Team MotionBased

In 2006, many of the NMBS marathon events were held on Friday which still allowed me to compete in the XC over the weekend. This was ideal training because it simulated the back-to-back racing we would face during the Transalp Challenge. The series consisted of four races with all races counting toward the overall. After the first two events, I was in the top five and hopeful for a final podium position. In June race #3 was held at Deer Valley resort in Park City, Utah. The course looked difficult on paper with three trips to the upper reaches of the ski area. The race began at the bottom with a long, steep climb on a mixture of single track and dirt roads. As we neared the top I was in sixth position. Unfortunately we began the descent I missed a turn and did a couple hundred feet of extra climbing before realizing my error! After falling back to around tenth position, I gradually reeled in the racers that had passed me during my off-course exploration. It became apparent that Deer Valley would become a race of attrition. There were many punctures on the first lap that took several riders out of contention. By the beginning of the last lap I had moved back into fifth place but could not gain anymore ground. I enjoyed my second NMBS Marathon podium of the year with the bitter realization that a moment’s inattention had cost me a better placing. Just a week after returning from Europe, and an 11th place finish at the Transalp Challenge, I traveled back to Utah for the final NMBS Marathon event. This time we were in Southern Utah, at Brian Head resort. The trip was a homecoming of sorts for me, since I had attended one year of school at Southern Utah University. It was my first time back in just over 10 years so things obviously changed! One thing that hasn’t changed are the cold nights and lack of oxygen at Brian Head. The resort sits at just under 10,000ft elevation and much of the riding in the area is above that. Needless to say, I was concerned about my success! The other problem was that I had spent exactly one week doing nothing but working and traveling after the Transalp finish. My legs had swollen to about twice their most likely due to inflation from 8 ridiculously hard days of racing. I am sure that this condition was compounded by the fact that we were spending most of the week in cars, trains, and planes or on our feet. After three days the swelling eased but by the time I got home and back on the bike, I felt like I had completely lost touch with my body. It was quite strange because the big build-up and super competitive racing in Europe seemed a world away and like a dream rather than a recent memory. My confidence was shaken by these strange vibes, and I still felt tired and lethargic. It didn’t help that the race started before sunrise and most of us were just riding around shivering before the start. Going into the final race at Brian Head, only one point separated me from the third place rider and the series leader was absent competing at the Transrockies event in Canada. The pressure was definitely on and I had somehow fallen into the driver’s seat for the series! The race began and I pushed a hard tempo up the first climb. Gradually riders began to pass me but I wasn’t too concerned because I was feeling surprisingly good. We hit the first downhill which was rough and littered with roots and rocks. I quickly re-claimed some of the places I had lost earlier, but then hit a rock and bent my large chain ring badly. After repeated kicking, I was able to get it straight enough to continue but I was left with only my lower gears. This proved critical because my usual up-tempo pedaling style had slowed after Europe and my plan at elevation was to ride a low cadence to minimize hypoxia. Instead, I was spun out for miles of rolling terrain. Gradually the high-cadence, elevation, and general fatigue set in. I began to slow down and was having trouble with even the slightest inclines. Hills that were nothing in comparison to the Alps, were causing me to consider dismounting. The downhill sections of the course were super technical and demanding. This provided a brief diversion from the suffering and an opportunity to distance myself from competitors that were presumably breathing down my neck! Luckily, no one else passed me and I was able to ride in 10th place for many miles. I had slowed to recreational pace and my bodily functions had begun to take precedent over racing. With only a few miles to go, I even had to stop for a nature break. Still no one passed me and I hoped that somehow I could just get back to the resort without another stop. I was sure there was one long climb left, but I had no idea how I would fare!. About a mile before the eventual finish, another rider caught and passed me. I was in total melt-down and couldn’t even follow on a relatively flat fire road. Suddenly, we rounded a corner and there was the resort. I couldn’t believe that the finish was in reach, but the last section of trail went by quickly and I was inside the barricades. The announcers were excited because the NMBS Champion was finally finishing the race. I could only manage a wilted wave as I crossed the line! I didn’t know how to react to such an outcome. I was physically and mentally blown, but overcome by the fact that I had just won the series. I just went to the bike wash and hosed off my bike. No celebration for awhile, didn’t have the energy left! Miraculously, less than two minutes later, the rider just behind me in the series standings finished. While I was contemplating the feat of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, he was left pondering what could have been and how close he was. Racing can be so many things all at once. I have been at it now for about 12 years and I still have experiences that never cease to amaze me! Check out all of my rides at evanp.motionbased.com