Western State Colorado University’s Mountain Bike Team took a trip over the mountain to Aspen, Colorado to compete in Colorado University’s collegiate mountain bike race. The beautiful fall weather provided the perfect conditions as the team competed in three events: short track, cross country, and downhill.
With the temperature reaching into the 80s on Saturday it made for hot short track and downhill races. The first racer of the weekend was Taylor Paulson who started short track at 9:30am just as it was starting to heat up. This being Taylor’s first ever cross-country race, she raced in the women’s B category but she raced like a pro.
The coach’s main concern was keeping the athletes hydrated and motivated to race. Coach Eddy was at the start of the downhill course to pump up, and sometimes relax, the gravity racers. The course in Snowmass is one that is remembered by everyone who races it as being the fastest and loosest course of the year, and in a gravity racer’s mind is also the most fun. With results not yet posted it is unclear how well the races went, but the gravity boys had strong finishes and are sure to be up there in the results.
Sunday morning at 8am was the start of the cross-country race the final event of the weekend. With the early start the men’s C and B, and women’s B racers avoided the heat of the day. The rest of the field was less lucky and raced in the heat once again. The racers were given fresh water every lap to ensure everyone stayed hydrated. Women’s A lapped the course four times, and Men’s A had six laps.
After a long and hard weekend, the teams were ready to come home and rest up for the next race in Grand Junction. – Carmen Smith
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