Good luck boys. Pedal hard and often.

Without you being there the Cramp Gods will be looking for other victims. Wish you were coming.

if NOT only to keep the Cramp Gods occupied...

ya, Good Luck TP

Yes, good luck boys, make Team Pinnacle proud.
 
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Good luck everyone. I hope to be out there next year.

-- Ken
 
"If you brake, you don't win." Racer Mario Cipollini

Went to bed at 8:30pm Saturday and didn't sleep much. Got up at 3:15am took care of my dogs ate and got ready for the race. Arrived at the event about 4:15am just in time to ready every thing sign in and attend the 5:30am racers meeting There were over 650 bike racers people and bikes were every where riding in different directions most with no light the parking lot was more dangerous than the race. There were also over 200 runners doing a 50k or 50 mil event using the same trail. This made some interesting meetings on the trail. I never realized how fast some of these trail runners can be. They pass you on the up hill and you blow past them again on the other side. every one was very courteous. It started out very cold in the low 40's I had several layers and removed them over time when they were no longer needed. I went through about 100oz of PowerBar Endurance mix and many packets of hammergel. I experienced no cramping but just got very tired towards the last 15 miles. I made 4 stops during the race to either take care of person issues remove clothing or get water. The course was great. The single track, especially on the last 25 miles was top notch. And a first for me I did the entire ride with no crashes. I had a few dabs and did a little additional brush clearing along the trail but no crashes. I left with the same amount of blood I arrived with. This makes my wife very happy. On the first leg of the ride while coasting on the road I noticed my free hub bearing started to make some noise and as the ride progressed it made a constant grinding noise that I could feel too it bothered me and you know I don't hear much so I am sure riders around me were annoyed having me around. Compared to last year I was much better in the technical stuff and much slower on the road. I ended up in 3rd place for my first Expert race about 3min out of second and 226 overall so I am very happy with my finish. There were about a dozen guys in the 55+ Expert class. I don't remember the exact time but I think it was 5:58 something. Great weather for the event too, And one of the nice things about the event today was just before the half way point Mark G caught up with me and we rode together up until the last few miles. He was a climbing machine today and did a wonderful job as did Brian C. Who I saw line up at the start and then saw again at the finish congratulating me. It was a great day for TEAM PINNACLE.

Way to go Dan, especially the no blood donation to the course and congratulaions on your overall finish and time.

Up at 3:30, meet Mark at 4:30 to truck pool to the venue. Halfway there realized I left my front wheel in the garage. Back to Newport, then we try again, this time successfully. My start was at 6:15 and I do not think they could safely start 5 minutes earlier and have enough light. It was chilly, but I was not uncomfortable at all. The first few miles are fast dirt road with everyone bunched tightly, about 200 of us. We had two close calls, one with a deer in the road and another when we met an on coming car. It had to be quite a shock for the person in the car to see the entire road blocked with a pack of 20 mph mountain bikes. I stayed in the top 20 during this stage, then quickly jumped to about 10th when the road turned uphill. The next 20 miles were fairly uneventful. I passed a couple folks and was riding with two others, I believe we were 4th-6th. At the 30 mile mark I finally was able to pass the two I had been riding with and opened a decent gap, placing myself solidly 4th overall in the seniorII/Vet wave. Then on a fast downhill around mile 35 my rear tube exploded, never had one do that before. I did a quick change, but still lost 5 or so spots. I get a couple back quickly, but the two guys I rode so long with got away. They came into site a couple times, but I could not reel them in. I entered the last 3 miles not really looking forward to it, this part really sucked last time I raced here. However, they have done a lot of work here and it turned out being very fun. My goal for the race was to break 5 hours, I crossed the line in 4:41 which was good for 3rd place. I was very satisfied with the results. During post race inspection I found a 1/2 inch bubble of tube protruding through the rear tire sidewall. Apparently the tire had been torn by a rock or something causing the flat. I was quite lucky to finish the race without further issues. The weather was great, the course was as fast as it will ever be. Mark and Dan had awesome finishes also, giving all of Team Pinnacle and CycleDepot something to be very proud of.
 
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Congrat's guys, sounds like you all placed well.

Ryan

Results are up, [url]http://www.vermont50.com/html/2007_mt_bike_overall.html[/url]

Those top two guys are crazy fast. Last time I saw them was at the base of Boobywood hill, by the top they were out of sight. Unfortunately, three of the dudes who beat me in the overall will be aging up to my class next year.
 
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The final time for me and overall finish is better than what was posted yesterday. It looks like not much time was between 2nd and 4th place in my class. Look at some of these times for single speed. Crazy DNA for these guys. Also check out all the DNF's. I saw one guy running a bike with no chain, he was at mile 30 and he planned on finishing. Wonder if he did.

Our times and overall place below:

4:41:18.14 8 3/79 Currier, Brian 137 Expert/Veteran/Male 37 Newport, NH

5:39:37.20 144 21/135 Gurney, Mark 442 Sport/Veteran/Male 43 Sunapee, NH

5:55:12.89 199 3/10 O'Neill, Daniel 306 Expert/Master II/Male 55 Newport, NH

As you?ve read above, it was a good day for Team Pinnacle. While my placing wasn?t as impressive as Dan and Brian?s outstanding results within their respective classes, I was absolutely thrilled with my finish: I beat last year?s time by half an hour, moving up to top 15% in my class.

It?s too bad they didn?t have awards beyond first place, Dan and Brian deserved to be on the podium.

Some details of the day:

1. You?ll just have to register for the race, and do a little course recon, to understand why Boobywood Hill is named as it is. No further comment.

2. I knew it would be a good race, when I received my plate number: ?442?. If you don?t get it, it doesn?t matter, but I liked it.

3. I knew it would be a really good race when my time was very productively spent in the porta potties. So much so that, upon emerging, I bellowed out loud to the world, ?GodDAMN I feel good!? (Maybe this is a detail you didn?t need, but the people waiting in line got a good chuckle out of it.)

4. With such a chilly start, and so much climbing, you need to make careful clothing choices. It?s fascinating how quickly one can go from achingly cold to sweating buckets. It?s better to layer minimally, freeze early, and have a plan for stripping layers quickly. I prefer arm warmers and leg warmers to jackets and tights, they pack well.

5. I was lucky enough to ride with Dan for many miles. It?s good to ride with a friend; especially during what I feel is the toughest part of the race: the middle - far from the excitement of the start, far from the relief of the finish.

6. I lost a bottle on a 38 MPH descent. Dan was kind enough to offer me one of his bottles, declaring that he didn?t need it. Thanks Dan! Wouldn?t you know he lost HIS remaining bottle shortly after we were separated? If he had to make an extra stop because of me, his generosity probably caused him second place. (And I?m the rotten bastard that wouldn?t pull for him last year?)

7. I traded places many, many times with a rather pleasant chap who was probably a couple years older than me, on a full rigid single speed. It amazes me how these guys have the strength to come out of the saddle time and again, and how they do the kamikaze downhills on full rigids is beyond me. He ended up beating me.

8. A few of us were grinding our way up yet another big hill when a racer standing up on the pedals went by us like we were going backwards and we watched him quickly pedal out of sight. Someone finally broke the depressed silence and said what we were all thinking: ?Do we all of a sudden, like, suck??

9. I was sharing the last ascent before the finish with clean, fresh-looking riders. One of them explained they were in a collegiate circuit (short lap relay) race that was running concurrent with the VT 50. As we came across the ski slopes before the final descent, I could hear the announcer, and caught a case of finish line fever. I pulled out the emergency rocket boosters, tore through the puck brush on the side of the trail, and passed one of the college kids. His coach, on the other side of the trail, started screaming at him ?DON?T LET THAT KID PASS YOU! GO GET HIM! PEDALPEDALPEDAL!?

?Kid?? I?m old enough to be his father! (No, he didn?t catch me. I won that sprint!)

Everything went so well for this year?s VT 50, I?m tempted to call it quits for this season, and end it on a high note. I?m not really interested in being humbled by the Team Pinnacle Challenge this Sunday.

Thanks Dan and Brian for a great day in the saddle.

MG