6 hours in the Valley (of Death)

20130910

6 hours in the Valley (of Death)

Hannah Brewer, Steve Brewer, Mark Briercheck and Henry Dimmick headed east to compete in the 6 hours in the Valley mtn bike race sponsored by the Bike the Wilds group.

The day started foggy and HUMID, and soon turned to rain :(

Luckily it stopped just as we arrived to the race venue....so we did not have to set up camp in the rain.

Hannah & Steve teamed up for to compete in the Mixed Duo Division, while Mark and Henry paired up (again), so to speak! You may remember THIS picture from the last time these two paired up(???)!!!

Anyway, Steve and Henry started the race, doing the first lap for their respective teams.

Lap 1:
Steve put down one of the fastest times of the day....which soon earned him the label as "Least Desirable Teammate"....since the faster he rode HIS laps, the less time Hannah had to rest and get ready for HER lap!

Meanwhile, Henry put in a solid top 10 lap time.

Lap 2:
Hannah put in a lap time better than Henry's...

...while Mark BREAKS his CHAIN...!

Did I mention, that Mark had JUST PURCHASED his mountain bike only 2 days before this race?

Did I mention that Mark has NEVER OWNED a Mtn Bike before?

Do I have to mention how radically crazy it is that Mark's first mtn bike RIDE is a RACE

...or that his first RACE is a 6 HOUR RACE...?!?!?!?!

RESPECT!!!

Lap 3:
Steve is still on the gas....and now has enough distance to ensure a win in the Mixed Duo Division, as long as nothing mechanical happens.

Henry posts a lap time within 15 seconds of his first lap time.

Lap 4:
Steve pushes Hannah to be fast....in order to move their Mixed Duo time up into honorable ranking with the Men's Duo teams! No....he is not competitive at all, is he...???!!!

Hannah totally complies with a lap only 2+ minutes slower than Steve...and again faster than Henry!

Mark, on the other hand, GETS A FLAT TIRE on his second lap...learning painfully FIRST HAND what mtn bike racing is all about!

Lap 5:
Steve rides fast...again.
Henry rides to finish, knowing that Mark's two mechnicals have dropped them out of the top 10 rankings.

Lap 6:
Hannah stays fast, while Mark FINALLY gets his gravy lap....posting a lap time on par with Henry's times.

Without the mechanicals, Team Smurf (Mark & Henry) would have finished in 8th Place Overall.

Lap 7 & 8:
Steve and Hannah (Team Wario) get to do additional laps....just because they are FAST ...and WIN the Mixed Duo Division ...and take home all the best Prizes, while Mark draws a lucky door prize and wins a replacement tube for the one he flatted...