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The
2005 Downieville Downhill in Review
by Mark Weir
Official
Downieville Top 10 Pro Mens results:
Weir Mark 0:38:32
Moeschler Jason 0:40:23
Olson Tim 0:41:11
Desmond Kirk 0:42:23
Medaglia Anthony 0:42:44
Lloyd Nathan 0:43:20
Jordan Mark 0:43:50
Rahlwes Jason 0:43:55
Carscadden Chris 0:43:58
Angermann Jeff 0:44:22
This was the
9th time I’ve raced the Downieville Classic.
Each time I show up I know these are events and
times I will never forget. And every time I think
“it can’t get any better” and
the following year it does. This year was no exception.
A
Little Bit About Downieville and the Downieville
Classic:
For the uninitiated, let me explain a little bit
about the place and the event: the Downieville
Classic is an epic series of races and mountain
bike cultural event that represent the heart and
soul of what mountain biking was and what we can
and should be. Greg Williams, founder of
Greg
Williams - Founder of Yuba Expeditions
Yuba
Expeditions came up with idea of the Classic and
with nothing but vision and hard work, and the help
of equally hard working volunteers. Together they
have crafted what many people feel is the one of
the premier, combination competitive, cultural,
vacation, mountain biking experience anywhere. I
certainly feel that way. And before I forget, there's
one thing about the Downieville Classic that people
tend to forget; in the end, it's about riding mountain
bikes at place that's unique, at least in California.
First of all, Downieville has some of the best single
track trails and riding on the planet. Second, the
trails were created for mountain bikers for mountain
bikers. Not only does that make for great riding,
it makes for a fluid riding experience that is as
good for the expert as it is for the intermediate.
Third - and perhaps best of all Downieville is a
town where mountain biking is recognized not just
as the great sport that it is, but appreciated as
being an important part of the local economy!
Downieville
and me...
The older I get the less I want to relinquish
the Downieville Downhill title. Not just because
it's nice to have the title and the record,
but because the Downieville experience means
so much to me, is so much a part of not just
my life, but my plans and what I look forward
to during an entire year of training, traveling,
and competing. Each and every year it’s
like a reunion of family and friends. Wait
a minute...
it
is a reunion of family and friends for me!
My parents fly out from Iowa, my friend Mark
Jordan drives from LA even though he hasn’t
been home for 3 weeks, and countless other
friends I haven't seen all year make the pilgrimage
to California's mountain biking Mecca, Downieville.
When it comes to mountain biking and the bike
itself, I see both as gifts. Downieville really
makes that clear. It's more than just a great
a ride through the Sierra high country woods;
it’s the glue that makes it all come
together. It’s being at the start of
the event and my good friend Tom DeLacy look
in my eyes and says “You can do it,
race to Suzie" (my fiancée, who
I know is going to be waiting for me at the
finish line). He knows those words will inspire
me; that
The
Weir family
means
a lot to me. It’s looking at your competition
and truly hoping they go fast and more importantly,
stay safe. The little things go on and on.
The downhill course itself has an odd way
of making you feel real emotional: one minute
you’re peddling way over your limit
then the next thing you know you’re
ripping on a singletrack that’s feeding
you 20’ to 30’ floaters one after
another. To me this is not just a
downhill race, it’s more of
some kind of “Mountain Man competition”
that tests your will and dedication
to your sport and life-style. The
race itself is a combination short
track XC with obstacles that could
easily end your day if not your life:
cliffs, drop offs, sharp rock gardens,
you name it - but that's at speeds
an efforts when and where you're trying
to win a race and set a record. Take
the pressure off, back it off a couple
notches and the “course”
becomes the most fluid, beautiful
fifteen-mile single track ride imaginable.
See what I mean; it's hard a place
and event to explain.
Preparation
for The Downieville Downhill...
A Complex Equation:
People always think I’m a bit
crazy when it comes to how I prepare
for this race. Whether it's the fanatical
way I analyze each and every piece
and part that goes on my bike or my
unique training regiment. But like
I keep saying, this is a unique event
and it calls
for and rewards meticulous planning
and preparation.
Mark
Weir at speed during his run. photo:
Forrest Arakawa
For example, one of the biggest single
decisions you have to make come to whether
you're setting yourself and your bike
up to get lucky or to carry some insurance.
Take tires for example. I decided to
take the weight penalty and run full
downhill casing tires to ensure I wouldn't
pinch flat. The same with the bike's
frame. While I have a number of Santa
Cruz bikes I ride and race on, I chose
their new 6" travel Nomad because
I felt it had the right blend of travel,
structural rigidity yet was light enough
to let me accelerate out of tight sections
and hammer on the climbs. Other riders
made different decisions but the key
here was and is to prepare yourself
and your bike not just for the course,
but also to maximize your personal riding
style and racing strengths.
Mark
Weir with his Santa Cruz Nomad and Mavericks
Ariel Lindsley in the background
2005 Downieville
Challenge: BIG Money on the line...
This year’s race was even more important
to me than past events. First because being
the record holder and four-time Downieville
champ - not to mention letting my friends
and competitors know it – there are
more people gunning for my title and record.
Second, there was up to $5,000 on the line: $2,500 for the winner and another
$2,500 for a record-breaking performance.
If you know anything about the state of
professional mountain biking in America
- heck the world for that matter - then
you know a purse of $10,000 for the top
five finishers is not just huge, it was
and is the richest payout of the year in
the US. And as important as the money is
to any professional athlete is, the attention
the prize was getting and deserved, even
more important was that we (all of the pros)
put in a sensational effort to ensure that
the people that put the money up, Bikeskills,
Santa Cruz Bicycles, Hayes Brakes, Mt Tam
Orthopedics, and Photomed Technologies got
their money's worth! And They're Off!
I haven't lost at Downieville since 2001
and was bound and determined to make sure
that I repeated a win this year. The last
time I lost, I did so to Downieville local,
Henry O’Donnell. Back then, Henry
was about 14 years old and somewhere around
5 feet tall and weighed about as much as
my bike. Today I found myself staring at
the 2005 version of Henry O’Donnell,
the one who’s a rising star in professional
downhill racing, is 6' 3", is built
like a linebacker and has world cup skill
and experience to back up the bulk and raw
talent.
At the other extreme was cross-country
star Jason Moeschler who still weighs about
what my bike weighs. Jason was taking the
opposite approach on the bike preparation
front, choosing to run what amounted to
a cross country race rig right down to the
lightweight Kevlar beaded tires. Another
major threat to my crown was Maverick mounted
Ariel Lindsley. Ariel and I had just finished
1st and 2nd the week before at a race in
Marin and I was well aware that he was 1st
and I was 2nd... Throw in guys like three
time winner Nathan Lloyd and the always-fast
Kirk Desmond and I knew there was going
to be some serious racing going on.
Choices
that Pay and PAID Off...
As I said above, the Downieville
Downhill requires making compromises
on everything from how you train
to how you set your bike up.
If a normal cross country race
is like checkers, the Downieville
downhill is like chess: an early
move can pretty much make it
or break it for you. And one
of those early moves was made
when my archrival - and some
would say local favorite - Henry
O’Donnell decided to run
lighter, Kevlar beaded tires.
Knowing the course as he does,
Henry no doubt knew he was rolling
the dice. Less than 10 minutes
in
Mark
Weir, Bikeskills founder Rob Howard
and second place finisher Jason
Moeschler after the 2005 Downieville
Challenge
to his
run, Henry O came up craps and flatted
out. Nathan Lloyd bent a rim which took
him out of contention for one of the
top slots. Ariel Lindlsey got tangled
up with a slower rider which unfortunately
kept him from his spot on the podium.
As for my race, I'd like to say that
it went to plan, but I don't remember
planning the crash I had, somehow I
was able to keep it together and 38
minutes and 32 seconds after I started,
I had the win and a new record... not
to mention I was about to be $5,000
richer!
Next Year's Event
More than anything else I want to
do whatever we can to ensure that
our sponsors not only return next
year, but that we’re able to
attract even more of them. The goal
has to be not just to have a great
purse for what has been the signature
event at Downieville, but for all
the professional events that take
place and that means for the men as
well as women. The best way to do
that is to make sure that you tell
the people at Bikeskills, Santa Cruz
Bicycles, Hayes Brakes, and especially
firms new to sponsoring mountain biking
like Mt Tam Orthopedics and Photomed
Technologies that we appreciate and
will reward their support.
Assuming we get that support (and
have a big purse next year) my guess
is that there's going to be a lot
of very fast, very talented people
gunning for my title and me next year!
My take on that is that they've got
about 360 days to plan for the event
and win lose or draw I'm going to
have a great time and so will they.
But no matter what, the big winner
has to be the sport of mountain biking.
Let's make it happen!
Once again I would like to thank my
sponsors for their continuing support:
WTB,
Fox Shox, Santa Cruz, EAS, Hayes,
Easton, SRAM, Truvativ, Gravity Dropper,
Kaenon, MRP
