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Torrential downpours end race but raise spirits

Rob Lichtenwalner and Liz Baumgart Keys proved themselves the top Solo racers at the Suzuki 24 Hours of Killington, Saturday July 26th, on a day when the Vermont race was stopped halfway, at 11:30 p.m. because of dramatic thunderstorms.

So ferocious were the storms that Solo race leader, Lichtenwalner, chose to turn back rather than head deeper into the tempest. He ended with a tally of eight laps, in a time of 10:25:06, which was 21 minutes and 19 seconds ahead of runner up Gregory Jancaitis, who was over an hour ahead of Emrah Ayhan in third place.

As usual, the teams provided an enthralling battle, and the first four laps of the race were a four-way mix-up between Men’s Expert class teams Hammer and Sid’s Bikes NYC, and Men’s Sport class teams West Hill Shop-Putney and Back Bay Bikes.

In the fifth lap West Hill Shop-Putney passed team Hammer for the lead and held the lead until the end. Three laps later, Hammer found itself challenged for second place by Back Bay Bicycles, while Sid’s Bicycles lurked ominously 10 minutes behind, as if waiting to pounce..

After three laps of exchanging positions with Back Bay Bicycles, Hammer claimed second place by finishing the 11th lap, and ending their race at 12:52 a.m.

Conditions were not easy to begin with, with a lot of water on the ground from previous storms. But things only got worse when the storms resumed soon after the start, and two heavy showers drenched the riders and started a temperature slide.

With the safety and health of the riders in mind, race organizer Laird Knight opted to call the race at 11:30 p.m, which turned out to be a popular decision. At the close of the race, West Hill Shop-Putney was leading overall with 11 laps completed in a time of 12:29:15. Hammer, close behind in second, also completed 11 laps with a time of 12:52:14, and Back Bay Bicycles was in third, having competed 10 laps with a time of 11:24:26.

Had the clock not stopped mid-race who knows what would have happened with such close times? But that's bike racing, as they say. Sid’s Bikes NYC rode in fourth place only 28 minutes behind Back Bay Bicycles.

Rob Lichtenwalner, for one, was happy with the outcome."At about 10:30 p.m. a torrential downpour hit that made riding unsafe and practically impossible. I even turned back on my last lap, when the race was called, to avoid riding higher up into the woods because the lightening was hitting so close. It was truly frightening," he said.

As Back Bay Bicycles racer Greg Whitney put it, "The course was a sponge of water, it was even saturated before the race began." He went on to say that conditions only got worse in the third shower and due to the situation he elected to pass up his third go around the soggy traitorous terrain.

In the Solo Women’s class, Liz Baumgardt-Kays, had her own story about the mud. "On my pre-ride around the course I came upon a ginormous water hole. You could not even tell how deep it was. When I tried to cross it I endo’d right into it, sinking my front tire and giving myself mud knee-socks!"

For Liz, Killington was another stop on her Suzuki 24 Hours national tour. She is racing the whole Suzuki 24 Hour Series this year and had lots of great things to say about it. "This is my first year doing more than one, last year we had such a blast we pretty much decided that we couldn’t have fun unless we did the whole series, and we will do it again next year if we can." She is traveling with her husband and Men's Solo rider Joe Alligood.

Despite the premature ending to the race, and the continued thunderstorms throughout the night, the awards ceremony was well attended on Sunday.

Racer Rob Lichtenwalner said, "Laird really did the right thing calling the race early, he did not get grief from anyone. Mountain bikers can be whiney--trust me--but because of his decision everyone is safe now. Regardless of the early end, at the awards ceremony everyone was in high spirits and there was a great vibe."

Lichtenwalner now has a first and a third to take with him to the start line at Moab, a course that suits his style of power riding.
The much respected Eddie O’Dea will likely be his main rival for the this year’s Granny Gear Series throne.

While Lichtenwalner and O'Dea are likely to have quite a tussle at Moab, the outcome there is very hard to predict. With top riders landing from all over to compete in the Galactic Championships, the talent will run very deep and even small mistakes will cost dear. One thing is for sure though; it will be an epic struggle.