The Only Thing Missing from the Napa Valley Dirt Classic was Bush
Seems that ole W was in Angwin for some mountain biking this weekend, but for some reason he didn't show up at this year's Napa Valley Dirt Classic.
Too bad for the POTUS, because he missed a great race.
Despite an absolutely sodden April in Napa County that turned parts of the 22-mile course to brownie batter, this year's race went off without a hitch.
Sunday's NORBA-sanctioned event kicked off exactly at 10:30 AM under warm, partly cloudy skies in a series of two-minute rolling starts. The field was a little smaller than in years past, probably due to April's crappy weather, but still numbered over 300 strong. Pro and Elite riders were first off the line, followed by the other classifications, with the idea being to get the faster riders out first so that they don't get held back by slower riders on the tighter portions of the course.
Out on the course, racers fast and slow alike had their hands full. Though not as muddy as expected, the course was still condition-challenged, with lots of muddy corners, slippery roots and rocks, and sloppy lines. Aside from the permanent hike-a-bike at the one-mile mark, a very steep muddy pitch coming out of the bottom of the course and one dicey stream crossing in the middle singletrack section were the only parts of the course that required voluntary dismounts.
The worst spot on the course was a 50-foot pool of liquid earth about one quarter mile from the finish line. The key was to hit the slop at top speed, pull up on the front end, and hope to hydroplane across it. Those racers who tentatively nosed in at anything less than top speed ended up buried to their hubs in mud the color and consistency of wet cement.
Spectators hanging out at the finishing mud pit saw plenty of carnage, and those who staked out the finish line saw more than one exciting sprint for the tape as riders finished the race with one lap around the Pacific Union College athletic track.
As expected, the climb back up Howell Mountain -- from about mile 14 to mile 20 -- was the talk of the trail. For course rookies, it was a monster that forced them to walk for long stretches and left them legless for the rolling run-in to the finish. This year, even race vets were shaking their heads about the punishing mud-slickened pull.
Finishing times were noticeably slower than past years; control, not speed, was the name of the game in this year's Dirt Classic. The four-mile section of singletrack in the middle of the course was really the only place where faster riders got bottled up by slower ones. However, because of the muddy course conditions and the fact that many riders haven't been riding much yet this season due to the bad weather, patience ruled the day. Racers that focused on smooth pedaling and crisp lines rather than speed bursts and low-percentage passing opportunities found that they were able to consistently move up in the field as out-of-control and out-of-shape riders literally fell by the wayside.
We saw and heard more crashes in this race than in any other we've ever attended. Riders were going down left and right in spectacular fashion as they tried sharp angles through muddy corners, plunged recklessly into stream crossings, or took the wrong lines over wet roots. NASCAR fans, you should have been there.
In addition to the multitude of crashes, there were plenty of mechanicals to slow down the field as well. Every race has it's share of flats, but this race was a nightmare for the drivetrains. Chainsuck, broken chains, and ghostshifting plagued pros and beginners alike.
Overall winners Aren Timmel and Jamie Whitmore earned $100 each for their kick-ass efforts (as a point of comparison, fellow professional athletes Stuart Appleby and Sung Ah Yim made $990,000 and $220,00 respectively for winning their professional events). Second-place finishers raked in $60; third placers picked up $30. Podium finishers (top three spots) in the non-pro age/skill categories received medals for their efforts, but of course, everybody was a winner -- yeah, tell that to the guy who busted his derailleur hanger and had to push his bike the last five miles of the race.
The Napa Valley Dirt Classic isn't known for its schwag scene, although it is one of the few cycling events left that still includes a free t-shirt with the entrance fee. Mountain bikers don't turn out for the Dirt Classic for the schwag or the vendor booths, they come for a competitive, low-key race on a spectacular course free of the cross-promotional gimmickry and product marketing hoopla of the bigger "industry" events. This year, the line for the bike wash was longer than the line for the pupusas stand, and most racers were long gone by the time of the post-race raffle.
A thought for next year: two of the three drink stations were positioned at the apex of sharp turns -- one heading immediately down into some very steep singletrack, the other heading up a steep section of Howell Mountain staircase. This essentially made the drink stations worthless because riders either had to skip the drinks or stop to consume them. Drink stations need to be placed on long straightaways that give riders a chance to take their hands and eyes off the bike long enough to drink the fluids being handed to them.