Price and Lowery endure hot temperatures for win

Temperatures skirted the 99 degree (Fahrenheit) mark at the Cowbell Challenge marathon on Saturday. Riders from across the country were there to suffer the boiling heat as they competed for points in USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Endurance Calendar series. Over 150 riders lined up in the downtown of Davidson, North Carolina.

Harlan Price (Independent Fabrication/ IFRacing Inc.) and Carey Lowery (Outdoor Store) were the first to cross the line after an attrition rate that saw over half the entrants drop out. Rebecca Rusch (Specialized/ Red Bull) and Rebecca Tomaszewski (Niner/ Ergon) finished second and third in the women's race after Tomaszewski.  Lowery  also scored the fastest lap for the field with a time of 44:26.151.  Eight women in the 12-racer field completed the full six laps in the punishing heat.

In the men's race, Price struggled against his protagonists as Jafer Beizer (Jittery Joes Under 25) attacked off the front at the start, then disappeared for awhile. Aaron Oaks (Bulldog/ Campmor) put the pressure on in the middle of the race. After riding comfortably alone for the last two laps, Price looked back to see Beizer charging hard at the bottom of the last series of climbs. Price managed to hold off the charge and finished with a time of 4:16. Beizer finished second and Oaks was third. Nine men finished on the lead lap.

Full report and photos coming!