Thursday, June 2, 2016

Duncan/Maple Mountain XC Race By Jake Yells


 

Duncan/Maple Mount XC Race- by Jake Yells     

 

I was so ready for  this race!   Several of the top riders were at other events so I had a really good chance to podium.    This race had a tribute at the start to Steve Smith the Canadian Chainsaw…   We had a moment of silence and then they actually started the race to the sounds of a roaring chainsaw!!!  How cool is that!!

 

The race started similar to the last few with a steep climb up logging road,   you had race through this so that you weren’t stuck trying to pass everyone on the single track climbing sections.     I did ok,   and started to pass folks on the trail.     I had never ridden the Arbutis Ridge trail at Maple Mountain so I didn’t know what to expect.. when we got off the climbing trail.. it just kept going up …  right at the top there was an incredibly steep section that very few managed to ride… I jumped off my bike and ran up it and finally started to go down the mountain!!!     There were  a few good rock drops at the start of the descent,  and then there was a crazy steep chicane like area with large sharp rock on it with a tight turn up top.   I rolled down this section and am pretty sure I was leading my division when I heard the dreaded hiss of my tire leaking air. NOOOOOO!!!!

 

I jumped off my bike and started changing my tire as everyone raced past me,     I couldn’t get my tire pressure up and it took forever.   Finally my dad came along and gave me a hand.  By the time I got going I was  way behind.       I raced down as fast as I could and starting ripping up the mountain for lap #2..    Suddenly just as I got going down that crazy chicane my tire started hissing again…   a 2nd flat tire…      race over for me.. I was really upset and just started walking my bike to the finish.       My dad caught up to me again and tried to help as another racer went by and threw a tube and pump to me, but I was fed up!     But hey, how awesome is it another racer gave me his spare tire and pump though!  That’s what is so great about mountain biking.. everyone wants to help each other.

 

Eventually I crossed the finish line where a lot of the team was waiting and looking concerned because by then a rider had finished and reported that Evan Luksay had crashed and badly hurt his arm.. more bad luck for our team!     We debated going to find him but we knew his dad was still out there racing and would be with him to help.

 

Final results…

On the women’s side Brynn Johnston won the Female Beginner Category with Eva Leikermoser finishing 2nd.    Emilly Johnston won Intermediate Female.

On the Men’s side,  Hudson Webster was 2nd in Beginner Male,  I finished 19th in Intermediate Male (with my dad beating me in 14th place),

 

 

It was an awesome day of racing, and next time we race on rocky terrain I will make sure my tires are pumped up high!




 

Thanks so much to our awesome sponsors    Airport Auto Service, Trail Bicycles, Western one, Royal Lepage- Rob Nygren, Eatmore Sprouts and Greens Ltd., Riverway Dental, Welder Engineering and Sew What I Sew!!!!

 

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