last updated 7/10/2009
junior mountain bike racing team
2009
CycleYouth
Asheville, NC
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Seth and maybe Wes' head in Germany - bottom right
News from the Fatherland.
Germany trip by Wes and Seth
6-14-09 The last race in Germany was a success! Seth and Wes both learning how to race over there and both moved up on the results sheet. This being a big thing as they no doubt started near the rear of the pack. This race had 71 junior starters, and start position is still based on ranking which our American boys don't have yet.
One of Seth's goals was to beat one of the other Americans, Russell, which he beat at the first event, but not the second and he did at this race with Russell just two spots back in 13th. Seth's 11th place finish had him only 5 1/2 mins back from the leader with Russell 1:19 back from that and Wes only 3 1/2 back from Seth and a close 2 mins back from Russell. These three have been getting closer times each race. results here
They all got better start positions - around 40th call up. It started straight uphill on gravel, "super steep" which slowed everyone down for 4 mins in the granny-gear. It was a 16 min lap so they got to do that climb 5 times plus a couple of starter laps.
Seth and Wes are traveling home Monday (June 15th) and did not return to the house after the race, rather stayed in a hotel on the way to the airport. They did not have internet so check back for more reports upon their return home.
6-12-09 Mid week, the guys are relaxing on their rest day. Lots of TV, MTV to be exact as it is the only TV station that is in English. Thursday the guys went on a mtb ride with some local German cyclist who showed them the cool trails. They climbed a tall mountain and descended for over an hour on the greatest trails they have ever ridden.
All are ready to be back home and are looking forward to the local race scene now that they have this racing experience in the hip pocket. Seth says, the place is starting to smell as no one there washes anything.
Photos have been uploaded to the photo page.
Both Seth and Wes say that these junior races are a lot different than the races they do back home. For one, everyone else in the World has juniors race shorter races lasting no longer than 90-100 minutes. In America our juniors might race for 2-3 hours in one race. The Euros are more concerned with the development of the junior athlete and their health than we are here in the US. We all wish that would change.
So, the junior races start super fast and stay fast. This makes the Euro kids very fast for that distance of a race and puts the American kids at a disadvantage when suddenly they have to race a short distance races that requires all out effort 100% of the time. Thus this trip for starters.
6-7-09 Our guys hit a really big race this time with about 70 juniors pre-registered. Another super fast start. Seth reports that he started in 59th seeding spot. With that many fast racers ahead of you moving up in position is difficult. Seth also reports that he thought in his non-German understanding, that he had one more lap when he really had two more laps to go. Each lap about 10-12 minutes long.
Wes' dad reports results and his take:
Wes' dad reports results and his take:
"The way I see it is with the field being so large if you were not out front going into the woods you pretty much were stuck where you are.
Wes was 38th after 1 lap and made up 6 positions for a 31st finish. He was real consistent with his times.
Seth was 27th after the 1st lap and made up 7 spots finished 20th.
Cody was 52nd after the 1st lap and ended up 40th
It looks like a short track race."
Results below and we think they read like this - first bold number is placing, then bib number, then name, then dob,
Then "USA National Team", then total finish time, then time back from winner, then unknown number, the comma possibly a decimal to the seconds on time.
Then Laps times with ranking for that lap's time compared to everyone in brackets, and it list each lap out.
Then "Total" being accumulated time after each lap with each lap listed and in the brackets the race position after each lap is completed.
Then Laps times with ranking for that lap's time compared to everyone in brackets, and it list each lap out.
Then "Total" being accumulated time after each lap with each lap listed and in the brackets the race position after each lap is completed.
We think they must have used timing chips and this explains why the two first lap times do not match, it is because riders in the back do not cross the start line and trigger their lap timer until several seconds after the leaders take off, yet the race time starts at the gun. So, Russell's time of 11:54 on his first lap suggest it took him 6 seconds to even make it across the starting line; that is how big the junior fields are over there.
17. 357 FINSTERWALD Russell 1991
USA National MTB Team 1:36:21,6 +8:06,9 +0:15,1
Laps:
11:54,9(17.) 12:03,3(20.) 11:58,2(19.) 12:13,6(23.) 12:31,0(28.) 12:13,4(16.) 11:38,7(12.)
Total:
11:48,1(22.) 23:43,1(22.) 35:46,5(20.) 47:44,7(19.) 59:58,3(20.) 1:12:29,4(21.) 1:24:42,8(22.) 1:36:21,6(17.)
20. 359 KEMP Seth (USA) 1992
USA National MTB Team 1:36:28,7 +8:14,0 +0:00,5
Laps:
12:13,5(25.) 12:19,0(25.) 12:16,3(24.) 12:06,6(18.) 12:08,2(13.) 11:31,3(7.) 11:46,0(15.)
Total:
12:07,4(27.) 24:21,0(26.) 36:40,1(25.) 48:56,5(25.) 1:01:03,1(24.) 1:13:11,3(22.) 1:24:42,7(21.) 1:36:28,7(20.)
31. 360 LAMBERSON Wes (USA) 1991
USA National MTB Team 1:28:15,8 -1 LAP -1 LAP
Laps:
12:23,2(31.) 12:26,6(29.) 12:33,8(29.) 12:43,5(32.) 12:49,2(32.) 12:44,3(32.)
Total:
12:34,9(38.) 24:58,1(32.) 37:24,8(28.) 49:58,7(29.) 1:02:42,2(29.) 1:15:31,5(30.) 1:28:15,8(31.)
46. 358 COX Cody (USA) 1991
USA National MTB Team 1:32:29,7 -1 LAP +0:29,0
Laps:
13:20,6(52.) 13:32,1(49.) 13:20,2(46.) 13:23,4(45.) 13:05,9(37.) 12:59,0(40.)
Total:
12:48,3(44.) 26:08,9(51.) 39:41,1(51.) 53:01,3(51.) 1:06:24,7(47.) 1:19:30,7(47.) 1:32:29,7(46.)
Bob
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Wes send in a race report for the above race:
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Wes send in a race report for the above race:
"We rolled up to the race course around 7:15. Our race started at 9, but it was kinda chilly. Me and Seth went to the bathroom and the porta potties were the most advanced model I had ever seen. They had an ejection seat style handle that you pulled to flush them. We went back to the eurovan after experiencing the exhilaration of pretending to be a fighter pilot while using a porta potty.
After our mechanic Joey put our number plates on and inflated our tires to our preferred air pressure I rolled off to pre-ride the course. Yes, you can pre-ride the course the day-of, because it was only 4k long! That's like 2.5 miles for you American folk.
It was definitely the coolest course I have ever been on. It started up a steep paved road for about 6-700 meters, then leveled out and turned left along a gravel road. After a little 50 meter loop of single track, it spit you out into a quarry. You flew along this quarry with fist sized rocks everywhere, and then went down a SUPER steep single track descent. There were two lines, the sketchier, steeper left line that had a 2 foot drop in it or the switchback-ie still super sketch descent. Obviously, the faster one was the way to go. After that you crossed a 25 foot tall bridge over the road you just came up. Then the course dropped 30 feet straight down into the venue area. After bunny hopping a log barrier you turned left and started the climb up a gravel quarry. It was characterized by short, steep climbs up to the top, then straight down a roller coaster/chute into a flat area with a 3 foot gap over a creek. After a super fast flat section you went through the feed zone and then you had a woods section of single track with a 12 switchback climb and then a descent with about 5 different super steep technical lines. It was then flat and fast back to the start area. 12 minutes. -for the slow people like me. Craziness.
I understand why they do it, after the junior race me and a few others went out and took pictures of the elites/u23s. We walked to every single section of the course, and every single section was cool and exciting. It was SUCH a great spectator course. I think it was more fun to watch than it was to race even. Anyway, to my race:
After our mechanic Joey put our number plates on and inflated our tires to our preferred air pressure I rolled off to pre-ride the course. Yes, you can pre-ride the course the day-of, because it was only 4k long! That's like 2.5 miles for you American folk.
It was definitely the coolest course I have ever been on. It started up a steep paved road for about 6-700 meters, then leveled out and turned left along a gravel road. After a little 50 meter loop of single track, it spit you out into a quarry. You flew along this quarry with fist sized rocks everywhere, and then went down a SUPER steep single track descent. There were two lines, the sketchier, steeper left line that had a 2 foot drop in it or the switchback-ie still super sketch descent. Obviously, the faster one was the way to go. After that you crossed a 25 foot tall bridge over the road you just came up. Then the course dropped 30 feet straight down into the venue area. After bunny hopping a log barrier you turned left and started the climb up a gravel quarry. It was characterized by short, steep climbs up to the top, then straight down a roller coaster/chute into a flat area with a 3 foot gap over a creek. After a super fast flat section you went through the feed zone and then you had a woods section of single track with a 12 switchback climb and then a descent with about 5 different super steep technical lines. It was then flat and fast back to the start area. 12 minutes. -for the slow people like me. Craziness.
I understand why they do it, after the junior race me and a few others went out and took pictures of the elites/u23s. We walked to every single section of the course, and every single section was cool and exciting. It was SUCH a great spectator course. I think it was more fun to watch than it was to race even. Anyway, to my race:
At the start I was called up 60th out of 70. Sethy was 59th, and we rolled up right next to each other. At the start, a Swiss guy bumped into Seth from the left and pushed him into me. That caused me to clip out and be the LAST person off the start line. Wow. that pretty much sucked. As we flew up the road, I was sprinting all out almost the whole time. We hit the top and the first descent and it was an absolute traffic jam. I stood in LINE waiting to get into the single track for almost 20 seconds. I had to elbow a guy in the face to keep him from cutting in line hahahah...all good fun.
I ran down the first downhill because there were too many people to ride. I then had to wait in line another 15 seconds to cross the bridge.. At this point the leaders are going up the quarry, almost 2.5 minutes ahead of me. After 5 minutes of racing. Wow... quite the experience.
I don't really have much to say about the rest of my race, I stayed consistent and moved up from 59th to 31st. On the last lap I heard the lead moto coming up behind me. I pushed as hard as I could, but on the last downhill the moto tried to pass me and I got forced off the trail. After 5 seconds of climbing back up the hill saw the leader coming behind me. I pushed, but he passed me across the finish line, lapping me and putting me 1 second away from being on the lead lap. That [angered me] but I was really just glad to be done."
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6-1-09 Seth and Wes arrive in Germany safely and very tired from the long travel. Arriving on Thursday May 28 sometime in a land 6 hours ahead of their home time Wes and Seth quickly adjusted to the atmosphere and even getting a quick ride in to stretch the legs.
May 31 was their first race, which was the Arnon VTT Watch Valley in Bonvillars, Switzerland. This was a 35k marathon race, apparently the 35 k was the short version (3.5 times 6.2 = 21.7 miles if my math is correct for the race distance). Here is Seth's notes from the race:
..."Won the jr race, and got 3rd out of everyone. Felt pretty good today...The race had around a 20 minute climb and was a rolling start. Rode high intensity the first half. Did a lot of drafting at end and had a sprint finish with 4 guys [a mix of two juniors and two U-23's], the one that was leading beat me [a u-23] in the finish and I got 2nd out of the group sprint..."
Other juniors at the camp with them are Russell Finsterwald of Colorado and Cody Cox also of CO, surprise.
Wes is having the time of his life over there, and it is probably not a bad thing that he has two years of high school German language under his belt either. So far they have had a lot of down-time at their condo which is quite a change from the hectic last few weeks of finishing up with school early to be able to leave on this trip. Wes' class walked the stage and took the diploma just days ago, something well worth missing to make a European trip. Laptopless, the both of them, their computer/email time is limited but here is Wes' report so far:
"...It's been great though, I'm really really loving it here. We got to the airport around 7 on Thursday morning and sat for over 3 hours...met another guy [from camp]...and slept the 3 hours drive to Kirchzarten...
Every day we get up, eat breakfast with whatever we have in our little apartment. (there are 2 apartments, 4 guys in one and 3 in the other) then we go ride. When we come back we can either go out and eat lunch somewhere on the town if we want, or we can make some pasta or sandwiches at the apartment. Then we wash clothes and shower and hang out til dinner. For dinner we all get together and make something or we go out to eat somewhere on the town. Tonight we ate pizza at a little place in Freiburg... it was really good.
As for the race today, SETH won the junior race!! Go figure...
At the start there was an 8k neutral rollout. There was so much French talking going on it was hard to understand. There were about 70 racers in the front group and they were all jockeying for position. There were way too many bar ends and not enough space for them all. There was a crash right behind me. I was pretty sketched out. All went well though, I had to push a couple French guys around, lol.
We started and it was just all out, absolutely killing it for 55 minutes. The most painful 55 minutes I have ever had I think. It was CRAZY how hard these euros were going! Once we got to the top it was some sweet downhill singletrack and then lots of flat grassy field type stuff to the end. There was one section of singletrack that looked like it came right out of South Carolina. I attacked and dropped two euros there, then I kept going and going and the euros were popping off of me like crazy. I passed 6-7 in the last 2.5 miles. On the last road section I was with one other. I attacked him and could not drop him. Then he attacked me and I hung on his wheel. We pulled around the second to last corner and we just looked at each other and smiled cause we knew it was going to hurt. We sprinted to the last corner and he outdid me just barely. It was fun. I came in about 9th out of 30 juniors. Fun Stuff."
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First Race Results here 5-31-09:
http://www.mso-chrono.ch/?page=liste_resultats&id_event=10&triage=cat#ancre_Juniors
click on "Juniors" word from the blue word list at top of page.
above: Germany
below: Seth on podium
