RAIN UNABLE TO DAMPEN RIDERS' SPIRITS DURING ALLAMUCHY RACE
(see previous story about this race)
ALLAMUCHY - Despite the rain, despite the fatigue, Bryna Nestor of Albany N.Y. and Terry Blanchet of Castleton N.Y., riding as the Bare Naked Cannondale in the co-ed division, stayed with their plan to be the fastest two-person team at the 24 Hours of Allamuchy mountain bike race that ended Sunday at noon at the Boy Scouts of America Camp.
Nestor went out for their 21st lap at 23:42 (11:42 a.m.) , avoiding the deadline for starting a new lap by 18 minutes. It may have been the most difficult lap of the event as the rain laden skies broke open creating a mud fest for the cyclist to ride through.
Nestor finished her lap in 25:05 with Dalmatian-like spots peppering her face and mud blackening her legs.
“You don’t notice the rain so much when you’re out there, but the mud it’s pretty bad right now. It’s getting in my eyes.” said Nestor. “But I don’t mind the rain so much.”
The two started out on Saturday riding a lap each, and then began to do double laps, and later in the night Blanchet rode a triple while Nestor got more than two hours of sleep. Nestor and Blanchet have teamed up in several races and their camp bore the evidence of good organization, according to another rider whose tent was nearby.
“We’ve done so many 24 hours so it becomes sort of second nature,” said Nestor. “I don’t have to think about my stuff. I know what to do without having to think about it.”
Robert Lichtenwalner of Nazareth Pa., lead the solo men division wire to wire, completing 17 laps in 24:01, doing without sleep to accomplish the feat.
Forty-seven year old Jorge Castillo, of Costa Rico moved up to second place Saturday night to complete sixteen laps in 24:43. Although he had second place nailed, and no chance to overtake Lichtenwalner, Castillo went out for his last lap at 23:05.
“I went out because there was another hour,” Castillo said through an interpreter. “Just to put one more lap.”
Paul Watson of Edgewater Md., who had been in second place as darkness fell Saturday night, was edged back to third place with 14 laps completed in 19:36.
Brian Rexroad of Oak Ridge New Jersey completed ten laps in 23:23, which put him second in the Men 40 to 44 division and he even took a six hour sleeping break, which was much more prevalent than the top placing solo riders, who rode through the night.
“We pushed to get five laps during the daytime, then we did a sixth lap at night, and then got up at four in the morning,” said Rexroad, whose friend Tom Scott of Hackettstown rode with him for the first eight laps.
“It’s my fourth year doing this and it’s rained every year,” said Rexroad. “Its still fun. Even though it rained on Friday night, the trails were actually pretty good most of the time.”
Only competitors are allowed on the course, except for certified patrollers, according to Jay Jones of Haddon Heights New Jersey. His group of thirteen are part of the National Mountain Bike Patrol programs, supported by the International Mountain Bike Association. There is also a mid-station and a first aid station on the course.
“We’ve been supporting the race for five years and we also partner with the National Ski Patrol that provides safety and first aid,” said Jones. “We just make sure the riders are safe and provide them with whatever resources are needed to get them safe.”
During the night Saturday, a rider’s bike malfunctioned resulting in a crash that broke the frame, which cut his leg open – a wound that required a trip to the hospital for 44 stitches Jones said.
“We got emergency vehicles and got him out,” he said. “He actually came back from the hospital and spent the night in his tent.”
“We had some bumps and bruises but that was the most major injury that we had,” said Jones. “It’s a good, safe event.”
“All the riders are very conscientious and they help everyone,” he said. “We have communications, so if someone is down we can contact emergency people, and bike repair. Even nutrition if someone is bonking. We just want to make it a fun event to ride.”
Tara Walhart of Keyport New Jersey finished her 11th lap in 24:01 to win the women’s solo division. Despite being covered in mud she was ecstatic as she strung out her feelings about doing the event.
“This is my first time doing this event solo and it was incredible,” she said. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and the funnest (sic) thing I’ve ever done – the total spectrum of emotion output, from highs to lows, riding through the night, the people you meet, my roommate who came out to support me. It was just phenomenal!”
Team Victory Cycle and the Fast Guy kept the lead established early in the race on Saturday to place first in the four person division with 23 laps completed in 23:04. Over 350 riders competed in the event, 125 of them solos. Full results can be found at www.compuscore.com.
Originally published in the Daily Record of Morris County, Monday, August 28, 2006
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2006
