Cheakamus Challenge 09

Cheakamus Challenge Sep 20/09

I was entering my sixth Cheakamus Challenge fall classic.A great end of the year race, minimum of 3 to 4 hours.There is surprisingly a fair bit of road riding.So I think the first part is survival on wide gravel road where people battle from the front and sides to get in front.Trying to be ahead for that first climb up the canyon.I popped my chain ,but was able to sprint up the slick rock.Further
up the climb I flipped over on the slick descent.Not having a very good luck so far.Riders are trying to be first out of the canyon and win the prime.Made famous by the late Lumpy Leidal.This guy was famous for going so hard from the start he would make top pros explode.From the canyon I got on a wheel and we worked and I got pulled to the lead group.From here the pace eased up and I was even able to lead for a bit.But I was trying to figure if I was going too hard.Like Lumpy used to say.Dude you gotta go as hard as you can till you get sick.So I hung in there,Neil flatted so we were down to three half way through the race.But as soon as we hit the steep climb Marty dropped me.I battled but I got caught and was in fourth.I stayed on his wheel.I was losing some distance.I had been 6th the past two years in a row.My brother said I had to get the podium to at least match what he did over 15 years ago in the same race, when they used to get a thousand racers. I definitely didn't want to be fourth or get lost, many racers had gotten lost over the yearsI think one year Roland Green, former World Champion was attacked by some land owner, and even climbed an extra half an hour.Thelast road climb I started making time on Kelly, I caught him near the top and dropped into the last single-track downhill to Dusty's and stoked to be on the podium in 3rd place.


http://steedcycles.blogspot.com/2009/09/cheakamus-challenge-2009-podium.html

http://www.worca.com/ Race results from Cheakamus and West side Wheel up.