The Erik's Spring Cup this past Sunday had record turnout, likely due to the favorable weather, although the event seems to be getting bigger every year. This year attracted over 500 racers for the debut MNSCS event. Overall, the race was very well organized and run by volunteers from MORC and (I assume) paid "volunteers" from Erik's. At any rate, the event was top notch. The top riders from last year were called to the line first (not me) with the rest of us struggling to find a fast dude to start behind. I lined up directly behind Jesse and beside legendary bike racer, Scott Hebel.
(photos by Skinnyski.com)
After "GO" I dashed for the singletrack, entering in about 10th place or so. I was riding in a group with Hwood, Dave Meyer, Heath, Jay Richards and Andy S. for the whole first lap.
Coming into the finish chute on lap 2, I was able to get around Dave and Hwood, with Jay and Heath in front. Heath was pinning it pretty good, but I was fairly comfortable for the majority of the lap. It felt like there was a group in front of us that was slowly creeping away. At that point I really had no definative idea where I was sitting, but I knew I needed to get up front if possible.
Going into the 3rd lap, I gunned it through the start/finish chute, getting around Jay and Heath. I could hear someone right on my wheel, but didn't even want to look. I looked down at my garmin to see 25.5 mph. Just before the singletrack, Cam Kirkpatrick from Iowa pulled in front of me to hit the narrow trail first. Jay Richards was still on my wheel holding steady. We flew through the first section of singletrack at warp speed, the three of us sticking together fairly well. Once we exited out onto the prairie, it was clear that we had shed the group of riders we were with. About half way through the lap Cam got about a 4 or 5 second gap on me, that I just wasn't able to close. I was happy to see, however, that Jay and I were rapidly catching ex-pro rider and Chequamegon Champion, Scott Hebel. Unfortunately it looked like Scott had some sort of mechanical as he had pulled to the side of the trail just before Jay and I got to him. Somewhere in the middle of lap 3, my chest strap broke on my HRM (too fat) which was really annoying. You can see in the picture below that the thing was just kind of dangling inside by jersey & bibs.
Somewhere in the middle of lap 4, Sam Oftedahl latched on. He was riding smooth considering he had suffered a crash early in the race. Going into the 5th lap, Sam took the lead with Jay and I following. I took my first bottle on the last lap (thanks LCR), which set me back about 2 or 3 seconds behind Jay and Sam. I fought my way back to them in the singletrack, but was starting to feel pretty spent. Midway through the lap, Sam and Jay got about 5 seconds on me again. I felt pretty good, and wanted to wait until more singletrack to bridge back up. About 2 miles from the finish, I slid out in a corner, went down and dropped my chain. When I got back on my bike, it took a tremendous amount of effort to get all the way back up to race pace again. I rolled in 7th overall. 
The race was an absolute blast. Can't wait for more!!!!!!!
By the way, Jack Hinkens put the hammer down again and got 2nd overall, with Brendan taking the win. I wonder how long it'll be until Jack wins one of these races.
After the "Coldbear Challenge" the Rich and the Elk River crew decided to throw a subsequent short notice race at Hillside, just before the heart of the bike racing season began. This last minute race attracted a relatively large group of racers, with about 35 in the advanced category. I really had no idea how I would feel, as I had not gone hard at all yet this year. After the start, I was in about 5th or 6th position going into the woods. There were familiar faces all around me during the first lap. Brendan and Sam were up front, but pulled away quickly. I believe Jay Richards was right up there too. I was right in the middle of a group consisting of fellow Nature Valley/Penn Cycle riders, Barry Tungseth and Jack Hinkens as well as Heath W and Andy Sieben. Heath was leading the charge for 1/2 of the first lap, then pulled aside with a lose brake lever. This gave me, Barry and Jack the opportunity to put the hammer down on the 2nd half of the lap. The three of us switched turns a few times at the front and eventually caught up to Jay. Our group of 4 was battling for 3rd place. However, anyone who has raced at Elk River knows -it is pretty tough to pass at any point on the trail. Jack attempted to get by us by opting for the expert section. He actually did get by me and Barry, but crashed right away after passing us. The race ended up coming down to a sprint for 3, with Jay taking 3rd, Barry, me and Jack taking 4th 5th and 6th, respectively. Fun race. Felt great. Felt like the fitness was better than expected. Jack is going to be really fast this year. Andy Sieben is also going to be really fast this year. 
