Smith repeats victory at High Cascades 100

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The infamous grouse of Mt. Bachelor that was the buzz at last year's High Cascades 100, fiercely defending its turf and pecking racers along a section of trail that even forced the reigning NUE Champ Jeff Schalk (Trek) to defend himself by placing his bike between himself and the perturbed bird, failed to make a third year appearance, no doubt, a relief to racers who experienced the fury of the small, yet formidable fowl.

Thanks to hundreds of downed trees, the redesigned HC100 course featured 75 miles of singletrack as heavy snows pushed the race a bit closer to town this year with a 35 mile opening loop that featured just 1,500 feet of climbing in the first 20 miles and close to 3,000 for the last 15. It included the recently completed Steve Larsen Trail, welcoming the NUE Series as the first racers to compete on this trail. The race donated $5000 to the local trail organization COTA (Central Oregon Trail Alliance) which provides trail access and opportunity in partnership with the Deschutes National Forest.

Men's Open

With Jeff Schalk and Christian Tanguy (Team CF) recuperating from the Breck 100, this year's HC100 battle became one between the 2010 High Cascades 100 Champion Carey Smith (Hammer Nutrition) and six-time Breckenridge 100 Champion, Josh Tostado (Santa Cruz/Shimano) who appeared to have, somehow, recovered from last weekend's 10,000 foot epic battle with the NUE defending champion.

Smith finished in 8:37:33 to beat Tostado by 10:26. "It was great! It was a good day and the first hundred miler I finished this year so I didn't really know what to expect," said Smith. "It was fun, Josh Tostado and I got a little gap early on, about 15 miles into the race. He, unfortunately, crashed (laughing) as we were having a little too much fun on the whoop-de-dos on the Tiddly Winks descent. He nailed the take-off on a little double but missed the landing and ended up in a tree and broke his seatpost. He fell off and I heard he got it replaced but it was a bummer because I didn't really know what pace to set so I just kept going at what I thought was a good pace and it worked out fine."

When asked about the dried blood on his face and ear, Smith responded, "You know, it's Oregon, you can't crash without hitting a tree around here. I went down twice and hit trees both times. One time, I caught a handlebar and it turned me right in and got my face and the other time I just lost the front wheel and ended up again in a tree so yeah, it's tight. Of course it's beautiful and clean, but there is just a lot of trees."

When asked about whether he was planning to compete in any upcoming NUE races Smith replied: "I hope so, it just depends on how I feel in two weeks, but I should be in Pierre's Hole. It's in my backyard and a great race. Andy Williams puts on a fantastic race and it's a good course so I hope to be there if I'm recovered and then Park City Point to Point. I went to Michigan in hopes of doing four but had an awful day and didn't finish, couldn't hang with those guys."

Runner-up Josh Tostado made up for lost time following a crash suffered early in the race. "When I hit the tree, I sat on my seat, dead stopped and just snapped it in half." Race director Mike Ripley added, "You realize you just climbed 3,000 feet with a broken seat to get back here for a seat change".

James Gritters at Sagebrush Cycles of Bend offered Tostado a saddle at the aid station that allowed him to finish. "I felt great, it was like it all came together coming back here after suffering two flats last year," said Tostado. "I got the seat so quick, and, all of a sudden it was like, I'm back in it. It was so cool. I'm pumped, maybe I will go out and ride some more! Maybe next year I can have no flats, no broken seats, no hitting trees, but then again, you know, maybe that's what makes it even more interesting."

Finishing third, in a time of 9:04:19, Michael Tobin (George's/Niner) of Boise, Idaho had this to say: "I've never made so many turns in my life, unbelievable singletrack. I'm going to take some days off. Cary and I used to race in the early '90s and then I did X-Terra and adventure racing so I spent a lot of time on mountain bikes.

When asked whether he planned to compete in any other NUE races, Tobin replied, "You know, the last 20 miles I was thinking, 'ahh, nahhhh, this is a once year type of thing, this is brutal'. I can't believe these guys do this consistently. But it suits my interests well. I love checking out new places, riding new areas, and doing long rides so I'm sure I will."

Troy Barry (Hammer Nutrition), of Jackson, WY, claimed he burned 8000 calories en route to his fourth place finish, despite suffering an unusual confrontation with a portly spectator, who fell backward onto Barry as he rode by, right before Tumalo, causing him to crash.

"Coming out of Skyliners feed with about 60 miles to go, she was standing there with her bike in the trail, and I said, 'I'm going right, right, and then as I'm going about 18mph by her she just fell backwards on top of me, on my back wheel and just tacoed it!"

Fortunately for Barry, he was able to replace his wheel and rotor, cannibalizing another bike with the help of JRad of Sunnyside Sports of Bend who took just nine minutes for the repair, allowing Barry to get back into the race. "I went flying into the woods. It wasn't so funny at the time but it's funny now that I got a wheel."

Women's Open

Defending NUE Series Champion Amanda Carey (Kenda-Felt) moves into the top spot following her win in Bend, completed in an impressive time of 10:03:14. Carey claimed that, for her, the HC100 was more difficult than the high altitude Breckenridge 100. "It was just full gas the whole time," Carey said. "There was no rest, no mental rest. There was very few sections where you could just pedal and gain time.

"I led for 60 miles and Alice [Pennington] was stuck on my wheel. I know Alice, we used to race 'cross together and cross country. I kind of rode my pace and she was smart, and just stayed there. She pulled around and we got into one of the very few sections that was doubletrack and she pulled in front and just started to push it. So I said, 'all right, if she's going to go, I'm going to go'.

"I just sat there and it was definitely pushing it for me. It was faster than I would have normally ridden but I have the knowledge of having so many of these in my legs and knowing what my body is going to do in reaction and I was comfortable doing that. This is my first HC100 but I heard great things about this race. It was very well-run and equal payouts for women is always nice. I chose to go to nationals last weekend and then come out here."

Carey is planning to compete next at the Pierre's Hole 100 and the Park City P2P. "I have really, really great sponsors like Kenda, Felt and Hammer Nutrition who are behind me and see the passion and strength that I have for the longer distance and they are all for it. I'm just doing what I love to be doing and it's easier to go fast when you're happy."

When asked what was most difficult about the race, Carey replied: "I think the hardest part was that it was really hard to make up time. None of the singletrack was really technical. There were few rocky sections, but the second you really started to push it in the singletrack you'd overcook the corner. I lost my front wheel four or five times in the first four or five miles and that's when I started to back it off a bit. I think that is why the finishing times were so long because it was super punishing and you had to be 100 percent focused on the line because it was really tight singletrack. Great race, great promoter, I'm happy it's part of the NUE Series and I will be back!"

Finishing second in the women's open was Alice Pennington (Team S&M), who crossed the line 16:25 behind Carey. "I was happy I finished this race because I didn't know I was going to do it until two weeks ago when I got a free entry from Sue Butler who dropped out due to a knee injury. I was like, 'well, I guess I'll do it since it's free, what have it got to lose?'

"I had no idea. It would have been nice to have a little more volume. I've never done a century on a mountain bike but long rides are nothing new to me. I've been doing some road training and trying to stay in shape for cyclo-cross."

When asked how she felt about the race, Pennington replied: "It was rad, I just wasn't quite as fit as I would have like to be which made for a bit of a long day. I had a great time. There were some really sick trails out there and the climbs were pretty heinous. I was with Amanda Carey until about mile 60 and I was pretty proud of myself because she is a very fit person.

Then there was this hot, endless climb and I felt like I was going to puke. I think I made the mistake of going in front, showing my poker cards a bit, and I was starting to go slow. I should have just stayed on her wheel. Then she noticed I was going slow and kind of punched it a little bit. I would love to give her a run for her money again sometime."

Serena Bishop (Silverado/Sunnyside Sports) rounded out the top three, finishing 24:51 behind Carey. "It was hard, harder than last year," said Bishop. "I got third last year and I was fifteen minutes faster this year but my GPS said it was 106 miles this year (laughing). Last year I just rode it and it turned out well but this year I tried to race. After we came through the first aid station, they were probably 30-45 seconds ahead of me and then, going down sector 16, I lost them, I don't know what happened.

"Alice [Pennington] is a really good descender so I figured she would put some time on me on the downhill and she did. I am 10 minutes behind her in a cross country race so I'm pleased. I haven't done any other hundreds but I like them."

Singlespeed Open

Defending NUE Singlespeed Champion Gerry Pflug (Salsa/Pro Bikes) made it five wins out of six NUE races as he continues to mightily defend his singlespeed crown. Although recovering from a hard-fought seventh place finish at the Breck 100 just a week ago, where he suffered from the effects of the 10,000' plus altitude, the Pfluginator reportedly blasted off from the starting line on the first climb, disappeared from the sight of his competitors, and was never seen or heard from again until he crossed the finish line in 9:22:37.

"I got out with a group of fast geared-guys on the first loop and just kept my pace up," said Pflug. "Some of the climbs were just endless. You would think you were at the top but you weren't. Highline was a real tough trail, there were some snow drifts but it was great. I looked over my shoulder every chance I had on the climb but didn't see anybody so I just kept going hard"

Pflug will be heading to the Wilderness 101 in Pennsylvania and then off to the Pierre's Hole 100 the following weekend where it's possible he could gain a lock on the series title.

Greg Martin (Club Ride/American Classic) finished second, 16:37 off the pace of Plug. "[I] couldn't ask for any better. That was about 80 miles of singletrack and every bit of it was some of the most fun singletrack you could ask for. First time doing this race but it was well marked and everyone was super helpful.

"Pflug was off the front from the gun and I never saw the Pfluginator. There was one road climb on lap two that was a bit rugged. You thought you were at the top of it but instead it just switched back and got steeper so it was a bit deflating when you saw the second pitch but it wasn't too long.

"I heard about the Grouse, and I was watching for the Grouse, but no Grouse. I had a good race but just didn't have quite the legs to catch the Pfluginator, I guess. I will be at Pierre's Hole in a couple of weeks and then Fool's Gold in Georgia after that and possibly the Park City Point to Point the week after that so this is really my first race of the season."

Mike Shane (Club Ride Apparel) finished third, 28:21 back, riding a Niner One Nine. "It was fun. I definitely had moments when I thought I was lost but I never actually did get lost. I rode a lot by myself and with my teammate. You know, when you're out there sometimes by yourself and you're looking around and it's beautiful, and then go 'huh, where is everybody?' So I had those moments sometimes and then I would see a marker and kept on going."

Masters 50+ Open

Doug Andrews (www.GeoLadders.com), "The HULK" of Mission Viejo, California, dominated the race to claim his third NUE Series win at the HC100, nearly two hours ahead of his nearest competitor. Andrews has become a major threat to defending NUE Masters Champion Robert Herriman (Trek 29Er Crew/WSC/acfstores.com), who has first place finishes at the Mohican 100 and the Lumberjack 100 and a third place finish at Cohutta.

Andrews was not only the masters winner, he was among the top-10 overall at Breckenridge and the top-15 at HC100.

"I rode with Matt Woodruff, who finished eighth in the Men's Open, for about 70 miles," Andrews said. "I know him and have ridden with him before. We had a really great day up until about 95 miles and then I got a flat and broke my derailleur cable so I was a singlespeeder from there out.

"It was just a good day until those small problems at the end of the race. I was like, 'it's only five miles or so to the end', unfortunately, there was a little more tacked on there and some big climbs." The course was actually closer to 106 miles. "I had to get off my bike for a number of climbs. I was on a 28x11 gear and I thought I could make it but my legs felt like I was the Hulk for a while."

Andrew's next race will be the Pierre's Hole 100 and the Park City P2P.

Finishing second was Mitchell Berger (Lactic Acid) of Boise, Idaho, 1:58:22 back and third on the podium this year was local rider Don Leet (Sunnyside Sports) of Bend who finished just 48 seconds behind Berger.

Next up for the NUE Series: The Wilderness 101 in State College, PA.

Full Results