National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Series #7: Fool’s Gold 100, Georgia (8/22/10)

Mud, mud, and more mud.  The seventh race in the NUE series found Pro Team riders Will Black coming out on top in the Open 50 miler class (on a SS!).  And  Charlie Storm placing a solid 7^th in the 100 miler in atrocious riding conditions.  More details to follow from the racers……..

Results

Thank you to all our sponsors represented who assisted this year: Magura/Uvex, Hutchinson, DT Swiss, and Personal Best Products (Betwixt).  Also, thank you to our local NC sponsors; Inland Construction, Moran and Brooks Pediatric Dentistry, Stevens Wellness, and O2 Fitness for making this season a success for the Inland Construction Pro Mountain Bike Team!  We’re looking forward to a successful Cyclocross season as well!

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

The final race of the Southern Classic Series was held at the Dark Mountain trails along Kerr Lake Dam in Wilkesboro, NC.  The clouds opened up the night before the race and into the morning making the course slick and muddy.  The rain stopped in time for the Pro/19-29 race and the course was hot and humid like a South American rain forest.  Scott Frederick and Will Black from the Pro Team came together to race again for the first time since Texas.  Black was riding in good from on his SS and Frederick was hoping to secure a victory to finish the season after riding well in Fontana the previous weekend.  Luck was not on Frederick’s side.  After putting 15 seconds on Robert Marion (American Classic/Kenda/Tomac) on the first lap, a side wall/bead failure side-lined Frederick to the pits 3 times before finally finishing the race with air in his rear tire.  Black powered through the first 2 laps but was suffering from a riding injury and couldn’t press on the climbs.  Nevertheless, Black secured a podium spot in 3^rd on the day just behind Tim Mosher (Cannondale/Champion Systems).  Frederick maintained 2^nd in the series overall for the season.

Series GC

Cross Country Results

GC Results

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

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