TORC XC Series Race #3: Race at the Reactor (8/22/10)

A good crowd showed up at one of the last local cross country races of the season.  Todd Hunter, Rob Moran, and Byron Rice of Inland Construction raced together in the same class and went up against fast locals like Terry Kolb (Clockwork Construction), Adam Engell, and Mark Rogerson.  Again, it was hot and humid, but the early 9 a.m. start made suffering a bit more tolerable to the riders.  The start was very fast and Hunter, Kolb, and Rogerson set an early high pace leading into the woods.  Kolb attacked on the first lap and put nearly 2 min on the field turning a blazing 26.11 minute lap on the rolling piedmont single track.  The course is located along Harris Lake and includes fast, flowing single track, rolling short hills, and twisty rooty sections over a 7 mile lap.  Open sections allow for passing and high speed transitions.  Kolb held his lead for the remaining 2 laps of the 21 mile race, while Hunter raced well and finished 4^th on the day.  Long-time mountain biker and Inland Construction supporter Rob Moran had a fantastic race pulling back riders and finishing 3^rd, while local distance rider Adam Engell showed great form coming in 2^nd.  Mike Lockhart rode well in his first mountain bike race of the season placing 10th and Eric Webster was right behind in 11th.  Byron Rice raced well with the expert class before succumbing to a ripped sidewall on his tire.  Good job to Inland Construction having a strong presence at the local race scene and getting results!

Results

SERC #10: Fontana, NC (8/7-8/2010)

Fontana Village was host to the finale of the SERC series complete with short track and cross country events held over 2 days.   Scott Frederick of the Pro Team traveled to the high mountains for NC along with fellow riders Alex Ryan and Jeremiah Dyer (Cannondale/Champion Systems).  The short track for the elite men started around 9pm and was held in a recreation area under the lights.  The course snaked around a baseball diamond, picnic tables, play ground, and basketball court and included a steep short climb and quick descent.  16 riders toed the line and the pace was extreme from the gun.  Alex Ryan and several others set the early pace for the first laps along with Ryan Woodall (Brick City Bicycles/I9/Suspension Experts) before Frederick made a counter move to catch the leaders.  The race was very close in the early minutes with riders battling for position and seconds.  Frederick surged and picked up the pace at around 5 minutes followed closely by Ryan Woodall, Thomas Turner (Jamis Bicycles/Outspokin Bicycles), Seth Kemp (C-Town Kenda/Hayes), and Robert Marion (American Classic/Kenda/Tomac).  Seeing a gap, Frederick pushed harder and started to split the field.  Woodall kept pace and launched 2 consecutive attacks on the course climb separating Frederick by 5 sec.  Frederick held off the field and tried to close the gap each lap but finished strong for 2^nd in a great race between the top riders.

Temperatures reached the lower 90s at the start of the cross country race that consisted of a 7+ mile loop of what seemed to have climbing in all directions.  The course was the most challenging of the SERC series and made more challenging with the hot conditions.  A large field raced up the first asphalt climb to the woods and Frederick entered the single track in 4^th position.  The pace was flying for the first lap with Ryan Woodall at the front, followed by Thomas Turner, and Robert Marion.  Frederick slid by Marion before the descent and lost time due poor tire selection and incorrect suspension setup.  Marion edged by again and put 10 sec on Frederick.  After the first lap, Marion pulled over to put some air in his rear tire and Frederick pushed on to secure 3^rd at the end of the race.  Overall a great weekend for Inland Construction placing Frederick on the podium both days.  Frederick also secured a 3^rd place finish in the 2010 SERC Series overall.

Cross Country Podium.....

Short Track Results

Cross Country Results

GC Results

Huck-a-Buck, Raleigh, NC (7/25/10)

It was like a family reunion at the local bike race in Raleigh with top riders arriving from all over the State to compete in hot (103dg), humid conditions.  The course is located at Lake Crabtree County Park and offers a variety of single track conditions, technical rooty, mixed pine hardwood piedmont forest environs, and relatively flat, somewhat rolling terrain.  Pro Team riders Scott Frederick and Lucas Livermon battled Cannondale/Champion Systems Travis Livermon and Tim Mosher for top spots.  Local rider Terry Kolb put the hammer down and took 3^rd on the day for a great ride.  Frederick rolled into the woods 4^th wheel but quickly moved up to 2^nd and then 1^st to put down a blistering first lap at 25.0 min and the fastest lap on the day.  Frederick trains on these trails and had the home-court advantage.  Lucas also had a great race maintaining 3^rd for most of the race, but was caught by Terry Kolb to finish 4^th on the day.  Frederick maintained his form from Nationals and hopes to continue through the remainder of the season.

Cross Country Results

USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships, Granby, CO (7/24-25, 2010)

Heading into lap 3......

Staying at altitude was important for Frederick and he began to acclimate during the week staying at 8,000 feet and higher all week.  Frederick was the only rider representing the Pro Team this year at National Championships in both the cross country and short track events.  The cross country course consisted of a newly cut trail mixed with double track roads, technical descents through aspens, steep snow-cat roads, and wooded serpentine single track reaching well over 9,000 feet and gaining 750 vertical feet each lap.  Due to unusually hot weather, the race was shortened to the start lap plus 5 laps of the 4.3 mile loop.  Frederick had a great start and gained on riders the entire race.  The descent was fast and allowed for some recovery before starting another lap.  Feeling strong and more acclimated, Frederick continued to finish 20^th on the day, the best result in his pro cycling career.

Feeling the energy from the cross country race, Frederick lined up in the short track race ready to

Short Track Start.....

fight hard.  After a good start and avoiding some early traffic, Frederick found himself riding 12^th and fading to 16^th for most of the race.  Knowing the course was short and UCI only allowed at least 10 on course, he fought to keep his position.  At minute 15, Frederick surged on and kept racing, being pulled shortly thereafter before Todd Wells gobbled up the field.  Frederick finished 22^nd, a respectable short track finish and two top 20s overall at National Championships.  It was also a great day for another Inland rider, Byron Rice who placed an outstanding 5^th in the cross country event for his age and division.  He is someone to watch as a young, talented upcoming rider.  Byron came all the way from the back of the pack to secure a spot on the podium – great racing Byron!

Elite Men

Cross Country Results

Short Track Results

S. Classic #10: Sizzler, Greensboro, NC (7/18/10)

While Inland was out in Colorado, Pro Team rider Lucas Livermon arrived back on the race scene to compete in the 10^th S. Classic series race in Greensboro at the “Sizzler.”  The race course winds around a nearby lake and is a great course with fast rolling single track and rooty technical sections.  Inland expert rider Michael Koballa also raced with the small group of riders facing off with some stiff competition from Travis Livermon, Tim Mosher, and Alex Ryan (Cannondale/Champion Systems), Nathan Wyatt (Carolina Fatz), and local rider Colin Watkins.  Cannondale/Champion Systems set the pace high from the start and Lucas put in a good effort to maintain 4^th on the day very close to the top riders.  Michael Koballa rode well and placed 6^th on the hot, humid race day.  Great riding Inland against the top local scene!

Cross Country Results