6.1.2008

The Inland Construction pros traveled in three different directions for the first weekend in June.  Matt Rotroff traveled to Keezletown, Virgina for the Hoo Haa mountain bike race.  The course is well known for being a true east coast course with its many rocks and roots.  The race started off well for Rotroff as he was riding comfortably within the top five in a stacked pro field.  Half way into the first lap Rotroff hit the dirt, breaking his front brake in the process.  But Matt, despite the mechanical troubles, began to ride stronger as the race went on, and moved his way into podium position.  As the second lap began, a freak incident involving an insect lodging into Rotroff’s ear took him out of the race, and into to the medic’s tent.

Lucas Livermon demolished the field in Charlotte, NC in the Riverfront Classic.  The race was the sixth installment of the Southern Classic Series.  Lucas took an early lead on the fast course that has treated him to several past victories.  Lucas rode a near perfect race for the victory over a strong field that included several local pros.

Charlie Pendry formed the third prong of the Inland Construction triple assault on Southeast mountain biking.  Pendry traveled to Birmingham, AL for the Bump & Grind, the Southeast’s largest mountain bike race.  Pendry took the lead of the race on the first lap after the course’s most prominent climb.  On the second and final lap Pendry found himself succumbing to travel-weary legs as he started losing positions.

The teams three-pronged assault proved successful with Livermon taking a victory in Charlotte and Rotroff and Pendry showing that they have good potential in the run up to the big summer races.

6.8.2008

Matt Rotroff was back in Virginia this weekend—this time in Danville at the Angler’s Ridge race.  Scorching heat greeted the riders as temperatures reached 100 degrees in the seventh race in the Southern Classic Series.  Rotroff started the race strong, quickly separating himself, along with three other riders, from the rest of the field.  Rotroff lost contact with the front group after slipping up on a climb.  Rotroff was still riding within the top 5 when an unfortunate run in with a tree ended his race.

Inland Construction pro Charlie Pendry was invited to race with DLP Racing during the week of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown in Eastern Pennsylvania.  Pendry spent the week getting a taste of a very unfamiliar style of racing and logging valuable training miles while working for his teammates.

6.15.2008

Matt Rotroff was back in action in the sixth round of the Southeast Regional Championship Series (SERC).  The Clemson Experimental Forest trails in Clemson, SC played host to the series.  The trails are favorites of local racers because they provide riders with a variety of challenges from fast and open to slow and twisty singletrack.  The course tends to suit larger, more powerful riders, but Rotroff showed that he is broadening his skill set.  Rotroff found himself in third place at the end of the race after battling with a field stacked with local pros.  Rotroff’s first podium at a SERC event highlights the 18 year old rider’s considerable potential.
Look for Inland Construction in the cross country and short track events at round four of the National Mountain Bike Series in Park City, UT this weekend.

Thank you, Inland Construction Partners:

Inland Construction Co.
Larry Moray & Assoc. Orthodontics
Moran & Brooks Pediatric Dentistry
Fuji Bicycles
DT Swiss
Storm Endurance Sports
Frank’s Cyclery
Magura
Hutchinson
Thomson

5.4.2008

Inland Construction club members Will Peterson and Greg Robitaille represented Inland Construction in the Cat-4 race at the Winston-Salem Downtown Criterium. The course was a six-turn semi-technical affair including some hills and a challenging off-camber turn five. The 38 person field started fast. A two person break opened a gap by lap six, and Peterson made an extraordinary effort to reel in the break. A mechanical then took Peterson out of the race. Robitaille found himself stuck in a field that didn’t want to chase, and he contested the field sprint to finish in 13th place.

Mike Lockhart and Todd Hunter represented Inland Construction at the SVMBA Mountain Bike Race at Angler’s Ridge in Danville, VA. Sporting the new Inland kits the Todd and Mike held their own as Mike took the win in the 18-35 Sport race and Todd finished second in the 36-49 Sport race.

5.10.2008

Inland Construction riders Matt Rotroff and Lucas Livermon opted to stay home this weekend and attend the Little River race, located just outside Durham. Matt took the lead from the gun, with Lucas close behind, and continued to build upon his advantage throughout all 4 laps of the race. Unfortunately, Lucas had a run-in with a tree, forcing him to retire early from the race. Fighting through lapped traffic on the last few laps, Matt took his first victory of the season in a dominating fashion.

5.16.2008

The Inland Construction Pro Mountain Bike Team traveled to Santa Ynez, CA for the third round of the National Mountain Bike Series. Charlie Pendry and Matt Rotroff did battle in temperatures that soared to 105 degrees on an open course that offered little opportunity to hide from the sun. Attrition was high as the heat claimed many victims during the cross-country event. Pendry managed to push his way to a 24th place after suffering from dehydration. Rotroff fell victim to the heat on the second lap.

The short-track saw Pendry spending most of the race with the front group. He finished 13th and now finds himself ranked 9th in the short-track standings. Rotroff also put up a solid performance and holds a solid position in the rankings amongst the under-23 riders in the pro field.

Mike Lockhart made the move to the Expert category for the Fat Tire Frenzy in Bedford, VA. He finished seventh.

5.24.2008

Inland Construction competed in the fourth annual Burn 24 Hour race in Wilkesboro, NC. Inland Construction club member Mike Lockhart and guest rider Caitlin Trahan (Vanderkitten) joined pros Lucas Livermon, Charlie Pendry, and Matt Rotroff in the coed division. The event was incredibly well organized and it offered a wonderful opportunity for Pendry and Lockhart to race in front of a very supportive hometown crowd. The pros enjoyed the festival-like atmosphere and used the opportunity to hone their skills on the excellent Dark Mountain trails. The team won the coed division and made a late race attempt to catch the overall leader, an all male team, and narrowly missed out due to a broken chain on the last lap of the race.