Mountain Chase XC - Marquette, Michigan - June 28, 2009

Wolverine Sports Club/American Cycle & Fitness Elite Mountain Bike Team Race Report (June 28, 2009)
Mountain Chase XC - Marquette, Michigan

Jay Moncel - Place: 5th Men 30-39 - Time - 1:47:50 "a mass start for all the distances with a ski hill start to spread the field. after ascending we dropped into some amazing single track. i found my rhythm and started gapping people. then we popped out onto a windy road section. i threw it into the big small and put my head down. 2 laps later I was 17th overall at the finish. pretty happy with the result since I hadn’t raced in about 2 years. fun times!"

Kelly Paterson – Place: 1st Women 40-49 - Time: 2:11:13 "The trail at Marquette Mountain had a little bit of everything. Technical single track, bridges over creeks, ups and downs, rocks and roots, dirt and paved roads. I got a good start and rode in 2nd for most of the race. Flatted with 5 miles to go (out of 24) and painfully clawed my way past two gals to regain my 2nd place overall. It was a blast!"

Tim Finkel - A little long for this site, please see his race report at: http://timfinkel.blogspot.com/

Lumberjack 100 - Manistee, Michigan - June 20th, 2009

Wolverine Sports Club/American Cycle & Fitness Elite Mountain Bike Team Race Report (June 20, 2009)
Lumberjack 100 - Manistee, Michigan

Robert Herriman - Place: 9th Open Men - Time: 7:48:01 "What an incredible day. My 5th Lumberjack started out with a busted seat-post at mile 2 of 100, uhg! I had a spare post in my car and after a quick pit stop, I started out again. It was challenging to work my way back through the field from 272nd place, but I just kept plugging along and was simply flabbergasted to finish top 10 in the end. Wow!!"

Brent Steinberg - Place: 63rd Open Men - Time: 10:15:20 "After only 4 rides in six weeks with naggin knee problems, I went to the Lumbo for fun ride in the woods. 6hrs and 75 miles later in 16th, I called it good. Sat around for a while, then finished up lap 4 with my dad. Happy my knee held up! Fun weekend catching up with everyone after being gone for a while. Can't wait for the next one."

Kelly Paterson - Place: 6th Open Women - Time: 9:30:21 "I wasn’t really sure I could actually do 100 miles on a mountain bike. I was shooting for a time between 10:00 and 10:30. I just kept it steady and was really happy with my finish. It was a blast! A too-long pit stop cost me a place, but I wasn’t really racing anyone but myself. Super fun course with rolling hills, grinders and some insanely fun down hills."

Tour de Mt. Pleasant – June 13th & 14th

Mt. Pleasant, MI - June 13th & 14th

Saturday 75 minutes + 2 laps Crit results: 62 starters (27.6 mph avg.)
5th Luke Cavender
35th Alan Smith
45th Ray Dybowski
47th Tom Kachelmeyer
50th Scott Kroske
Also in the race were:
Chris Bogedin
John Sammut
Cory Dubrish

The weather was perfect and the racing was fast, no, I mean really fast! 27.6 mph for 1-1/4 hours on a 0.80 miles course with 6 corners. The race started from the gun and never slowed, the pack was one long line for most of the race. With the pace so high, not many breaks got off the front, and the few that did, didn’t last very long. One rider tried a solo break with 10 laps to go, but was swallowed up before the bell lap. So with the race coming down to a field sprint, the Kenda Pro team lined it up for there sprinter and former Wolverine, Ben Renkema to take the win.

Sunday’s 105 mile Road Race results: 80 starters (4 hours 3 minutes)
11th Luke Cavender
23rd Adam McClounie
24th Alan Smith
25th Cory Dubrish
27th Scott Kroske
29th Chris Bogedin
36th John Sammut
39th Tim Finkel
44th Tom Kachelmeyer
51st Brian Kozeliski
59th Ray Dybowski

Once again the weather was perfect for a long road race. Normally the pack would start off a little slower in a 105 mile road race, but with the first points sprint only 3 miles into the race, things started off rather quick, and picked up speed as we approached the sprint. After the sprint, the pace slowed considerably for the next 10 miles or so. No one seemed interested in attacking so far out from the finish. About 15 miles into the race the attacks started, and didn’t end until a group of 7 got off the front and held a 30 second lead for a while. The pack held them to that lead for a half hour before letting them start to slip away. Many didn’t believe this move would stick considering the distance left to the finish. This group built the lead to a maximum of 6 minutes before the group started to give chase, but by then it was too little too late. The lead group finished 2 minutes clear of the pack. Luke ended up taking 4th in the field sprint for 11th overall.

Ruby Campground XC – Avoca, Michigan (June 14, 2009)

Wolverine Sports Club/American Cycle & Fitness Elite Mountain Bike Team Race Report

Ruby Campground XC – Avoca, Michigan

Bill Clikeman - Place: 7th Elite Men – Time: 2:08:19 "Generally not concerned in a mountain bike race about having kayakers on the course, but I guess it could happen...shuffling through the river 2 times per lap, steep hills and challenging single track are all part of the fun at Ruby."

Robert Herriman - Place: 8th Elite Men – Time: 2:09:02 "My first ride ever at Ruby. I'd heard Ruby was obnoxiously twisty with crazy steep climbs, scary descents, and bike destroying river crossings. All true. But after a few laps of learning, it all became super fun!!"

Steve Dempsey - Place: 9th Elite Men – Time: 2:11:12 "Haven’t ridden Ruby since I was a wee lad. More fun than I last remember (previously ridden in tsunami-like conditions). Ultra-techy keeps all riders honest. Great to race with the new crew, esp. during the inspirational 4th to 5th lap "gathering" we shared. Pump it up to rip it down."

Amanda Ryan - Place: 3rd Elite Women – Time: 2:11:13 "Ruby is a wickedly sweet technical trail, but a crash while pre-riding the course left me with blood dripping from one elbow and a swollen shoulder at the start, so it was purely survival mode riding. Despite the circumstances, I managed to finish the race and still got on the podium!"

Reported by: Robert Herriman

Weekend of racing - May 30th & 31st

5/30/09: West Branch Classic Road Race was everything it promised, a 22 mile loop, 1100 ft of climbing per lap, 1.3 mile climb to the finish! The race had great roads, challenging course, wind and a lot of sore legs at the end.

Pro 1/2 race had an early break that stuck until the end frustrating the riders that "rolled the dice" that the break would die in the hills and/or coming back at the end..... At the end 2 riders bested the group, Tim Franham (Bissell Pro) and Alan Antoniuk (Essex Brass). An impressive Wolverine Racing Team train led what was left of the shattered peloton up the hill up the hill picking off some of the stragglers to finish extremely well!

6th Cruise Bogedin
10th Simon Bailey
11th Tom Kachelmeyer
14th Brian Kozeliski
15th Alan Smith
16th Jeff Wienert
All WSC finishers in the top 16, WOW!

Other Categories:
Cat 3: 10th Brett Beddow
12th Scott Fabajanski
17th Pat Robb

Cat 4/5:
2nd Blain Benson
20th Kurt Martin
25th Randy Rodd
43rd Ricardo Cotto

Masters 35+:
2nd Ray Dybowski
8th John Sammut

Woman 1,2,3,4:
12th Maia Orabi
14th Wendy St. Clair

Track 2000 M Talent Pool: (First ever Michigan Points Track Race)
Pro 1/2:
3rd Luke Cavender
4th Cruise Bogedin
10th Scott Kroske
11th Ray Dybowski

Cat 3:
2nd Cullen Watkins
5th Pat Robb
6th Doug Hedges

Cat 4:
1st Doug McKibbons
2nd Blain Benson
3rd Nick Console

Cat 5:
1st Ed Gostin

Womans 1,2,3:
1st Maia Orabi

Masters 45+:
3rd Bob Wydra

Masters 55+:
2nd Tom O'Rourke

Juniors: 1st Nick Console
4th Luke Mullis

Reported by: Ray Dybowski

Brighton - May 30-31, 2008

Wolverine Sports Club/American Cycle & Fitness Elite Mountain Bike Team Race Report (May 30-31, 2008)
Rider results and comments from the races...
　
Bill Clikeman

Time Trial – Place: 7th Elite Men – Time: 0:29:28 "Blind corners and overgrowth leave me wishing I had more practice on this trail; at race speed it keeps things exciting for sure."

Short Track – Place: 4th Elite Men – Time: 0:21:41 "I was hoping to get a better start, but I was able to work my way up to 4th by mid-race and hang on to my position for the finish."

Cross Country – Place: 6th Elite Men – Time: 2:50:22 "This is a long race compared to other XC races, so I was relieved to have cooler temps. I was by myself after lap 2 but really enjoyed riding the trail and trying to maintain my pace through to the finish."

Combined Overall: Place: 6th Elite Men - Time: 3:41:32 "Overall a unique and fun weekend of racing, and was happy with the results."
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Robert Herriman

Time Trial – Place: 9th Elite Men – Time: 0:30:50 "Some indecision on which bike to race, Superfly vs Fuel EX. Ended up happy I picked the Fuel as it was so easy to control on the out of control twistyness of the torn shirt trail."

Short Track – Place: 8th Elite Men – Time: 0:22:17 "Ouch! 20 minutes in the pain cave can seem like an hour. Near the end of the race I thought I saw Beelzebub taking pictures on that sandy climb. Maybe he has a smugmug account."

Cross Country – Place: 8th Elite Men – Time: 2:54:33 "A freeway closure had me running late but with a 40 mile race I'd just warm up during. Not the best plan as guys rode away at the start. Still, despite my slow start, I had a blast and I was able to improve my position by the finish."

Combined Overall: Place: 8th Elite Men - Time: 3:47:40 "This was my third year in a row doing the Brighton stage race. It always makes for a great weekend of racing and hanging out with friends!!!"
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Amanda Ryan

Cross Country – Place: 1st Elite Women – Time: 2:42:09 "The trail conditions were perfect, but I was a little tired from riding some the day before and could feel it catching up to me by the second lap when my legs started to cramp up, but catching a glimpse of the 2nd place rider trailing behind me forced me to keep pushing myself to go as fast as I could to the finish line."
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Michael Bliss

Time Trial – Place: 10th Expert Men – Time: 0:33:34 "The Torn Shirt trail was optimal. Traffic was a little heavy out there; which made passing a challenge. I like this trail, short but sweet. Made for a good ride."

Short Track – Place: 5th Expert Men – Time: 0:24:13 "A Very intense 24 minutes. A good start makes or breaks your race. So that's what I went for. Somehow managed to stay in front of most of my group. My best finish on the weekend"

Cross Country – Place: 15th Expert Men – Time: 2:59:58 "Strong first two laps. Then came the pain. Murray Lake has such nice flow, that even in your own little world of hurt, your happy. A high 'fun' quotient for this event. Don't miss it next year."

Combined Overall: Place: 10th Expert Men - Time: 3:27:46 "Three races in 2 days, what could be more gratifying? And what a great place to have this event. Good weather made for a great weekend of some fine racing. Can't understate how Brighton can bring on the pain. A don't miss event for sure."
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Patrick Russell

Time Trial – Place: 2nd Elite Singlespeed – Time: 0:30:37 "I made sure I pre rode the course before the race just to keep all the features fresh in my mind. This allowed me to ride conservatively but still keep the speed high. The rain earlier in the week helped eliminate the loose up-hills making a much easier course to ride. My fastest Torn Shirt lap ever."

Short Track – Place: 3rd Elite Singlespeed – Time: 0:23:16 "A tentative start had me working to limit my losses from the start. Once the course opened up I was able to keep the time loss reasonable and finish strong."

Cross Country – Place: 2nd Elite Singlespeed – Time: 1:42:26 "The body didn't feel good before this race but once the race started the legs responded. An easy first lap of posturing led to a big attack into the single track on the second. I was sitting third wheel and ready. I followed the attack and almost made contact with the first place rider. I continued to pour it on trying to gain as much time for the stage result. Pin balling off of trees I managed to finish second and gain enough time to move up to second in the stage results."

Combined Overall – Place: 2nd Elite Singlespeed – Time: 2:36:19 "The top four position were very close going into the XC race. The high speeds and technical course resulted in everyone being bloodied and bruised. The double points make it all worth while. What a blast."

Reported by: Robert Herriman

Bloomer XC – Rochester, MI - May 24th, 2009

Bloomer XC – Rochester, Michigan

Robert Herriman - Place: 12th Elite Men - Time: 2:36:34 "It was a perfect day, with awesome weather and fast trail conditions. I was rolling in a solid 10th place for the first half of the race but a mechanical slowed me for the 2nd half. I heart mountain biking!!!


Mike Bliss - Place: 8th Expert Men 40-49 - Time: 2:12:20 "Good weather, good race. Typical fast start. Gained some places on the first sled hill climb but gave them back by the end. Classic Bloomer; good fun."

Amanda Ryan - Place: 1st Sport Women 24-Under - Time: 1:42:22 "My first mountain bike race, wow! Why didn't I do this before?!? My shoe came unclipped at the start, but I clipped back in and just kept going as fast as I could for as long as I could. My bike needed new cables and housing and I could definitely tell the difference in it's performance but my final result was still great, 1st place!"

Reported by: Robert Herriman