Clark Brothers Racing: July 2013

Got Mud?

The Vermont Epic was, well what can I say, epic. It had rained all week and the night before so we kind of had a hunch that going into this it could be a slog. The way our local trails were setting up that week even a course that drained well was going to have its problems, but we’re mountain bikers and so we planned to ride.

We started out Sunday morning at 5:45 and loaded up to head on our 2.5 hr. trip to Stowe and the Von Trapp Lodge. Having ridden some of the downhill last year we knew that the course would have a good lay out. We stopped for coffee and headed up. We arrived, signed up, and paid our entry fee. Glenn, Colleen, Ray, Judy, Taylor, Kevin and I were all able to make this race. After getting everything together and chatting with our friends we rolled out for a little preride wile following Glenn around. It was going to be soggy. The grassy areas were wet and after about 150 riders beat the course in you knew it was going to get sloppy and that’s where it gets fun. After a quick prerace meeting we headed over to the staging area.

The Start was a little confusing because they had called your group up with other groups and didn’t say they were separating the groups. So the next thing you know you have 15 seconds and your off. Ok we’re racing now. We took off pretty fast and I tried to get myself in a good position on the front part of the pack of experts so that I could follow a good wheel. We headed out on about a mile of fire road and into single track with some nice switchbacks. Now I was just trying to keep it going smooth and keep the front part of the pack where I can see them. I have a tendency to get over anxious and to start rubbing tires causing me to dab. This sometimes costs me. Moving up a couple spots on the first climb and the downhill was a good feeling because about ½ ways through the first lap the group split and riders stared to be paired with each other. The conditions on the first lap weren’t that bad but by the second lap… forget it. The rest of the fields had come through and the mud was getting turned, holes got deeper and the switchbacks and grassy areas got tough. All you could do is put your head down and grind it out. Stay strong and finish this. I was able to keep pushing it and the legs felt decent, walked a grassy incline since it was faster than riding, and it seemed to be working great until ¾ of the way through the third lap. This was when you start to get tired and the grassy areas suck the life out of you all you can think about is how good a beer would be and something to eat. Overall it was a traditional mud fest and a good time. Many CBR racers placed well and were singing for the praises of the Von Trapp Family over the hills and far away.

-AC