Race Recap: Annadel XC, August 16, 2014 This past weekend was the always fun, unique and challenging Annadel cross country race put on by Bike Monkey. It has become a tradition, as it is close to Marin (about 30 mins north in Santa Rosa, Sonoma, CA), attracts good competition, and is full of great singletrack at Annadel State Park. The race is a 30 mile 3,150’ course that begins with a rolling mass start in downtown Santa Rosa, and ends at Spring Lake with a great vibe at the expo/podium area fueled by cold Lagunitas. The unique start pits all 500 or so entrants against each other, racing a few miles via police escort thru downtown on city streets over to Howarth Park, all vying for a good position to enter the dirt. Its fast and frenetic, and a fun unique way to start the race. With just a few sections of pavement and fire road climbing, the race offers a huge sampling of the rocky singletrack of Annadel. While many do it on a hard tail, a short travel full suspension XC bike is the ticket to going fast and not breaking your back…no buffed out trail here, with lots of bumpy seated climbing and planted chunder descents. Just Rich and Ryan could make it happen this year, and both were coming off of Downieville just two weeks prior. Needing a little rest after Downieville, and to taper into Annadel, only left a few days for good training in between. Easy to get wrong and arrive flat. Thankfully, both Ryan and Rich know how to do it, and came to Annadel with their A-game. As usual the start was hectic, but both Ryan and Rich were able to maneuver good position to enter the park for the first short climb, with Ryan in the lead group that included Levi Leipheimer, Michael Hosey, Brian Finnerty, Brian Astell and Ryan Chandler. Rich got a little bottled up, but was in the top 25. From there it was pure fun, with a little suffering for good measure. Ryan was able to hold onto the lead pack (Hosey, Leipheimer, Chandler and Finnerty) until the 12 mi mark, when he fell of the back a bit on the climb up Richardson Fire Road from Channel Trail. Ryan has cramped the last two years at Annadel…so he knew to stay at or below threshold and not go inside out trying to stay with the lead four. This proved to be a good decision, as Ryan ended up just having a few small cramp “tickles” right at the finish. Being near the front definitely had advantages with little dust and traffic. No flats, mechanicals or crashes. Rich had a good solid race too, but surely lost some time in traffic. No mechanicals or crashes, but he did lose a little under a minute putting air in his front-thankfully it was a slow leak and didn’t require a tube. Ryan finished 1st/40 at 2:07:07 in the Expert U40 class, and was 6th fastest overall...exactly how he finished last year. Rich came in 2nd/34 at 2:13:48 for the Expert 40+ class…just four seconds off the win. Both on Giant Anthem Advanced 0 27.5s. Ryan ran ContinentalMTB Race King 2.2s front and back. Rich didnt plan ahead and couldnt find fresh Contis to race, so had to go with something different...and regretted it with a slow leak. Ryan also opted for a e*thirteen XCX top chain guide. Everything else stock. Can’t wait for next year already. Thanks to Giant Bicycles, Giant Bicycles USA, Lagunitas Brewing Co, Larkspur Bike & Bean, Continental, VP Components, and e*thirteen components.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 22:09:08 +0000
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