Gold Nugget Stage Race - Day 2 - Road Race Teamwork in the Heat

Day 2 of the stage race first involved getting up early, having a good breakfast (at the Pizza Plus, where else?) then driving about an hour up into the mountains, via a spectacular canyon pass.

When we arrived at the start, the temperature was still moderate (about 75 degrees) but it was clear that it would be another hot day. The boys were facing a 45-mile road race (except Skyler, whose group had a 25 mile race ahead), over a rolling course at about 3000 feet altitude.

Junior 15-16 lineup at the road race start

Heading out into the relatively cool morning, though it was 95 degrees by the end.

Junior 13-14 group heads out for their 25 miles

The races took fairly different turns, but there was a common theme - strong performances by the AC Juniors. In the 15-16 race, Bjorn worked hard with the front group, and managed to stay up front for much of the race. The battle was going to be between Bjorn, Alastair Eckmann, and Chris Flanagan.

Bjorn hammering on Alastair with three laps to go

Bjorn worked hard, but also managed to conserve his energy, and he kept the pressure on the rest till the last couple of laps. There was a breakaway with Bjorn, Alastair, Andrew Freund and Hanson, but Bjorn turned it on, dropped the break and soloed the last part of the race, to finish with a resounding First Place!

Bjorn takes it - First Place!

Skyler's race was equally challenging, with a battle between Ryan and Henry - Skyler kept the pressure on the whole way and outlasted the other boys to finish with another First Place.

Skyler finishing the 13-14 race - First Place

Bob and Spence had been working for Bjorn earlier in the race, and as a result, were fairly spent towards the end of the race. They met up with Dom, a kid from Southern California. Bob and Dom hung together and rolled in several minutes behind Bjorn. They finished a very tough, 45- mile race in the altitude and heat, and did a great job of supporting Bjorn in his win.

Bob and Dom rolling in at the finish

Spence came in a few minutes behind them - this was the longest race, and one of the longest rides he'd ever done, and he went through 9 water bottles in the process of finishing! Well done Spence...

A very hot and tired Spence finishes his 45 miles.

After the road race, there were several hours to go until the afternoon time trial began, so we grabbed sandwiches, and headed over to a swimming hole and waterfall that Bjorn and his family had discovered two years ago when Bjorn did Gold Nugget.

The first small swimming hole was in and around a large basalt canyon, and featured a nice 12-15 foot drop off into the 8 foot pool. The boys, goaded by Bjorn, had a great time jumping into the pool and swimming around for awhile, cooling off from the race.

Bob trying out the jump at the "small pool"

Of course, because they are teenage boys, jumping off small cliffs is never enough, and Bjorn knew of a bigger place "just around the corner" - actually about a 10 minute hike across the scorching basalt. It led over to a BIG swimming hole, with a 40-45 foot rock which had several "jumping off" points. Bjorn led the way, starting with the 12-15 foot jumps, then he and Bob headed up to the top, where they did the 30-35 foot drops into the pool - which they didn't get near the bottom of.

Bjorn and Bob re-enacting Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid

Bob about to land after his 35 foot jump. Hint - wear shoes or flip flops!

After the fun and relaxation in the water, it was time to trek back to the start of Stage 3, just a short drive away. It was mercifully a short time trial course, only 3.8 miles, which was about 1 mile of mostly flat to rolling road, then a 0.8 mile hill, followed by about 2 miles of rolling "false flat" to the finish. The boys went out at one minute intervals, and hammered up the course solo.

Bob near the top of the hill climb section.

Bjorn turning it on into the "flat" section.

Skyler pushing hard at the top of the climb.

Spence was last one in - hammering towards the finish.

All the boys, glad that the TT is over - short, but painful.

After the finish, they rode down to the start,
and enjoyed the shade before heading back to the hotel

After the two races in one day, we had a long drive back to the hotel, where the boys spent much of the evening in the pool, practicing their cannonball and other techniques, then early to bed for the final day of racing - a 36-mile (or 24-mile for Skyler) road race.

Glad to be back at the hotel with the pool!

More pictures are HERE

Gold Nugget Stage Race - Junior Heat Test Weekend - Day 1

This weekend is already shaping up to be a battle of the boys against the elements - the main element being HEAT. Today after a 4 hour drive to Mariposa ("gateway to Yosemite") we arrived in 97 degree heat and pondered what the first stage of this three-day, four-race series would be like.

The boys immediately held a conference in the pool here at the motel, and determined it would be tough, but they were ready. They turned out to be right on both counts.

After cooling off in the pool, everyone piled into the van (thanks, Blair!) and we drove the 35 minutes out to the start of the first stage, the 9-mile hill climb, in Hornitos (sounds like a snack food?). It was more remote than the start of Copperopolis, with a school and a bar, and little else at the start.

Resisting the urge to hit the bar at 4 PM, the boys checked in to get their numbers - only 27 people were registered across all the classes. Junior 13-14 was about 7 boys, and the Junior 15-16 totaled 11 starters, including Spence who decided to "race up" a class.

Registration - this is about half of the entire field.

Once they were registered, the boys had about an hour to get ready, which mainly meant staying cool in the shade and avoiding getting dehydrated before the race started.

Conserving energy, waiting for the start of the race.

It may have cooled down to "only" 96 degrees by the 5:15 PM start.

Junior 15-16 team (Spence, Bob and Bjorn) waiting for the start

Skyler represented AC solo in the Junior 13-14 class today!

As the race was "one way" up the climb, I headed out in the van, and drove to the finish - sorry, no start pictures today! Along the way I observed that the first 3-4 miles were gentle rollers, like at Diablo (the start)...


...but then it began to kick up, especially the last two miles - I really wondered how this would be in the heat, and I was in the air-conditioned van!


After waiting around for 15-20 minutes at the top, with some of the other parents, the first group, Junior 17-18, began arriving. Shortly after that, the Junior 15-16 brigade came in - Bjorn first, with either a third or fourth place finish (I think)

Bjorn arrives - really wondering HOW LONG that finish straight was?

A few minutes later, Spence rolled in - he said it was maybe the hardest race he'd done to date - very fast pace from the group on the flats, then the heat really hammered them on the way up the climb.

Spence arrives, ready to re-hydrate

Bob rolled in a few minutes later - he'd had a minor mishap with a chain problem earlier, but caught the group before the climb. Still a long, tough haul up the hill and he was a hot and tired racer...

Bob rolls in - enough of the heat...

Then Skyler made it - he came in at Third Place in a competitive Junior 13-14 group.

Skyler arrives, wondering where he can get another bottle of water...

The boys were all really tired and it was clear that this was a tough start to a long weekend of racing. But after some water at the finish, then showers at the hotel and dinner, they were feeling 100% better, and ready to do battle again tomorrow...

Recovering at the finish

So now they're in the pool (at 8:30 PM) and we'll head out tomorrow for the next TWO stages - the road race in the morning (25 or 45 miles) and the time trial in the afternoon (3.8 miles). Watch this blog for updates same time on Saturday night!

Here is a link to the race website for details of the four stages.

And here are a few more pictures.