2007 Racing Season

If you are wondering what happened to the Montana Cycling 's website here is a word from the president: 

"Dear friends in cycling,
 
My apologies if the delay in getting this message out has caused anyone any undue stress or anxiety. I've been away, taking care of a few life issues (employment, health, etc.), but I now have most of that under control.
 
As many of you know, we have been experiencing some severe difficulties with our website of late.  Suffice it to say that our webmaster has begun a search for a new service provider, and we will rectify this situation as soon as possible.  Please bear with us while we find a solution to that problem.
 
Many of you have been wondering about the upcoming race season.  Attached you will find a copy of the tentative 2007 Montana road race schedule.  You will note that a number of open dates remain on the calendar.  We have still yet to hear from a few clubs/race promoters, and we are still searching for hosts for the state road race and criterium championship events.  As in past years, our race calendar also lists most of the important regional events (i.e. stage races).  I ask all Montana Club Representatives to please confirm their race dates with me at their earliest convenience.
 
The 2007 Montana Off-Road Series (MORS), or mountain bike race, schedule is nearing completion, and will be forwarded in the very near future, as well.  Please be on the lookout for it.
 
I will forward the minutes from our annual meeting, as well as other pertinent information, in the very near future.  Stay tuned for further details...
 
Best regards" ~John Weyhrich (President - Montana Bicycle Racing Association)

I just updated my 2007 racing season page with the first mountain bike race of the season. Although I think this race is WAY too early it is a must do. The weather is usually pretty good in Lewiston ID but the trip over there may be treacherous. So i guess the thing to remember is to get your licenses in order early! Click on image to see last years photos!

Just when I started to schedule races I got this email from the Wild Rockies former director.

There is big news in Wild Rockies Land. After 19 interesting years of hosting over 200 events of all kinds, I have handed the Wild Rockies torch over to Boise's own, Darren Lightfield. Many of you know Darren; he is a good guy and a mighty fine racer as well. He will bring all kinds of cool, new ideas to the racing scene. Many of you have e-mailed me, asking for 2007 dates and I am sorry that I haven't written you back, but I had to wait until things were finalized between myself and Darren.

As for me, I will be focusing all of my energy working at MotoTech, a very cool motorcycle/ATV/snowmobile shop in Boise (376-8324), and working on The Big Nasty Hillclimb. The Big Nasty is slated for September 14-15, 2007 and will pull over 12,000 spectators this year. That will take care of my promotor's fix for the year.

Here are the dates for the 2007 Wild Rockies Series. Lava, Brundage, Pomerelle and the Banzai will feature downhill races on the next day. If you need to contact me for any reason, you can find me at MotoTech or you can e-mail me at: rondaron@earthlink.net, or call my cell phone at (208) 573-4255.

I am planning on attending a number of races this year and although it is going to take me awhile to get back in shape, I am going to be there on the starting line. See you in '07 and get ready for yet another terrific year in Wild Rockies Land.

Yes, runners, there will be trail runs held at most of the events as well and the website will be updated by the hosting guys this coming week.

Thanks for the memories,
Ron Dillon 

• 12th annual Barking Spider Bash, Nampa, Idaho, Saturday April 21, 2007
• 13th annual Lava Rama, Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, Sat, Sun May 12/13, 2007
• 19th annual Idaho City Excellent Adventure, Id City, Idaho, Sat June 09,2007
• 16th annual Brundage Mtn Bike Festival, McCall, Id, Sat/Sun July 14-15, 2007
• 9th annual Pomerelle Pounder, Albion, Idaho, Sun DH only Aug 5 2007
• 2nd annual Wild Ride XTERRA Triathlon, McCall Idaho, Sat August 25, 2007
• 5th annual Bogus to Boise Banzai and NW Singlespeed Championship, Sun Oct 7, 2007

If there are questions or comments regarding the tenetitive 2007 schedule,
feel free to call Darren at (208) 388-1971. They are open to ideas regarding
the new Wild Rockies series.

I just visited the USA Cycling website and apparently I am ranked #1 in Montana ... yeehaw! I copied the following from the site:

The big news last Saturday is that I have won my first road race ever. I raced in a "B" category in which A (typically Cat 1, 2, 3 men), B (Cat 3, 4 men), or C (Cat 4, 5, 1-day). This is my 2nd race as a licensed racer and my 4th road race ever. Next year for the Missoula Training Race I'll go with the A's. The official last week suggested that I start with the C's but I convinced him I could hang with the B's.

In any case I got involved in a 3 man break (2 guys with teams holding down the peloton). We worked well together but with 6 miles to go I broke lose after a small incline and rode a time trail pace to the win. For 3 of those miles I was averaging 30 MPH and 27 as I began to slow at the finish.

I did all this on my cyclocross bike which features 700X35 slick cross tires (Panaracer Urban Max) .  The story from my two break buddies are that one was to wear us out to let the peloton catch and the other had teammates holding back the peloton.  It was a perfect break for me and it seems I had the early season form.

 Hip, Hip, Horray, I raise my hands in victory!

Montana Velo would like to extend a thank you to everyone who came out to race his/her bike Sunday in the Helena valley. With a record 122 racers, plenty of good weather and a crackpot crew of volunteers, everything went smoothly. Montana Velo would also like to recognize Placer Motors-Subaru of Helena for their consistent support of bike racing in the Helena area.

We had only one serious crash and I have been informed that the particular rider is ok and doing fine.

Also, congratulations to all the first-time women riders who partook in the women's clinic and their first race and to the 18 junior riders (14 Men; 4 Women who raced with the Women 4's)! It was great to see that level of interest. I'm sorry for the mix-up about cat 4 women's awards presentation. At the time, I didn't realize that some of you were in attendance at our awards ceremony, rather than at the women's 4 post-race debriefing. I sincerely apologize and if you haven't already received your prize money, please let me know.

Race Stats:

• Total Riders: 122 (27 One-Day Licenses)
  Entry Fee: $15; All Juniors and MTV members free entry.
• Total Prize List: $685
• Pay-Out:
  Men 1-3--$60, $50, $40, $30, $20 (field: 18)
• Men 4,5--$35, $25, $20 (field: 28)
• Masters A--$35, $25, $20 (field: 6)
• Masters B--$35, $25, $20 (field: 15)
• Women 1-3--$50, $40, $30 (field: 5)
• Women 4--$30, $25, $20 (field: 32)
• Junior Women--$10, $10, $10 (field: 4)
  Junior Men--Box of 24 Clif Bars, $10, $10 (field: 14)

Please email me or Frank Gonzalez with any corrections. We'll wait one day and then send to USAC and John Coulthard.

Thanks go to all race support crew: Carl Anderberg; Lisa Cordingley; Keith and Pete Carperelli; Steve Coen; AB Adams, Jed Dennison; all the MTV Dynamos; Jodi Sanchez; Frank Gonzalez; Shane Mundt and sister; Scott Herzig and his mom; Kyle Ford; Sarah; Jim Whaley; Emmett Purcell; Tygen; Fran Penner-Ray; Jim Barnes and Willie; Nadia Zylawy and anyone else I have neglected to mention.

Geoff Proctor
Race Director
Montana Velo RR

Hello Shawn,

 

USA Cycling has done a great job in that I can license myself and conduct a racing season so effortlessly via your website (looking up results, managing my licenses, etc). Great work!

 

I just want to express a concern regarding the (mountain bike) officiating in Montana. I was at a Montana Off Road Series mountain bike race last weekend and some things happened that has me questioning why I want to continue to race in Montana. And it is not just about me, other new comers to the sport are seeing the bad side of organized racing. I am a advocate of bicycle racing and last weekend has me worried.

 

I am aware of the rule that it is my responsibility to know the course but I feel I was not given the chance to live up to that responsibility. The day before the race I was informed that I could not pre ride and preview this new course.

 

I was in a Pro/expert group that got lost during the race. When we reached the officials at the start/finish area they just waived us on. We inquired on what to do! So we finished the race. I was excited that I got 2nd place and went off to talk with the winner. At no time were we told to do an extra lap.

 

Later we learned that we were DNF. Our argument was that they should of informed us about their decision while we were racing. Since the entire group did the same thing (except one who was far enough off the back to get re-directed) we could of easily continued and still maintained our position. I would of been happy to get third and Clint M. would of caught and won eventually.

 

I had family at the start/finish line and they told me that the officials were alerted by a motor bike patrol that we had cut the course and that the patrol would "put a log" in a certain place so everyone else would not take the same corner. The course was only marked with surveyors flags and frankly I did not see any of them.

 

So instead of making a decision and alerting myself and Clint M (the national semi-pro champ) that we needed to do another lap, we were DNF'ed. Here is the twist, they knew they messed up so they awarded us with 4th and 5th (something like that). I figure that I did not finished (according to the rules I should of went back to where I left the course and continued) so I volunteered to be DNF'ed and rejected the 5th placing. Clint also did the same but they did not DNF him for some reason.

 

We were both very mad and it is not good for the new racers in Billings to see this! The mountain bike officiating in Montana is not qualified in some cases and this is not the first incident.

 

I have decided to travel the extra distance and race in Idaho until the Montana races are fair and organized. Sorry for the rant but I needed to get this off my chest. It has been a week and there is still something about what happened in Billings Montana that irritates me. maybe this will help.

I cant help but to brag (being ranked #1 in MT) and be self centered! The results for the AMBC 5th Annual Coyote Classic (1126-1500 Rank Points) are now in at USA Cyclings Web Site [click here ] and I have posted them on my racing page. Pay special notice to the times and where I would of placed as a pro/semi-pro. Exciting stuff. http://usacycling.org/results/index.php?permit=2007-1245

I just added our new mountain bike race series here in Missoula to my racing calendar . The series is caled Te Bitteroot Resort After Work Series and includes a DH and XC race. The race series website can be found [here ].

• Registration: 6:00pm No pre-registration, day of event only.
• Registration Fee: $5
• Start Time: Practice Race Begins at 6:30pm *Current USA Cycling Mountain Bike License required. One day ($5) and annual ($60) licenses available at registration.
• Practice Race Format: Racers will be grouped and started by category Expert Men and Women (1st), Sport Men and Women (2nd  5 minutes after Expert), Beginner Men and Women (3rd  5 minutes after Sport).
• Course Description: All participants will race on an approximately 8 mile loop. Course contains single and double track along with several technical ascent and descent sections. About 1100 feet of total vertical feet on the loop.
  

The official final standings are out for the Montana Off Road Series and I am at the top of the list. I did it everyone, I won the series! [link] ... Here is the Red Lodge (final race) results [click here]