Taconic 909: Not Quite a Marathon.....

Killer trails were a staple of the race course, smoothed out by our Anthem X.

The latest stop in the Campmor/H2H race series fell this past Sunday for the Taconic 909 challenge.  Emphasis on the 'challenge'.  What an arse-kicker!  With Matt taking a weekend off from racing, Jordan joined forces with Aaron Snyder to pull off the ultimate carpool to make it to the race.  Originally thought to be your standard 2hr event, it was found out at the race that the race would be closer to 3hrs.

The course was fast, and the photogs had a hard time keeping everything sharp and focused.

Never to shy away from putting a number on, Jordan warmed up and toed the line against the normal strong field of riders.  Despite the distance, he set a quick pace from the gun, stretching the field and breaking free with 2 others; series leader Maurice Guamhano, and Aaron.  After some chit-chat and pleasantries, Aaron motored to the front and Maurice was slowly gapped off.  After some more motoring, Jordan had to settle into pace and let Aaron go, almost making contact again but never fully closing the gap.  The majority of the race saw Jordan riding solo through some awesome trails, finishing a solid second place.  

Jordan takes 2nd!

Seriously, the trails at this race were spectacular, and would be worth going to ride on any day.  If you didn't make it up this year, then make sure to mark this one on your calendars!  

Keep it rubber side down.....

REPORTED: Neshaminy XC, M.A.S.S. race-o-rama

Matt gives a 'pain face', details on tonight's news.

Gonna keep this one short and sweet.  This past weekend the Giant Mid-Atlantic crew were in PA racing the Neshaminy XC race, part of the Mid-Atlantic Super Series.  It was a hot day, as has been the norm this year, and the field was deeper than normal.  The course was super-fun, with challenging twists and turns, log-rides, switchback descents, and just enough rocks to keep you on your toes.

Jordan focuses on the start while matt checks himself out in the mirror he set up course-side.

Jordan took off strong, sitting in 3rd at the end of lap 1 of 3.  Matt was more conservative, sitting back just outside the top-10.  The heat of the day dictated that the pace be a little slower, and Jordan settled back into 7th, while Matt held position on the second lap.  On the last lap, Jordan was able to put in a small surge and pick up one spot for 6th, finishing within a minute of 3rd.  Matt did the same, moving into 9th by the finish.  After a string of super-strong finishes, a racer always has to accept that some races won't be as strong as others.  And if a 6th & 9th are our finishes on a less-than-stellar day, than we really don't have much to complain about!

HUGE thanks as always to Giant Bicycles, Geax Tires, Oakley, Stan's NoTubes, Intercourse Brewing Co., Elete Electrolyte Replacement, ESI Grips, Hincapie Sportswear, Shimano, and BikeFlights.com!

Race Report: PA State Championships, Bear Creek KENDA Cup Qulaifier, MARC Finals

Matt takes 3rd.  GMA on the podium with a piece of hardware to boot!

This race held some pretty high prestige.  I mean, did you see the title?  That means there was no playing around and there was sure to be lots of heavy hitters, lots of cash, and lots of podiums (and fighting for them).

Jordan and Matt toed the line for the start of the Pro Men's race at 1pm under cloudy skies and intermittent rain.  Of course the rain only kept the dust levels down, and the clouds hid our rev'd bodies from the sun as we took off into the woods.  Jordan quickly put himself into the mix up front as Matt set about patented slow start.

Before we continue, let's think about what Bear Creek has to offer...
It is a ski mountain, so there is lots of climbing.  You need a light bike that climbs well.  Yeah, we got that.
There are tons of rocks, so you need good suspension.  We have that, too.

You also need to stay comfortable, so of course we have that dialed with comfy grips and rad tires.

So we find ourselves in mid race with Jordan in 3rd and Matt in 4th, both riding strong and eating the rocks like they are gobstoppers (you know, the yummy candy?).  In the last lap Jordan had an unfortunate flat, and Matt was right there advantage of his teammate and move into third.  Of course, there are no hard feelings...we are a team!

So check out our podium shots!!!!  We had an awesome weekend!
For the MASS Finals it is on!!!!

Despite some rough luck, Jordan still takes 3rd overall in the regional championships!