Cohutta 100 - Race report

Race report by miles:

0-15:
A group of about 15 riders split up from the field. Quick climb up the pavement, and then all singletrail. Nothing technical, but really muddy due to the thunderstorms the night before. All the riders in this group must have been the "lots of fast dudes expected at this race" (Mark Hendershot).
No crazy passing, just fast flying through the trails. We all took a wrong turn, and lost about a minute, before we dropped back into more singletrail. Everybody was pissed about taking the wrong way, so people started to put the hammer down. Fast downhill, and some short technical sections along the Ocoee river followed.

15-30:
The lead group started to split up, according to my counting I was somewhere around 10th overall. I caught up to Scott Chambers (Algers Racing from Grand Rapids) and 2 other guys. We rode together for a couple miles, and all of those 3 started short attacks on the long gravel uphills. No need for me to go faster than I'm comfortable with, so I hang back and see how they do. Eventually they all can't maintain their pace, take it easy, and I ride by all of them and they can't keep up. Now I'm in 7th position.

30-40:
Just before aidstation 3 I catch a guy from SC, which I know from the Shenandoah race last year. We ride together for a little and pass another rider fixing his chain on the side of the trail. At aidstation 3 we are confirmed to be in 5th and 6th place, 10 minutes behind the lead group and 4 minutes behind the chase group. The long gravel climb continues past aidstation 3, by now it has been pouring hard for about 3 hours, the gravel was soft, and it was a hard climb into the clouds and colder temps. Finally - the long gravel downhill (with short ups in between) to aidstation 4.

40-65:
By now I dropped the SC guy and I know I'm in 5th position. The rain has stopped, and I'm finally feeling warm again. The next couple of miles are fairly flat, all soft gravel, to aidstation 5. On the way there I sometimes see the rider in 4th position up ahead, but don't want to push too hard to catch up. Just keep my pace. Once I get to aidstation 5 he just gets back on his bike when I roll by. 4th now for me, but he passes me again about 5 miles down the road. He looks strong, so I wish him good luck and don't even try to stay with him.

65 - 85:
It's finally sunny and a really nice day, but the gravel is still wet and soft, it's hard to keep moving. At least most of the big climbs are over by now, we are expected to hit the "rollers" (I would guess little hills with somewhere between 400 and 600 feet of climbing). With all the mud on it, shifting starts to get a pain...

85:
At aidstation 6 I'm told I'm only 1 minute behind the 4th place guy, and the lead group is about 10 minutes ahead. Woah, only 10 minutes. I know I won't be able to catch them, but it's nice to know I'm fairly close... All singletrail from now on. 2 more miles of solid climbing and then some trails that could be compared to Pontiac, just with a little more turns and a lot more climbing.

93:
2 arrows, one to the left and one to the right. WTF? Where am I supposed to go? I decide to take a right, and after about 3/4 of a mile I realize that can't be it since it's trail we rode early in the race. Turn the bike around, pedal up the hill again, and I'm pissed. A lot! I'm pretty sure I lost at least one position. Once I'm back on the correct trail I keep it easy on the last couple of singletrail ups and downs to the finish, just making sure nobody will pass me any more. I lose a lot of time there, but I was so frustrated that I didn't even care.

100.2:
The finish line, I end up 6th in a strong field, the SC guy passed me while I did my extra mileage - and he gets $50 for 5th place (which technically is mine!). My race time is somewhere around 8 1/2 hours (ride time was 8:22, but I stopped at 3 aid stations). The race promoter heard about my wrong turn and said sorry, since there was supposed someone to be there, just not when I showed up.


Overall a good race, the course is boring with 70 miles of gravel, the big climbs are in the first half. Other than a couple of technical sections (that are really short) the singeltrail is quite easy. Total climbing my computer showed was 10 200 feet. Hendershot won.