Old Crit

Alpine Shop Sponsors Short Track Series!

6-22-09
We are on the countdown for the series to begin. The heat is on. This is a great way to adjust your core to the Missouri racing. Then toss it in the creek for a cool down while Kaspar cooks a dog, brat or burger. Yes, Steve Kaspar will be hosting the "every Thursday event". Possibly lead out on his vintage Schwinn for a parade lap.

6-20-09
Race Dates: July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30

Fun, Low Pressure Off-Road Racing Every Thursday Night!

ABOUT THE SERIES:

Races will be held every Thursday at Castlewood State Park with the start/finish line being in the field by the horse turnaround. It’s a great way to stay in shape while escaping the torrid heat of a typical summer afternoon.

Races will be geared towards all levels. All racers are encouraged to race in the group they feel most comfortable in. Women are encouraged to participate. This is a great way to gain racing experience.

REGISTRATION:
Registration will open at 5:30 PM for all racers at the start/finish line.

RACE TIMES:
The “A” Race (Cat 1 Racers and Expert wannabes) will be @ 6:00 PM - 45 minutes + 2 laps

The “B” Race (Cat 2 Racers and Sport wannabes) will be @ 7:00 PM - 25 minutes + 2 laps

The “C” Race (Cat 3 Racers and Juniors) will also be @ 7:30 PM - 15 minutes + 2 laps

RACE FEES: $20 for the first race, $10 for successive races or $50 for all 5 races!
PRIZES (each race):
· Awards for top 3 in each category (Cash for A race: 1st = $40, 2nd = $25, 3rd = $10).
· Food and drink following every race.

PRIZES:
· Awards for series winners (3 deep) given at party after last race
· Cash for A race: 1s t= $100, 2nd = $75, 3rd = $50

DIRECTIONS:
From the South on I-44 or I-55: Take the Hwy. 141 exit and travel north on Hwy. 141 to Big Bend Road. Turn left onto Big Bend
Road and travel west to Ries Road. Go left on Ries to T at Kiefer Creek Road; turn left on Kiefer Creek into park.
From I-270: Take the Dougherty Ferry road exit and travel west on Dougherty Ferry to Big Bend Road. Turn right onto Big Bend
Road and travel west to Ries Road. Go left on Ries to T at Kiefer Creek Road; turn left on Kiefer Creek into park.
From the North on U.S. Hwy. 40/61: Take the Clarkson exit (near Chesterfield Mall) and travel south. Clarkson crosses Manchester
Road and becomes Kiefer Creek Road which leads into the state park.
When you get there: Enter the park and continue along road, under RR bridge to first parking lot. 20 MPH speed limit in the park!

All racers must have a USAC MTB license, one day licenses available for $5.00.

Held Under USAC Permit – All USAC Rules Apply -Helmets are required.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact ralph@pfoodman.com or check the “Mountain Bike Racing”
forum at www.STLBiking.com for latest updates.

St. Joe Reckon

I am not so glad we did a tempo mtb ride on Saturday at the Wood. I thought I would punish Skuck a bit for the ass whoopin I got at Rhett's, even though I am happy with my result of 11th. I pretty much left him gasping for air, feeling fresh as a daisy after a Friday off. I am thinking Rhett's really kicked my ass, btw. There was some talent showd this year and I must have been out of my league. I took second last year but, as you might have guessed, nobody showed up. Regardless, I got a hellova workout and the candle is burning a little brighter now because of it. We got some good training in this week and I continue to get a little stronger. So Saturday I put the hammer down with some bursts and recoveries, thinking Sundays Reckon at St. Joe would be a casual thing. Right.

So, arriving at the St. Joe trail head with the Geezer, Big Bad Mike and Skuk in the Hemi equipped minivan, it came as no suprize that D-wayne was already on the trail doing multiple 8 mile laps. Just as we were going, Andy Gibbs and another guy showed up, we decided to head out together, kind of.

Geezer got lost in the first 15 minutes. Not sure if he did it on purpose seeking motorized sports and all from his background. We chased D-wayne for the entire lap of newly developed trail and singletrack well worn by the high reving motorcycles before us. The commentary was mixed. I liked the course, very Missouri like and a little bit of everything. There were some agravating climbs and false flats that drained my energy and, me thinking Big Bad Mike was a push over was a big mistake. The dude mashes like Mitch and I will say it now that he is going to be a player. Skuk got a little squeamish at first but settled into the rhythm on the second lap just about the time when my pads wore down to the springs and I lost my front break. I was tired anyway.

This trail is going to suck the life out of anyone who has not pre-ridden it. Grumpke has done a good job using a cool park, lots of turns, grinding climbs and tight singletrack.

Wild Canid Center Event

Jack Hanna and Betty White were on hand Tuesday for the Wild Canid Centers gala at the Kemp Auto museum. Since we like our wolves (and choose not to roast them), the missus wanted to do something special for them. So cater guys Chris Lupo and Chef Dan Joyce and staff prepared and served the special dinner on behalf of Lone Wolf Coffee Company's support of this good cause. A good time was had by all.

Betty White, 87, was authentic in her cause to help the center, naming (purchasing the naming) of a baby wolf and naming him "Robert Redford". Jack Hanna showed up with a busload of animals including a cheetah, an awful big snake, and some other critters that he showed "Johnny Carson Style" on stage with Betty. This guy is one of a kind and as nice as can be.

If you haven't thought about your giving for the year, consider the Wild Canid Center. They are needing to raise money to move to another location due to Washington University requesting them to move from their land at Tyson. Land has been purchased and funds are needed for the continued success of this operation.

Rhett's Run was tough!

I don't care how fit I think I am. Rhett's run (marathon class) always makes me feel sluggish and unfit. At least the last three laps of the six lap race made me feel that way. I should have gotten 7 laps, and pulled back enough to keep from going another one during lap 5 while I was literally praying for a mechanical, strategically, I was a hurtin rooster.

We started fast, not unlike any other race. The adrenalin gets going and all of the 25 or 27 racers went off hard and funneled in to the snotty mud (it rained just before the start) simply to get bogged down with a series of stops and starts, intervals, slinky like waves of thrust on tight single track. You really had to watch yourself and I knew that it wouldn't be long before I would see some pretty significant crashes. The first being Chad Brixey, an esteemed rider whom I have mixed it up with several times in the past. He is a seasoned rider and fast. Eric was in there with us, about 10 of us working the kinks out carefully during the "I got more game than you" hour that takes place every race. We had made it though the first lap and started the decent from the chat on the second when Chad's rear wheel washed out in the grass at a cool 20 mph decent. It was superhuman, his catch, sprawling safely, sliding a good 20-30 feet un-injured with dignity intact. I ran through the deep grass to avoid running him over, as did a couple others. Fun stuff. I was hoping he would get up and work his way forward but I never saw him again until later, standing with D-wayne with a torn sidewall. There were others who met with similar circumstances. Not sure who else bailed but there were plenty.

I was trying to stay on pace with the Grandmaster Geezer and Eric, who was behind me for the first three laps. We all train together and they typically stay ahead towards the end. I knew that Eric would hold back while the conditions were muddy. It dried out and soon he made his move and dropped me like a teenage stepsister. He would have had it anyway but I tried to keep him back there as long as I could to keep him charging hard. I will catch his fitness level in the next few weeks, as I usually do. My 5th lap was more like a crawl and filled with self doubt and pain. This plus on the fourth lap when the cat one and two's were unleashed on the trail. It was pretty tough standing and waiting for them to pass, losing a lot of rhythm while those with fresh legs and less laps to finish, took the right of way from the marathon class. I simply got caught in the wrong place on the course when they started the race. The horsepower displayed at the start of an expert race when you have been grinding for a couple hours is belittling.

It didn't matter it was a good race and I am pretty sure I was in the top 10 or just over. There were tons of DNF's, this is not an option for me and I was happy I finished this tough venue again.