The racing season has started and the team is delivering! I am posting 2 race reports from Gary Mapes! He is on Fire! In a 3 week span he won the Lawrence River Trails Race, was 4th with JP Shores at the 6 Hr. Bonebender Du Race, and won the Tour De Tick in Neosho Mo. by more than 6 min. in the Cat. 2 30-39 age group. Here is how 2 of the races went down:
Lawrence Race Report:
Nine of us lined up for the Cat 2, 30-39 class. Only 3 racers for the Cat 2, 19-29 entered the race so the promoters decided to combine our groups for the start and then separate the groups for the results. Well like most, I'm thinking uhhg, because seperated or not, you want to beat the guys you line up with. Now we got to take on these whipper-snappers! Two of us from
shoressports.com are on the start, myself and Jason Coffman to the right of me. We plan on hitting the start hard to possibly stay together and control the race. The official calls out "go!" without any warning and I have a bit of a time getting clipped in, but I manage to out sprint all the guys in my age class except one of the young guys is in front of me. I look back to see Coffman 2 back from me and looking strong. I try to stay with the young guy as long as I can but he is setting a blistering pace and I didn't want to risk losing my age group trying to catch him. I lead the first two laps, pulling into some tough winds with a stomach cramp. On the 3rd lap I decided to let number two around me in hopes he would pull through the wind for a bit, but instead he attacks me and I have a hard time covering it. After a few miles he gets just out of sight, my cramp settles out and I slam a power gel and lock my shocks to try and bridge. I hit it hard and pull him back in just as we are about to start the final lap, as I catch him I try and get in his head a bit by saying "I'm back" in a taunting Jack Nicholson way. I ask him if he wanted to pick the pace up a little and try to catch the younger guy and he makes a mistake by telling me he was cramping up! Yes you guessed it I take the opportunity to ATTACK! I left him behind and never looked back. Now I'm about 3 miles from the finish and what do I see? The guy in the younger class is in trouble, he has partially blown him self with his own blistering pace. I pass him with 2 to go but he latches on to me like a tick. We come out of the woods to see the finish line, he whips beside me to go for the sprint but I barely hold him off to take it by less then a half a wheel! Rack one up for the old guys! Shortly after Coffman comes blasting through to take 3rd place in our age group! shoressports.com takes 2 podium spots on the first cross country race of the year. This Is going to be an exciting year for shoressports.com
Neosho Report:
Really not alot to report on this one, I was really was only concerned about 1 guy. Rob Ballou a UFD Eastern league strong man. He was lined up next to me, and was looking fit! I knew I had home field advantage since I know the course very well and had already spent three hours on it earlier in the week. My goal was to get the hole shot and push my limit from the start and make my competition afraid to challenge me. I quickly jumped off of the start and I kid you not I dropped the field so fast I thought I took a wrong turn! LOL, less than one minute in I looked back and no one was in sight! The course was very slick so I hammered the climbs and straights until I felt like losing my lunch and then I rode conservative in the slick tech. spots. I beat Rob (second place finisher) with a time of 1:46:50 on the 19 mile course.
BoneBender:
We entered 4 Teams in Duo Bonebender Race with a goal of getting at least 2 teams on the podium. We accomplished half of our goal. There was a record 18 teams in the event and we were in a battle for 2nd - 5th most of the 6 hr. race! At the end of the day we placed Craig Hoppe and Jason Douglas on the 3rd place spot on the podium. Gary and JP were 4th. Randy and David were 7th. Jason Coffman and Mayfield were 9th. It was great day just hanging out with the guys! That was more important than any podium or placement. We truley have an incredible group of racers this year.
This coming weekend is our race! KRUG! Randy Tracy and Craig Hoppe have been putting in some serious time over the last few years to get this trail ready to race. Let me tell you, if you do not bring your climbing legs, you better just stay home!! I know that many people have helped build and support the trail building efforts in St. Joe, but we all know that Randy and Craig have been the two spear heading this effort, so if you run into either one this weekend, tell them Thanks!!
Go Shores Sports Racing!
JP
