8.10.2008

Lucas Livermon rode to a second place finish at the Summer Sizzler mountain bike race in Greensboro, NC. The race culminated in a three-way sprint for the win after a long day in the heat on a very fast course.

8.17.2008

The Southern Classic Series wrapped up this weekend with the traditional finals race at Hobby Park in Winston-Salem, NC. The entire Inland Construction pro team was in attendance along with several club members. Charlie Pendry controlled the pace early in the Pro/Expert race before fading. Lucas Livermon finished 5th and Matt Rotroff finished 8th. Scott Frederick won the Expert 30+ category in dominating fashion. Inland rider Tim Welch suffered from a flat tire ending what would have been a strong ride for him, and Michael Lockhart soft-pedaled to a 5th place finish in the sport race.

While the rest of the crew was in NC, veteran Inland rider Charlie Storm traveled to Dahlonega, GA for the Fool’s Gold 100. Storm outlasted his competitors who suffered greatly from attrition to take home a solid fourth place behind Jeremiah Bishop, Thomas Turner, and Garth Prosser.

8.24.2008

The Race at the Reactor, a staple event amongst Raleigh–Durham area riders, was won by a resurgent Charlie Storm for Inland Construction. Charlie showed second-place finisher and Inland pro Lucas Livermon that he was still a threat on the twisty singletrack at Harris Lake. Steve Sherman and Tim Welch also represented Inland in the Pro/Expert race.

David Pressley took the final podium spot in the Clydesdale race. Bo Glenn cracked the top-10 in the single-speed race. Eddie Sherman ripped it up in the elementary school race, finishing fourth and riding faster than riders more than double his age.

The road and mountain biking seasons in the Southeast are drawing to a close and Inland riders now have their sights set on preparing for the 2008 cyclo-cross season.

NMBS 5: Windham, NY

7.12.2008

Racers from around the country descended on the small village of Windham, NY for the fifth round of the National Mountain Bike Series. The rugged Catskill Mountains provided racers with a beautiful location and a surprisingly fast course. The course, volunteers, and promotion were top-notch despite the events first year status and should serve as a model for other events in the NMBS series.

The heat would play an important role in the outcome of the race as all of the competitors slowed over the course of the grueling event. The XC saw all three Inland pros united for the first time in over a month. Matt Rotroff and Lucas Livermon both had solid finishes. Livermon placed a career best 36th. Rotroff held on for a 46th place finish in the midst of many of his fellow first-year competitors. The race started well for Charlie Pendry as he spent the first lap in the top-15, but the heat took its toll and later a mechanical took him out of contention.

7.13.2008

The short track course at Windham was compact and contained both high speed sections and decisive hills; it was great for spectators. Pendry nursed home his stricken bike to 25th place after bending a link in his chain. Rotroff and Livermon found themselves still hurting from the previous day’s effort and finished 42nd and 48th, respectively.

U.S. Mountain Bike National Championships

7.17.2008

The U.S. Mountain Bike National Championships kicked off on Thursday at Mount Snow, VT with the Under-23 race. The course that greeted racers was one of the driest ever seen at Mount Snow. The speeds were high in spite of the rocks and roots. Matt Rotroff started the race strong, but, as it did the week before in New York, the high temperatures began to take their toll. Rotroff’s pace fell off and he was forced to abandon the race.

7.19.2008

The Pro race (excluding U-23 racers this weekend) took place at its traditional time on Saturday. The heat was still a factor, but a heavy shower the night before had transformed the descents. While the course was still very fast the roots had become quite slippery. The reduced levels of traction meant it was more difficult for riders to power out of some of the slower sections. The temperatures remained high and most riders expected a race of attrition similar to the week before. Charlie Pendry found himself fatiguing quickly in the heat. He finished a disappointing 30th. Lucas Livermon, however, rode a solid race and nearly caught Pendry as he faded. Livermon finished with a 36th place to his credit.

7.20.2008

The short track course at Mount Snow is fast with only a single tight 180-degree turn to slow things down. The Inland Construction team posted mediocre performances with Pendry finishing 30th, Livermon 49th, and Rotroff 50th. The team heads back to North Carolina for some much needed rest. Rotroff will be racing the Southeastern Regional Championship event in Fontana, NC. Livermon and Pendry will take the weekend off of competition to begin preparing for the fall races.

Pendry in the short track in Park City, UT

Park City, UT

6.28.2008

Charlie Pendry and Matthew Rotroff resumed their National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) campaign in beautiful Park City, UT. The cross country course is a favorite of the racers with fast and flowing descents that wind their way through the aspen groves and over 1100 feet of elevation gain per lap. Altitude is a factor at Park City since the low point of the course is at 7200 feet above sea level. Pendry and Rotroff made conservative starts because of the thin air, and spent the race picking off riders and hopping from group to group. Pendry put in a solid effort for a 13th place finish in spite of feeling less than stellar. Rotroff was had an impressive ride; he finished a personal best 32nd. The 18-year-old is proving that he is competitive in all of the conditions that the NMBS has to offer—including racing at altitude.

Pendry’s Fuji was sporting a new set of sub-1300 gram wheels [pictured below] from DT Swiss; the company’s fast rolling 190 ceramic bearing hubs are laced to the new XRC330 carbon fiber clincher rims with Aerolite spokes. Look for the wheels on Pendry and Rotroff’s machines for the rest of the season.

6.29.2008

Any short track course at altitude can be unforgiving, and Park City’s is no different. Pendry started from the front row and found himself in the lead after a few turns and a mistake by Geoff Kabush which bottled up the other riders. Pendry stayed with the front group for a few minutes longer before succumbing to tired legs. Pendry slipped back to a 22nd place finish. Meanwhile, a little further back, Rotroff was picking off riders lap by lap capping off a solid weekend with another personal-best 30th place finish.

Solid finishes from the Inland Construction Pro Mountain Bike Team bolster the team’s morale as they head back east to the fifth round of the NMBS in at Windham Resort in New York and the following week the US Mountain Bike National Championships at Mount Snow, VT.