SERC #4: Winder GA (4/24/2010)

Pro Scott Frederick and Cat 1 racer Todd Hunter of the Inland team hit the highways for the 5 hour drive to Winder, Georgia for the fourth race of the series and US Kenda Cup Qualifier.  Rain pounded the course all day Saturday and left the trails wet and muddy for the early 9:30 a.m. start of the Pro race.  The field of 18 was small but many top riders were present including Ryan and Regan Woodall (Brick City Bicycles), Thomas Turner (Jamis/Outspoking Bicycles), Robert Marion (American Classic/Kenda/Tomac), and Champion Systems/Cannondale team members (Travis Livermon, Tim Mosher, and Alex Ryan).  The course was all single track, rolling through tight twisty sections of Ft Yargo State Park.  The course challenged riders in many ways and opening a gap was a tough option, but once opened, it was hard to close.  Robert Marion and Ryan Woodall set the pace early on and the first 10+ mile lap was a screaming 45 min.  The high pace broke the field up into a select group of 5 riders including Tim Mosher of Champion Systems/Cannondale who bridged up after hitting traffic early on.  Tim’s teammate and top U23 rider Travis Livermon also made a huge effort to bridge to the lead riders after being wrecked near the start line.  Robert Marion suffered from a mechanical and dropped to the back of the lead group.

Scott Frederick maintained a position in the top 5 through the first lap and took the lead shortly into the 2^nd lap when the pace slowed slightly.  Feeling good and not wanting Robert Marion to catch back on, Frederick lifted the pace several times and the group stayed at four leading into the 3^rd lap.  Frederick kept the pace high leading out of the feed and into the third lap.   Eventually the pace dropped riders Ryan Woodall and Tim Mosher and at the top of a climb mid way through the 3^rd lap, Travis Livermon attacked.  Keeping his wheel, Frederick surged and stayed between Travis and remaining Thomas Turner in the lead group.  The three riders stuck to each other closely and Livermon nearly escaped following a section of tight trail with 5 gravity sections.  The pace eased off once Livermon realized Frederick and Turner were still there.  Frederick jammed his gears in another section and Livermon attacked again.  Frederick dug deep and closed the gap once again with Thomas right behind on his wheel.  The high pace continued for several miles before easing off and the three rode together again.

Ryan Woodall began to close the gap back to the trio in front.  And there was a sense of urgency in the group.  Frederick glanced back to see Woodall nearly latching on and then went to the front to lift the pace again.  He did not want the group to come back together.  In the hesitation and slight confusion as Ryan closed on, Frederick entered a fast section and lifted the pace.  A gap opened.  Looking back, Frederick noticed the gap opening further and attacked.  The gap increased by seconds quickly and soon Frederick was racing for the win.  Knowing the experience of the group, Frederick kept the gas on at every moment when out of sight.  With a few miles left, Livermon and Turner had closed the gap to 5 seconds on the 3^rd to last climb in the open cutover area.  Entering the woods again, Frederick knew summiting the last two climbs with a small lead would ensure his victory.  Reaching the summit, Frederick took a quick glance and saw he had put 15 seconds on the Travis and Thomas…..racing on he descended and poured it on through the final stretch.  Crossing the finish line and clenching his fist in victory, Frederick smiled and felt the energy from his first Pro win and first SERC win to date.  Turner took second by half a wheel in front of Livermon 25 seconds back with R. Woodall taking 4^th and Tim Mosher taking 5^th.  Todd Hunter raced well in the 40-45 event but pulled out early due to a tight back.

A great day for Inland Construction and for Pro rider Scott Frederick!!

Cohutta 100: Ducktown, TN (4/23/10)

Pro rider Charlie Storm made the long drive to Ducktown, TN to take on top national riders in the Cohutta 100 at the Ocoee Whitewater Center in the Cherokee National Forest.  Storm had a great race despite the treacherous weather, with thunderstorms drenching the riders from mile 50 on!  Storm kept the pace high enough to secure a 12^th place finish in a large field of 133 riders!  He was in 9^th place at mile 80, but was caught by 3 riders in the closing miles.  Great effort and race for Charlie Storm and Inland Construction.  Watch out for Charlie as he attempts 4 National Ultra Endurance  (NUE) races across the country this season!

Pro XCT #2: Sea Otter Classic, Monterey CA (4/15-18/2010)

The Inland team headed to Monterey California to compete in the Sea Otter Classic, the second race in the Pro XCT National Series.  Lucas Livermon and Scott Frederick traveled out with Travis Livermon (Champion Systems/Cannondale) and Inland Construction master mechanic Frank Jones.  A huge attendance was expected this year again at Sea Otter with over 8,500 athletes represented in all cycling disciplines.  Our group registered for Super D, Short Track, and Cross Country events.  Scott Frederick started the racing action off with the Super D event on Friday.  A good group of pro riders gathered at the top of a hill next to the Laguna Seca speedway.  Frederick was suffering from a cold all week and decided to race anyway as his health improved.  The Super D rules required the riders to sit in a row with their backs to their bikes about 30 feet away uphill.  Then at the whistle riders can run to their bikes and start on course.  At the whistle, Frederick found himself in the top group picking his bike up and heading down the double track top 5.  At the first sharp bend, several riders surged from behind and a solid group of 15 or so riders headed up the first climb.  A descent followed into a false flat, then the riders plummeted down the hilly trail at speeds exceeding 35 mph.  Frederick’s lungs burned from the effort, but managed to stay with the group and crossed the line in 13^th – a good ride for Frederick’s first Super D event.

On Saturday afternoon, the short track event was packed with top national riders and past champions.  The event took place on the side of a hill overlooking Laguna Seca speedway.  Top national riders were present and the all important call-up was critical to a good start on a course made more challenging by a muddy section at the bottom of the first climb.  The race started very quickly and a bottle neck formed immediately at the bottom of the climb.  Scott Frederick battled for position and made ground every lap, descending through the twisty off-camber grass slopes.  However he was pulled near mid pack after falling off pace and still feeling the effects of his cold.  He was followed by Lucas Livermon not far behind who after being wrecked into the ground early on also fell off pace and was pulled from a very challenging field.

The cross country took place on Sunday afternoon under warm sunny skies.  From guidance set forth by UCI, the epic course of years past was shortened to 25 miles (5 laps) that took riders around Laguna Seca speedway and included a large section of the track each lap.  This change was unfortunate and made for a somewhat boring, incredibly fast race with half the lap on double track or asphalt.  It was however spectator friendly and resulted in incredible time splits each lap.  Frederick was called up in 70^th position with Livermon even further back of the pack of 125 riders.  The field was stacked with several world champions, many national champions from the US and Europe, and most of the top national riders.  At the gun, the pace was high even on the asphalt leading to the single track.  Frederick maintained nearly the same position entering the single track and had a good race catching many riders and placing 58^th.  Livermon was not far behind but was pulled before finishing out the race leaving 70 riders to finish out of the main field.  This was a tough weekend of racing for the team and we’re all looking forward to recuperating before the next SERC in Winder Georgia 4/24.

Thank you to all our sponsors represented at the Sea Otter Classic: 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 National race possible for the Pro riders! Our next ProXCT race will be Memorial Day weekend 5/31 in Dripping Springs, Texas – stay tuned!

S. Classic #4: Harbison State Forest, SC (4/18/10)

Will Black represented Inland Construction in the Pro field at the fourth race in the Southern Classic series at Harbison State Forest, SC.  The top riders all raced hard on the fast, pollen covered trails and dropped the remaining riders early in the race.  Will Black pulled out a second place finish nearly escaping the wheel of Tim Mosher (1^st) and Alex Ryan (3^rd) (Champion Systems/Cannondale).  Great job Will!

SERC #3: Bryson City, NC – Tsali (4/10/10)

Podium

Tsali is one of the fastest course in the SERC series. With the winning speed of over 15 mi/hr last year, riders from all over the southeast prepared for similar fast conditions under sunny skies and warm weather at the Nantahala National Forest trails. Twenty five pros lined up at the start and Inland Construction/BTD was represented by Will Black, Scott Frederick, and Charlie Storm. This year the course started on the gravel road near the upper parking lot again, but entered the “Right Loop” single track at the second bend in the road a mere 200 yards from the starting line. The course is characteristic of a fast mountain contour trail flying into reentrant bends with tight single track, short steep climbs overlooking Fontana lake, and quick rocky descents. The leaves were just starting to form on the trees and trilliums blooming in the understory making the trail visibility wide open and spectacular.

The riders exploded from the whistle and jockeyed for position. Scott Frederick had a good start and entered the woods top 10 behind Travis Livermon and Alex Ryan (Champion Systems/Cannondale). Nathan Wyatt (Carolina Fatz) was in the top five along with Seth Kemp (SC), Thomas Turner (GA), and Robert Marion (NC). Jeff Schalk (Trek Mtn Co) of Maryland led the first lap at a blistering pace and separated the top riders at the top of the first climb only to flat latter at the end of the first 17.5 mi loop. Will Black and Charlie Storm were in the mix too heading strong into the first lap. Forty five minutes into the race Frederick spotted Seth Kemp and closed the gap after a few minutes.

Another strong rider and last year’s winner Sam Koerber (NC), after a bad start, caught Seth Kemp as well on the first loop and eventually Frederick heading into the final 11 mi loop to the finish. Judging from how Sam is riding, particularly the downhills, Frederick decided to let Koerber lead and access the situation. Koerber obliged and lifted the pace and into a full attack at the first climb followed by an attack on the next descent of the 11 mi loop. Frederick responded and only let an 8 sec gap open before starting to pull Koerber back. They both match each other and Frederick held off closing the gap completely to figure out what to do next. At the next climb, Frederick latched onto Koerber’s wheel and they both lift the pace. After dishing out the pace and trying to rid Frederick off his wheel, Koerber pulled a bottle and hesitated and forced Frederick around heading into a short descent. Lifting the pace immediately, even on the descent, Frederick steadily surged into a solid tempo effort. Koerber responded but a small 3 second gap opened. Nearing the last 6 miles, the green Cannondale jersey of rider Travis Livermon emerged and the Frederick/Koerber duo eventually catch him on a rooty section entering a creek crossing. It was obvious something had happened to his machine and turned out the right pedal hadseparated from the spindle on his Bee-Bop pedals. Livermon had fallen back from first to third! Following the confusion, Frederick and Koerber pass Livermon and head toward the “look-out climb”, a steep, rocky, technical climb. Frederick decided to lift the pace further and see the response. A large gap emerged and Frederick reached the summit with a conservative cushion for the descent. Exiting the single track onto the last 3 miles of the course, the trail transitions into double track and finally gravel road rising from the creek bed. Having not ridden this section during the preride, Frederick was unaware of the climbing remaining. Keeping steady, he extended the gap on Koerber as much as possible before the final descent. The gravel road was treacherous at speed with rocks rolling like marbles across off-camber turns. Into the final single track to the finish, Frederick maintained his lead and crossed the finish line in 3rd behind Thomas Turner (1st) and Robert Marion (2nd), two plus minutes off the pace. Travis Livermon still made the podium, broken pedal and all in 5th position. Charlie Storm had a good ride crossing the finish in 13th in a tough field. The SERC series heads to Huntsville, AL next on 5/1/10.