(nooo, I am not going on a tour of local marijuaaana dispensaries…)
Saturday’s mountain bike racing extravaganza would feature a course atop the Mary Jane ski area. Sure, it was dubbed a cross-country race, but I’d call it more of a hopped up super-downhill featuring three lung-busting laps near timberline followed by a top-to-bottom descent…
And while last year’s race featured heavy rain, the year before featured heavy snow, this years’ conditions were a perfect blend of sun and temps in the 60’s at a starting elevation of 10,500′. The stats on this course are impressive, and a little different from the norm:
21 miles
1700ft of elevation gain
3500ft of vertical descending
So while Lance’s buddy Levi was slaying all at the Leadville 100 on Saturday…
Over in Winter Park it was last year’s National U23 champ who was showing us how it’s done. And you know it’s a demading course when the descents are harder than the climbs…
The funny thing is, in the past several years I’ve been able to wiggle my way onto the podium at least once or twice a season. This year, I’m nowhere close. Now I’m not saying I’m “old,” but I am getting “older” and it seems that this season’s top performers just keep getting younger and younger…
…………Damned johnny-come-lately’s…………. I suppose it’s good for the series and it’s good for the competition. But a little tough on the ego.
So with one race remaining in one of the Rocky Mountain’s toughest proving-grounds, I find myself no better than in the top ten.
……….I heard something Saturday after the race while I was milling around the base area, and it went something like, “the older I get, the faster I was…”
Fascinating……..
