Blazing fast double track, challenging power grade climbs, dirt roads, three cleverly named cash prems, and free beer from Kuhnhenn brewery = instant fall classic!!!
If you missed this race, make sure it is on your calendar for next year as it is only going to get bigger and better!
A few months back, Clint Verran contacted to me ask me if I’d be interested in racing the first inaugural Rhonde Van Stony Classic Dirt Road Race free of charge in an effort to spark some enthusiasm towards the race amongst the local cycling world. He may of also mentioned free beer in the equation as well. My response; “you had me at free and beer”.
As race day neared my excitement for the race grew. This past Thursday I pre-rode the course and became even increasingly stoked. The big topic of debate leading up to this race was what steed would be the optimal tool for the job. The race had a few sketchy descents that a MTB would gain an advantage on but on the flipside the majority of the race was held on dirt roads where as the minimized rolling friction and larger gearing ratios of a CX bike would be an advantage. I opted to race a CX bike, which turned out to be the weapon of choice this day.
The race started with a brief neutralized roll out and quickly entered the first 2.5 miles of double track which initiated the first selection of riders. I decided to take a “play it safe” approach and front run this section in the top 3 spots as their were 140 other riders charging behind me. Tim Saari, a definite potential victor for the day, experienced a mechanical on the first effort of the day which knocked him out of the front running selection. It was an unfortunate incident as Tim has displayed this CX season that he has the horse power to make people hurt very badly early on in a race.
Prem #1The first person out of the double track section earned the first prem of the day. I was most interested in going for the win so I didn’t go out with the intentions of going for this prem. However, I quickly found myself in a neck and neck sprint with Danny Klein. We both agreed it was too close to call without a camera. Danny, being a good friend, decided to give it to me.
As the race went on, I found my form feeling pretty good and my power increasing. We whittled our front group down to 7 riders with a second chase group charging after us. In the interest of keeping the 1 to 7 odds, I maintained a pretty high tempo at the front of our group to ensure we stayed away.
Prem #2The second prem came at the top of Parks Rd., which is commonly referred to as Paris Rd. because of a discretion in the road sign. Feeling strong, I pressed this climb and found myself snagging yet another prem.
The day was going well but I was getting antsy to shed some of the dead weight from our group. On the last significant road climb of the day I discretely attacked the group and found myself with an instant gap joined by Clint Verran, recent elite runner turned cyclist. We only had about 6 miles left in the race and with the exception of one last double track section, it was mostly downhill. Clint and I worked in cohesive synergy and quickly rode the remaining chasing group out of sight. As we entered the final trail section I knew I had to take him one on one and try to exploit his weakness; handling skills in the trails. Being a national caliber marathon runner, Clint may be able to run sub 5-minute miles for hours on end, but I was confident I had the upper hand on him in the trails. My assumption was correct as I rolled away from him and was able to ride steady tempo for the reminder of that section slowly putting distance between us.
Prem #3There was one last prem available after leaving the final trail section that I was able to pick up without contest. From there on out I was able to simply settle into a personal rhythm and spend the last two miles intrinsically giving thanks for the win before rolling into the finishing straights.
As I rolled into the finish line relaxed and calm, the hands went up and I took time to really soak in the victory. This doesn’t happen too often as most of my wins are by mere seconds. Whenever I get the treat of winning a race in this fashion I take time to reflect on those who I love in my life and the loved ones I’ve lost and meditate on the reasons I race a bike in the first place. These moments are rare, they only come a few times a season if you’re lucky; I regard them as sacred.
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