September 5, 2004 – REPORT #1: They’re Off! Welcome to the first live report of the 2004 World Solo 24 Hours of Adrenalin Championships here at the Whistler Ski Resort in Whistler, B.C., Canada. I’ll be updating these reports every three hours or so, or for as long as the coffee and pastry holds out.

As this first report is being written at 12:30 p.m., the 187 riders vying for the elite solo gold have been on course for “oh” thirty minutes.

Weather today promises to be interesting. Official reports call for wind, clouds and occasional showers. So far we’ve had all that, and even some bright sun to complete the weather-variety-pack that ma nature has in store for us.

A pre-race walk of the pits early this morning revealed some interesting insights into the coming 23 and a half hours. For some, the priority of the day seems to be on the mechanical aspects of this competition, as demonstrated by tools, work-stands and spare parts placed front and center in the pit. Others seemed more concerned about feeding the “engine,” with food, water, sports drinks, etc. all prepared, ready and prominent.

The picture of careful planning was noted at 8:30 this morning when your roving reporter visited the pit of current and four-time champion Chris Eatough of Team Trek. His crew already had his pit completely set up and ready. All of his food, bikes, supplies, spares, etc. were already in place, adding credence to the “Formula One Team” reputation that Eatough and his ever-efficient crew have earned.

In contrast is Eatough’s next pit neighbor Tinker Juarez, who arrived at his pit just 90 minutes prior to start. Tinker was seen preparing his equipment and even picking up an Allen wrench and going over his one bike himself while his mechanic Doug Dalton was off minding other pre-race chores. “I’ll start off with this bike,” Tinker explained, “My other bike should be here soon for back up.”

Tinker’s “crew chief” (his mom Rose) noted that Tinker is more calm and relaxed than she’s ever seen him at a 24-Hour event. Indeed the 43-year-old racing icon, fresh off a win at the Trans-Alp in Europe, and at the 12 Hours at the Summit in Big Bear Lake, California, was bristling with confidence. “My plan is to go out and hang with my opponents,” he said, “No one’s going to win this today. It’ll all come down to tomorrow morning.

NOTICE: Prior to this mini-interview, all participants placed tongues firmly in cheek. It’s all in good fun. Aim your angry cards, letters and flame mail at a more deserving target.

24Hours of Adrenalin: We’re here with Brooks Losh of San Diego, California, who amazingly enough, plans to win the overall on a singlespeed! What do you have to say about that goal, are you going to do it to it?
Brooks Losh: It’s going to be too easy. I’m bored already!
24HofA: Confidence! You’ve got to admire confidence. Brooks, we understand that you’ve been dosing up on EPO every other day?

B.L.: Yeah, if I have room from all the steroids.
24HofA: Better living and results through chemistry.

But seriously folks, Losh is but a prime example of the weekend warrior types here this weekend. Losh describes himself as a “perpetual beginner” in the highly competitive SoCal scene, “But on a singlespeed I actually have a chance to win!”

At 1:03 the top three came through at the end of lap one, with Andreas Hestler of Team Rocky Mountain in the lead, followed by Chris Eatough and Tinker Juarez.

Hestler is married to 24-Hour regular Lesley Tomlinson. Assuming that he must have crewed for his spouse, I asked Hestler this morning if he’s learned from that. “Actually I’ve never crewed for her,” he answered, “No, I’ve been about five hours away in bed. I’m a big sleeper! I would never stay up 24 hours! All this is all new. It’s an eye opener.” The NORBA and World Cup races one experience at endurance racing was at his recent win of the Trans-Rockies stage race. But in his opinion that was hardly a preparation for today. “The stages at the Rockies were four maybe five hours,” he related. “Nothing too amazing. It was good fitness all around. So that with some of the long training I’ve done to prep for this, I’m good. But I’ve not done anything going into the night or staying up all night.” Asked about his goal for the weekend he quickly responded, “Oh I’d like to win! But I’d like to finish first. Then we’ll see how the legs, the mind and the body hold up.”

REPORT #2: CAN THEY KEEP IT UP?

So far it seems that our two lead riders may be confused as to what event they’re at. Chris Eatough and Andreas Hestler have been pushing a pace that seems more appropriate to a NORBA or World Cup cross-country! The two have remained together since the start, consistently ripping off laps of 55 to 58 minutes. By lap four, (completed at 3:45 p.m.) the two had pulled fifteen minutes over third place rider, Tinker Juarez, with Nat Ross in fourth another four minutes behind Juarez. In fifth is Sloane Anderson, with Cameron Chambers in sixth.

The buzz around the pits has been “Can Chris and Andreas continue at this pace?” Eatough certainly has the experience to budget his effort, but with this being the first ever 24-hour race for Andreas, one has to wonder if he’s the one being overly optimistic. Tinker, upon being told of their lead during his last pit stop, shrugged and said, “If they think they can hold that, good for them. You can’t win this kind of race in the first six or eight hours, but you can definitely lose it!” Time will tell if Tinker estimation is correct.

The women have been putting on an equally exciting show, with a mere thirty minutes separating Leslie Tomlinson of Team Rocky Mountain in first, from Erin Duggan in eighth. Currently in second is defending champion Christina Begy, just three minutes down, while Jennifer O’Conner follows her by another four minutes.

As any endurance racer can attest, the usual reaction from non-racers to the very concept of riding for 24-hours is an incredulous “Why?” So what kind of sick activity does it take to elicit a similar reaction from endurance racers? That’s easy, doing a 24 on a singlespeed. This year there are ten men going for the World Solo title. Nat Pellman of Reno, Nevada is currently leading by fifteen minutes over Philadelphia racer Mark Elasser, with Tony Smith in third.

We generally think of women as having better senses of self-preservation than men. Which could lead one to believe that women would avoid singlespeeds. Well, there two women here who are apparently missing that instinct. Spot sponsored Linda Eckert of Roseville; California has turned three laps to Martha Hanford’s two. Eckert’s time for her laps would put her eleventh in the mens solo singlespeed. But what would we expect? Just last week she’s just returned from Berlin where she won the Singlespeed World Championship, a feat that earned her a “really cool tattoo!” Asked why she prefers singlespeeds she was quick to answer, “They’re easy to work on,” and added, “The biggest reason is, I don’t know how to ride a geared bike.” When I pointed out that riding with gears is just like driving a stick-shift, she answered “Ahh, but I drive an automatic.”

Check back for more updates as the hours go by.

REPORT #3: WHAT CAN GO WRONG, WILL GO WRONG

With just under ten hours of racing behind us, nearly every one of the myriad bits of misfortune that can happen, have happened to one racer or another.

Ian Wright, for instance, had completed only half of the first lap when he snapped a pedal spindle. Unfazed, the 35-year-old forklift driver from Penrith, Australia, soldiered on one-legged, finishing that unfortunate lap in a respectable one hour and six minutes. He has mostly overcome his early mishap, and is currently second in his age class.

Just after completing his second lap, Team Cannondale rider Matt Chynoweth was seen to pull into his pit and switch bikes. Moments later he came blazing back on pit row, pitching bike into a broadslide stop in front of his pit, only to switch bikes again. A conversation with his crew chief (his mom Nancy) revealed that Matt had pulled in after lap one, complaining of a bike problem and wanted it to be fixed and waiting for his next lap. The bike was taken for service and Nancy assumed that the problem was corrected, but it took Matt less than a hundred yards to know that it hadn’t.

Fate didn’t even wait for race day to do ugliness to Ann James. The 2004 US 24 Hours of Adrenalin Champion took a spill in practice on Thursday, hurting her right hand. She had her hand bandaged at Friday’s sign-in, and reported that a doctor “didn’t think it’s broken.” But it took only a few miles of riding on Friday to convince her to pull out of this weekend’s competition.

Then there are the non-mechanical problems. For the first six laps today, Rocky Mountain’s Andreas Hestler and Trek’s Chris Eatough rode together, setting a blistering pace. That pace proved to be Hestler’s undoing. The 34-year-old Canadian pulled out early evening at 5:44 p.m. after completing his 6th lap, citing “The neck pains that I hadóthe overall body aches and pains. I’m ready to go take a big nap in my van.” He chalked up his early departure to inexperience or perhaps national pride, as he recounted his on-course conversation with leader Eatough, “I said to Chris, you’ve got yourself, and Nat (Ross) and Tinker (Juarez), it’s like an American battle on Canadian soil. We need to have some Canadian representation here.” Asked if we might see him assess the day and perhaps try another 24-hour, Hestler laughed heartily and declared, “That’s it. I don’t have many more years left in my tank. This was my one shot and it was a great experience and I’ll have fun the rest of the race supporting everybody else.”

And let’s not forget our brash singlespeeder, Losh Brooks. It took Brooks but a few laps to realize that he was over geared. After a long pit stop to change cogs, he returned from the following lap a much happier camper. His demeanor stayed cheerful even after being informed that he is now firmly in second-from-last in his category. He perked up even more upon being told that he is far behind the leading singlespeed woman, “Is she that real buff chick? She passed me and I asked her to marry me?” Might we see an on-course wedding before noon tomorrow? I’ll keep you posted!

REPORT #4: HALF WAY THERE

It’s after midnight and the heroes at the front in the elite categories have settled into their nighttime rhythm. Chris Eatough continues his machine-like pace in first, while Tinker Juarez keeps a firm hold on second. Earlier tonight, Nat Ross had caught up to Juarez and the two rode several laps together, but now Ross is at least ten minutes back in third. The women are being steady and consistent too, with Lesley Tomlinson still in first over defending champ Christina Begy.

But perhaps the real heroes are the just plain folk who fill out the rest of the field. Take Brian Culbert, a 44-year-old Investment Advisor from Toronto who is currently riding in 7th place in the 40-44 age class. This weekend’s race is but one on a three race sojourn that includes the Solo World Championships, the Canadian Championships and the La Ruta de Los Conquistadores in Costa Rica. But Culbert isn’t doing these events just for fun. He’s dedicated all three races to raising a million dollars for Children’s Miracle Charity. Children’s Miracle Charity has been around for 20 years. It raises money for a number of other children’s related charities. To reach his lofty cash goal Culbert has asked for help from his company, CIBC Wood Gundy, some affiliates and some clients. None of these solicited donations are going toward race expenses. “I’m not getting a penny for this,” he declared, “Altogether these three races will cost me about 20 grand, and I’m NOT going to win.” So what to his Brooks-Brothers-wearing colleagues think of his passion for sport and charity? “”They think it’s both strange and great, he said. “They’ve grown used to my daily disappearances to the gym to work out. Everybody seems to be behind me and supportive.”

Another working professional racing this weekend is Rozanne Puleo of Boston Massachusetts. The Crank Racing team member is in but her first year of endurance racing, having been a cross-country racer since “˜98. And while her current 19th place position might not sound like much to brag about, consider that she squeezes in her training between working full times as an MIT Researcher working on health and quality of life issues among older adults.

Speaking of older adults, consider the story of John Lilly, who at age 56 is the oldest rider in this race. Lilly is a retired high school principal from Blue Ridge Georgia who has been mountain biking since “˜82. Interestingly enough, the claim to being “oldest rider” is one that he first held some 21 years ago. He explained “In “˜83 I did a race and got a trophy then for being the oldest rider in the race. Oldest rider?! Geez”I was, what? 34?” While competing in 24-hour races may seem extreme enough for most 56 year olds, Lilly easily tops that with his job as an instructor for Richard Petty Driving School. “You get into a real NASCAR car, a 650 horsepower machine, that goes 180 miles an hour. We get you on the track and get you riding around and just have a heck of a good time.”


REPORT #5: INTO THE LIGHT

The sun rose this morning to reveal that the threatening dark clouds of yesterday are mostly gone. It seems that racers and spectators will enjoy a glorious day in the closing hours of the World Solo Championship 24 Hours of Adrenalin.

I visited women’s solo leader Lesley Tomlinson of Team Rocky Mountain at 7:00 a.m., as She was her usual cheerful self as she chowed down on a bowl of hot oatmeal.

The surprise of the night and morning is 28-year-old British rider Jennifer O’Conner currently in second. But her great ride came as no surprise to her crew chief, who reported, “I knew she’d be fast. She rides short course, so she’s going to be fast. She’s got the experience to endure very well.” O’Conner has enjoyed great success in English 24-hour events and reportedly has no real competition there. So she has had to travel to North America to test herself against the best. Well, it seems she’s passed this test with flying colors.

While former 24-Hour solo champion, Katie Lindquist of Team Moots/Gu has never placed below second in this event, it seems that that record may come to an end today. After running as high as third, she’s currently back in sixth. The organic food inspector and event promoter from Steamboat Springs, Colorado has a reputation for starting out slow and making up ground in the late hours. She’s had no real problems this weekend, but as her crew chief reported, “Everyone else is just trained and fit for this race. And Katie has had little things that have distracted herówater bottle cages breaking and falling off, Camelbaks that were leaking and weren’t sealed up quite right. Little things that maybe took it out of her a bit. But she can be proud of her race. There’s still four and half hours to go!”

In the mens elite race, Trek star Chris Eatough is still out in front, but not by as far as last night. Second place rider Tinker Juarez of Siemens-Cannondale, turned up the wick a bit in the wee hours of the morning and has nibbled away at Eatough’s lead. Eatough had a 50-minute advantage over Tinker, but that is now less than 20-minutes.

And what of our now-legendary singlespeeder, Brook Losh? He currently sits dead last. Which he claims is a tactical maneuver designed to lull the competition into a false sense of security. He’s confident that he can now launch a vicious attack and make up the five laps he’ll need to take the lead. “Those guys are in big trouble now!” he said. Another strategic move came early this morning, when, as his crew chief reported, “He was walking off and I asked where are you going? He says ëGoing to the hotel.’ ” So while his competition was out wearing themselves down, Brook was snug in a hotel bed and is now recharged and ready.

REPORT #6: WHAT A COURSE!

I just got back from taking a lap of the course on a sweet XTR Scalpel (thank you C’Dale). Wow! What a fantastic course. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like Superman, try this: When you’re nice and fresh, fed and hungry to ride, get on a world class quality bike and jump onto a prime quality course and pick your way past a bunch of racers who are on their 20th or so hour of riding.

But back to the course. It has a bit of everything. You like buff, smooth singletrack? It has plenty of that. Are you a technical rider who likes wet roots, off-camber turns and rock-gardens? Plenty of that too! And climbs? Short and steep or long and sustained, it has it all. For a fresh rider it’s all mostly middle-ring. But after 20 hours or so even the strongest riders will be calling for granny.

THE END IS NEAR

Any fan of 24-hour racing knows that the final hours are crucial. This is the time when a rider who can dig deep and put some time on the competition. Tinker Juarez is known for his late hour surges. But it’s looking less and less likely that he’ll be able to close on Trek’s Chris Eatough today. Eatough has been the picture of consistency throughout this race. While Tinker’s mom Rose reports that Tinker just hasn’t felt up to par. “When he’s feeling good you can easily tell,” she says, “He jokes in the pits and is obviously having fun. This whole race he’s just been serious and concerned. He’s known that he needs to eat, but nothing sounds good to him. Sometimes you’ve got it, sometimes you don’t,” she shrugged. Still, Eatough’s lead is down to 18 minutes. What would any of us mortals give to be able to put in the kind of ride that Tinker has on this, one of his “off days.”?

Barring a late crash, mechanical mishap, or physical breakdown, the top three seems destined to be Eatough followed by Juarez, with Nat Ross down an hour behind Tinker.

ON THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT

Yeah, we know. Most of the riders we’ve covered in these reports have been either Americans or Canadians. Yes, there are international riders here today. Notable is New Zealander Andy Rhodes, back in 13th place. In our last report we talked about second place rider Jennifer O’Conner of Great Britain. And there are several visiting athletes in the age group ranks, including Austrian Mario Amann, who won the 25-29 age group here last year. This year he’s raced in the Olympia Park 24 Hour in Munich, and in the Saalbach 24-Hour, taking 3rd place in both. He also raced a 24-hour in Switzerland where he took 4th place. Amann loves today’s course, he explained in his best English, “In Europe, no technical, always flat. Not so good like here.” Asked if endurance racing is catching on in Europe he responded with an enthusiastic “Yes, oh yes.” Could this mean that more Europeans could cross over to Endurance racing? “Yeah, I think so,” he said. “The end for American dominance, ” he declared, “it’s coming.”

REPORT #7: THE FAT LADY IS SINGING

The 2004 World Solo Championship 24 Hours of Adrenalin is over. Trek’s Chris Eatough stopped at the finish line moments ago, held his bike over his head and walked across, taking his fifth title. Twenty4 Sports’ fearless leader, Stuart Dorland, met the soft-spoken racer at the line. Dorland recounted meeting Eatough some five years ago at the 24-Hours of Adrenalin in Idyllwild, California, “I didn’t know who he was then,” Dorland said, “But we all surely do now.” Dorland also reminded Eatough of an interview in which Eatough was asked if he was the “Lance Armstrong of mountain biking.” To which Eatough answered, “Maybe Lance is the Chris Eatough of road racing.”

Eatough may have exhibited Lance-like dominance this weekend, but he’ll be the first to say that it wasn’t easy. “It keeps getting tougher every year,” he admitted, “The competition is stepping up every time. If I’d have come back and rode how I did last year, I don’t think I would have beat Nat (Ross), I don’t think I would have beat Tinker.”

It may have been a “solo” event. But Eatough shared the credit, saying; “The whole 25 hours I didn’t have a single bike problem or a single mishap with any of my equipment. Although it’s not about just having great equipmentóit’s also about having a great pit crew.” Eatough went on to thank his father, Mike Eatough; and John Posner, who Eatough called the “expert of 24 hour pit crewing.” He especially thanked Allison; Chris’s sweetie who Chris said “”helps to pretty up our pit.” An adoring Allison stood proudly during the finish line interview, beaming at her man’s achievement. Another crowded gathering awaits the two in just two weeksóthis next one will also involve champagne, but also a minister and some new jewelry.

Eatough actually put in more hours in the saddle than the other front-runners. After coming through the finish line after 11:00 a.m., he knew that he needed to take another lap lest Juarez come in before noon and complete another lap by 1:00 p.m. But that scenario didn’t play out when a tired Juarez came in at 11:40 and called it a day. “I just didn’t have it in my legs,” Juarez said as he plopped into a pit chair, “I came on some toward the end, but it was too little too late. Maybe if I would have seen Eatough ahead on a climb or something it could have inspired me to push some more”I can’t say for sure. Mostly I was working to keep Nat (Ross) behind me. But that last lapóman, I nearly fell about a dozen times. I’m cooked.”

In theory, Ross still had a chance to overtake Juarez. Ross was still on course when Tinker called it a day and had he come in before noon, could have went out for another lap. “I’d be happy for him if he did,” Juarez said. But Juarez also pointed out that such a feat would take a sub-60-minute lap, something Ross hadn’t done since last night.

In the end Ross came in after noon. He was tired but satisfied with his ride. With good reason–with this Ross has now completed twenty-four 24-hour races. Ouch!

Women’s winner Lesley Tomlinson completed 17 laps in 23 hours and 26 minutes. I found in her pit, enjoying what she claimed to be her first post-race brew. “Actually I started one, set it down and can’t find it.” Right Leslie. Anyway, Tomlinson reported having a fairly uneventful race, “No real problems no real concerns.” Second place rider Jennifer O’Conner was a bit of an eye-opener, though. “She came up on me and we rode together early on,” Tomlinson said, “I knew then that I was going to have to take things up a notch, especially in the pits. No more leisurely stops. It was going to be in and out quickly.”

Specialized Bicycles sponsored O’Conner came across the line at 12:04 and spent a few finish line moments with Stuart Dorland. When asked how she liked the course, she replied, “Oh it’s really quite great. Much more technically challenging than what we race on in England. The competition here is a step above too.” Coming in third, just 36 minutes after O’Conner was Louise Kobin.

HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY?

Ever celebrate a birthday alone? Vivian Chwalinski from Fort Smith sort of did. She drove here by herself and rode solo in the 45 to 49. Actually she was here with 1500 or so of her closest, newest friends. And about 400 of those friends sang her happy birthday today at the finish line as she completed her last lap. Nice!

WHAT DID YOUR GRANDMA DO THIS WEEKEND?
Possibly the most enthusiastic competitor this weekend was Wendy Skean. At 60 years young the wily 60 year old was a crowd favorite and an inspiration to all.

INTO THE FIRE
David Ambrose is the classic weekend warrior. He’s a computer programmer from Castro Valley, California and an active member of Team Wrong Way, a fun oriented bicycle club. Ambrose has just only recently moved up out of the sport category and his focusing on endurance racing. It’s paid off too, he was 4th at last year’s 12 Hours of Humboldt, and this past June won the expert class at the 12 Hours of Weaverville. This weekend was his first race as an elite. He pulled down a very respectable 38th place, having completed 10 laps.

LEFT AT THE ALTAR
Singlespeeder Brook Losh came up a “bit short” in his quest for victory, putting in a mere 9 laps to the winner’s 17. “But I wasn’t dead last!” he quickly pointed out. Nope, 9th out of 13. Not too shabby. While he was elated at his finish, he was disappointed to not find the womens singlespeed winner to whom he had proposed to yesterday. “I don’t know what happened,” he said, “I thought we had something there!” It’s going to be a long, lonely trip back to San Diego for Losh.

WISE WORDS
Thank you for letting me bring you the action of the last twenty-four hours. I’ve tried to communicate to all of you the experience of being at such a fantastic event. Of all the athletes I’ve spoken to this weekend, and of all the words of enthusiasm of heard, none have come close to summing up the spirit of this event as these spoken by today’s elite winner, Chris Eatough, “24-hour racing, it’s the full range of emotions, the ultimate highs, the ultimate adrenalin, lows that you can’t imagine, and then everything else in between.”

September 4, 2004 – When the World Solo 24 Hours of Adrenalin Championships gets under way Sunday, September 5, 2004 at noon, 187 riders will be vying for the gold on the trails of the Whistler Ski Resort at Whistler, B.C. ,Canada.

Back to defend his title is current and four-time champion Chris Eatough of Team Trek. Ready to challenge Eatough is mountain bike icon Tinker Juarez of Siemens-Cannondale. Juarez, a crowd favorite, has taken silver behind Eatough too many times for his taste, “Last year I had it [the title] in my grasp,” Juarez laments, “But I made had some problems early on and was ready to pack it in, lost a lot of time debating about that, eventually went back out and still almost won. So I know he [Eatough] is beatable.”

Which isn’t to say that the battle is destined to be only between those two. Also starting is Andreas Hestler, fresh off of a victory at the Trans-Rockies stage race. Matt Chynoweth of Team Cannondale is a threat too. He was fifth at last year’s event, has learned a thing or three over the past twelve months, and is fit and confident after a second place ride at last weekís 12 Hours of Humoldt in Northern California.

Another rider certain to be among the front-runners is Cameron Chambers. While the 22 year old Subaru-Gary Fisher rider is only in his second year of endurance racing, heís already completed ten 24-hour events and has tallied some impressive rides, including a win in Arizona at the 24 Hours of the Old Pueblo.

The women racers will be putting on an equally exciting show. Christina Begy is back, ready for another championship ride. But to do that sheíll have to beat two of the sport’s most experienced racers. One is Leslie Tomlinson, a long-time NORBA Cross-country pro. The other is the 2000 winner Katie Lindquist. The Moots/Gu racer has five years of experience in endurance races, never having placed below second place at the World Solo 24 Hours of Adrenalin Championships

Challenging those seasoned veterans is this seasonís revelation, Ann James. This may only be Jamesí second season of endurance racing, but the snowboard and teleski instructor proved her mettle earlier this year with her win at the US Championships at Laguna. Sponsors take note. At age 29 James best years as an endurance racer are still ahead of her. “I’ve come a long way in a short time,” she says, “But I still have room to improve.”

Lastly, let’s not rule out the possibility that a new face may emerge from the crowd. Someone among the other 180+ riders may have what it takes to take on the best in the world, and come out ahead. Who could that be? We’ll know by noon on Sunday!