Sagebrush Safari
race report by : damon mann
Enjoying the outdoors is a great thing, especially in sunny Southern California. Most of the time, we don’t have to deal with adverse weather conditions, but with all of the recent rains, the anticipated poor trail conditions can put fear into the minds of many mountain bike racers.
The race course at the Corral Canyon Off-Road Vehicle Area located in Campo, CA is on the “A” list for many of the Troupe Riders. The race course at the Sagebrush Safari is all about rolling terrain and has a good mix of short climbs, sweeping turns and low jumps which is great fun, especially after a light rain to keep the dust down and pack the sand.
Even with the recent rains and the threat of poor course conditions, this Kenda Cup West Series event had a very strong turn out with a couple hundred riders eager to compete. Troupe came prepared with a strong list of riders including Michelle, Laura, Monica, Tim, Charlie, Tom, Mykyta and myself. With everyone registered in various racing category, you could see our colors scattered through the staging area all ready to race.
All of us were racing the medium distance course which was just less than 19 miles and took us between 1-1/2 – 2hr to complete. With each wave staggered by a little over a minute, race categories get mingled quickly and you’re competition ends up being with whoever is near you. I was fortunate enough to be in the midst of some of the Troupe girls who kept me motivated and my male ego in check. Actually, I owe them a big thank you. Because of their pace, I made my second podium of the year.
Overall, Troupe had a really good event with lots of support for one another and a list strong podium finishes:
Laura Knight : 1st
Mykyta Yurtyn : 3rd
Damon Mann : 3rd
Next up, we hit the 2nd stop in the U.S Cup XC series, and prepare for the Vision Quest and Counting Coup.
