One of the harder parts about this race was having to make the decision to do it or race the MTB at Fort Custer.  All of my kids list the Fort as one of their favorite races, so their minds were already made up.  I made the tough decision to go to Cone by myself while the rest of the family did the MTB thing.  The other hard decision was which wheels to use.  I thought about using the new Bontrager Aeolus D3, but figured they would be way too stiff on the bumpy gravel.  I ended up using the Bontrager RXL and could not have been happier.  Geoff and I packed up his dwarf-sized vehicle and headed out around 6:00 the morning of the race.  We had planned to arrive early and take a lap of the course.  We did arrive early, but it was easier to stand around and talk then do a whole warm-up lap.  We rolled the first half mile of gravel then turned around and headed for the start.  The memories of the race are pretty fuzzy as the lack of oxygen and gravel flying make it difficult to focus during the race.  I will try to recount the important events as I remember them.

Lap 1- Nice, easy roll-out but once the gravel is in sight guys start swarming the front.  Once we hit gravel the pace increases and stays there until we hit pavement.  I find myself off the front with another guy and then he looks back and has a panic look.  We missed the corner to the second section of gravel and we begin to chase.  I think the group slowed down and waited for us as we catch back on before we hit pavement again.  It was a ton of work to catch up, but not too much harm done.

Lap 2- Kind of a replay of the first except the gravel was even faster this time.  Lots of attacks, but nothing comes of them.  Geoff comes up next to me and is having issues with his wheel and lets me know he is going to get a replacement.  On his way back he also gets a flat and is never seen again.

Lap 3-This is where I am pretty fuzzy.  I remember the Spin guy in orange going off the front alone, but Mac joined him some how and I honestly have no idea how it happened.  I know there were attacks and lots of chaos, but I think he disappeared for a while and very few people realized it.

Lap 4- Nice easy pace even on the gravel.  I now know why, because Bissell was letting the break, that few people knew about, go.

Lap 5- A group gets away on the second gravel section and some of us begin to rotate at the front and try to get them back.  Tom and I are the only teammates working and Tom tells me he will do the work and I should relax a little.  I take his advice and hide while they pull down the windy finishing straight.

Lap6- I go to the front on gravel and before I know it I have caused a separation.  It is just me and 5 other guys.  Adam York and I are the only ones without teammates up the road, but a little pleading and we get some help from the other guys.  We finally catch the group in front of us, but Mac and the other guy are long gone.  We finish out the lap with a few attacks, but nothing real strong and guys are getting pretty tired.

Lap 7- Paul Martin flex’s his muscle’s a little and hits the gravel super hard.  I’m not sure about everyone else, but I was just about at my limit.  Thankfully the pace slows a little and everyone settles in for the finish sprint.  The group has about 12 guys and I’m not sure if anyone is a sprinter.  So, rather than wait for the sprint I start it.  In my normal fashion it is probably a little early, but it almost worked.  I am sitting almost dead last and decide to go with 300 meters left.  I think I caught a lot of guys by surprise as I was able to get a pretty good gap.  I am sprinting strong and can see one wheel coming up.  I try to hold them off but my legs aren’t working with me and I am caught by Derek Graham at the line.  Just finishing the race without mechanical troubles is good, but finishing 4th is awesome.

Dan K

Once we arrived at the start, it was all business as Geoff and I attempted to look calm and relaxed.  We decided to ride the first part of the race as our warm-up and it was really cool to see all the big names out and about.  I felt like a little kid as Geoff and I would pass someone then laugh and talk about how good they are.  Everyone started lining up about 15 minutes early and we were able to secure a fairly decent spot towards the front.  The really fast guys covered the front row and we were right behind.  The next thing you know we are off headed down the street at 30mph.  The pace was crazy, but I was able to hold my position.  As we neared the end of the pavement it got a little hot as guys tried to move up at the last second.  I placed myself right in the middle, held my ground and was happy to be sitting about 20th.  The first 2 track was pretty uneventful with no big issues.  Once onto the first single track gaps started to open up and I was getting nervous.  Once back on double track I put in a big effort and was able to latch on to the end of the lead train.  It was about 20 guys and we already were getting a decent gap.  Everything was going well then we came to a little hill with a turn at the bottom.  I could see guys slowing way down and tried to cut the corner and shoot by, but the guy in front of me unclipped and I ran right into his leg.   I had to unclip and run the hill and the lead pack was now gone.  I had a little while by myself, but a few guys came back from the lead group and a couple caught me and we continued to clip along.  The rest of the race we stayed pretty much together as a group of 7 and were really hammering.  Mike Simonson and Derek Graham were killing it and setting a blistering pace.  I stayed with the group up Anita’s Hill, up Icebreaker, but lost a little ground on the final single track and then lost a lot of ground up Woodchip, although Dan McGraw did his best to try and make me faster by yelling at me all the way up.  I was able to finish 5th out of the group and 20th overall.  Geoff came across a few minutes later and just missed being in the top 50.  I was stoked to see that I finished so high and had to keep looking at my computer to confirm my time of 1:37.  I know the course was fast, but I never thought I could go under 1:40.  It was an absolutely awesome race and I am very thankful to have the ability to ride with guys that are some of the fastest around.

Keegan and Laura also did well and had very respectable times of 2:19 and 2:35.  Keegan ended up 22nd in his group, but was the first 12 year old and even the first person under 15.  I hope that he continue’s to love racing and if he keeps improving he will win this race someday!

Dan K

Keegan bringing it home strong.

Although I love to race at the Fort, I would have to say that this year I was a little unhappy with the conditions. Geoff and I did some recon of the coarse the day before and niether of us were real impressed. The water crossing wasn’t horrible, but it does beg the question…why? Although I know many people wanted the two big climbs (Cardiac and CPR) I don’t find them as much of a challenge as the reroutes.  And lastly, Grannies Garden is in need of some serious reroutes as they have tried to patch it with bricks, logs and more dirt enough.  With all of my complaining aside there are some great parts to the coarse and a few bad spots didn’t ruin my day, it just cold have been better.  

I went into this race thinking that I had a chance for the win, so at the start I put up a fight for the lead instead of doing my usual sit back and and play passive.  I was able to grab 3rd wheel behind Mark Parmalee (the eventual winner) and 1 other guy.  A little ways in Mark got a little gap and  was I able to come around and close it down.  We were putting a gap on the rest of the field and I biefly had thougts of the 2 of us fighting it out the rest of the day.  Those thoughts were soon destroyed as we got to the fist big climb and Mark hit it perectly and off he went by himself.  He stayed visible for a few miles, but at no point was I able to get any time back.  2 other guys (Earl Hillaker and ?) came around me and the 3 of us played a little cat and mouse, as they would leave me in the tight twisty stuff and I would come screaming back on the straights or hills.  It was soon just Earl and I and we kept going back and forth for the 2nd and 3rd laps.  At some point I must have entered my red zone as I became delusional and swear that I saw a naked man jumping up and down cheering me on.  Anyway, toward the end of the third lap I put in a hard effort on the straight, flat part and was able to lose Earl.  So, for the last lap I just hammered away in the hopes of not getting caught.  I ended up finishing second and was pretty happy with the days effort. 

My day wasn’t quite done as I had to go back out for another lap with Kiersen.  She was the only girl agaisnt 7 boys in the 10 and under group.  She faired pretty well finishing 6th.  Ellie got 3rd in girls 11-14 and Keegan was 4th in Sport 15-18.

Dan K.