EPC Dominates the Midwest!

XTERRA B.O.L.T. Winners Cody and Kathy!

Last Saturday was the second annual XTERRA B.O.L.T. triathlon outside of Lincoln Nebraska. Nine members of the EPC by WRC Tri Team made the seven hour drive east to contest the event. The day-before pre-ride of the bike course was in the sweltering late afternoon heat and humidity. After the ride and a quick jump in the lake to cool off (well the water temp was a balmy 86 degrees so not exactly cooling off) we headed back to town to packet pick-up at the local bike shop Cycle Works. Coach Cody provided a pre-race clinic for the competitors at packet pickup from 6-6:30. Then the group headed off to dinner and then found their hotel, cleaned up, prepped their race gear all before hitting the sack.

The next days alarm came quick and it was go-time before we knew it. The temperatures had dropped a bit by morning but it was still warm and muggy. The race went off at 9:00 am. The point-to-point 1300m swim went across a big section of the lake. EPC’er Mike Miller was first out of the water and onto the bike. Everyone else was in hot pursuit. The bike course consisted of two fast, twisting singletrack sections with repeated short power climbs separated by a 2 mile section on pavement in the middle. Ed Oliver dominated the bike and reached the pavement first followed 20 seconds later by Cody and the rest more than 2 minutes behind them. Cody closed the gap on the road and the EPC duo flew through the remaining 5 miles of trail in tandem.

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EPC Represents at Xterra Indian Peaks

Sunday was the 3rd edition of the Indian Peaks Xterra at the Eldora Ski area above Boulder, CO. Just about the entire EPC Xterra squad was making a nice impression with eleven racers out on course. Having rained the night before for several hours the air was crisp, the water even crisper and the course was muddy, if not fully submerged, in spots. The clouds broke before the race start and the temperatures were ideal for racing.

The course starts with a 1km swim in Barker Res. The brisk winds made for a choppy return to shore. The stronger swimmers prevailed as the weaker ones floundered a bit. Once back to shore racers were faced with a 3/4 mile uphill run to transition. Shoes are a must as it’s quite rocky in spots. If you weren’t feeling it already, you felt the 9000 foot elevation when springing to your feet and running hard for 5 min on after swimming in cold water. The 14-mile bike course was a two loop mix of rocky singletrack and jeep roads with smaller power climbs and fun descents. A strong biker with a knack for more technical riding had the advantage when negotiating the many mud pits and slippery roots and rocks along the course. The run was held on similar roads/trails as the bike before entering a really tight up-n-down wooded section along the lake. Over the 7 km runners faced relentless rolling hills, some super steep downhills, a splash through a flooded grassy meadow, more mud before finishing on the cool grass in front of the ski lodge. READ MORE

Podiums in Bama!

Finally cracked the top 5 for the first time this year today. Getting better with every race it seems. The temperature and humidity was disgustingly high this morning. Ninety something degrees and 90% humidity. The water was in the upper 80′s and uncomfortably warm. My warm-up consisted of a Grande Coffee Frapuccino with a few stretches in the shade under a tree. I managed a great start and found some feet on the first lap. Then surged on the second lap to make up some ground. Hit the bike hard and felt smooth and in control in the rough and twisty woods. There is a big climb in the middle of the course that I wanted to destroy and possibly bring back faster swimmers like Seth and Craig, but I just didn’t have the horsepower I was looking for today (see note below). Ended up riding in 5th place on the bike, after the first few miles, throughout the entire race. Still a good ride, but looking for better. Hit the run with no one really behind me and ran a steady pace up and down the killer steep hills while withering under the heat and humidity. Crossed the line in 5th place well ahead of my next competitor. Conrad Stoltz took the top spot with Josiah again in second, Craig Evans in third and Seth Wealing in fourth.

The only other EPC’er representing out there was Jason Hilgers. He pulled off his career best swim, proving that his increased swim training is paying off. Rolled the bike strong and moved up on the big climb on the backside of the course. The heat and humidity also worked him over pretty well, but he held strong and finished an impressive 2nd place in his tough 30-34 age-group (5th amateur) which included Xterra standout Omar Fraser who took the win and second overall amateur on the day. After the race Jason was seen pounding down a Five Guys burger and fries and topping it off with an iced mocha preparing to wreak havoc on innocent travelers in the seats surrounding him on his flight home this afternoon. After sharing a hotel with him this weekend I know what they are in for. Dangerous territory for sure. Great race Jason!

On a side note…

Big props go out to Seven Cycles for not only building a great bike for me to race, but more so for impressing the likes of Mr. Xterra, and devourer of bike course himself, Conrad Stoltz. He was oogling my bike all weekend and later was found writing on Facebook that my Seven is “Definitely the coolest bike on the course”. Pretty big comment coming from a long-time Specialized sponsored athlete. Pho-shizzle! Check it out (left). We’ll ignore the part about it needing more horsepower (although it’s true, along with better cornering skills).

Off to Richmond tomorrow with my buddy Trevor. Round four is next Sunday. Some good rest and lots of practice on the course will be on tap next week before we go at it again in the south! Bring on the heat!

CW

EPC Wins Southeast Championships in Waco

The EPC Xterra Team presented by Wheat Ridge Cyclery debuts the new race kits in Texas in at the second stop on the XTERRA USA Pro Tour. Inspired by their new Pearl Izumi duds, they raced to the team competition victory along with three age-group wins. Ed Oliver won the men’s 40-44, Kristine Gewin (in her xterra debut) won the women’s 35-39 and Danielle Kehoe continues her winning streak in the women’s 20-24 age-gorup. Nils Holtne and Rickey Tolliver both raced to third place finishes in their age-groups. The hot and humid, rolling, twisting course in the central Texas hills made for a challenging race. Everyone on the team agreed the new Xterra venue for 2010 is destined to be a classic on the championship schedule. Post race the team was seen putting down some serious Texas BBQ prior to heading to the airport! Well done EPC!