Riding and racing.

USFE Race #2 at Stuttgart or how I learned to love the mud

There was mud. Lots and lots of mud. The Saber Cycling Team went to Stuttgart, Germany for the second race in the USFE Mountain Bike Championship Series to race on a course we knew would be tough--not because of a brutal climb, a huge drop or a technical downhill, but because it was 90% mud.
The start was fast on an uphill paved road to thin the herd a bit before hitting the first section of single track. As soon as we hit the single track it was time to jump off an run. A week of hard and steady rain made the already wet course practically unride-able. After running with the bike for about 2k the course turned uphill a bit. Then there was more mud. Choosing a line in a race is always critical to save time and energy. The available options here were: mud or really deep mud puddles of varying bike swallowing depth.
Back onto the road a for a bit to go through the gears and make sure everything is still (semi) working then we went into a field. The field was tough. It looked like someone got tired of their land mine collection and chose this field to set them all off before driving home in a tank zig-zagging all the way back.
Bikes, clothes and riders were covered head to toe with mud. It's pretty safe to say everyone fell at least once, some went down a few times and I think I went down about 10-12.
About 40 riders showed up, most of them locals. This was a tough one and anyone who showed up for this as their first race will definitely find the rest of their races a bit easier. I know I will. Brian McRory finished 3rd in Men's Senior and I ended up 4th overall and third in Men's Open.
Next USFE race is June 6 in Kaiserslautern and it will be on a course.

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Comment by TrishWinn on May 18, 2009 at 7:52pm: Hmmmm...well it sounds like the Winn's missed an interesting time. I will have to get the full play by play when we all sit down for beer and pizza. I hope everyone has fully recovered from the race, and I'm looking forward to a weekend ride. Cheers!

Comment by Brian McRory on May 17, 2009 at 10:45pm: Well, after taking the really long way home, my bike is encased in concrete. I used half the water in Germany to get my bike mostly clean. It is drip-drying in the barn and will be disassembled tomorrow. I haven't tried to clean the Sidi's, but the kit is in the wash. I hosed them off for a while before putting them in the washer. Hector, can we order wet suits through Champ-sys?

Comment by Chris Vachon on May 17, 2009 at 10:13pm: Sorry Hector the only pics that came out well are of the group at the end. It's best we forget this disaster of a race (I prefer to call it a special forces field exercise) anyway.

Comment by Hector Rodriguez on May 17, 2009 at 7:23pm: Anyone got pics?

Comment by Francesca on May 17, 2009 at 7:03pm: It wasn't fun at all... the worst race I have seen. I think I'm kind of lucky to survive that thing, for sure I won't be there next time!
Looking foward to next real mtb race!!!

Comment by Hector Rodriguez on May 17, 2009 at 6:53pm: I should've done the same. I ended up loosing a computer, breaking the right shifter and going through a set of rear brake pads because of a broken return spring. I spent all day today cleaning and lubing Franci's bike and my own. I won't do that again. It's just to expensive.

Comment by Andrew Overfield on May 17, 2009 at 6:45pm: Hector, and all the riders who made it through the Stuttgart race my hat is off to you, and I am calling all your commanders on Monday reccomending a psych eval, you are all crazy. The Bush Pigs boycotted the home town race and were down in Offenburg for an 84 km marathon. With 500 riders toeing the line for the start of the race somehow the three Pigs got into the first bin, and the first 5km went out of town before jumping into the woods for the first of five large climbs, the pace was fast 40km on the roads and low 20s up the first climb. Chris set the pace for the Pigs with me close behind, Jeff participating in his last race before he PCS at the end of the month, struggled. Chris had a goal of covering the 84km route in under 4hours he missed it by 5 minutes finishing 118th overall and 27th in the age group a time of 4:05 and change I came stagering a cross the line in 138th place 33 in the age group with a time of 4:12.20. Some where along the ride I hit something and ruined my new rear rim at least the seal held and I was able to finish, actually did not know I dammaged it unit we were putting it on the bike. Jeff fighting the heat finished with a time of 4:55mim. Offenburg is a great race with four distances so you can pick an chooes how much pain you want.

Comment by Chris Vachon on May 17, 2009 at 2:42pm: After one lap I seriously considered throwing in the towel. Nice work everyone and congrats to you guys in the medals. I still think the women got the shaft at this one.

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