MTB News & Racing Round-up, July 1, 2010

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Date published:

July 2, 2010, 17:01

Edited by Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

Welcome to our regular roundup of what's happening in mountain biking. Feel free to send feedback, news, & releases to mtb@cyclingnews.com and results, reports & photos to cyclingnews@cyclingnews.com.

• Irmiger, Horgan-Kobelski aim to defend marathon titles at Firecracker 50

  

  Article published:

  July 1, 2010, 21:31

  By:

  Dave McElwaine

  Breckenridge, Colorado hosting US Marathon Championships this weekend

  Twelve national championship jerseys will be awarded this weekend when athletes from around the country converge on the quaint western town of Breckenridge, Colorado. They will compete on a 50-mile course consisting of two challenging 25-mile loops through the Rocky Mountains. In addition to the championship events, 750 racers will be competing in the 10th annual Firecraker 50.

  The race starts on Main Street, on the Fourth of July, in front of thousands of spectators assembled for the holiday parade and festivities. It is pure Americana with balloons, cotton candy, and parade floats.

  Last year's champions, Heather Irmiger and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski ran away with the competition, besting their rivals by 10 and 14 minutes respectively. The two not only are part of the newly formed Subaru-Trek team (formerly Subaru-Gary Fisher) but are also married. Both will be returning to defend their jerseys at this year's race against field that includes both endurance specialists and several other World Cup cross country racers.

  The 50-mile distance is a bit shorter than the traditional 100k (62-mile) distance that marathons have been raced at. The shorter distance makes the race much more appealing to some of the nation’s cross country stars. In contrast, the recently completed European Marathon Championships were 129 km (80 miles).

  The men's race is going to be stacked with talent. Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale) has been riding extremely well lately, wining the Trans-Sylvania stage race and the Massanutten Triple Crown cross country race. In the latter, he beat Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air/Specialized), which is no small feat at the cross country distance. While last year he suffered with the altitude, he proved at Snowmass in 2006 that a sea level dweller can still win.

  The winner of USA Cycling's Pro XCT in Wisconsin last weekend, Sam Schultz (Subaru-Trek), will be competing in the Firecracker for the first time. Schultz is a rising star in the sport and has beaten his teammate JHK on numerous occasions. Whether Schultz has the endurance to compete for 3.5 hours is yet to be seen.

  Former cross country champion Ryan Trebon (Kona) will also be racing this year. Trebon, a former "mixed team" winner of the BC Bike Race, has had some impressive rides in endurance events. Jay Henry (Tokyo Joe's), a former Firecracker 50 winner, proved earlier this season that he can compete with the current cross country stars. He finished second in the Chalk Creek Stampede Triple Crown held last month in Nathrop, Colorado. He was third in last year's Firecracker 50.

  Road racer Peter Stetina (Garmin-Felt) was quite a surprise in last year's race. Because the course begins with four miles of pavement, Stetina rode himself into a three-man breakaway early in the race. He held on for fourth place and demonstrated excellent off-road skills in the process. Colin Cares (Kena-Felt), fifth last year, will also be back. He not only rides exceedingly well at altitude, but is noticeably faster this year. He finished on the podium at the Chalk Creek Stampede.

  Other racers who can be expected to figure prominently in this year's race include Dave Weins, the 2001 winner. Weins was riding to a podium finish last year when his hopes were dashed by a tire problem. Jeff Schalk (Trek), leader of the National Ultra Endurance (NUE) series, will be on hand. Andy Schultz (Kenda-Felt) and Jeff Kerkove (Topeak-Ergon) could also figure in the final standings.

  The Firecracker 50 course is brutally hard on both the racers and their equipment. The starting altitude is 9,600 feet and it reaches a height of 11,400 feet in the first nine miles. Total climbing per lap is a whopping 5,400 feet. The course starts with a four-mile road climb up to Boreus Pass. While most endurance racers will tell you that you should avoid going anaerobic during these types of events, that is nearly impossible in this race if you want to be anywhere near the leaders on the climb.

  Racers will plunge down into French Gulch, descending over 1000 feet, before beginning an exceedingly difficult climb up Humbug and Lincoln Park Hills on steep trail littered with loose rock. The course then descends down the very steep Rick Gulch before returning to French Gulch.

  On the return trip to the start/finish, riders will climb a fireroad for two miles before descending multiple sets of switchbacks to Carter Park in Breckenridge. Three strategically placed Aid Stations will be available to provide water bottles, and to assist riders with problems.

  Pua Sawicki (Okole Stuff.com) is likely to provide Irmiger with the stiffest competition. She has morphed herself into a cross country racer over the past two seasons and is attending the entire World Cup series. With extremely large World Cup women's fields, Sawicki has overcome poor starting positions to achieve finishes in the 30s.

  Sawicki raced while sick during the 2009 Firecracker and was bitterly disappointed with her second place performance. While she has only beaten Irmiger once this season in head-to-head competition (at the Fontana Pro XCT round), she excels at these distances. Last year, she led the charge up to Boreus Pass and only Irmiger could match the pace.

  Two-time Firecracker winner Gretchen Reeves (Tokyo Joe's) will also be racing. She finished third last year. Amanda Carey (Kenda/Felt) was racing to a podium finish last year when a flat tire spoiled her day. This season she is racing leaner, and appears to be even faster as a result. Endurance specialist Rebecca Rusch (Specialized) will be on hand, as will rising star Amy Dombroski (Luna Pro Team).

  While Irmiger is winless this season, she has plenty of cross country podiums. In addition, she will be riding her 29-inch Superfly bike this year which should be very well suited to this course. The big question is: who is going to ride 14 minutes faster to stay with her?

  Almost anything can happen at this race. The sharp rocks can change the complexion of the race in moments. Just ask Dave Weins and Amanda Carey. Jeff Kerkove said on his Facebook page, "Trust me, there will be races within this race. Plus, at this venue, nothing is guaranteed. The final podium never ends up the way you would think."

  The weather is predicted to cooperate with partly sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s (degrees Fahrenheit).

  Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for full coverage of the Firecracker 50 this weekend.

• Beytagh leads Gravity East series into round three

  

  Article published:

  July 1, 2010, 13:35

  By:

  Cycling News

  Downhillers to spend Independence Day weekend at Plattekill Bike Park

  Many American downhillers will celebrate Independence Day at the Gravity East Series as it moves north to the mountain that started it all, Plattekill Bike Park in Roxbury, New York. Round three will happen July 2-4.

  The Gravity East series is heating up, with a three-way tie for second place in the men's elite field between Gavin Vaughan, Jason Memmelaar and Richie Rude. Geritt Beytagh leads the series.

  Fifth placed Leif Lorenzen and the rest of the elite men are close behind and all in striking distance.

  In the elite women's field, Dawn Bourque, Karen Egan and a new rider to the elite women's scene, Rae Gandolf, will battle it out.

  In the amateur fields, all the point races are tightening up, with the top five spots being up for grabs in every division. With two races in the books, it could be anybody's series. There are eight races total, with one drop.

  Plattekill Bike Park has prepared a long fast and technical course on the famed north side of the mountain. The venue has been working to make 2010 its best season ever. The Bike Park has a new start gate an all new timing system and years of experience to make sure race day runs smoothly.

  For more information on the Gravity East Series, visit www.gravityeastseries.com.

• Atkinson, Kintner lead US Pro GRT series

  

  Article published:

  July 1, 2010, 11:15

  By:

  Cycling News

  Standings after round three

  Bryn Atkinson and Jill Kintner, both of the Transitions Team, lead USA Cycling's US Pro GRT standings after three rounds, the last of which was completed at Northstar-at-Tahoe resort in Truckee, California this past weekend.

  In the weekend's race, Atkinson finished second to Greg Minnaar (Santa Cruz Syndicate), who is ranked fourth overall. It was enough for Atkinson to keep his series lead with 205 points.  Andrew Neethling (Trek World Racing) is in second with 130 points, and his teammate Justin Leov sits third with 120 points.  Luke Strobel is fifth with 68 points.

  Kintner leads the women's standings with 185 points after winning round three. Tracy Moseley, who was absent at round three, is second with 165 points.  Melissa Buhl, Jacqueline Harmony and Darian Harvey round out the top five with 110, 70 and 68 points respectively.

  Next, the Pro GRT series moves to Trestle Bike Park inthe Rocky Mountains of Winter Park, Colorado, on July 29 – August 1, in conjunction with Crankworx Colorado.

  US Pro GRT standings after three rounds

  Elite men

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
  1	Bryn Atkinson	205	pts
  2	Andrew Neethling	130
  3	Justin Leov	120
  4	Greg Minnaar	89
  5	Luke Strobel	68
  6	Duncan Riffle	55
  7	Mikey Sylvestri	53
  8	Logan Binggeli	51
  9	Steve Peat	50
  10	John Swanguen	45
  11	Mitch Ropelato	42
  12	Kieran Bennett	40
  13	Cedric Gracia	40
  14	Jared Rando	38
  15	Kevin Aiello	34
  16	Daniel Atherton	30
  17	Aaron Gwin	27
  18	Dan Stanbridge	25
  19	Eliot Jackson	25
  20	Brad Benedict	23
  21	Jurgen Beneke	22
  22	Danny Hart	20
  23	Neko Mulally	18
  24	Ryan Condrashoff	16
  25	Curtis Keene	16
  26	Chris Heath	12
  27	Graeme Pitts	12
  28	Ben Reid	10
  29	Richard Rude	8
  30	Josh Bryceland	6
  31	Lars Sternberg	5
  32	Steve Smith	4
  33	Geritt Beytagh	3
  34	Ben Furbee	1
  35	Dean Tennant	1

  Elite women

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
  1	Jill Kintner	185	pts
  2	Tracy Moseley	165
  3	Melissa Buhl	110
  4	Jacqueline Harmony	70
  5	Darian Harvey	68
  6	Rachel Atherton	60
  7	Katy Pruitt	60
  8	Leigh Donovan	50
  9	Rae Gandolf	40
  10	Jennifer Wolf	39
  11	Joanna Petterson	33
  12	Gabriela Williams	30
  13	Rachel Bauer	30
  14	Katie Holden	27
  15	Strand Katrina	25
  16	Anka Martin	20
  17	Addie Stewart	18
  18	Dawn Fidler	16
  19	Joy Martin	16
  20	Chelsey Stevens	12
  21	Sondra Williamson	8

• Wells reclaims US Pro XCT lead from Kabush in Wisconsin

  

  Article published:

  July 1, 2010, 11:00

  By:

  Cycling News

  Gould dominates women's series

  A third place finish at the USA Cycling US Pro XCT race, the Subaru Cup, in Wisconsin this weekend bumped Todd Wells (Specialized) back into the lead of the series. Geoff Kabush (Rocky Mountain / Maxxis) had been leading, but he was racing at the BC Bike Race last weekend instead of Wisconsin.

  With 435 points, Wells leads the second-place Kabush who has earned 350 points. Max Plaxton (Sho-Air / Specialized) sits in third with 310 points, and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Trek) is in fourth ahead of the Subaru Cup's winner and fellow Subaru-Trek racer Sam Schultz.

  Taking another victory in Wisconsin, Georgia Gould (Luna) continues to dominate the women's series with 510 points compared to the 395 amassed so far by Saturday's second-place finisher, Willow Koerber (Subaru-Trek). Triple Crown winner Kelli Emmett (Giant) is in third with 335 points, and Heather Irmiger (Subaru-Trek) and Lene Byberg (Specialized) round out the top five.

  The finals of the US Pro XCT will be held July 10-11 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

  US Pro XCT standings after four rounds

  Elite men

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
  1	Todd Wells	435	pts
  2	Geoff Kabush	350
  3	Max Plaxton	310
  4	Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski	300
  5	Sam Schultz	280
  6	Carl Decker	270
  7	Burry Stander	200
  8	Sid Taberlay	152
  9	Ryan Woodall	151
  10	Derek Zandstra	145
  11	Jeremiah Bishop	142
  12	Barry Wicks	140
  13	Christopher Sauser	125
  14	Roel Paulissen	120
  15	Manuel Fumic	115
  16	Spencer Paxson	95
  17	Marco Aurelio Fontana	90
  18	Adam Morka	90
  19	Chris Sheppard	85
  20	Kris Sneddon	80
  21	Benjamin Sonntag	77
  22	Adam Craig	71
  23	Stephen Ettinger	69
  24	Conrad Stoltz	65
  25	Ignacio Torres	65
  26	Travis Livermon	63
  27	Dana Weber	62
  28	Raphael Gagne	60
  29	Jason Sager	60
  30	Ryan Trebon	56
  31	Eric Batty	55
  32	Troy Wells	55
  33	Lachlan Norris	50
  34	Lucas Brusseau	45
  35	Andy Schultz	45
  36	tristan Schouten	45
  37	Tristan Uhl	40
  38	Travis Woodruff	40
  39	Jonathan Page	40
  40	Peter Glassford	39
  41	Russell Finsterwald	38
  42	Colin Cares	35
  43	Thomas Turner	35
  44	Aaron Elwell	30
  45	Craig Richey	30
  46	Rob Squire	30
  47	Bryan Alders	25
  48	Rotem Ishay	22
  49	Robert Marion	22
  50	Darrin Braun	22
  51	Will Black	20
  52	Ken Onodera	20
  53	Nate Whitman	17
  54	Tad Elliot	16
  55	David Hanes	15
  56	Simon Lalancetter	15
  57	Kerry Werner	14
  58	Blake Zumbrunner	13
  59	Jack Hinkens	13
  60	Justin Lindine	12
  61	Kalan Beisel	11
  62	Max Knox	11
  63	Vincent Lombardi	11
  64	Nathan Guerra	11
  65	Wesley Lamberson	10
  66	Sebastien Cadieux-Duval	10
  67	Bryan Fawley	9
  68	Stefan Widmer	9
  69	Sean Babcock	8
  70	Rich Weis	8
  71	Francis Morin	8
  72	Rick Wetherald	7
  73	Jeff Herrera	6
  74	Simon Jensen	6
  75	Brian Matter	6
  76	Alexander Grant	5
  77	Len Zanni	5
  78	Brendan Moore	5
  79	Tinker Juarez	4
  80	John Bennett	3
  81	Sondre Norland	3
  82	Jason Young	3
  83	Aaron Snyder	3
  84	Matt Gordon	1
  85	Mitchell Hoke	1

  Elite women

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
  1	Georgia Gould	510	pts
  2	Willow Koerber	395
  3	Kelli Emmett	335
  4	Heather Irmiger	275
  5	Lene Byberg	270
  6	Amy Dombroski	217
  7	Pua Sawicki	210
  8	Aleksandra Mooradian	205
  9	Katerina Nash	187
  10	Susan Butler	175
  11	Emily Batty	170
  12	Allison Mann	150
  13	Chole Forsman	145
  14	Catherine Pendrel	135
  15	Amanda Sin	130
  16	Amanda Carey	110
  17	Alice Pennington	90
  18	Judy Freeman	85
  19	Bryna Blanchard	75
  20	Kimberly Flynn	75
  21	Alison Powers	75
  22	Katherine Compton	75
  23	Melanie Mcquaid	70
  24	Kathy Sherwin	62
  25	Mical Dyck	60
  26	Jenna Rinehart	60
  27	Krista Park	59
  28	Christina Smith	50
  29	Anina Aaron	50
  30	Danae York	43
  31	Nina Baum	40
  32	Shae Rainer	40
  33	Meghan Korol	38
  34	Abby Strigel	35
  35	Linnea Koons	33
  36	Lizzy English	30

• Reigning champs lead Aussie worlds charge

  

  Article published:

  July 1, 2010, 10:19

  By:

  Cycling News

  Graves and Buchanan head to Canada in August

  Reigning four cross world champions Jared Graves and Caroline Buchanan will lead a formidable 38-strong Australian team at the 2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Canada this August.

  The championships, to be held from August 31 to September 5 in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, will celebrate 20 years of international mountain biking.

  Graves will ride into the 2010 championships as the raging favourite, dominating the elite men's four cross event over the past two years. The 27-year-old is on track for consecutive UCI World Cup titles, securing three out of four possible wins and a 175-point lead over his closest rival, Tomas Slavik, at the half way point of the season.

  Buchanan's preparations will take a different path, balancing training between both her mountain bike and BMX commitments. The 19-year-old will represent Australia at the BMX World Championships in South Africa in July before making her way to Canada in August.

  Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) high performance manager Chris Clarke said he was confident the squad will deliver some great results. "This is a very competitive team across the board, led by our two reigning world champions Caroline Buchanan and Jared Graves," said Clarke.

  "We have a good mix of riders who have the experience and know what it takes to compete, and win, on the world stage, and those who will benefit greatly from the experience of these leaders and the international competition."

  An exciting edition to the Australian lineup is young Troy Brosnan, the 17-year-old competing in the junior men's downhill in Canada during a season which has seen take the junior title at the Fort William round of the UCI Downhill World Cup.

  Dual downhill world champion Sam Hill (2006 and 2007) has also been selected, the 24-year-old joining five teammates in the men's elite downhill, including Shaun O'Connor, who makes the transition to the elite men's division.

  Australian team - 2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships

  Elite men cross country: Andrew Blair (NSW), Lachlan Norris (VIC), Ben Henderson (ACT), Daniel McConnell (VIC)
  Under 23 men cross country: Cal Britten (VIC), Paul van der Ploeg (VIC)
  Junior men cross country: Kyle Ward (NSW), Mitchell Codner (NSW), Trenton Day (NSW), Cameron Ivory (NSW)
  Elite women cross country: Rowena Fry (TAS), Heather Logie (ACT), Kate Potter (NSW), Katherine O’Shea (VIC)
  Under 23 women cross country: Gracie Elvin (ACT), Therese Rhodes (SA), Rebecca Henderson (ACT)
  Elite men four cross: Richard Levinson (QLD), David Habicht (VIC), Jared Graves (QLD), Randall Huntington (QLD)
  Elite women four cross: Caroline Buchanan (ACT), Sarsha Huntington (QLD)
  Elite men downhill: Shaun O'Connor (NSW), Bryn Atkinson (NSW), Mitchell Delfs (WA), Michael Hannah (QLD), Samuel Hill (WA), Chris Kovarik (QLD)
  Junior men downhill: Troy Brosnan (SA), Ayden Wyber (VIC), Phillip Piazza (NSW), Antony Moore (QLD)
  Junior women downhill: Holly Baarspul (WA), Emily Hockey (SA)
  Elite men 26" trials: Joe Brewer (VIC), Andrew Dickey (VIC), Nathan Mummery (VIC)

• Lee wins Tour Divide

  

  Article published:

  June 30, 2010, 20:45

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Cannondale racer dedicates victory to deceased fellow competitor

  Matthew Lee (Cannondale Factory Racing) won the seventh edition of the Tour Divide, a 2,745-mile trans-continental mountain bike race from Banff, Alberta, Canada, to the US - Mexican border. It was Lee's fifth Tour Divide victory, and this year he won in a time of 17 days, 15 hours and 10 minutes.

  "It was eight hours faster than the current Great Divide Mountain Bike course record, BUT we traded 70 miles of very difficult dirt riding for 60 miles of a paved detour," Lee told Cyclingnews. "Therefore, the Tour Divide will get filed in its own special race results category."

  Racers were forced to detour from the pre-defined route due to a fire near Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico.

  Lee, who also serves as the director of the unsupported race, finished at 1:00 am on Tuesday morning, and Cyclingnews caught up with him later on Tuesday as he was buying some non-cycling clothes at the local Walmart in order to prepare for his trip home.

  Each year that Lee has raced, he's faced a different set of challenges. This year proved no exception.

  "There was lots of opportunity for personal growth," said Lee. "The 2010 Tour Divide was a tale of low and high pressure systems and low and high spirits.

  "The weather for a spell in Montana was the coldest, snowiest we've ever had. Then down south, it was high pressure domination with heat and stiff headwinds.

  "In my mind, it was classic Grand Tour drama that may go down as one of the more interesting story lines, despite the tragedy. Grand Tour racing is always a great metaphor for life. The 2010 Tour Divide is no exception."

  The tragedy Lee mentioned was that of the death of David Blumenthal while the latter was racing through Colorado. The Vermont resident collided with a pick-up truck and sustained fatal head injuries.

  Despite the remote setting of most of the race, news of Blumenthal quickly spread to racers, who call in and go online whenever they have a chance in order to give updates on their own status and learn about the status of other races.

  After hearing of Blumenthal's death, Lee wasn't sure what to do. "Initially I was ready to drop out. My judgment wasn't very clear, and it felt like a proper first reaction for racer/organizer. I was in a very remote lodge near the border of Colorado and New Mexico. Extrication wouldn't have been easy, but a Mountain Flyer journalist had been shadowing me that day so I did have a ride out.

  "I contacted a few close friends to solicit opinions. Everyone felt it would be possible to honor Dave more completely by first doing it on the bike - to finish "for him". I agreed, for the most part, but didn't want to be insensitive.

  "In the end, I think it was the right decision for "my processes" and Tour Divide's processes. It would have been very easy for certain essential elements of the race to die with the tragedy if we didn't see this year's edition through to the finish. Antelope Wells - come hell or high water - is what part of makes this race so extreme, so lovable."

  Lee recalled another memory of his race - from earlier on. "There was the half day he rode with GC contender Erik Lobeck. He had been chasing me for five days since I attacked the lead group on the opening day by riding 195 miles into the Flathead Wilderness. Once we were finally united, we rode together in rain and snow misery.

  "It was upbeat and in solidarity, but the edge of competition was still palpable. By nightfall, I opened up a little gap and then Erik destroyed his drivetrain in a bentonite clay mud hike-a-bike debacle. This caused him to lose the 24 hours he never recovered."

  When asked if he would race the Tour Divide again, he said, "I always want to race! I was pursuing the record earnestly, when we were forced to detour the route for fire in the Santa Fe National Forest outside Albuquerque. This rendered all of this year's times 'asterisked'.

  "If I come back, it will be because improving that record nags at me," said Lee. "I would love to manage the race from the other (non-participant) side for once. It's pretty exciting to watch."

  Erik Lobeck and Blaine Nester tied for second place and Aidan Harding finished fourth on a singlespeed. Harding will be awarded the white jersey as the highest-ranked rookie in the general classification.

• Tour Divide experiences first fatality

  

  Article published:

  June 30, 2010, 01:30

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Vermont racer passes away after collision with vehicle

  While racing the Tour Divide, a trans-continental mountain bike race from Banff, Alberta, Canada, to the US - Mexican border, David Blumenthal was hit by a vehicle and died. It was the 2,745-mile race's first fatality in its seven years running.

  The 37-year-old resident of Montpelier, Vermont, ran into a truck coming toward him on an unpaved road. After a brief visit to a local hospital following the accident, he was transported to St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver, Colorado, where he died last Thursday, according to TimesArgus.com. The racer was on the course near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, when the accident happened.

  "What happened was they were on a narrow mountain dirt road, and he was riding in the opposite lane and collided with the side of a pick-up (truck) that was coming in the opposite direction on a curve," said Colorado State Patrol Trooper Matthew Velasquez to the Times Argus.

  Based on where the bike, the rider and the pick-up ended up, the officer concluded that the driver of the vehicle was not at fault.

  "Dave sustained terminal head injuries," said Tour Divide organizer and participant Matthew Lee to Cyclingnews. "He probably didn't suffer."

  Although ambulance crews made it to Blumenthal within 20 or 30 minutes and then transported Blumenthal to a hospital, it was not enough to save his life.

  "I didn't know Dave other than that we corresponded by email periodically," said Lee to Cyclingnews. "He was a very bright, creative guy, and all who rode with him during the first half of the race talk about how he animated their days."

  Blumenthal was a passionate outdoorsman, who undertook other endurance adventures. He through-hiked Vermont's Long Trail in 2000 and the Pacific Crest Trail with his wife in 2004.

  Multi-time race winner Lee, who was leading the race at the time of incident, decided to continue his after some deliberation, but dedicated his performance to the fallen rider.

  "Having just come off the route myself, I'm not sure I am able to fully put his death into a real world perspective yet," said Lee to Cyclingnews hours after winning the 2010 edition. "The effect it had on me during the race was to heighten my own already heightened emotions about everything.

  "I cried out of the blue a lot. I grieved for his family even as I missed my own all the more," said Lee. "Dave's loss absolutely is tragic."

  Blumenthal, a Harvard graduate, leaves behind a wife Lexi Shear and young daughter Linnaea. To read his final blog entry, visit type2fun.wordpress.com.

  According to the Tour Divide's website, "Dave's family would like to thank the Tour Divide community for their thoughts and support through this tragedy. They ask that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his memory to the Green Mountain Club." Letters of condolences can be sent to lexi.shear [@t] post.harvard.edu.

  Cyclingnews extends its condolences to the family and friends of David Blumenthal.