Race Report: Tour de Tykes
By Hebrew Cyclist
The team rolled into Danville this past weekend for the second stop in the Mid-Atlantic Super Series, the Tour de Tykes XC. With cool weather, sweet singletrack, and about 4500' of climbing, it was a perfect day for racing a mountain bike!
One of the unique features of this race, as opposed to most of the other XC races we do, is the one-lap format. This helps keep you focused, since you don't get the chance to ride the same section of trail over-and-over again, and seriously ups the fun factor. The Experience and I set off for some course recon with B, getting a good look at the first climb and singletrack sections. Everything was to our liking as we headed back down to the start area to stay warm and loose.
As the time drew near, all the riders gathered for some pre-race instructions and after some applause for the race promoter and organizer (who did an excellent job!) we were instructed to line up and start the engines. Getting to the line early, both Matt and I had good start positions and we put our game-face on for the next 2 hours. START! We jumped off the line, holding strong positions up the road climb into the singletrack. The race was all up or down, with little flat to spin and recover. We both seemed to yo-yo with the riders near us until the end when I was able to gap everyone to ride in solo for 8th and Matt did the same for 13th. All-in-all a strong early-season performance and luckily an uneventful one given the difficulty of the course.
With all the tough climbs and fast descents, our Geax tires earned their rockstar status yet again, giving us confidence beyond ourselves. The new custom Oakley Jawbone shades kept things sharp and in perspective, and the Oakley Factory Pilot gloves kept our hands comfortably secured to our ESI grips. We argued a bit between which bike was ultimately better for the day, my XTC 29er or his Anthem X. We called it a draw and decided they were both awesome! And as usual, the Shimano drivetrains provided solid and crisp performance in the roughest of terrain!
Next up for the team is a split weekend. The XC crew is headed to the Greenbrier Challenge in MD, and the endurance crew (aka Richie Rich) is headed to Tennessee for the NUE series opener Cohutta 100. We'll be selling raffle tickets at Greenbrier for your chance to win our Intercourse Care Package, so don't forget to stop by the tent or look for us at the race!
The team rolled into Danville this past weekend for the second stop in the Mid-Atlantic Super Series, the Tour de Tykes XC. With cool weather, sweet singletrack, and about 4500' of climbing, it was a perfect day for racing a mountain bike!
One of the unique features of this race, as opposed to most of the other XC races we do, is the one-lap format. This helps keep you focused, since you don't get the chance to ride the same section of trail over-and-over again, and seriously ups the fun factor. The Experience and I set off for some course recon with B, getting a good look at the first climb and singletrack sections. Everything was to our liking as we headed back down to the start area to stay warm and loose.
As the time drew near, all the riders gathered for some pre-race instructions and after some applause for the race promoter and organizer (who did an excellent job!) we were instructed to line up and start the engines. Getting to the line early, both Matt and I had good start positions and we put our game-face on for the next 2 hours. START! We jumped off the line, holding strong positions up the road climb into the singletrack. The race was all up or down, with little flat to spin and recover. We both seemed to yo-yo with the riders near us until the end when I was able to gap everyone to ride in solo for 8th and Matt did the same for 13th. All-in-all a strong early-season performance and luckily an uneventful one given the difficulty of the course.
With all the tough climbs and fast descents, our Geax tires earned their rockstar status yet again, giving us confidence beyond ourselves. The new custom Oakley Jawbone shades kept things sharp and in perspective, and the Oakley Factory Pilot gloves kept our hands comfortably secured to our ESI grips. We argued a bit between which bike was ultimately better for the day, my XTC 29er or his Anthem X. We called it a draw and decided they were both awesome! And as usual, the Shimano drivetrains provided solid and crisp performance in the roughest of terrain!
Next up for the team is a split weekend. The XC crew is headed to the Greenbrier Challenge in MD, and the endurance crew (aka Richie Rich) is headed to Tennessee for the NUE series opener Cohutta 100. We'll be selling raffle tickets at Greenbrier for your chance to win our Intercourse Care Package, so don't forget to stop by the tent or look for us at the race!
posted by Giant Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Team at
7:43 PM
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