Pro XCT #3: Mellow Johnny’s Spring Classic, Dripping Springs, TX (5/29-5/30/2010)

Will Black and Scott Frederick of the Pro Mtn Bike Team arrived on narrow hill-country roads at the Juan Pelota ranch outside Dripping Springs under sunny, hot and humid skies.  The jeep roads were dusty and the rocks and trails were bone dry unlike the wet muddy conditions last November.  Pre-rides went well and Will Black tested out his new 29in Ceilo SS on his home Texas turf and glided up rock faces and drop-offs without abandon.  Frederick got used to the rocky conditions and felt ready and prepped for Saturday’s UCI race on the 7.5 mile course.  The Pro course rolled over the hilly landscape and connected short descents with twisty scrub oak and juniper shaded trails and technical rock ledges, ramps, and gardens.  Rocks were everywhere and many pro riders noticed and commented on the trail conditions.  One particular rock section combined a narrow one-line only rock ramp with a rock garden followed by another momentum rock ledge ramp.  It was a challenge even with no riders around – and definitely a hike section with traffic.

On Saturday, the parking lots were full of racers, spectators, and vendors.  The race director (Tobin) from Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop welcomed us to 95 degree heat and humidity at the start line.  Sixty-five pros lined up and headed out into a dust bowl, race-paced parade lap at the whistle.  Texas legend Will Black had a fairly good call-up considering the stacked top 20 riders.  Frederick was some riders back and moved up quickly in the first turns.  Immediately the sun baked the riders and it was clear this was going to be a tough race of attrition.  Black surged ahead and climbed into the lead 30 riders quickly.  Frederick was just behind and surged past 5 riders, moving steadily forward.  Into the pro technical section Frederick pulled ahead of several riders and was closing in on another group.  Mid way through, a rock ledge/ramp appeared ahead surrounded by spectators.  Unfortunately a loose rock in the landing zone swept Frederick’s tire into a sharp rock, puncturing the sidewall and throwing him to the ground in the middle of the trail and his bike collapsed on top of his body.  With his arm outstretched for the landing he sustained injuries to his hip and arm on some very sharp limestone rocks that took him out of the race and into the medical tent.  Black surged ahead and kept a steady race on his SS collecting riders every lap.  Chains and punctures plagued the field and over 20 riders DNF’d.  Black had Sid Taberlay (Aus) (Sho-Air) in his sights in the final lap and would have caught him if not for cramping legs and the resulting fatigue of 2+ hours in the searing heat on a single speed.  Nevertheless, Will Black had an outstanding day placing 17^th in the Pro field and a fantastic result considering the extreme conditions.

The following day, Will Black showed great form again in the non-UCI Pro/1 race at the ranch.  It was a similar course as the UCI race, but had more flow,  longer laps,  and less technical rock sections.  A good field was present and many of the riders that dropped out the previous day had a second chance to race under hot, dry conditions.  Frederick was unable to race due to lacerations of the arm and hip that required a spool of thread to close.  Will had a great start and maintained a top position most of the race.  The course was more enjoyable to ride with the smooth transitions and longer distance.  Even after a tough day on Saturday in the UCI race, Black placed 6^th and without a doubt maintained his legendary Texas status.  So, Inland Construction made their mark at the Juan Pelota ranch ProXCT#3 race in several ways – a tough battleground for Frederick and fantastic result for Will Black!

Cross Country Results

Will Black Looking for the Line!

S. Classic # 6: River Front Classic, US National Whitewater Center – Charlotte, NC (5/23/2010)

Will Black and Scott Frederick of the Pro Team and a bunch of fast Inland riders in all categories headed to the US National Whitewater Center outside of Charlotte for some action-packed racing over the weekend.  Byron, Ben, David, and Eric all hit the trail with Scott for some pre-riding Sat. eve after thunderstorms rolled through making the trails a little damp and the air humid.  The trail was still pretty smooth and fast and if the weather kept calm, the morning would bring perfect racing conditions.  The early 9am racers had overcast skies and warm/moist air at the start.  Eleven racers lined up for the Pro/19-29 field including Tim Mosher, Alex Ryan, and Jeramiah Dyer (Champion Systems/Cannondale), and Robert Marion (American Classic/Kenda/Tomac).  Frederick pulled the hole-shot and found himself out in front with Will, Tim, Alex, and Robert.  The race pace was very high as the leaders screamed down the buff single track.  Half-way through the first lap, 3 riders remained in the lead group, Frederick, Mosher, and Black.  Alex trailed off the back at a close distance and Robert suffered from chain problems and lost time early on.  Will Black was racing on a single speed in true form.  He was an animal!  Frederick headed into the second lap in the lead then made a mistake in a root section and Mosher took over.  As it turned out, this was actually a better position for Inland through the second lap and into the third of the 9.1 mile loop.

The racers had 3 laps ahead of them on the compact clay trail with a few steep switch-back climbs, fast, bumpy descents, and blazing flats on ridge-tops and floodplain of the Catawba River.  The course tracked through mature timber, power-line cuts, and steep hardwood bluffs.  All the racers complimented on how nice this trail is to ride – a real treat!  Tim Mosher was on form.  He crushed the trail with his 29er with smooth transitions and gapped Frederick and Black several times on tight, twisty sections.  Frederick and Black persisted and changed positions when Mosher slipped on a root or rock in the transition to the steep switch-back climb mid lap.  Unfortunately, the fall snapped Tim’s rear brake caliper off the bar and he had to climb back up to the leaders who hesitated to make sure he was okay.  All three riders back together, Frederick took the lead again and pushed the pace back up.  The riders started hitting lapped traffic and Tim suffered from having only one brake on tight sections and a broken seat!  A gap opened and Frederick found himself out in front 10 sec.  The gap climbed and Frederick maintained a 40 min+/lap pace to the finish line for the win in 2:03.  Tim was faced with trying to out-fox seasoned rider Will in the final stretch of the 3^rd lap.  Both riders gritted teeth into a sprint finish for the line, with Will coming out just in front.  Robert Marion closed in on Alex Ryan for 4th coming into the 3rd lap and Al got 5th on the day after keeping a consistent ride!  Great ride for Will Black and a 1-2 for Inland Construction!

Other racers spied on course included Josh and Jake Motta and a small flock of Inland jerseys.  The sport field was so big.  Stay tuned for more updates to this race summary from Byron Rice.  Ben placed 4th in the Beginner’s race – great job!  Send your story to the editor if we missed you……….and set the record straight.  It was a great weekend of racing and for the whole Inland Construction Team!

The Pro team heads to Dripping Springs, Texas for the 3^rd ProXCT Series Race on Lance Armstrong’s ranch over Memorial Day weekend.  Will Black is from Texas and is looking forward to crushing some familiar single track in the thorny, rocky back country!

gettin' ready for the climbing!

SERC #6: Ducktown, TN (5/16/2010)

Inland nearly had all the Pro Mountain Bike Team present at the Ducktown,TN US Cup Qualifier race that took place at the Ocoee Whitewater Center in Cherokee National Forest.  Charlie Storm, Will Black, and Scott Frederick toed the damp line at the start of the 33 mile (1,700 vf/lap) cross country race.  Other riders present included Thomas Turner (Jamis/Outspokin Bicycles), Robert Marion (American Classic/Kenda/Tomac), Seth Kemp (C-Town Kenda/Hayes) and Champion Systems/Cannondale riders Tim Mosher and Alex Ryan.  Thunderstorms pounded the area the previous day and again another wet Tennessee race awaited the SERC pro racers.  The course started with a 25 minute climb up single track and double track 4×4 trails that included 1,700 vertical feet each lap, followed by a 20 min. descent down to the Ocoee River and Whitewater Center.  Riders fell into single file following a motorcycle escorted start, following single track up into the wet, slick rooted hillside.  Robert Marion led the charge as usual and Frederick followed in 2^nd after a small mishap on the first rooty section.  Thomas Turner was right on Frederick’s wheel and went around to catch Robert.  The three rode together with Frederick having difficulty holding onto the pace Turner was dishing out.  Frederick had not pre-ridden the day before unfortunately and knew he had to keep on the leaders wheel to learn the course on the first lap.  Turner kept the pace high and dropped Marion and Frederick several times before Frederick settled into his own pace to secure 3^rd place for the day.  Marion maintained his lead in front of Frederick 1 min+  to secure 2^nd and Turner continued to gain time on the field putting an unbelievable 5 and over 6 minutes on 2^nd and 3^rd place respectively to secure another SERC win and fastest lap of the day.  Will Black attacked the challenging course with a single speed in great form and nearly took a 4^th place finish in front of Seth Kemp.  Charlie Storm finished strong in 9^th with an all too familiar scene of thunder and lightning drenching the course.  Alex Ryan finished a strong 10^th and Tim Mosher abandoned the race with leg cramps.

So, Inland had a great weekend placing two riders in the top 5!  Next race on the calendar is the S. Classic  Riverfront Classic May 23^rd at the US National Whitewater Center.

S. Classic # 5: Stump Jump, Spartanburg, SC (5/2/2010)

A good group of Inland Construction riders traveled down from NC to race the infamous Stump Jump course near Spartanburg, SC.  The course has fast, loamy floodplain soil trail, short clay –packed, rooty climbs, and twisty wooded single track, making it a great cross country course and super fast when dry.  With last year’s muddy conditions still fresh on his mind, Frederick opted for an aggressive tire for the floodplain sections because they were still damp from recent rains.  A small field of 9 riders started in the Pro field and began the race quickly thanks to a Kenda/Hayes rider.  Frederick fell into 2^nd position right away with teammate Will Black and Nathan Wyatt (Carolina Fatz) tucked in closely behind.  Tim Mosher (Champion Systems/Cannondale) was also in the select group that put a gap on the rest of the field early on.  Frederick moved into the lead a quarter through the first lap and maintained the lead well into the second lap.  With teammate Will Black right behind Nate, Inland was in good position to keep two podium spots at the end of the day.  Frederick, coming off a big win at the SERC in Winder, Georgia last weekend, felt strong and confident to attack early in the short 21 mile race.  The pace was very high, and he attacked on the longest of the short climbs out of the river bottom.  The timing worked and he put a gap on close competitor Nathan Wyatt and gapped the two riders leaving Will to battle for 2^nd.  Unfortunately Will lost ground in a wreck but still maintained 4^th position for the day.  Tim Mosher challenged Will and came up with the 3^rd place finish and closing in on Nathan Wyatt.  Frederick maintained his lead of 1.5 min and secured his second win as a Pro and first Southern Classic Series race win!

Inland Construction also won the Team competition for the series race with top finishes by Byron Rice (1^st), Irene Manning (1^st)  – great job Byron and Irene!, and strong finishes in their respective divisions for; Jakob Motta (3^rd), Nick Manning (8^th), Joshua Motta (24^th – Cat 2: 30-39), Howard Ryne (4^th Cat 2 :40-49), and Alison Ryne (5^th Cat 2: 30+).  Congratulations to everyone on the Inland Construction Team!!