A good result at a World Cup is often subjective, elusive and hard to really see until the dust settles and you've packed and un-packed your bags a few times. And maybe flown across an ocean. I finished in 17th place at the last World Cup in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
Final US Cup - Colorado Springs
It's strange to sit down and write an update from last weekend's final US Cup race in Colorado Springs, CO after my first day of training on the World Cup course in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. A part of successfully racing back-to-back race weekends is becoming adept at switching gears after a race and immediately start preparing for the next event.
And the '15 World Cup begins...
Even though I didn't have the crash-free race I'd hoped for, I did a lot of things really well today, and, most importantly, in the days and weeks leading up to the start of the World Cup season. I'm still feeling very confident in my training, my equipment, and my ability to perform when I'm on the start line waiting for the gun to go off.
Newsletter Update & Plush Travel!
I could get used to plush travel itineraries to Europe. Today I'm leaving for Europe and instead of my usual 4-5 am wake up for the shuttle to Phoenix Sky Harbor, I'm catching up on some work on my couch and drinking coffee. Soon, I'll be out pedaling my bike.
Whiskey Off-Road
When I won the Whiskey Off-Road last year, it felt like a bit of an upset and I even surprised myself. This year, I worked on internalizing the idea that I was the rider to beat.
A Whiskey Off-Road Guide.
Usually I'd be writing my Sea Otter race report today but with the Whiskey Off-Road this upcoming weekend, I figured I'd put together a quick guide about the race weekend and Prescott. Here are a few events and items that aren't covered on the Whiskey Off-Road website.
PMBA Pint Nite, April 21st, 6-9pm
For starters, if you're already in Prescott don't miss out on the PMBA Pint Nite, which is TONIGHT from 6-9pm at The Final Score (1011 Commerce Dr) in Prescott. It's the largest fundraiser of the year for the Prescott Mountain Bike Association which is an IMBA chapter and the non-profit that builds and maintains many of our trails in the area.
Airport Shuttle
The easiest way to get from Phoenix Sky Harbor to Prescott is on the Arizona Shuttle. A one-way fare is $35 and the shuttles run every 30-60 minutes. There is no extra charge for bikes and there are multiple drop-off locations in town. I use this shuttle 20+ times per year and it's always on time and pretty comfy. The bottom line is that you don't need a car for the Whiskey Off-Road if you're within pedaling distance of the downtown venue. Use the shuttle and ride your bike.
The Pre-rides
If you'd like to check out some of the course but don't want to commit to the full 30 or 50, then check out these options for some abbreviated pre-rides. In the first two Strava rides, I've turned off of Copper Basin Rd onto Trail #391 to bypass camp Pearlstein (which is now closed to public access). But the camp is temporarily open to pre-riders this week so there's no longer a need to take Trail #391. Starting on Wednesday, the course should be fully marked.
- 3 hr pre-ride. This leaves enough time to check out the Whiskey 30 race course and all of the off-road portions of the Whiskey 50. You can start finish all of your pre-rides from the Courthouse Square. If you want to shave off a little time, I recommend getting shuttled to where the pavement ends on Copper Basin Rd.
- 2 hr pre-ride. It's possible to get a pretty decent look at the course with only a two hour time-frame. In this ride I've omitted the Trail #260 descent and Trail #52 climb. But, you get to recon the start climb, the first singletrack, trail #48 which has some of the most challenging climbing on the course and the entire descent from the Sierra Prieta Overlook.
- 1 hr pre-ride. If you only have an hour, make sure you check out the fire-road start climb just past Camp Pearlstein. This climb leads to the first singletrack of the race. Instead of taking Trail #327 to the left (the first singletrack), continue on straight and follow the fire road to Trail #327 (the opposite direction). Once you're on singletrack, you are back on the Whiskey course. Here's a look at that shorter version of the ride. Here I rode the Creekside Trail segment twice, which added some extra time.
FOOD
Prescott has a Sprouts, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Costco--so there is no lack of grocery options in town. Otherwise, here are my picks for places to eat:
- Pizza - Bill's Pizza (on the square). Apparently, the GF pizza is good here.
- Burgers - Bill's Grill
- Salads & Beer - The Raven
- Mexican - Don't do it. Unless you consider Chipotle as Mexican food (*see comments for some value recommendations)
- Thai - Thai House Cafe (BYOB)
- Best coffee - Method Coffee
- Best coffee/lunch downtown - Cuppers Coffee House
- Something different - The Superstition Meadery. I haven't been here yet but it's on the square and I've heard good things. Wine & Snacks only.
US Cup #3 - Bonelli Park
For the 3rd round of the US Cup, we were back on the dusty slopes of Bonelli Park in San Dimas, CA. The course hardly resembled the first version only a few weeks prior--it was far better despite a chewed up track with plenty of loose corners, braking bumps and enough rocks to carefully consider tire selection. This was an HC level event, which means there are enough UCI points up for grab to attract some top-international racers.
Racing Trifecta.
The podium this past weekend was an especially meaningful one as it was the first time I have won an actual medal while racing for our USA National Team. And it's the first time I've ever won a tree.