Suzuki 24 Hours of Big Bear, 7-8 Jun, 2008


2008 Suzuki 24 Hours of Big Bear webcast
Men's Solo Reports
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7th June 5:45 p.m. : Tinker Juarez is leading the Men's Solo category, and sitting 8th in the overall standings. This was an expected outcome, but the lead's margin is definitely not. Ernest Marenchin of Stow, OH sat just 1:52 behind as the fifth lap began, and the heat is on! Has the 1996 Olympian and international Pro scene veteran overcooked it early on in the hot sun of a West Virginia summer afternoon, or will his experience and honed endurance win the race? Stay tuned to the RealTime results to find out. The lead could change on the fifth lap!
Defending champ Steve Schwarz - the D.C. lawyer and endurance specialist - sits in a comfortable 3rd place, a further 11 minutes behind Marenchin, and 15th in the overall standings. Further back are Robert Anderson and Jesse Jakomait, exactly 1 minute separates them in 4th and 5th places. Defending series champion Rob Lichtenwalner seems to be struggling in the heat: the rider from Nazareth, PA sits 6th in his class, and 37th overall.		Tinker Juarez leads on the 3rd lap Photo: Harlan Price
Ernesto Marenchin was closing on Juarez in the early evening, but slowed around midnight. Credit: Harlan Price		12:53 a.m. Schwarz makes a run Going into the second half of the race, with eight laps completed, Steve Schwarz has passed Ernesto Marenchin and moved up into second place, within three minutes of a slowing Tinker Juarez. Ernesto Marenchin, who had put pressure on Juarez earlier in the evening took a 1:46 and then a 2:02 lap at the halfway point in the race, putting him back to third place, 22 minutes adrift of Schwarz. Schwarz has been the most even-paced of all the Solo riders, and his laps six, seven and eight were the fastest in this class. Race announcer Bruce Hildenbrand commented: "Usually after six or seven laps the solo riders are looking fairly chipper still, but at this race they're all looking a little the worse for wear." A combination, maybe, of very hot weather in the first few hours, and a very demanding course.
10:45 a.m. Almost Done Tinker Juarez has a 19-minute lead on Ernesto Marenchin, who has pushed him the whole race. Clawing his way up the standings, Jesse Jakomait displaced Steve Schwarz from third place in the class. Schwarz appears to have suffered from either a mechanical, or fatigue, as his 12th lap came in at 3 hours, 2 minutes. Kudos to our guest blogger, Sal Ruibal from USA Today, as he just finished his race in 10th place overall, just behind last year's overall series champion, Rob Lichtenwalner. Go Sal!

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	About your reporter Hi! I'm Paul Skilbeck. A journalist and press guy on the international mountain bike racing scene since 1989, I am your humble reporter for the 2008 Suzuki 24 Hour Series opener. This is how I look in my reporting clothes, but if you roll over the image you'll see that I'm not merely a pencil squeezer. Before we get started, please don't forget the support by Suzuki of 24-hour endurance racing when considering your next 4-wheeled purchase. Your support of sponsors is what keeps them supporting the sport!