club, the Festival promoter, Drew Johnson & World Famous City Cycles, Nixon and the Cannondale Demo Crew, and everyone for a really great time!
Peace,
Tinker
PS - the photos were from Mick Shea: http://picasaweb.google.com/mick.shea/Oct09FTF?feat=email#
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Mona Vie Brazil & Iron Biker
Mona Vie went way out of there way and took care of us like celebreties. We stayed in very nice hotels, ate like kings at the steakhouses, and took us to the Mona Vie Brazil Headquarters. It was great!
We already made plans to go next year and will focus on the race first and then staying to visit and tour a little. Brazil will host the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro so they want to show us the city. Also, Mona Vie Brazil is the exclusive sponsor to the MORE Project so we will get a chance to visit the facility and interact with the children. It will be so awesome. Way too many people live in extreme poverty and the MORE project provides hope, guidance, and education to the lucky ones involved. I know it will be tough not taking all the kids home with me - they are all so amazing and I can't wait to meet them.
The Iron Biker is the biggest race in South America. At least 1000 riders were at the start and the competition was incredible. It was a very fast race on mostly jeep roads with tons of climbing in the beautiful mountains. This part of Brazil was amazing beautiful and scenery was awesome. The city where the race was hosted was called Ouro Preto, built in the 18th century. They say that marathon racing in South America beganin Ouro Preto and the people are very proud of the race, the city, and their country. It is a race I am looking forward to next year and beyond and hope to do better next year. This year I had the flu - you know the fever, cough, runny nose, feel like crap, body aches flu - but I managed a 6th place over all. It was not easy and I had to really really dig deep but pulled it off.
One of the many highlights of the trip was getting to meet up with my good friend Roberto Nogueira of the Bike Park in Sao Silvano, one of my personal sponsors. He already had plans to go to the big Formula 1 race in Sao Paolo but he squeezed in some time for dinner. It is always good to see him and one of my stops next year will be a visit and race at the Bike Park next year. Here is a blog for the Bike Park: Bike Park Blog
It was also great to see Fabio Piva, the editor of Bike Brazil magazine. He is a friend of Roberto's and was at the race taking tons of photos. I can't wait to see the stories!
Thanks very much to the Iron Biker race promoter, the Mona Vie Brazil, and Bike Park for an awesome trip. Check out www.MonaVie-Cannondale.com for photos and stories. I'm not so good with the camera but they are.
Oi!
Tinker
We already made plans to go next year and will focus on the race first and then staying to visit and tour a little. Brazil will host the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro so they want to show us the city. Also, Mona Vie Brazil is the exclusive sponsor to the MORE Project so we will get a chance to visit the facility and interact with the children. It will be so awesome. Way too many people live in extreme poverty and the MORE project provides hope, guidance, and education to the lucky ones involved. I know it will be tough not taking all the kids home with me - they are all so amazing and I can't wait to meet them.
The Iron Biker is the biggest race in South America. At least 1000 riders were at the start and the competition was incredible. It was a very fast race on mostly jeep roads with tons of climbing in the beautiful mountains. This part of Brazil was amazing beautiful and scenery was awesome. The city where the race was hosted was called Ouro Preto, built in the 18th century. They say that marathon racing in South America beganin Ouro Preto and the people are very proud of the race, the city, and their country. It is a race I am looking forward to next year and beyond and hope to do better next year. This year I had the flu - you know the fever, cough, runny nose, feel like crap, body aches flu - but I managed a 6th place over all. It was not easy and I had to really really dig deep but pulled it off.
One of the many highlights of the trip was getting to meet up with my good friend Roberto Nogueira of the Bike Park in Sao Silvano, one of my personal sponsors. He already had plans to go to the big Formula 1 race in Sao Paolo but he squeezed in some time for dinner. It is always good to see him and one of my stops next year will be a visit and race at the Bike Park next year. Here is a blog for the Bike Park: Bike Park Blog
It was also great to see Fabio Piva, the editor of Bike Brazil magazine. He is a friend of Roberto's and was at the race taking tons of photos. I can't wait to see the stories!
Thanks very much to the Iron Biker race promoter, the Mona Vie Brazil, and Bike Park for an awesome trip. Check out www.MonaVie-Cannondale.com for photos and stories. I'm not so good with the camera but they are.
Oi!
Tinker
Monday, October 19, 2009
Iron Biker 2009, Tinker's Award & the MonaVie Challenge
When Tinker and Matt checked in last night I could barely get to talk with Tinker because Matt was so excited about the race, the town, the country, and the whole experience. They said it was awesome, and Mona Vie presented Tinker with a long introduction and a special award for being a legend in mountain biking. The intro was in Portuguese, but they could tell by the way the crowd was looking and then all the applause and even tears, it was an emotional, touching, & wonderful dedication to a person who is greatly loved by the mountain bike community.
Brazil was deeply grateful for the honor of having MonaVie-Cannondale and Tinker at their beloved Iron Biker.
MonaVie posted a photo of Tinker receiving his award and of Alex receiving third place in the MonaVie Challenge.
Alex Grant MonVie Challenge Award
Congratulations Team! Well done!!
The Legend receiving special award
Here is the MonaVie Retrospective in English and Portuguese:
RETROSPECTIVE IRON BIKER 2009
Após dois dias de intensas competições pelas Regiões de Ouro Preto e Mariana, atletas do montain bike nacional e estrangeiro disputaram uma corrida entre matas fechadas, rios e vilarejos destas duas cidades históricas de Minas Gerais. After two days of intense competition between the regions of Ouro Preto and Mariana, athletes mountain bike home and abroad competed in a race between dense forests, rivers and villages of these two historical cities of Minas Gerais.
E nossos atletas da elite do Cannondale MonaVie também estiveram presentes na mais importante prova do mountain bike da América Latina. And our elite athletes of the MonaVie Cannondale also attended the most important evidence of mountain biking in Latin America. Matt Ohran, Bart Guillespie, Alex Grant e David “Tinker” Juarez representaram a MonaVie eo MonaVie Emv. Matt Ohran, Bart Guillespie, Alex Grant and David "Tinker" Juarez represented MonaVie and MonaVie Emv.
Mais de 1.000 atletas do ciclismo largaram da Praça Tiradentes, divididos em diversas categorias, masculina e feminina. More than 1000 athletes from cycling dropped the Praça Tiradentes, divided into several categories, male and female.
“Foi uma prova muito disputada. "It was a hard fought race. Todos os atletas, sem exceção, estavam em um nível muito alto de competição ea organização muito bem preparada para receber o evento”, conta Tinker após ter sido homenageado na cerimonia de entrega dos troféus. All athletes, without exception, were in a very high level of competition and the organization well prepared to host the event, "says Tinker after being honored at the ceremony of presentation of trophies. No auge de seus 42 anos e em plena forma física, Tinker ainda é um dos atletas mais respeitados do mundo no cenário do mountain bike, tendo participado de duas olimpíadas pelos Estados Unidos. In the peak of 42 years and in full physical form, Tinker is still one of the most respected athletes in the world of mountain bike scene, and participated in two Olympics by the United States.
Devido ao alto nível de competição dos atletas, diversos veículos de comunicação estiveram presentes no grande desafio sobre duas rodas. Due to the high level of competition of athletes, several media outlets were present in the challenge on two wheels.
“De fato, nunca tinha visto um evento de mountain bike com este tipo de estrutura. "In fact, had never seen a mountain bike event with this type of structure. Estou surpreso em muito satisfeitos em ter vindo ao Brasil pela primeira vez”, fala Matt Ohran. 'm Surprised at very pleased to have come to Brazil for the first time, "says Matt Ohran.
“Os eventos da MonaVie em geral têm sido muito importante para o negócio. "The events of MonaVie in general have been very important for the business. As degustações do MonaVie Emv foram um enorme sucesso no Iron Biker, o que gerou um grande volume de latas vendidas durante o evento”, fala Mauricio Patrocinio. Tastings of MonaVie Emv were a huge success in the Iron Biker, which generated a large volume of cans sold during the event, "says Mauricio Patrocinio.
“Estamos muito felizes em participar da maior prova de mountain bike da América Latina e esperamos voltar no ano que vem. "We are delighted to participate in the largest mountain bike race in Latin America and hope to come back next year. Agradeço a todos pelo apoio prestado”, fala Alex Grant, terceiro colocado no Desafio MonaVie Emv, sexta-feira dia 16. I thank everyone for their support, "says Alex Grant, placed third in the Challenge MonaVie Emv, Friday the 16th.
Check here soon in the gallery complete with all the photos of the event.
Sucesso e excelentes negócios. Success and great deals.
Equipe MonaVie MonaVie Team
www.monavienews.com.br www.monavienews.com.br
Pesquisar por: Search for:
Brazil was deeply grateful for the honor of having MonaVie-Cannondale and Tinker at their beloved Iron Biker.
MonaVie posted a photo of Tinker receiving his award and of Alex receiving third place in the MonaVie Challenge.
Alex Grant MonVie Challenge Award
Congratulations Team! Well done!!
The Legend receiving special award
Here is the MonaVie Retrospective in English and Portuguese:
RETROSPECTIVE IRON BIKER 2009
Após dois dias de intensas competições pelas Regiões de Ouro Preto e Mariana, atletas do montain bike nacional e estrangeiro disputaram uma corrida entre matas fechadas, rios e vilarejos destas duas cidades históricas de Minas Gerais. After two days of intense competition between the regions of Ouro Preto and Mariana, athletes mountain bike home and abroad competed in a race between dense forests, rivers and villages of these two historical cities of Minas Gerais.
E nossos atletas da elite do Cannondale MonaVie também estiveram presentes na mais importante prova do mountain bike da América Latina. And our elite athletes of the MonaVie Cannondale also attended the most important evidence of mountain biking in Latin America. Matt Ohran, Bart Guillespie, Alex Grant e David “Tinker” Juarez representaram a MonaVie eo MonaVie Emv. Matt Ohran, Bart Guillespie, Alex Grant and David "Tinker" Juarez represented MonaVie and MonaVie Emv.
Mais de 1.000 atletas do ciclismo largaram da Praça Tiradentes, divididos em diversas categorias, masculina e feminina. More than 1000 athletes from cycling dropped the Praça Tiradentes, divided into several categories, male and female.
“Foi uma prova muito disputada. "It was a hard fought race. Todos os atletas, sem exceção, estavam em um nível muito alto de competição ea organização muito bem preparada para receber o evento”, conta Tinker após ter sido homenageado na cerimonia de entrega dos troféus. All athletes, without exception, were in a very high level of competition and the organization well prepared to host the event, "says Tinker after being honored at the ceremony of presentation of trophies. No auge de seus 42 anos e em plena forma física, Tinker ainda é um dos atletas mais respeitados do mundo no cenário do mountain bike, tendo participado de duas olimpíadas pelos Estados Unidos. In the peak of 42 years and in full physical form, Tinker is still one of the most respected athletes in the world of mountain bike scene, and participated in two Olympics by the United States.
Devido ao alto nível de competição dos atletas, diversos veículos de comunicação estiveram presentes no grande desafio sobre duas rodas. Due to the high level of competition of athletes, several media outlets were present in the challenge on two wheels.
“De fato, nunca tinha visto um evento de mountain bike com este tipo de estrutura. "In fact, had never seen a mountain bike event with this type of structure. Estou surpreso em muito satisfeitos em ter vindo ao Brasil pela primeira vez”, fala Matt Ohran. 'm Surprised at very pleased to have come to Brazil for the first time, "says Matt Ohran.
“Os eventos da MonaVie em geral têm sido muito importante para o negócio. "The events of MonaVie in general have been very important for the business. As degustações do MonaVie Emv foram um enorme sucesso no Iron Biker, o que gerou um grande volume de latas vendidas durante o evento”, fala Mauricio Patrocinio. Tastings of MonaVie Emv were a huge success in the Iron Biker, which generated a large volume of cans sold during the event, "says Mauricio Patrocinio.
“Estamos muito felizes em participar da maior prova de mountain bike da América Latina e esperamos voltar no ano que vem. "We are delighted to participate in the largest mountain bike race in Latin America and hope to come back next year. Agradeço a todos pelo apoio prestado”, fala Alex Grant, terceiro colocado no Desafio MonaVie Emv, sexta-feira dia 16. I thank everyone for their support, "says Alex Grant, placed third in the Challenge MonaVie Emv, Friday the 16th.
Check here soon in the gallery complete with all the photos of the event.
Sucesso e excelentes negócios. Success and great deals.
Equipe MonaVie MonaVie Team
www.monavienews.com.br www.monavienews.com.br
Pesquisar por: Search for:
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Iron Biker 2009 Update
Matt Ohran checked in to let us know the team had a good day today. Tinker finished 5th with Alex in 6th and Bart in 10th. There were 1000 starters and some very very fast competition. They are staying in an historical mining town called Ouro Preto with limited internet but they will post stories, movies, and photos when they get back to Sao Paolo. Check the team website for updates: http://www.monavie-cannondale.com/
It has been several days since we heard from Tinker when he said he emailed saying he had the flu with a fever and was feeling miserable. Yesterday Matt said he was better and ready to race. Guess that Tylenol they have over there works good.
A quick google search for 'iron biker' revealed these georgeous photos by Ronald Peret. His work is amazing:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronaldperet/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronaldperet/
Good luck team!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Leave No Trace MTB Race Series is in the Books!
I managed to recruit a couple of good friends to head up to the Knickerbocker 50 & 8hr race and the Leave No Trace series final. We packed up the RV and mounted the motorcycle rack on the back hitch. I had a brand new hitch mounted on the front just so we could carry bikes and scooter or whatever on the back. So Ed Kocina, Roger Carlson, and I headed up to Auburn early Friday morning. The plan was Ed would support and Roger and I would race the 8 hours and Roger the 50 mile event.
We found a nice campground 10 miles away from the race. It was right next to the American river so of course the first thing we wanted to do is get the fishing poles set up and relax after a long day in the car. We would starve if we didn’t have a big batch of spinach fettuccini with pesto chicken and vegetables that Terri made for the trip. We had a nice night and it was a great way to unwind before the race.
The race course was the same as the first event when it rained the whole time and I raced for 24 hours in that sick slick mud. But this time the course was dry and dusty. And in dry conditions, it was super fast. The May race was 4 inches of mud but this one was 4 inches of dust. There was one pond on the course about 3 miles into the course and I wanted to stop and go fishing. I guess I just wanted to fish, period.
Anyway, I was in the lead on lap #6 about 5 hours and 72 miles into the race, and I wanted to stop. I’ve been sick lately and my body was rebelling. From the start, I wanted to get as much of a lead as I could and I pushed it hard. I knew Dave and Dez were there and they are always touch competitors. But with a couple of major races left, I didn’t want to take any chances of getting worse or injured, so I stopped. It has been a long season and the endurance races are hard. You just have to weigh the pros and cons and I knew I had already won the four race series grand prize scooter and wanted to win the race, too, but felt it was more important to leave some reserves in the tank for the next two months of trips.
.JPG)
Men’s series point leaders.
Series winners with their scooters.
Roger had a disappointing race. He had to pull out early due to the difficulty he had with his prosthetic leg and making the climbs. He had to hike for most of the course but he had a really good workout and enjoyed the rest of the day.
We never did make it to that pond to fish.
The Globalbiorhythmsevents.com along with Auburn Cycles has been putting on these excellent races and I want to thank them all, the family, crew, support, and volunteers for such a great season. Thank you thank you!!
_(1).JPG)
Race Promoter Jim Northy, Melanie Dominguez, and me with the scooters.
Jim Northy sent all the photos. There is one picture Jim is most proud of. He only had 5 bags of trash and Kathie and Jim went through it and came up three bags of recyclable stuff. That's great with a few hundred people and only 5 bags of trash!! That's why they call it the Leave No Trace" series. Next year plan to take all the recyclable stuff and turn it in and take the money and put it back into the trails we all love so much!!
.JPG)
Leave no trace trash & recyclables.
Next year I hope to get the Monavie-Cannondale.com team out for the globalbiorhythm events stage race in September. Check out their excellent blog stories and the Adventures of Dez on: LNT Blog.
I want to send out a huge thank you especially to Ed, Roger, and Pico for coming out. Pico has been supporting me for all four races and I knew with him there my bike would be performing at tip top shape, so I had no worries about that. Any time I’m in NorCal, I look forward to working with the best mechanic around. Ed and Roger put up with me being so anxious about getting home yesterday because I miss my family and I have to leave here in about 2 hours for a long trip to Iron Biker in Sao Paolo Brazil.
I have to go pack my bike up now, and will try and post during the next week from Brazil. Check out the team website for updates on this next adventure: www.monavie-cannondale.com. We will be visiting the main MonaVie Brazilian headquarters and meeting up with the makers of the products. I can’t wait to tell them in person how much I love MonaVie and especially the Emv.
Peace,
Tinker
We found a nice campground 10 miles away from the race. It was right next to the American river so of course the first thing we wanted to do is get the fishing poles set up and relax after a long day in the car. We would starve if we didn’t have a big batch of spinach fettuccini with pesto chicken and vegetables that Terri made for the trip. We had a nice night and it was a great way to unwind before the race.
The race course was the same as the first event when it rained the whole time and I raced for 24 hours in that sick slick mud. But this time the course was dry and dusty. And in dry conditions, it was super fast. The May race was 4 inches of mud but this one was 4 inches of dust. There was one pond on the course about 3 miles into the course and I wanted to stop and go fishing. I guess I just wanted to fish, period.
Anyway, I was in the lead on lap #6 about 5 hours and 72 miles into the race, and I wanted to stop. I’ve been sick lately and my body was rebelling. From the start, I wanted to get as much of a lead as I could and I pushed it hard. I knew Dave and Dez were there and they are always touch competitors. But with a couple of major races left, I didn’t want to take any chances of getting worse or injured, so I stopped. It has been a long season and the endurance races are hard. You just have to weigh the pros and cons and I knew I had already won the four race series grand prize scooter and wanted to win the race, too, but felt it was more important to leave some reserves in the tank for the next two months of trips.
.JPG)
Men’s series point leaders.
Series winners with their scooters.
Roger had a disappointing race. He had to pull out early due to the difficulty he had with his prosthetic leg and making the climbs. He had to hike for most of the course but he had a really good workout and enjoyed the rest of the day.
We never did make it to that pond to fish.
The Globalbiorhythmsevents.com along with Auburn Cycles has been putting on these excellent races and I want to thank them all, the family, crew, support, and volunteers for such a great season. Thank you thank you!!
_(1).JPG)
Race Promoter Jim Northy, Melanie Dominguez, and me with the scooters.
Jim Northy sent all the photos. There is one picture Jim is most proud of. He only had 5 bags of trash and Kathie and Jim went through it and came up three bags of recyclable stuff. That's great with a few hundred people and only 5 bags of trash!! That's why they call it the Leave No Trace" series. Next year plan to take all the recyclable stuff and turn it in and take the money and put it back into the trails we all love so much!!
.JPG)
Leave no trace trash & recyclables.
Next year I hope to get the Monavie-Cannondale.com team out for the globalbiorhythm events stage race in September. Check out their excellent blog stories and the Adventures of Dez on: LNT Blog.
I want to send out a huge thank you especially to Ed, Roger, and Pico for coming out. Pico has been supporting me for all four races and I knew with him there my bike would be performing at tip top shape, so I had no worries about that. Any time I’m in NorCal, I look forward to working with the best mechanic around. Ed and Roger put up with me being so anxious about getting home yesterday because I miss my family and I have to leave here in about 2 hours for a long trip to Iron Biker in Sao Paolo Brazil.
I have to go pack my bike up now, and will try and post during the next week from Brazil. Check out the team website for updates on this next adventure: www.monavie-cannondale.com. We will be visiting the main MonaVie Brazilian headquarters and meeting up with the makers of the products. I can’t wait to tell them in person how much I love MonaVie and especially the Emv.
Peace,
Tinker
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Thursday, October 08, 2009
SOCAL FAT TIRE EPIC 50: Presented by Intense Cycles
Here is a great story about the SoCal Fat Tire 50 Epic race this past weekend. It was tough but fun and I'm already looking forward to next year. Many thanks to the race promoter Jason, his crew, and all the volunteers and spectators out there cheering us on!
MTB Race News article
SoCAL Fat Tire Epic 50: West Coast Marathon Championships
The first annual “ SoCal Fat Tire Epic 50, “ 2009 West Coast Marathon Championships is now in the books. With temps in the 70’s and not a cloud in the sky it was a perfect day for racing. Riders flocked from all over to battle for the coveted SoCal Endurance winner’s jerseys. The course was truly an epic blend of Southern California desert singletrack and swooping rollercoaster ridgelines. With 2 twenty-five mile laps and over 3100 ft of climbing per lap this was set to be an epic challenge for all categories!
Tinker Juarez toes the start line
The men’s pro field was deep in talent as endurance legend David “Tinker” Juarez (Monavie-Cannondale.com) lined up with the likes of Manuel “Manny” Prado (Sho-Air/Specialized), Super Bike champ turned endurance mountain bike phenom Ben Bostrum (Sho-Air/Specialized), and adventure racer extraordinaire Paul Romero to name a few.
It was great to see such a good group of pro racers! When the bell sounded and the race was on and Tinker took the lead. Closely followed by Manny, Ben, John Nobil, Chuck Jenkins, Dez Wilder, and Bryan Van Vleet. The train pulled together for most of the first lap. As the first lap came to an end Tinker pulled a 2 and a half-minute gap on Manny and Ben. Even as the teammates worked together Manny and Ben could not reel Tinker in. By the end of the race Tinker held a 5 minute lead over Manny and a 9 minute lead over Ben with Chuck Jenkins and John Nobil coming in 4th and 5th. Tinker finished in 3:21:45 with the fastest lap of the day being a 1:39.
Charles Jenkins chases the leaders
The women’s pro field saw Team Sole’s Karen Lundgren take the top place honors with Bernice Pierson coming in for second.
Once the race was over, the party at Vail Lake was on! With live music and the saloon open, everyone was having a great time. Racers, families, and industry folks enjoyed the evening’s festivities and partied into the night.
When Sunday morning rolled around it was time for the SoCal Bike expo and demo day. We had some of the top bike makers out on site to demo and show the SoCal mountain bikers the latest and greatest. The shuttles were packed and everyone enjoyed some of the best that Vail Lake has to offer.
The SoCal Endurance team looks forward to making this race and expo weekend a Southern California main event.
Up next on November 14th is the “12 Hours Of Temecula #2,“ SoCal Endurance final.
For more info please check out www.socalendurance.com
TInker shows off his cash and championship jersey
No Juarez for Juarez this year
I received a few inquiries about my attendance at the Chupracabras MTB race in Juarez this year so I wanted to let everyone know that my schedule was so packed I cannot fit the race in and will not be there. It will be first on my calendar for next year though!
Have a great time everyone! I will sincerely miss you.
Tinker
Monday, September 28, 2009
2009 Ultra Endurance Race Series Finals - Win for Tinker!
Tinker crossing the finish line winning the Tahoe Sierra 100 over 24 minutes ahead of 2nd place.
Go Tinker!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Q Cycle and Exustar Rock!
Check out the Q Cycle website! Q Cycle is the official US Distributor of Exustar Products. Exustar provides Tinker's gloves, carbon bottle cages, hydration packs, and a multitude of other really awesome gear. Q wrote up an awesome summary of the Peru MTB race last month and became official in the US in September. Thank you Q Cycle and Exustar! We look forward to your continued success!!
Stop by the Exustar/Q Cycle booth at Interbike and see what they are all about. They have a full range of excellent quality products and now that Q cycle is bringing it all here to us, we will be seeing much more of them. Tell them Tinker sent you! And if you have time Thursday morning Tinker will be at the booth so come by and say HI.
Stop by the Exustar/Q Cycle booth at Interbike and see what they are all about. They have a full range of excellent quality products and now that Q cycle is bringing it all here to us, we will be seeing much more of them. Tell them Tinker sent you! And if you have time Thursday morning Tinker will be at the booth so come by and say HI.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tahoe Sierra 100 quick note
It has been three years of trying to win one of the NUE 100 series races and FINALLY, the right bike, training, rest, and it all came together. The Flash rode like a magic carpet flying through the beautiful Tahoe Sierras. I had a couple of missed turns but must have learned something from the Kamloops race and went back and found my way. What an awesome race. Jim and the rest of the gang at Globalbiorhythms was once again on top of it and the race course was well marked and well organized. The accomodation was beautiful - looking out over a beautiful lake. Pico was there to support me too, which is always a good time. I will have to tell more details later but my friend Rodger Carlson who attempted his first 100 mile race had the same kind of trouble as I did last year and in about the same spot. That was a big bummer but I know he will be back like I was - and with a vengence.
Here are the top 10 pro men finishers:
1 425 DAVID JUAREZ 7:24:44 MONA VIE CANNONDALE
2 452 CORY WALLACE 7:47:57
3 434 AREN TIMMEL 8:04:40 TEAM CHICO
4 433 KEVIN SMALLMAN 8:11:46 CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING
5 423 ANDRES GIL 8:23:18 PACIFIC STATE BANK CYCLING
6 435 DEZMIN WILDER 8:37:21 CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING
7 436 MATT WOODRUFF 8:51:14 BROKENSPOKECYCLING
8 431 CARL SANDERS 9:13:30 SUMMIT BICYCLES
9 450 BJARKE REFSLUND 9:14:18 TEAM RIDE4FUN DENMARK
10 420 JUSTIN FARMER 9:34:50 BICYCLE WORLD RGV/CLIF BAR
Congratulations to everyone and thanks for a great time!
Tinker
Here are the top 10 pro men finishers:
1 425 DAVID JUAREZ 7:24:44 MONA VIE CANNONDALE
2 452 CORY WALLACE 7:47:57
3 434 AREN TIMMEL 8:04:40 TEAM CHICO
4 433 KEVIN SMALLMAN 8:11:46 CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING
5 423 ANDRES GIL 8:23:18 PACIFIC STATE BANK CYCLING
6 435 DEZMIN WILDER 8:37:21 CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING
7 436 MATT WOODRUFF 8:51:14 BROKENSPOKECYCLING
8 431 CARL SANDERS 9:13:30 SUMMIT BICYCLES
9 450 BJARKE REFSLUND 9:14:18 TEAM RIDE4FUN DENMARK
10 420 JUSTIN FARMER 9:34:50 BICYCLE WORLD RGV/CLIF BAR
Congratulations to everyone and thanks for a great time!
Tinker
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
California Golden State Championship Finals was a Flash!
We packed up the car and headed up to Mammoth last Friday morning. It was about 100 degrees when we left and we were looking forward to some cooler weather and to get away from the smoke and bad air from the fires. We had a nice drive up, giddy like three children and couldn't wait to see Mammoth. Terri had never been there and I think it was more than 5 years since I went there. And I went to race XC, which is something I haven't raced much at all.
We took the fishing poles and were ready for a nice long holiday weekend.
Mammoth was impressive with all the cycling friendly accomodations, excellent trails everywhere, and you could tell how much time people have been putting into the mountain bike trails. They were a mountain biker's paradise!!
Don Jackson the race promoter and Southridge USA shop owner took very good care of us. He had a special "Legends" party on Saturday night where a lot of the Legendary mountain bikers attended and Don presented us all with Extreme Sports Pioneer awards. It was an excellent party and well attended. Sort of resembled a reunion and it was good to see a lot of old friends. People I admired my whole career, especially all the down hill guys. They are the pioneers of downhill mountain bike racing and it was cool watching the old videos and catching up on the many years since we all last saw each other. Greg Herbold commentated and it was hilarious. Greg is known for being a legend in downhill mtb racing. When he introduced himself we all cracked up! It was good fun.
Here I am leading out the kid's race.
Joshua with his game-face on. He was the youngest racer and the only one on a kick bike. He loves his Strider!
The MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN CHAMPIONS!
Joshua and I at the Legend's party
The Legends.
We took the fishing poles and were ready for a nice long holiday weekend.
Mammoth was impressive with all the cycling friendly accomodations, excellent trails everywhere, and you could tell how much time people have been putting into the mountain bike trails. They were a mountain biker's paradise!!
Don Jackson the race promoter and Southridge USA shop owner took very good care of us. He had a special "Legends" party on Saturday night where a lot of the Legendary mountain bikers attended and Don presented us all with Extreme Sports Pioneer awards. It was an excellent party and well attended. Sort of resembled a reunion and it was good to see a lot of old friends. People I admired my whole career, especially all the down hill guys. They are the pioneers of downhill mountain bike racing and it was cool watching the old videos and catching up on the many years since we all last saw each other. Greg Herbold commentated and it was hilarious. Greg is known for being a legend in downhill mtb racing. When he introduced himself we all cracked up! It was good fun.
Brian Ramoncinski is one of my old BMX friends was at the race and sent me a couple of photos of me at Saddleback Park and Orange County from about 1974. These are really rare photos. The OC photo is me on the Kawasaki BMX bike, which I think they sponsored me for only one year. I don't know of any more photos of me on a Kawasaki. That year they sponsored me was the first year they introduced jet skis and they weren't even on the market yet. I remember them asking me to go test the jet ski on a lake in Phoenix. I don't even think I stood up!
The Saddleback Park photo is me jumping off the bonsai jump - a super hard jump - and the photo is taken from behind me doing a cross-up of the jump. I love this photo!! Thank you so much Brian!
During the race I felt great and found myself out front in the first lap. It was a good sign that it would be a good race for me and I was loving every pedal stroke. The start was not crazy either, so I think that helped me to be able to start easy at a pace I could handle. We picked it up fast after the first good climb. Mammoth has always been a really big challenge for me and during the party everyone else was talking about all their successes at Mammoth. But I couldn't think of any other race I won there. Most of the guys I raced back in those days either lived at altitude or spent time acclimating. I never did that so every time I went and raced there, I cracked. I think I made the podium a few times, but never the win. So this win was super sweet for me, even being a lot older, my time was still competitive and even more importantly, I felt really really good. At the end I thought 'wow that was done really fast!"
The caveat was that there were only about 10 pros on the start line and a couple didn't finish. But these guys have been racing Mammoth and the rest of the series this whole year so the competition was excellent. Here are the final results:
Pro Men Time
1 Tinker Juarez 1:35:24:04
2 Romold Forcino 1:44:04:70
3 Danny McNaughton 1:45:32:29
4 Matt Freeman 1:46:37:40
5 Kevin Smallman 1:51:10:89
6 Garnet Vertican 1:56:14:13
Many thanks to Don and the rest of the Southridge crew, the Mammoth Mountain Staff, who made it all happen, the volunteers, staff, racers, and spectators for coming out and enjoying a fun race and weekend. Also, many thanks to Jim Wannamaker and Tamori of Kenda for everything. The Kenda crew has kept mtb racing on the map in the USA this year and were also a sponsor of this race. What a great group!
Joshua raced in the kid's race and it was great to be on the podium with Joshua wearing his medal and I got to wear my medal at the same time. I was a very proud papa!!
Here are a few photos we took:
During the race I felt great and found myself out front in the first lap. It was a good sign that it would be a good race for me and I was loving every pedal stroke. The start was not crazy either, so I think that helped me to be able to start easy at a pace I could handle. We picked it up fast after the first good climb. Mammoth has always been a really big challenge for me and during the party everyone else was talking about all their successes at Mammoth. But I couldn't think of any other race I won there. Most of the guys I raced back in those days either lived at altitude or spent time acclimating. I never did that so every time I went and raced there, I cracked. I think I made the podium a few times, but never the win. So this win was super sweet for me, even being a lot older, my time was still competitive and even more importantly, I felt really really good. At the end I thought 'wow that was done really fast!"
The caveat was that there were only about 10 pros on the start line and a couple didn't finish. But these guys have been racing Mammoth and the rest of the series this whole year so the competition was excellent. Here are the final results:
Pro Men Time
1 Tinker Juarez 1:35:24:04
2 Romold Forcino 1:44:04:70
3 Danny McNaughton 1:45:32:29
4 Matt Freeman 1:46:37:40
5 Kevin Smallman 1:51:10:89
6 Garnet Vertican 1:56:14:13
Many thanks to Don and the rest of the Southridge crew, the Mammoth Mountain Staff, who made it all happen, the volunteers, staff, racers, and spectators for coming out and enjoying a fun race and weekend. Also, many thanks to Jim Wannamaker and Tamori of Kenda for everything. The Kenda crew has kept mtb racing on the map in the USA this year and were also a sponsor of this race. What a great group!
Joshua raced in the kid's race and it was great to be on the podium with Joshua wearing his medal and I got to wear my medal at the same time. I was a very proud papa!!
Here are a few photos we took:
ODI was one of the sponsors and was out there with this really cool engraving machine. They engraved Joshua and my wife's names on their new ODI Lock-on grips. I have new plugs for mine. You can see my Garmin in this photo - what an excellent training tool. This is the best gadget I own.
Here I am leading out the kid's race.
Joshua with his game-face on. He was the youngest racer and the only one on a kick bike. He loves his Strider!
The MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN CHAMPIONS!
Joshua and I at the Legend's party
The Legends.
Our after-party time. We can't wait to go back to Mammoth.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Tinker crushee XC field in California Golden State Championships Labor Day Weekend
Tinker crushed the pro XC field at the California Golden State Championships in Mammoth, CA on September 6th sponsored by Rock Shock, ODI, and Kenda. This was a first time win at the legendary mountain bike park for Tinker, who was pleasantly pleased with his result. Tinker finished four laps of the 6 mile course in 1:43, more than 5 minutes ahead of second place – a relatively short race for the endurance specialist.
Appropriately, the race was promoted with the theme: 'Race the Legend - Race Mammoth' and the 3-day venue featured a "Legends" Kamikaze race and party where the legends were presented with recognition awards for being extreme sports Pioneers.
The Mammoth XC course win was one of the challenges left unchecked on Tinker’s ‘Things to do before I retire’ list. Also a bonus was son Joshua’s podium finish in the kid’s race. Not quite 3 years old, Joshua was the youngest racer and the only one on a kick bike. Congratulations Tinker and Joshua!
Appropriately, the race was promoted with the theme: 'Race the Legend - Race Mammoth' and the 3-day venue featured a "Legends" Kamikaze race and party where the legends were presented with recognition awards for being extreme sports Pioneers.
The Mammoth XC course win was one of the challenges left unchecked on Tinker’s ‘Things to do before I retire’ list. Also a bonus was son Joshua’s podium finish in the kid’s race. Not quite 3 years old, Joshua was the youngest racer and the only one on a kick bike. Congratulations Tinker and Joshua!
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
El Reto de los Misioneros III edition wrap up
Peru is amazing. The people are wonderful, the place is beautiful, and the whole experience of being there and contributing and giving back to the sport is fulfilling. What an awesome experience it is to go to a country that steps you back in time where the people have the biggest hearts and care about you being there. Gosh - the entire town came out to the events!! We were rock stars for a few days and did our best to return the sentiment!
The race promoters were also extremely nice to all of us. They treated us like kings, excellent accomodations, food, and hospitality, we will definitely go back next year. The riding was so good too! Can you imagine racing up in the mountains where they grow pinapples and the workers had slices of pineapple waiting for you to offer to you as you go by. It was awesome! That pineapple melted in your mouth - even the middle parts.
It is amazing how far I had to go to get some good luck and it was great to be able to finally get a good finish. My teammates Alex and Bart and I raced hard - against the rest of the competition and each other. We rode good races. The first stage Alex and I tied but day two he had a tough day and I finished ahead in first place. The time gap was good enough to keep me comfortable for the third stage so we had a good race that day. I won the race but was even a bigger winner to have the opportunity to be in Peru with the team and for the experience.
The locals were excellent climbers and you could see they had good skills in the technical sections. They have good potential and obviously love the sport. No matter where I go I love to see the passion people have for mountain biking - this is what keeps me going and going and going.
I am looking forward to next year to challenge some of the biggest mountains in the world. The race promoter did an excellent job and I recommend this experience to anyone. Check out all the photos on www.monavie-cannondale.com and the stories! If you go make sure you tell someone - anyone - you heard it from me. I guarantee you will love it!
Special thanks to Samuel Paulino and Ronald Perez. They helped me so much.
If you plan to go call them:
Samuel Edgar Ortega Paulino
Guía Oficial de Turismo
986173381
The race promoters were also extremely nice to all of us. They treated us like kings, excellent accomodations, food, and hospitality, we will definitely go back next year. The riding was so good too! Can you imagine racing up in the mountains where they grow pinapples and the workers had slices of pineapple waiting for you to offer to you as you go by. It was awesome! That pineapple melted in your mouth - even the middle parts.
It is amazing how far I had to go to get some good luck and it was great to be able to finally get a good finish. My teammates Alex and Bart and I raced hard - against the rest of the competition and each other. We rode good races. The first stage Alex and I tied but day two he had a tough day and I finished ahead in first place. The time gap was good enough to keep me comfortable for the third stage so we had a good race that day. I won the race but was even a bigger winner to have the opportunity to be in Peru with the team and for the experience.
The locals were excellent climbers and you could see they had good skills in the technical sections. They have good potential and obviously love the sport. No matter where I go I love to see the passion people have for mountain biking - this is what keeps me going and going and going.
I am looking forward to next year to challenge some of the biggest mountains in the world. The race promoter did an excellent job and I recommend this experience to anyone. Check out all the photos on www.monavie-cannondale.com and the stories! If you go make sure you tell someone - anyone - you heard it from me. I guarantee you will love it!
Special thanks to Samuel Paulino and Ronald Perez. They helped me so much.
If you plan to go call them:
Samuel Edgar Ortega Paulino
Guía Oficial de Turismo
986173381
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Mammoth Returns Labor Day Weekend 2009
In between dodging the flames in my beloved San Gabrial mountains and taking cover from all the heat here lately, I stumbled across a race this Labor Day weekend that I cannot wait to go to. They are hosting a special 'Legends' party on Saturday night. Check it out and if you want to get away from the ashes here then make the drive up to Mammoth this weekend. The rooms are reasonable and there is plenty of spots left in the race.
I would love to see you there.
All Classes....
Tinker
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Quick update about the Peru Stage Race August 2009
I plan to write up a story about Peru this weekend. Short story - Peru was awesome! It was a long trip to the track but it was a great experience. Oh - and I won, Alex Grant my teammate (this is the only guy I can spell his first AND last name on my team) - he got 2nd, Bart finished 4th, and Matt Ohran our Team Manager rocked Master with 1st place and got a top 10 overall in the general class. Would leave early and stay a few days over to enjoy the beautiful country next time. I had such a busy month with Canada, Leadville, and Peru I missed home...
Here a few awesome photos from Danny. Check out Danny's website: http://www.rideordie.cl/
Here a few awesome photos from Danny. Check out Danny's website: http://www.rideordie.cl/
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Still Flashy Article
Check out this excellent article by Jack Vestal about my Cannondale Ultimate Carbon Flash. It is WAY beyond belief about how nice this bike rides. I am disappointed with the comments on the article but those guys don't understand the circumstances. The bike was built with mostly new parts but we had to wait for a few things. I was so excited about getting the bike together I couldn't wait. And that bike endured an extrodinary amount of pounding on REAL MTB courses during the Intermontane Challenge and rode excellent. And I just won a 3 stage race in Peru on it racing it hard on tough mountain jungle terrain. That bike is beyond belief excellent for any terrain. As for that clamp - all I can say is beware of overtightening and really cold weather.
My vote - LONG LIVE 26" MTB HARDAILS!
And there is no question that I will use the Scalpel and love it especially for the endurance races. I have the best of both worlds.
Tinker
Still Flashy: Demise of 26-Inch Hardtail Premature
Zack Vestal August 23 2009
Shown at the Intermontane Challenge, Tinker Juarez’s Cannondale Flash reportedly weighs 18 pounds. Photo by Zach Vestal.
Reports of the death of the 26-inch hardtail may be premature.
In fact, a few weeks ago MonaVie-Cannondale team manager Matt Ohran was quick to point out that on the very same day that the 26-inch hardtail was reported to have suffered an untimely demise, two European national championships were won on new, 2010 Cannondale Flash carbon hardtails. 26-inch hardtails, to be precise.
“That day, two Cannondale-sponsored riders who normally ride Scalpel full-suspension bikes had just received new Flash hardtails, and won their respective national championships,” said Ohran, referring to Roel Paulissen of Belgium and Marco Aurelio Fontana of Italy.
And while he acknowledges that the style of race courses in Europe can be quite different from those in the United States, Ohran was adamant that 26-inch hardtails will always have a place in North America.
Tinker uses a Cannondale Hollowgram SL 2x9 crankset and Crank Brothers pedals. Photo by Zach Vestal.
Tinker’s 2010 Flash hardtail
One place for a 26-inch hardtail is under Cannondale rider Tinker Juarez. Like his European counterparts, he’d received a Flash hardtail frame just days before the Intermontane Challenge in Kamloops, BC. Tinker didn’t hesitate in getting the parts swapped off his old bike and onto the new frame, despite having virtually no time to get used to the bike before the five-day stage race.
Juarez and his bike survived the stage race, which was meant partly as preparation for the Leadville Trail 100. He and the rest of his MonaVie-Cannondale team turned out in Colorado for Leadville aboard sub-18 pound Flash carbon hardtails.
The day before the Aug. 15 race, Ohran said noted that the team had had a bike weigh-off, and Juarez won. His Cannondale Flash reportedly weighed just 18 pounds.
We caught up with Tinker and his bike two weeks before Leadville, at the Intermontane Challenge. According to Ohran, nothing changed in terms of spec for Leadville. In fact, Ohran said that in contrast to Dave Wiens, who was using sturdy UST tubeless tires, Tinker was planning to gamble and use lightweight Kenda Karma non-UST tires (with Stan’s No Tubes sealant).
American Classic hubs are known to be light and often serve on race bikes. Photo by Zach Vestal
The rest of Juarez’s Flash is similarly hung with a slew of feathery parts. For starters, he runs a Cannondale Lefty 110 Solo Air SL fork and a 2-chainring Cannondale Hollowgram SL crankset. Cannondale ti-carbon bottle cages are light and tight.
The wheels are Stan’s ZTR Race rims built on American Classic hubs-a combination widely used and one of the lightest available. Adding to the weight savings in the wheel department are Scrub Components aluminum brake rotors (but Juarez has been known to occasionally run a standard stainless steel rear rotor for wet conditions).
In the drivetrain department, Juarez uses a SRAM X0 rear derailleur paired with a Shimano XT front. SRAM X0 shifters, a Shimano XTR 11-34 cogset and a Shimano HG-91 chain complete the package.
UK component brand Ultimate Sports Engineering (U.S.E.) provides Juarez with an Alien carbon seatpost and a Spin Stix rear quick release skewer. Contact points on the bike include a Fizik Dolomiti saddle, ODI grips, and Crank Brothers Quattro 4ti.
Unfortunately, a broken seat collar ended Tinker’s run at Leadville, but with his ultra-light Cannondale and tenacious fitness, you can bet he’ll be a force to reckon with in many races to come.
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My vote - LONG LIVE 26" MTB HARDAILS!
And there is no question that I will use the Scalpel and love it especially for the endurance races. I have the best of both worlds.
Tinker
Still Flashy: Demise of 26-Inch Hardtail Premature
Zack Vestal August 23 2009
Shown at the Intermontane Challenge, Tinker Juarez’s Cannondale Flash reportedly weighs 18 pounds. Photo by Zach Vestal.
Reports of the death of the 26-inch hardtail may be premature.
In fact, a few weeks ago MonaVie-Cannondale team manager Matt Ohran was quick to point out that on the very same day that the 26-inch hardtail was reported to have suffered an untimely demise, two European national championships were won on new, 2010 Cannondale Flash carbon hardtails. 26-inch hardtails, to be precise.
“That day, two Cannondale-sponsored riders who normally ride Scalpel full-suspension bikes had just received new Flash hardtails, and won their respective national championships,” said Ohran, referring to Roel Paulissen of Belgium and Marco Aurelio Fontana of Italy.
And while he acknowledges that the style of race courses in Europe can be quite different from those in the United States, Ohran was adamant that 26-inch hardtails will always have a place in North America.
Tinker uses a Cannondale Hollowgram SL 2x9 crankset and Crank Brothers pedals. Photo by Zach Vestal.
Tinker’s 2010 Flash hardtail
One place for a 26-inch hardtail is under Cannondale rider Tinker Juarez. Like his European counterparts, he’d received a Flash hardtail frame just days before the Intermontane Challenge in Kamloops, BC. Tinker didn’t hesitate in getting the parts swapped off his old bike and onto the new frame, despite having virtually no time to get used to the bike before the five-day stage race.
Juarez and his bike survived the stage race, which was meant partly as preparation for the Leadville Trail 100. He and the rest of his MonaVie-Cannondale team turned out in Colorado for Leadville aboard sub-18 pound Flash carbon hardtails.
The day before the Aug. 15 race, Ohran said noted that the team had had a bike weigh-off, and Juarez won. His Cannondale Flash reportedly weighed just 18 pounds.
We caught up with Tinker and his bike two weeks before Leadville, at the Intermontane Challenge. According to Ohran, nothing changed in terms of spec for Leadville. In fact, Ohran said that in contrast to Dave Wiens, who was using sturdy UST tubeless tires, Tinker was planning to gamble and use lightweight Kenda Karma non-UST tires (with Stan’s No Tubes sealant).
American Classic hubs are known to be light and often serve on race bikes. Photo by Zach Vestal
The rest of Juarez’s Flash is similarly hung with a slew of feathery parts. For starters, he runs a Cannondale Lefty 110 Solo Air SL fork and a 2-chainring Cannondale Hollowgram SL crankset. Cannondale ti-carbon bottle cages are light and tight.
The wheels are Stan’s ZTR Race rims built on American Classic hubs-a combination widely used and one of the lightest available. Adding to the weight savings in the wheel department are Scrub Components aluminum brake rotors (but Juarez has been known to occasionally run a standard stainless steel rear rotor for wet conditions).
In the drivetrain department, Juarez uses a SRAM X0 rear derailleur paired with a Shimano XT front. SRAM X0 shifters, a Shimano XTR 11-34 cogset and a Shimano HG-91 chain complete the package.
UK component brand Ultimate Sports Engineering (U.S.E.) provides Juarez with an Alien carbon seatpost and a Spin Stix rear quick release skewer. Contact points on the bike include a Fizik Dolomiti saddle, ODI grips, and Crank Brothers Quattro 4ti.
Unfortunately, a broken seat collar ended Tinker’s run at Leadville, but with his ultra-light Cannondale and tenacious fitness, you can bet he’ll be a force to reckon with in many races to come.
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Saturday, August 22, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
The Race in the Sky
I like to ride my bike. Apparently so does Lance. Here is my theory: Lance raced Leadville not only to conquer what he didn’t last year but because he truly loves the sport and the competition. He proved he can win at one of the hardest mountain bike races in the world. Leadville definitely has a lot of double track (at least I think it does) and a perfect venue for a perfectly trained cyclist. Lance beat the record and won the race but he did it in a different way. He rode 55 miles by himself and you won’t see that happen often. That is a record all by itself. Most of the time you see someone winning within the last 4 or 5 miles and sprint to the finish. What an impressive victory to win the way he did. I wonder if anyone could do that on the road.
One thing is for sure, Lance is doing something positive about the sport that is great. He is helping our sport because he loves it and feels good about it. We don’t see the best road cyclists racing mountain bikes for a few reasons.
He is giving back to the sport like nobody else has done – for cycling in general – he has done more than anyone else has ever done. (Do I need to say that again?) I will cheer him on next year for the Tour de France. I might even go to France just to see it.
So what about my ride? The bad luck that I had in Kamloops followed me to Colorado. I had a lot of anger in me coming into the Leadville race. After loosing any chance in a podium position at Kamloops I was ready for a good result and I felt good. Really good. I knew it was a big race not only for the 100 miles or the altitude or the competition, but the potential exposure because Lance was there and so I wanted more than anything to be on that podium with him.
In my whole career, I have never put that much effort into training and preparing for the high altitude. I can’t even remember deliberately preparing like this for any other race before – even the Olympics qualifiers. As a sea-level resident I have always suffered at the altitude races and I felt this race was an important step in my career and integral for continuing for the next few years. Oh yes I am disappointed – beyond belief. I wanted the proof to myself for seeing how fast I could do the course and that I am able to compete with that particular competition.
Well I guess when I have bad luck I have really bad luck. Damn freak mechanical. If it could have held out for at least 80 miles I would have finished standing.
After all is said and done - I feel good about the way I was racing for the time I was in. I’ve been training for endurance for many years now and felt like I had a good chance to be on the podium. I will make this race a focus for 2010.
My biggest thank you to MonaVie-Cannondale, Matt Ohran our team manager, and my teammates for all the support, and especially to Cannondale for sponsoring the race. Check out the photos and stories on the MonaVie-Cannondale.com website. The MonaVie Emv is seriously helpful. I am very very impressed for what it does for my performance and cannot say enough how much I like the energy drink.
And a very big thank you to Ken Chlouber, the promoter, for making me feel special and for such an excellent and well organized event. I’ve done a lot of 100 mile races and this was one of the best I’ve been to and I plan to be there for many years ahead. One of the best things about it was the competition, the energy of the town and the people, and being there with my team. And thank you to all the spectators and people I got a chance to talk to after the race. It was fun hanging around getting a chance to talk with everyone. Colorado was absolutely beautiful. With all the beautiful mountain passes, trees, down to earth people, and a great town -- it was a good time.
See you next year Leadville….
Tinker
One thing is for sure, Lance is doing something positive about the sport that is great. He is helping our sport because he loves it and feels good about it. We don’t see the best road cyclists racing mountain bikes for a few reasons.
He is giving back to the sport like nobody else has done – for cycling in general – he has done more than anyone else has ever done. (Do I need to say that again?) I will cheer him on next year for the Tour de France. I might even go to France just to see it.
So what about my ride? The bad luck that I had in Kamloops followed me to Colorado. I had a lot of anger in me coming into the Leadville race. After loosing any chance in a podium position at Kamloops I was ready for a good result and I felt good. Really good. I knew it was a big race not only for the 100 miles or the altitude or the competition, but the potential exposure because Lance was there and so I wanted more than anything to be on that podium with him.
In my whole career, I have never put that much effort into training and preparing for the high altitude. I can’t even remember deliberately preparing like this for any other race before – even the Olympics qualifiers. As a sea-level resident I have always suffered at the altitude races and I felt this race was an important step in my career and integral for continuing for the next few years. Oh yes I am disappointed – beyond belief. I wanted the proof to myself for seeing how fast I could do the course and that I am able to compete with that particular competition.
Well I guess when I have bad luck I have really bad luck. Damn freak mechanical. If it could have held out for at least 80 miles I would have finished standing.
After all is said and done - I feel good about the way I was racing for the time I was in. I’ve been training for endurance for many years now and felt like I had a good chance to be on the podium. I will make this race a focus for 2010.
My biggest thank you to MonaVie-Cannondale, Matt Ohran our team manager, and my teammates for all the support, and especially to Cannondale for sponsoring the race. Check out the photos and stories on the MonaVie-Cannondale.com website. The MonaVie Emv is seriously helpful. I am very very impressed for what it does for my performance and cannot say enough how much I like the energy drink.
And a very big thank you to Ken Chlouber, the promoter, for making me feel special and for such an excellent and well organized event. I’ve done a lot of 100 mile races and this was one of the best I’ve been to and I plan to be there for many years ahead. One of the best things about it was the competition, the energy of the town and the people, and being there with my team. And thank you to all the spectators and people I got a chance to talk to after the race. It was fun hanging around getting a chance to talk with everyone. Colorado was absolutely beautiful. With all the beautiful mountain passes, trees, down to earth people, and a great town -- it was a good time.
See you next year Leadville….
Tinker
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Update from Leadville 100
Tinker called a while ago to tell us he is OK but had a mechanical so he is out of the race. Check out the details on the 11:00 MT live webcast and interview with Tinker. He is very happy with how he felt - legs felt good - no altitude problems - he was climbing strong and bridging up easily riding with the top 5 guys. He is looking forward to next year already.
Go MonaVie-Cannondale.com Team!!!
Check out the live webcast:
www.leadvilletrail100.com
Go MonaVie-Cannondale.com Team!!!
Check out the live webcast:
www.leadvilletrail100.com
Friday, August 14, 2009
Leadville 100 Prerace update
Tinker checked in this evening and is getting anxious about the race tomorrow morning. Tinker and the rest of the he MonaVie-Cannondale team are ready. They look forward to another great day at the office! Tinker seems eerily calm...sort of like the calm before the storm. He says his legs feel rested and recovered. We will know for sure tomorrow as the altitude, course, and weather present a challenge comparable to the field of athletes at the start line.
Good luck and God Bless everyone racing. We will be glued to our computers watching anything related to the race that we can find on the internet! Sign up for the webcast is only $5.95: www.leadvilletrail100.com.
Good luck and God Bless everyone racing. We will be glued to our computers watching anything related to the race that we can find on the internet! Sign up for the webcast is only $5.95: www.leadvilletrail100.com.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Kenda C2C Road Tire Review
What an excellent review of the Kenda C2C tires. Thanks Two Johns Podcast!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Altitude Training
Great weekend with the family in Big Bear. Ed (Premier Tank) and Ray (happily retired) came up to fish and bike with us. Awesome time. Now heading to Leadville for the 100. Looking forward to seeing the course tomorrow.
Check out this good article on altitude training. Do hamburgers count as iron supplements?
Monday, August 03, 2009
The magic pHit pills
I found the miracle magic pills.
I don't know how they work except they help to balance the pH during extreme exercise. It significantly reduces cramping and helps recovery and I notice now when I don't take them how much worse I feel than when I do. They really do make me feel better than if I don't take them.
There are a lot of products on the market but this one is a sure thing and I hope my competition doesn't find out about them but I love them so much and want to tell everyone to go try them. Once you try them I guarantee you will keep using them forever.
Ask for Extreme Endurance and tell them Tinker sent you.
Contact:
Murray Wilmerding 513.673.9922
pHitpills.com Avant-garde Nutrition
Built by athletes for the athlete in you.
"Clean, bio-available, effective building blocks for creating healthier humans through balanced pH, exercise and nutrition."
I don't know how they work except they help to balance the pH during extreme exercise. It significantly reduces cramping and helps recovery and I notice now when I don't take them how much worse I feel than when I do. They really do make me feel better than if I don't take them.
There are a lot of products on the market but this one is a sure thing and I hope my competition doesn't find out about them but I love them so much and want to tell everyone to go try them. Once you try them I guarantee you will keep using them forever.
Ask for Extreme Endurance and tell them Tinker sent you.
Contact:
Murray Wilmerding 513.673.9922
pHitpills.com Avant-garde Nutrition
Built by athletes for the athlete in you.
"Clean, bio-available, effective building blocks for creating healthier humans through balanced pH, exercise and nutrition."
Saturday, August 01, 2009
mtbracenews.com e news: Intermontane Challenge Update
Here is a good article from MTBRACENEWS.COM
Intermontane Challenge Update
Friday July 31, 2009
After the opening stage of the inaugural Intermontane Challenge in Kamloops, British Columbia, it looked as though the Monavie-Cannondale.com team was all but unstoppable. In the men's race they occupied the top-3 positions on GC and Sue Butler was in first in the women's race by over 20 minutes. That was then... Monavie team captain and race leader Jeremiah Bishop crashed out on stage 3, fracturing two vertebrae. Which left Tinker Juarez and 3-time collegiate national champion Ben Sonntag to represent the team.
Sonntag went down hard on stage 4 knocking himself unconcious leaving him battered on the side of the trail. Current race leader Chris Sheppard stayed with the bruised and beaten Sonntag for roughly 30 minutes while Tinker Juarez went ahead for help. Once help arrived Sonntag was taken to the hospital via ambulance where he was treated and released.
This left mountain bike legend and endurance specialist Tinker Juarez as the lone surviving member of the Monavie trio. Unfortunately, Juarez became lost on course in the latter half of the 100 kilometer stage 4 and was unable to finish. Thankfully, for the Monavie team Sue Butler remains at the front of the women's race, poised to take the GC after todays final time-trial. Sheppard retained the leaders jersey after stage-4 despite his act of selfless compassion for his fellow racer.
Photos courtesy of Monavie-cannondale.com
Stayed tuned to MTBracenews.com for more from the Intermontane Challenge including Amanda Carey's blog. We will post results when they become available.
Posted by mtbracenews.com at 9:53 AM
Labels: epic race
After the opening stage of the inaugural Intermontane Challenge in Kamloops, British Columbia, it looked as though the Monavie-Cannondale.com team was all but unstoppable. In the men's race they occupied the top-3 positions on GC and Sue Butler was in first in the women's race by over 20 minutes. That was then... Monavie team captain and race leader Jeremiah Bishop crashed out on stage 3, fracturing two vertebrae. Which left Tinker Juarez and 3-time collegiate national champion Ben Sonntag to represent the team.
Sonntag went down hard on stage 4 knocking himself unconcious leaving him battered on the side of the trail. Current race leader Chris Sheppard stayed with the bruised and beaten Sonntag for roughly 30 minutes while Tinker Juarez went ahead for help. Once help arrived Sonntag was taken to the hospital via ambulance where he was treated and released.
This left mountain bike legend and endurance specialist Tinker Juarez as the lone surviving member of the Monavie trio. Unfortunately, Juarez became lost on course in the latter half of the 100 kilometer stage 4 and was unable to finish. Thankfully, for the Monavie team Sue Butler remains at the front of the women's race, poised to take the GC after todays final time-trial. Sheppard retained the leaders jersey after stage-4 despite his act of selfless compassion for his fellow racer.
Photos courtesy of Monavie-cannondale.com
Stayed tuned to MTBracenews.com for more from the Intermontane Challenge including Amanda Carey's blog. We will post results when they become available.
Posted by mtbracenews.com at 9:53 AM
Labels: epic race
Intermontane Challenge - Wrap up
Tinker checked in last night after he returned from what was supposed to be a quick fishing trip before the awards ceremony. They didn't have any luck at the lake and had worse luck trying to get the RV out of a rut they got stuck in. So finally after hours of trying, they headed to the saloon for much neeed food and margaritas.
In a sick, distorted way, that was an appropriate ending to the epic adventure.
Some adventures are better than others and in the global persepctive, it all sort of needs to be that way. How else can you appreciate the good, great, and incredibly awesome adventures?
The team proved to be what really good teams are - they stuck together, made the best of what was given to them and learned a lot about each other. These experiences are the basis of what goes into a good foundation. These guys and gal are among the best in the world for overcoming challenges on the bike. It is the 'off the bike' challenges and how they handle them is what makes them Great Athletes and a Team.
Today they are on their journey home. Some battered outside. Some inside.
One very deserving person is heading to the BANK! Congratulations Sue Butler! You are an incredible inspiration to all women and men. You completely ROCK! (can you tell I am a big Sue fan??) :-)
A few folks have asked about the race and what Tinker thought. Tinker and the team was very happy with the venue, town, sponsors, volunteers, and awesome trails. They have all been to enough races to know there is always one thing or another that happens at every race and can screw things up. Yes this race was no exception and had it's challenges, but overall, this is one race that will be one of the long time greats. He would love to return next time.
Many many thanks to the race promoters, volunteers, sponsors, and all the athletes. What an adventure!!
Check out the photos and stories on the Team website: www.monavie-cannondale.com
Peace
PS - if anyone has photos of the team and Tinker please email them so we can post them. dtinkerj at aol.com
In a sick, distorted way, that was an appropriate ending to the epic adventure.
Some adventures are better than others and in the global persepctive, it all sort of needs to be that way. How else can you appreciate the good, great, and incredibly awesome adventures?
The team proved to be what really good teams are - they stuck together, made the best of what was given to them and learned a lot about each other. These experiences are the basis of what goes into a good foundation. These guys and gal are among the best in the world for overcoming challenges on the bike. It is the 'off the bike' challenges and how they handle them is what makes them Great Athletes and a Team.
Today they are on their journey home. Some battered outside. Some inside.
One very deserving person is heading to the BANK! Congratulations Sue Butler! You are an incredible inspiration to all women and men. You completely ROCK! (can you tell I am a big Sue fan??) :-)
A few folks have asked about the race and what Tinker thought. Tinker and the team was very happy with the venue, town, sponsors, volunteers, and awesome trails. They have all been to enough races to know there is always one thing or another that happens at every race and can screw things up. Yes this race was no exception and had it's challenges, but overall, this is one race that will be one of the long time greats. He would love to return next time.
Many many thanks to the race promoters, volunteers, sponsors, and all the athletes. What an adventure!!
Check out the photos and stories on the Team website: www.monavie-cannondale.com
Peace
PS - if anyone has photos of the team and Tinker please email them so we can post them. dtinkerj at aol.com
Friday, July 31, 2009
Intermontane Challenge Stage 4
Tinker checked in last night with the day's update. Yesterday was not a good day for MonaVie-Cannondale. The battle is on and it's not with the other athletes. It kind of seems like war and the battle is not with the competition - it is with the course and climate. The team started with six people and three are left. Matt, the team manager and professional cyclist, said Tinker was tired and Ben had a bad crash and ended up with a concussion and amnesia, road rash, and a big shiner. Tinker said Chris and Ben were ahead of him but he found both of them in the trail with Ben unconconcious and Chris checking vital signs and trying to get him to wake up. Tinker went for help, which thankfully was less than two miles to the next checkpoint. It took an hour to get Ben out of the woods and another 45 minutes to get him to the ER. But Ben was back in the hotel room last night, and is OK.
Meanwhile, Matt urged Tinker to continue and finish the race. But Tinker got lost. Real lost. He thinks he finished 6 or 8th place for the day. He is tired and not so happy. He wants to go fishing.
The heat got the best of Matt and he decided to call it for the rest of the week. It was a good thing because he was there for Ben today. Funny how things work out that way. Matt - good luck with your boys and girl. You don't get enough kudos.... Thank you.
Jeremiah was feeling better yesterday and hoping to recover fast enough for Leadville 100.
Sue won the women's race again today - go girl!!! Love the muscle pic!
Check the www.monavie-cannondale.com team website for photos and stories.
Meanwhile, Matt urged Tinker to continue and finish the race. But Tinker got lost. Real lost. He thinks he finished 6 or 8th place for the day. He is tired and not so happy. He wants to go fishing.
The heat got the best of Matt and he decided to call it for the rest of the week. It was a good thing because he was there for Ben today. Funny how things work out that way. Matt - good luck with your boys and girl. You don't get enough kudos.... Thank you.
Jeremiah was feeling better yesterday and hoping to recover fast enough for Leadville 100.
Sue won the women's race again today - go girl!!! Love the muscle pic!
Check the www.monavie-cannondale.com team website for photos and stories.
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