Schalk goes off course, shares first place with Tanguy

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The ninth race of the Kenda National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Series, the Fool's Gold 100 and 50-mile races, began with ideal mild weather along with primo course conditions for most of the race; however, the adventure had just begun for a record number of racers who would also experience Georgia heat, an isolated downpour, and even a missing sign that would present a dilemma with an unanticipated outcome.

Men's open: Schalk and Tanguy agree to a tie!

NUE series leader and three-time defending champion, Jeff Schalk (Trek Mountain Co-Op) became the first in the men’s open this year to win four races following his win at Pierre’s Hole 100 in what has arguably been one of the most hotly contested seasons ever.

However, with just one point separating him from the defending champion on race day, the series was clearly at stake for Christian Tanguy (Team CF). Tanguy had three wins and needed just one more to tie the defending champion. A win on Saturday would set up the tie breaker at the Shenandoah Mountain 100, a race won by Tanguy last year.

"Christian was obviously having a good day. I felt good as well, but was riding defensively since I am one up on him in the series," said Schalk. "We were alone out front by mile 25, having just dropped Rob Marion and Cesar Grejales. I was mostly sitting on for the first 40 miles, allowing Christian to be the aggressor and set the pace."

"Then, he flatted, so I went on the attack. However, the course was not yet marked at the split at mile 45. Since the race is a two lap format with a lollipop stem to get to/from the start/finish, there needed to be a prominent marking at the end of the loop, but the race directors had not yet marked that intersection, so I followed the tape, which took me back towards the start/finish at the winery," said Schalk.

"By the time I got back to the intersection, it was marked, and the race director told me that I was the only one who it hadn't been marked for and that I would be credited with the time lost (she had seen me down the road and kept track of the elapsed time) -- this error cost me 21min. So I continued on and rode hard for the second lap, and was able to cross the line just a few minutes behind Christian even without the time credit."

"I felt that I had won the race since I hadn't gotten lost by my error and should be credited time. But, Christian had crossed the line first, and wasn't aware of what was happening, so obviously thought he had won and didn't agree with the 21-minute credit. After discussing it with both Christian and the race directors, we all felt it seemed the most fair to call it a tie, crediting us both with first place. I'm really disappointed that the incident occurred, but it was out of my control."

2009 Fool's Gold winner Christian Tanguy (Team CF) also offered his take on the incident. "Right from the start, I made tempo along the major climbs. I won the King of the Mountain award but no one was really challenging yet. By aid station one, I was still at the front and in front again at aid station two. At aid one, Robert Marion was with us but within the singletrack he lost some ground and it was just Jeff and I at that point.

"I must say there was big improvement this year. The trail was much more fun to ride than two years ago, of course, last year was a mud fest. Just before reaching aid four, my rear tire was seriously deflated, but I was convinced that putting more air in it would be fine so I stopped there to top off the air in my tire and went. That might have cost me a minute or little over a minute.

"As I was finishing lap one, there was somebody to direct me to my second lap but Jeff was not that fortunate. There was no sign or volunteer there to direct him to the proper pass so he got lost but I didn’t know. I chased Jeff, who was no longer in front me, but I chased really hard. I was looking at long straightaways on the climb. I was pushing the pace and thinking that I should really get a good glimpse of him.

"Maybe up three quarters of this one climb I was like, 'Man, Jeff must have really terrific legs because I don’t see him'. So I took it down a notch because when he is like this, there is nothing I can do. I just thought he was on another level today.

"Before I reached aid three for the second time I had a crash and I picked up my bike only to realize that I didn’t have a flat tire, it might have only cost me like 15 seconds. When I reached aid station two, I didn’t stop but at aid three I was told that Jeff was off course but I thought it was a legit 'off course thing' so I got motivated to push harder. I picked up another tube at Aid three because you never know what happens and then after four I got another flat tire on a smooth section of trail.

"Then it started to rain and I must have my glasses. I can’t ride without my glasses and it was coming down really hard. The trail was slippery and full of mud. I was like, sigh, Jeff is gonna catch me because at least he can see, I cannot see. So I tried to push every climb because every time I went down, it was just a blurry mess for me and I didn’t want to hit a tree or whatnot. So I just pushed it to the finish but then, we all know how it went.

"I can see both sides of the issue and I think it was the best compromise to make us tie. The consensus from all the racers, and I talked to maybe 30 racers, was that me being second would not be fair because I crossed the finish line first, so I think tied place is the best thing that could happen. We all know that the series is going to be played out at Shenandoah Mountain 100 now. I’m glad that we shook hands and we respect each other very much. I think it going to be a good showdown in two weeks."

NUE Series rules prohibit a race director from adding or taking away time from a racer. By agreeing to share the win at 7:11:12, Schalk and Tanguy resolved to return to the battle ground another day and, in so doing, revealed admirable character by both of these top level competitors.

Finishing third on the podium was Drew Edsall (1stplaceracing.com/supercoolbikeshop) of Florida. Edsall finished 7:32:19 followed closely by Ernesto Marenchin (Pivot Cycles) of Stow, Ohio 7:40:21 and Peter Schildt of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania at 7:49:17.

Open women:  Sornson wins her first Fool’s Gold 100

2008 NUE Series Champion, Cheryl Sornson (Team CF), topped the list of contenders on the roster and didn’t disappoint, taking her first ever win at the Fool’s Gold 100 in just 8:53:22. This would also become Sornson’s second win of the season, following victory at the Mohican 100 on June 4.

Sornson, with two wins now, would need to win the next two races which are held just one day apart to challenge series leader, Amanda Carey (Kenda/Felt), however, she indicated that she had no plans to attempt such an unlikely feat.

According to Sornson, "It went really well, I felt good and rested. After the Wilderness 101, I took a break and got my head clear and my body right because I felt so sick that day, so I came in strong and hydrated.

"The end, I wish, was faster but it got really slippery and it had me kinda slow down because I didn’t want to break my bike and I didn’t want stitches (laughing). The climbs are brutal but the singletrack is so much fun. You do all the nasty work in the beginning and then you get up to singletrack and almost forget about that climb in the middle but then you get back in the singletrack again so you get payback."

Brenda Simril (Motor Mile Racing) placed a close second to Sornson at 9:09:46. Simril, who also has second place finishes at both the Mohican 100 and the Wilderness 101.

"It was great but it was hard mostly because of the heat," Simril said. "But knowing the course, kind of a hometown course, just a couple hours away from where I live in Chattanooga, helped a little bit but not enough to threaten Cheryl at all (laughing). This race will allow me to drop a six place finish."

Simril is planning to compete in the series finale at the Shenandoah Mountain 100.

Andrea Wilson (Outdoors, Inc) has not competed in the NUE Series since she placed third at the Mohican 100 on June 4 but maintained her solid form to take the third podium spot on a singlespeed, this time, with, at least, front shocks.

"It was great! I actually had as close to a perfect race as I could possibly have as far as staying hydrated, staying fueled, and not going out too fast as I’ve done here in the past (laughing). Not wrecking? That was good. Two years ago I wrecked really bad on one of the descents."

"The new trail helped out a lot! They’ve done a lot of trail work. Big props to all of the volunteers who have done all the trail work out here because, unlike the years past, it was kind of like "O Boy, there’s singletrack!", not "O God, No, not more singletrack" (laughing).

Wilson is planning to compete at the Shenandoah Mountain 100 and hoping to get a top five overall spot in the series on a singlespeed.

"I would love to see more women actually get out and ride single speed at races other than at just the Lumberjack. I heard there were more at Wilderness but it would be nice to see more women at some of the other races too."

Singlespeed: "The Pfluginator" successfully defends his NUE Series singlespeed title

At age 42, NUE Series singlespeed defending champion and Fool's Gold 2009 singlespeed winner Gerry Pflug (Salsa/SPK/Pro Bikes) has clinched his second straight NUE Series title

The Pfluginator put it down for the eighth time this season, completing the latest course in just 7:48:15 on 34/21 gearing. Crossing under the large arch that marked the finish line, Pflug wobbled across sporting a rear wheel that appeared it might very well crumble right on the spot. Nearly all of the spokes better resembled loose guitar strings.

"I trashed my wheel really bad, coming down Bull’s (Mountain), it just fell apart. It was rubbing all over the place. I asked for a spoke wrench and no one had a spoke wrench so I had to be pretty conservative on the last twenty miles or so. I was afraid it wasn’t going to hold up going down hills. It was all over the place. It was pretty bad but it worked, I got there."

When asked what he thought of this year’s race course, Pflug was complimentary. "It was good, until it rained. Then it got real tough. It started raining with thirty miles to go and my rear brakes started to go. The rear brake was already starting to fry by the end.

"But I liked the course better this year than the last two years. There was a nice flow of singletrack and less fireroad I guess. Being in the forest is nice in the sun. It was good singletrack and they did a good job of putting it in."

Pflug is also planning to compete again at the Shenandoah Mountain 100 where series awards will be presented to NUE Series division winners along with every racer able to go the distance by completing the series requirement of four finishes.

Finishing in second place and completing his first Fool’s Gold was Jason Pruitt (29ercrew LAS Hodson Bay) at 8:22:50.

"It was awesome! I had a blast on the singletrack. It was just like I was riding back home (in Lafayette, Indiana).

"Brown County is where I ride. All the trails were built by the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association so it’s all IMBA sanctioned grades. Once I got to the sections that were built that way, I caught so many people, I just hammered running a 34/19 and it worked really well. The only problem I really had was that first really big climb with the bigger gear you know.

"I was hoping to get a good finish because I screwed up the Wilderness 101, missing the last turn back on to the rail trail. I was fourth or fifth until then and ended up coming in at 14thso this was like redemption for me."

Shane Schreihart (Bikeman.com) of Woodstock, Georgia, finished third in 8:31:59 and had this to say,

"It felt really good from the start and I got behind the motor pace vehicle with Gerry and the other front runners. The car pulled off and I stuck with them for a little while and then I got absorbed by a big group of geared riders and a couple guys got away."

"I started going up Coopers (the big climb) and hit it pretty good. I felt good the whole first loop and heard I wasn’t too far off the leader so that made me feel real good. The second time off Coopers I just tried to ride my own race and I was battling back and forth with the guy who got fourth place, Danielle Atkins (Trek 29er Crew). He was running a little higher gear so I was able to reel him in on one of the steeper climbs."

"Then on the jeep road going up to Bear Hair singletrack, it got real steep and I could feel the legs and started walkin’ a bit. It started to get hot for awhile and then the rain came and actually cooled things off a little, it was a relief. Jake Mountain was a little sloppy but it wasn’t too bad. I was running a little gear that I sometimes use, a 32/20 on a 29er. Gotta let the ego stay at home man and pick a gear that you can climb in. (Grinning)"

New racer spotlight

Singlespeed racer Darius Brown (Sea Sucker) from Tampa, Florida, competing in his first ever 100-mile mountain bike race in the mountains had this to say, "It was pretty rough, I wasn’t used to the sustained climbing and it was much more difficult than I expected.

"I’ve done a century on the road like three weeks ago and mountain bike down in Tampa but there is no comparison at all. The closest I had done to this was the Six hours of Squiggy down in Tampa. I finished third in the singlespeed class there. Today, I was using a 34/20 gearing and riding rigid."

When asked about whether he saw Pflug at any point in the race Brown replied, "I think I saw them in the beginning and they took offon the first climb. That was it!" Brown is planning to compete in the NUE Series next year, singlespeed and rigid.

Masters 50+: Herriman makes it three towards defending his NUE Series title

2010 NUE Masters Champion Robert Herriman (Trek 29er Crew/WSC/ACFStores.com) is now just one win away from defending his title. He has early season wins at both Mohican and the Lumberjack following a third place finish at the Cohutta 100.

Although it has been Doug Andrews (www.GeoLadders.com) winning by margins measured in hours rather than minutes, on Saturday it was the Herriman reminding us of why he is the defending champion as he smashed the field by over an hour, 8:22:42.

"It felt good in the first 50 miles," said Herriman. "I was ridin’ with some really strong guys, and then that big hill starting the second loop I kind started fallin’ apart but I felt a little better when the hill was over and just struggled through. Then the mud and rain came and I don’t like muddy and greasy, but I got through it. I was havin’ fun before that came."

Paul Van Kooten (Motor Mile/SCV) from Red Bank, Tennessee, finished second 9:41:35 followed by Chris Irving (Red Ant Racing P/B Vineyard Vine) from Arlington, Tennessee, who finished third in the masters at 10:03:21.

"I took it real conservative," said Irving. "I had a hard time at the Wilderness 101and ended up in the ER with dehydration so it took a long time to recover. I have done five races and now and should be in fourth place overall.

A dark horse at the race, Todd Henne, who won Syllamo’s Revenge following a fourth place finish at the Cohutta100 was out of the Fool’s Gold early on with a strain affecting his Achilles tendon. Henne, who injured it earlier in the year, admitted that he had only been walking comfortably for only two days before testing his leg at the race, ultimately deciding to pull out.

Part of the post-race Georgia style welcome back party included Wild Heaven Craft Beers of Decatur, Georgia, which offered a Belgian styled Invocation and the Ode to Mercy Imperial Brown. Terrapin Brewing offered a top quality Rye Pale Ale, an American Pale Ale brewed with Rye.

After Saturday's race, just two more races remain to determine the series champions. NUE Series division champions will take the podium to receive NUE custom-designed jerseys in addition to over US$10,000 cash plus prizes at the Shenandoah Mountain 100 in Virginia. All NUE division winners also receive complimentary entry into all NUE events in 2011 as part of their reward.

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