RonW87
06-21-2012, 04:33 PM
Last Saturday I competed in a 238k race from Haines Junction, Yukon to Haines, Alaska. The course runs along the border of Kluane National Park in the Yukon, climbs to almost 4,000 feet, and crosses a bit of British Columbia before entering Alaska and descending to the coastal town of Haines The race is called the Kluane-Chilkat International Bike Relay (www.kcibr.org).
Most of the 1200 riders participate in 2, 4 or 8-person relay teams. I rode the solo category with around 35 other entrants.
Conditions for the race were less than ideal. We started the race by heading into a driving rainstorm, a temperature of 7 degrees a 20 to 30 km/hr headwind, and a 9 km. climb. Two hours into the race, I couldn’t feel my hands and had to use my palms to shift gears. Mercifully the rain let up a little, the temperature rose a couple of degrees and I got into a rotation with a good group of around 15 riders. That was enough to avoid becoming a popsicle.
After almost eight hours of racing, I came into the finishing straight with another rider in the solo category. I had no idea how far from the front we were, but I didn’t want to lose to this guy. I give it full gas on a little rise right before the finish. As I crested the hill, I looked back and saw that had nothing left to match the acceleration. I crossed the finish line hoping to be in the top half of the results sheet. When I looked at the finish times later, I realized we had been racing for the last podium spot!
Despite the rain and the cold, it ended up being a successful little outing.
Most of the 1200 riders participate in 2, 4 or 8-person relay teams. I rode the solo category with around 35 other entrants.
Conditions for the race were less than ideal. We started the race by heading into a driving rainstorm, a temperature of 7 degrees a 20 to 30 km/hr headwind, and a 9 km. climb. Two hours into the race, I couldn’t feel my hands and had to use my palms to shift gears. Mercifully the rain let up a little, the temperature rose a couple of degrees and I got into a rotation with a good group of around 15 riders. That was enough to avoid becoming a popsicle.
After almost eight hours of racing, I came into the finishing straight with another rider in the solo category. I had no idea how far from the front we were, but I didn’t want to lose to this guy. I give it full gas on a little rise right before the finish. As I crested the hill, I looked back and saw that had nothing left to match the acceleration. I crossed the finish line hoping to be in the top half of the results sheet. When I looked at the finish times later, I realized we had been racing for the last podium spot!
Despite the rain and the cold, it ended up being a successful little outing.