Jess railing the inside line in a close heat

The ranch is situated on private landowners property and the slope style and dual slalom are both rider built. The venue is situated about 25 minutes above Grand Junction on Little Park road and the courses are incorporated within the scrub brush high alpine desert to make both of the slope style and dual one of a kind. Once we returned to our Kelty tent city we cooked up some serious race fuel in preparation for the always exhausting slalom race to come. Teammate Jess Pedersen joined us for the dual and between the both of us, over the past 3 years we have accumulated podium finishes every year and were looking to do that once again. The course was pretty much the same minus some minor changes, so I was pretty confident going into qualifying. The aggressive trail riding style mixed with some rhythm that makes up the course in around 50 seconds suites all of our riding styles and we were ready to give it a go, especially since the track was packed and pretty tacky compared to past years. I was one of the first riders to line up for our 1 run qualifier that I have held top spot of the past 2 seasons and I was looking to make it a 3rd. I snapped out of the gate and navigated the tight turns and berms letting it go towards the end taking a few chances and ultimately one too many as I boxed the 2nd to last berm overcooking it and punching my hand hard into a tree. I quickly got up and finished but once I took me glove off my throbbing hand I discovered a very deep gash below my knuckle on my middle finger of my left hand.

Brian’s hand after going a round against a tree

A big thanks to Jamie at Shimano for coming to rescue by playing temporary medic until the EMT’s finally found me and got me cleaned up. My day was done as I was on my way down to the ER as Jess and Michael were finishing up with qualifying. Jess set himself up well qualifying in 2nd and Michael kept it smooth but made some mistakes and qualified in the back of the pack. As the X Rays came back negative Michael got knocked out in the first run by eventual race winner and while I was getting stitched up Jess was knocking rider after rider off on his way to the final.

Jess blazing through the tight trees

Splinted and bandaged I arrived just in time to watch Jess roll through the finish aboard his Rampant .05 of a second from winning it all as he finished 2nd place on the day in an insanely close finish. Overall it was another successful Ranchstyle for Team Geronimo with Jess picking up the slack and Michael representing well in my absence. I was extremely bummed to have been sidelined, but feel very fortunate that I will be returning and competing soon as the first of the NAET Enduro Series and Oregon Enduro series kicks off in Hood River next weekend. In the meantime, its time to recover, then put it into high gear and continue to improve our fitness levels as an onslaught of Enduro racing will be upon us soon.

Jess holds down the 2nd place spot for the Team Geronimo for the 3rd year in a row

Thank you all for your continued support of Team Geronimo, we hope that you have enjoyed the report and we look forward to seeing you all out on the trail.

Jess put together a hard days work and came up .05 short of the top step.

Ride On!

Brian Buell – Team Manager/Athlete

Brian dialing everything in and preparing for Ranchstyle 2013

A week of wet and rainy weather dampened the desert dirt and made for some awesome riding this year for Ranchstyle. Grand Junction is home to some of the best trails in Colorado and I was excited to sample a classic that has somehow eluded me, The Ribbon Trail. This high speed slickrock ribbon of trail dropped us down below of Little Park Rd where we would climb up to and connect to the Gunny Loop Trail. Before the weekend even started I felt satisfied finally checking that trail off my list, but I’ll be back as it was a blast. Once Up on the Gunny Loop it was time to get into “race mode” and pay attention during our pre-ride. The track starts at the Little Park parking lot and descends 700 feet over 4 miles to the valley floor and is littered with single and double track with some seriously fun downs and lung busting uphill climbs near the finish line. I felt strong over the 11 miles of total riding for the day and looked forward to the fallowing mornings Live Train Race Enduro. It was Michael’s first day back on the bike and out of the snow, so he was stoked to get the tires rolling once again and is looking forward to the season. An early morning beckoned as we rolled up to the line for a 9am start, but the sun was shinning and all competitors were ready to ride. This event is a local, smaller regional event, but with some heavy hitting competition, this would sure be a great early season test and great training opportunity to build upon. After watching “Rad” Ross Schnell blast off in front of me I had some serious motivation to give it my all, but after sprinting off the line in 1 minute intervals I found my rear tire drifting off the trail and I came to a complete stop. After re-starting I tried to pace myself for the grueling uphill climbs that loomed near the finish, but after 13 minutes of sustained riding I didn’t quite have enough towards the back stretch and mailed in the last few minutes and crossed the line with a time of 16 minutes and change feeling a little out of sorts and out of shape(In comparison to Schnell who crushed the field with a sub 15 minute time) finishing in 5th. Michael was rolling flat pedals and still getting time in on the bike and spent the race enjoying his ride and testing bike setup as he came down in 12th place. We both thoroughly enjoyed the racing but realized that we have some room for improvement in the fitness department so we spent an additional 20 miles riding Lunch Loops with Ross as he guided us and friends around his local rides.

Michael is stoked on his Banshee Spitfire

Michael, Ross and Tj atop Eagles Wing overlook about to descend

Saturday, May 11, was the beginning of what will become a Colorado classic with the inaugural running of the Firebird 40 mountain bike race. As part of the 2-day Eagle Outside Festival, the Firebird course and high dollar prize purse brought in a stacked pro men’s field to the small town of Eagle, CO. Consisting of multiple laps on a 7-mile course, riders would battle at xc pace on the singletrack heavy course which sat at over 7,000 ft of elevation.

Starting from town, riders were led out to the course by a police escort. On the front was Jeff Kerkove of Topeak-Ergon USA leading the 90-rider field to his home singletrack. “It’s nice to race on my home trails” stated Jeff Kerkove prior to start. Jeff set the pace at the beginning with Todd Wells of Specialized and a host of other top Colorado talent on his wheel. The pace heated up after the riders hit the singletrack. Yuki Ikeda was also near the front at the beginning and help to set the tone for the day.

“It was a very hard pace. It felt like a 40-mile xc race!” said Yuki after his race. Yuki would ride in the top-10 all day and eventually finish 9th overall on the day. “This was my last race in Colorado. Monday I leave for Japan. I am planning on returning for the Leadville 100 and the Breck-Epic in August.”

Jeff would go on to finish 21st overall after about 2.5 hours of racing. Jeff following his race, “I had no personal race rules today. It was a ride hard and test the fitness kind of race. I put out a harder effort than normal at the beginning to see what would happen, you never know unless you try.”

Next up for Jeff is the Growler 64 in Gunnison. Yuki will return to Japan to focus on the National XC series before preparing for the Leadville 100.

Results
Yuki Ikeda, 9th, Pro Men
Jeff Kerkove, 21st, Pro Men

Just in case you haven’t noticed, our own outstanding NoTubes Master Elite ambassador and tremendous support system for our Women’s Elite Team, Kenny Wehn, has been racking up some amazing races lately. Starting off with win at Mellow Johnny’s, then two podiums in as many XCT races, Kenny went on to win the Cat 1 40+ XC and ride off the front of the 45+ CX race and right through the 35+ field. He’s capped off his incredible 2013 start with an extremely tough three-peat win at the Whisky 50, a truly tremendous achievement. Congratulations, Kenny!

Team Geronimo’s mechanic John Hartmann and I made our way out from Carbondale Colorado to the dry, sandy desert of Moab, Utah. Moab is definitely a major mountain bike destination that I have been to a lot, but I was extremely excited to be riding trails that I have yet to explore. The race took place up Gemini Bridges Road and there was a grand looking start/finish line and rider village that greeted us Friday afternoon. I came out a day early to do a pre-ride on the different segments to see what the fallowing day had in store and after riding at a party pace I realized that it was going to be a very physical race day. The race course was broken up into 4 race stages and 9 stages in total counting transfer roads and connector trails. The course started at the Magnificent 7 trailhead and would take races along Upper and Lower Bull Run that overlooked massive canyons and slick rock playgrounds. The terrain was very undulating with a lot of steep pitchy climbs. This portion of the trail composed segment 1 and 2, section 3 was Arth’s Corner that started at another small trail hub that also encompassed the start of Great Escape and segment 4. In general all timed segments were between 1.5-2 miles long, but they were extremely rough and tough on mind, body and bike.

A crack of the dawn shotgun 7:30 start saw us off and up the first transfer road to Bull Run and the first timed segment. Being from a gravity background, rubbing elbows with the likes of JHK, Ross Schnell and many other shaved legged high posters I felt a bit out of my element as we party paced in a large peloton. I knew that strategy was going to play a role in how my performance would shake out, but I wasn’t set on one going into the race so I changed it on the fly depending on how I was feeling. After racing a strong first stage I shook out the legs and started stage 2 almost immediately after as I was feeling good. The second stage was more anaerobic and since racers had the choice of when they would like to go I made a full recovery before lining up for stage 3. Stage 3 was tough, but I had enough in the tank to really go for it on stage 4 and the final race segment. The majority of the trails required a strong focus on vision, looking ahead was key as trying to ride em at 100% was tough proposition. It was a balancing act for me trying to keep it pinned but still on the trail as the slickrock was flanked on both sides by tire grabbing sand. It was a very unique race and something that I’ve never really been apart of before. The vibe like most enduro’s was very laid back, but once I heard that starting beep it was full on for around a total of 25 minutes of combined race time in just under 7 miles.

I never really found my rhythm and was still testing some bike setup, but I was incredibly consistent posting a 9th, 10th, 12th and 13th in the 4 stages for a respectable 9th Place overall in a pretty stacked field of extremely talented riders and a former Olympian. Thank you all so much for your continued support of Team Geronimo and myself as we dive headfirst into the season filled with new challenges and racing venues. I look forward to representing you all once again this coming weekend at the Ranchstyle Enduro and Dual Slalom Competition in Grand Junction, CO.

This past weekend on the Magnificent 7 trail system west of Moab, UT marked the opening round of the Enduro Cup Series, a three race enduro series in Utah. Enduro racing is a rapidly growing racing format that combines downhill riding skills with XC like fitness on a series of timed stages. Racing aboard a 6″ travel Canyon Strive, Jeff Kerkove of Team Topeak-Ergon threw himself into the mix of the Enduro Cup Mag 7 event.

The event at the Mag 7 trails was a very pedaling-heavy event. The course favored the rider who had great fitness as well as superior bike handling skills. Jeff was introduced to the course and format quickly with the opening stage. While the stages were only 2-3 miles long and took 5-7 minutes to complete, the effort level is that of XC racing. “I was pinned at max effort right from the start!” said Jeff after the event. Racers would mimic this effort over similar timed stages 4 times during the day.

Jeff following the event: “The racing was super hard, harder than I thought. I crashed early in Stage 2 with a front tire wash out on a sandy corner, which cost me some time. Enduro racing is racing on the verge of in control and out of control. Every second counts! While the competition is intense, the vibe is super chill and all the athletes competing are on the same page about having a great bike experience. After trying this Moab event, it has sparked interest to try more enduro racing.”

Jeff would finish consistently in the top 20 on all stages. “I had no idea of my results after each stage until the event was done. It was full-gas on each stage until the finish. I am happy with 19th place for my first time trying this format and a racing against a very talented Pro Mens field.”

Results
Stage 2 – Upper Bull Run: 27th
Stage 4 – Lower Bull Run: 17th
Stage 6 – Arth’s Corner: 20th
Stage 8 – Great Escape: 17th
OVERALL: 19th, Pro Men

Feenstra Felt p/b Kenda Bike Team in Riva del Garda Look Back at a Successful Time in Italy During the Riva Bike Festival
Four riders made their presence known on the marathon scene in Riva. Next to the mountain bike marathon, various bike races and events where held at and around the Expo area. Some of the team’s sponsor partners were present at this 20 year anniversary edition of the Riva Bike Festival.

Cosmic Sports, Felt Bicycles, Kenda Tyres, Adidas Eyewear and FSA (Full Speed Ahead) took part in the fair. FSA has made ​​film footage for a launch campaign of their new hydraulic brakes, the team is using from this year on as a pilot and for testing.

The beautiful Garda lake region offered the perfect spots for filming some off-road footage.

Sunday it was back to business as Ruben, Robby, Erik and Robbert participated in the Mountainbike Marathon and with success. Ruben won the short distance and the other men finished in the top 40 of the 93 kilometre long ride with over 3700 altitude meters.

And our own Mary McConneloug won the Ronda Extrema Marathon event, while Michael Broderick scored 20th!

Mary McConneloug and Michael Broderick Put in Strong Rides at the Riva del Garda, and Mary Wins the Ronda Extrema Marathon

From Mary’s Facebook post:

Buon Giorno!

Came to check out the Garda Bike Festival in Riva del Garda, Italy this weekend. What an incredible place to hold this fantastic event!! Thousands came to enjoy the beauty of this special place… Great to feel the strong pulse of bike passion here!

We lined up at 7:30 am yesterday… Without any preferential start placement we began our races in “Box B” amidst the masses. It was a crazy experience, a bit clogged, but we made our way forward, living each moment as it came…

I was feeling good and made a last minute decision to follow the “Extrema” marathon distance (same as Mike)… and ended up winning!! 93 km & 3,800 meters of climbing… and all I can say is, WOW! that kind of hurt… I suffered but held it together. Amazing to ride with so many people over so much terrain. long climbs, beautiful views and some really technical descents!!! I Loved the experience, especially since I knew Mike was riding the same trails in front of me. Stoked to find he had a great race too – finishing in 20th place!!

We just realized that yesterday (cinco de mayo) was the anniversary of our first date/ride together 14 years ago (which we count as our Anniversary). Fitting that we raced a marathon! Love you Michael Broderick!

We love this photo from Victor Lucas, snapped for SRAM. Looks like Mary could get used to racing in Italy!

THREE PODIUM PLACES FOR SUPERIOR BRENTJENS MTB RACING TEAM

Marek Konwa wins XCE and 2nd at the XCO race at Gora Swietokrzyskie MTB Cup in Poland
Marek Konwa is getting the right form for the upcoming World Cups. It was yet another successful weekend for the polish Superior Brentjens rider. He won the XCE discipline on friday and was 2nd at the XCO race saturday of the Gora Swietokrzyskie MTB Cup in Poland that was won by Piotr Brzozka. Good job Marek ! We look forward to the Worldcups in Albstadt Germany (18/19 May) and Nove Mesto Czech Republic (25-26 May).

Jiri Novak 2nd at the Author Sela Maraton Czech Republic and Bart Brentjens First Master
Jiri Novak and Bart Brentjens started last saturday at the Author Sela Marathon in Teplice, Czech republic. The 91 kilometer race with 2100 altitude meters was won by Pavel Boudny (CZE) while Jiri Novak finished in 2nd at 0.06 and Matous Ulman 3rd at 0.17. Bart Brentjens finished in 28th but 1st Master !

Hans Becking Just Missed Podium at Coupe the France in Saint-Pompont
Hans Becking had a great result finishing 4th at the 2nd round of the Coupe the France in Saint-pompont. The race was won by Maxime Marotte (FRA) followed by Stephane Tempier (FRA) on 1.36 and in 3rd place Fabien Canal (FRA) on 2.19. Hans Becking finished 4th at 3.15 from the winner.

The victory marked not only a tremendous personal accomplishment for Mullervy, but a groundbreaking win for NoTubes tubeless road wheel systems.

The Terrapin Twilight Criterium began in 1980 and was the first U.S. race to take place at night in over sixty years. A major part of the pro cycling calendar, and the Athens event draws nearly 30,000 spectators and fans every year.

Riding for the Champion Systems Stan’s NoTubes domestic elite team, Mullervy had to take on United Healthcare’s extremely powerful “Blue Train,” a fact that made the win all the more impressive. United Healthcare had maintained a firm grip on the competition, and all of their advantages made them look like the obvious winner. Mullervy’s win brought and end to the seemingly unstoppable United’s winning streak.

Mullervy broke free of the bunch about 50 laps into the 80-lap event, along with SmartStop Mountain Khakis’ Frank Travieso, as well as one of his former Exergy teammates and winner of the recent Sunny King Criterium, Carlos Alzate. Both are strong sprinters, which Mullervy knew, but with ten laps remaining, the sprinters seemed to let up. Mullervy recognized an opportunity and took it.

Mullervy’s acceleration opened a gap that would hold, allowing the 24-year old take the paramount criterium win of the season. Stan’s NoTubes congratulates this outstanding young rider on an amazing win.

Greenville, SC – May 1, 2013 – Anyone can win on any day. Itʼs what makes our sport fun to watch. Itʼs what causes the breakaway to form amidst almost certain doom and gives the underdog a reason to dream and to believe. In every sport, from the World Series to the NASCAR Sprint Cup to the Champions League, series are used to pick the absolute finest and now a new one will challenge the Southeast peloton in its quest for the best.

The Southeast Regional Series (SRS) produced by Start Smart Cycling is an exciting new race series that crisscrosses the southeast region of the U.S. Five race weekends spanning five months across five states. High five. Itʼs a veritable tour of the region.

The idea behind SRS is to increase the racing quality of the already strong Southeast peloton. Combining each of the five stateʼs riders into a single race will create larger fields with a higher level of competition and ultimately harder and better racing. Feast your eyes on us, New England and California! Itʼs time for the Southeast racing scene to receive some applause! These courses are legit and have passed the wow-that-was-an-awesome-course test. While the dayʼs best will be standing atop the podium, SRS is open to all ages and abilities of athletes.

In the SRS, a Points Omnium will be used to determine the overall winner, as well as the PEZ Cycling News Sprinter and Stanʼs NoTubes KOM/QOM competitions, complete with their own leader jerseys by Hincapie Sportswear. Daily podiums allow each category to proudly display those jerseys as well as give out some sponsor love, or just personal glory in the form of Instagrams. The inaugural SRS has got it all. And as if that wasnʼt enough of an incentive, the series purse totals over $50,000 dollars in daily and overall prizes.

Whatʼs more, SRS has selected globalbike, an internationally recognized non-profit located in the Southeast, as its beneficiary. Over the past seven years, globalbike has used the power of a bike to transform hundreds of thousands of lives in the developing world, primarily Africa. The Southeast Racing Series will kick off in pristine Albany, Georgia, May 25-26, then travel through Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee, before culminating in the cycling-friendly town of Greenville, South Carolina, September 14-15. Each weekend follows the classic formula of a downtown criterium led by the official SRS BMW pace car on Saturday followed by a road race Sunday morning, allowing ample time to get home in time for work or school on Monday. Each Sunday afternoon, a pink SRS leaders jersey, a polka dot Stanʼs NoTubes KOM/QOM jersey, and a green pin-stripe PEZ Cycling News sprinters jersey will be taken home to the envy of all those in your races.

Brag about it. Tweet about it. Facebook it. Train in it. Take pictures in it and e-mail them to your mother. But in a monthʼs time get ready to defend it because anything can happen. Get the complete SRS schedule and registration deets here: srs-racing.com.