Sunday, July 24, 2005 -- Lost Creek, WV
The White Oak Challenge - WVMBA Fall#2 (iPO Event Id#: 6770) --- Story and photos by Jason Chastain

[Details] [Coverage]
[Overall Results]
Pictures: [Set 1] [Set 2] [Set 3] [Set 4] [Set 5] [Set 6] [Set 7] [Set 8] [Set 9]
Coverage: [2004]

The joy of racing...

The event was a perfect way for riders, family and friends to spend the afternoon. When I arrived at the park, one group of onlookers already had their grill going, having a good time. The organizers were all very helpful and courteous and you could tell they had put a lot of time and effort into the planning and layout of the race. They even had a tent with plumbing installed so that it "rained" on riders as they went under it.

Watters Smith State Park is a perfect setting for a WVMBA race. It's easy to find, has good spectator viewing areas, regular trail maintenance, and a pool/shower house to take advantage of afterwards.

The weather was a bit on the humid side, but the air temperature didn't get too hot. The trails were very well maintained and on this day, dry. The race started up a wide grassy hill so that the riders wouldn't be bunched up during the singletrack that came later in the race.

I made my way just to the other side of 'hike-a-bike hill'... so named because it would be more than a little difficult to actually ride your bike up such a steep and unforgiving hill. As the riders made their way down the other side of hike-a-bike, many looked as though the hill had put a pretty good whoopin' on them. Still, none of them surrendered to it, but instead carried on with the race.

Ready for race today?

The Day's Top Racers¦
Back from Germany and ready for some WVMBA action, Nick Waite, finished as the top Expert/Pro Mens rider with a time of 1:54:11. Part of the U23 National Team, Waite and crew wrapped up their week of racing in Germany with 11th overall in the Thuringen-Rundfahrt Team Classification. Nick Waite (Davis, WV) was the top rider for the team in the individual GC, finishing in 42nd place. Nick Waite is a resident athlete of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and races for the U23 National Mountain Bike Team.

Women's Expert/Pro rider Betsy Shauer, rises to the top of this Spring Series race with a time of 2:27:09. Also a cyclocross rider, Shauer has a Mid-Atlantic Series Cross title. First in the Men's Vet Expert, Gunnar Shogren (2:04:54), also an avid cyclocross rider, is a bit of a riding legend. Everybody seems to know Gunnar, and like a fine wine, he seems to better with age.

The top Men's Masters Expert was Alan Doss (2:26:34). Pathfinder's Cale DeVall, Men's Jr./Expert champ for this race, finished with a time of 2:47:35. In the Men's Sport class, Nate Arnold, 1:30:53, took top honors.

Tackling the singletrack

Top Women's Sport finisher, Amy Dunkin (2:06:01), rode well in the heat, as did top Women's Vet Sport Robin Boyd (2:13:40). First Men's Masters Sport was Bruce Williams (1:35:45), top Men's Vet Sport was Rob St. Jean (1:40:19), and Tony Bowie (1:56:05), was the first Clydesdale to cross the line.

Derick Wolfe (1:35:33), proved the fastest of 8 in the Men's High School class, and Corey Chambers (53:00), tore the course as the first Men's Jr. Sport finisher. Men's Beginner, Frederick Carter (1:05:29), kept it close, but took first in his class.

The riders, though competing against one another, showed great sportsmanship. On more than one occasion I witnessed riders sharing their water bottle with other competitors. Now that was impressive!