The mountain bike season started in February for some riders, but with all the snow and great Nordic skiing this winter in the NW, I opted for April 10th. Starting the season off in dry conditions under the sun is rare in WA, but it seems to always be this way at Finley Hills.

On the way out to the race Saturday morning, we noticed Dale's blue van parked on the side of the freeway. Knowing Magnus (Dale), I thought that he had parked his van and rode his MTB the final 50 miles to the race course for a warm up. It really wouldn't surprise me. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Nothing like a blown head gasket to relieve stress before a bike race. We were all happy to see him at the race site safe and sound, ready as always to make people suffer.

After a brief warm up and a PowerGel, we were called to the start line. The sun was out, but it was still a bit chilly. It felt strange wearing short sleeves after being wrapped up in a full ski suit all winter. 5 seconds to go...4, 3, 2, 1...the gun goes off and Pro/Semi-Pro group is off. I had mounted cleats on my new TIME World Cup shoes on the drive out to the race, and the adjustment felt perfect. I managed to get into my pedals quickly and into a full sprint without any problems.

I knew before the race started that my descending skills would be rusty. My plan was to get over the top of the first climb before Garrett Heitman if at all possible. As many of you know, Garrett won the Semi-Pro Napa World Cup a couple weeks ago ... by 3 minutes! That guy can pedal a bike!! With all the short 5k Wednesday night ski races that I had under my belt, I knew that I would be able to start fast and hold the red line for at least 11-15 minutes. This would be enough to get over the first climb and into the descent.

It worked. I took the hole shot and I still felt good going over the top of the climb. I heard a few gears clicking behind me, so I stood up and sprinted again over the two rollers that led to the main descent. I didn't look back until the half way point on lap 1 (3 laps). Garrett was on my wheel, and MC (Mark Hanson) was grouped up with Magnus about 50 meters back.

I was still content to lead at this point, so I stepped up the pace a bit (so that Garrett wouldn't get bored riding with me). It was one of those days when you never have to use the small ring, and those days usually turn out ok.

We were over the top of the 2nd major climb and heading back towards the start/finish area. Garrett and I were both laughing at how fun the single track was! I found myself thinking about all the pointers the guys gave me during the Nordic season. Focus on TECHNIQUE ... this is what I was told all season on the misery stix. The transition to bike racing goes hand in hand. Floating down through the single track surrounded by sage brush was worth the long drive from Seattle ... well worth it.

We were back on a dirt access road at this point ... then came a HUGE erosion hole on the right side of the road! It was too big for me to jump, so I skidded just in time to miss the hole and let Garrett come through on my left. Scary.

Back into the final section of single track leading to the start/finish. This is my favorite part of the course. Rolling, fast single track with a strong aroma of sage. Garrett and I were still joking and I told him not to go easy on me. Ooops. He clicked down a gear so two and surged. I bridged back up, but I stopped telling him to go harder!

Going through the start/finish we were still together. I grabbed a bottle, he didn't. As I grabbed the bottle he jumped ahead ... apparently tired of riding with me. He gradually pulled a bigger and bigger gap ... Oh well, time to ride solo and try to hold onto 2nd place.

At the top of the first major climb, there was a woman taking photos. Just as I crested the top of the hill she snaps the picture and says "Nice Teeth." I must have had my standard race look (just picture Jack in the movie "The Shining" when he pokes his head through the splintered bathroom door saying ... "Here's Johnny!!!!!")

I didn't look back, but the time splits along the course were good. My ControlTech MTB was still rock solid and fast, even after a full 1998 race season.

The final lap was good, except for all the lapped riders on the course. I had more trouble passing in this race than ever before. Going off course meant risking flats due to all the thorns (my rear tire went flat the next day ... slow leak). There was simply no choice though, at least 30 riders would absolutely not pull over. Some would even yell at me as I rode over sage brush along side them. Hopefully they will run the categories at different times next year. This would make the other categories happy as well ... just my opinion.

I pushed the last lap to failure ... my legs were going to be blown at the finish line. I was eager to get results for my new sponsor VoiceStream Wireless, and I finished 2nd overall. No shame in loosing to Garrett, I was just happy to be able to ride with him for a lap ... maybe two next time!

You can check out the results and overall times at the WIM #1 Finley Hills Challenge Results page.

Return to the Finley Hills Challenge Race Reports Page