JB's Adventure Blog: 18th Annual Tidewater Moutain Bike Challenge.

Hey....

Yesterday I raced the 18th Tidewater Mountain Bike Challenge. Steve Nevins has been promoting this “classic” season finale for a long time and continues to put his love of the sport into the race every year. Thanks Steve! This years’ course was buffed smooth and fast thanks to trail work and good weather “60 and sunny”. My team-mate Chris and I had a tight race. After a fast hole shot I reached down to unlock my shock and swoosh as fast as you could say moto, he dropped in on me like it was a bmx race my wheel ground into to his and I almost went down after 30 mile an hour tripod! I regain some of my steam and thanks to David Duval was allowed the second slot into the ALL single track course.

The course’s thousand turns and undulating features make for much more than a lowland mountain bike race, it is like a BMX single track thru dense forests,, awesome!

So with Chris in the lead I was in trouble because, well first off he was gunnin for it and second off I realized I hadn’t gone this fast in the proximity of trees since I went head over handle bars and broke my back. The gaps would open and then close with much suffering. I was one attack from relegating to my own pace and then Chris hit it again. Damn I m done I though. No not yet I will just drill it and make sure I just get dropped and then I can crack and limp in. I Dug deep and it paid off he slow down and I started to recover the next lap I maintained and plan for a counter attack after I try to rest a little and hit a power gel. Coming up the longest up hill section of the course Chris let up for just a second and I snuck by with a furious attack. I knew I needed an escape velocity for 2-3 good sections. And then I would have to slow down. You see the course it so tight with so many turns and banks that if you ride it faster than a certain speed you waste a lot by blowing past turns or worst yet hitting the brakes and having to sprint back up to speed. So after hitting maximum cruise pace for a lap I had to kick it into the pain gear for the last 15 minutes. I have lost a few races to Chris in the final stretch so I needed every inch I could get. The time of 1:29 was the fastest ever Tidewater mountain bike challenge!

I did get the win, it was a good confidence builder and an indicator that I am back on track! David was 3rd, and Chris Beck was 4th.

Afterward Erin and I went out Pepito’s with the Baltimore crew of Chris and his wife Alison, David Duvall Chris Beck and Dave Bradshaw where we celabrated Chris Eatough’s Birthday with a fried Ice cream with candles and sung happy birthday. It was a fun time with friends.

Keep ya posted.

JB

Ps: the first person to guess the number of World Champions that have raced at the Tidewater Mtb Challenge gets a free autographed jersey.

posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 9:52 AM

Comments:

I would guess 2. Killer job by the way!

# posted by

Taylor Webb : 12:39 PM

and I say 4 ! You guys were flat out smokin it on Sunday! Wait wait - men and women - I'd say 6 total!

Glad your back is feelin better -

The other (much slower and older) JB

Race report on my blog also.

# posted by

JB : 2:39 PM

Congrats!

I'm going to aim high and guess 10. It's a classic! I'll have a recap from a Sport Women's perspective up on my blog in a day or two: http://amblus.diaryland.com

# posted by

Amblus : 3:24 PM

2 world champs, Sydor, and Juarez!

Nice work out there...

# posted by

kevin : 5:42 AM

Okay it's early, forgive me and no coffee yet.
Sydor, Juarez, and Etough!
3

# posted by

kevin : 5:49 AM

Random guess of 7, autographed jersey would be soo sweet so its worth the guess.

Jmu rider

# posted by

Kevin Sherman : 12:04 PM

BAM says, I'll go with lucky number 5!

# posted by

BAM : 8:00 PM

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

# posted by

BAM : 8:01 PM

That would be Two World Champions. Alison Sydor in 1995 with 3 World/3 Grundig World. And Chris Eatough 6 Solo 24 Hour Worlds

# posted by

MTB : 10:48 AM

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

# posted by

MTB : 10:49 AM

I'll go with 6, Congrats on a great race!

# posted by

JKC1x1 : 12:25 PM

if nobody got it yet including me, me secodn guess would be four

# posted by

Kevin Sherman : 2:02 PM

My final answer is 4 this is my first guess and ^your second guess. Ned Overend, Chris Etough, Tinker Juarez, and Alison Dunlap!

# posted by

Jordan Peterson : 10:52 AM

Ahhh forget that answer! I thought I read americans... Anyways my final will be 9.

# posted by

Jordan Peterson : 11:05 AM

Nevermind I thought you said just americans... Anyways my second guess will be 9!

# posted by

Jordan Peterson : 11:06 AM

So who won?

# posted by

MTB : 8:44 AM

18th Annual Tidewater Moutain Bike Challenge.

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