This was our 6th annual race at Galisteo Basin. We have been using the same fast and fun 9.5 mile loop with about 800 feet of elevation per lap. There is a little bit of everything each lap, rock, gravel, sand, tight twisty sections, fast flowy sections and some double track for passing. This year's race started in cold windy conditions and ended with sun and temperatures in the low 60's.
This year's race was COLD. We woke up to snow flurries and a temperature of 32 degrees, with the wind chill making it feel even colder. Kim was paired up with Maripat for a Female Duo and I was paired up with Ries for a Male Duo. The race course was about 13 miles in length with about 1000 feet of climbing per lap. The first lap is only 10 miles in length primarily on a dirt road for the first 4+ miles to spread everyone out. A fun course but the high winds, gusts to 40 MPH accompanied with the cold certainly made for a challenging day on the bike.
Our lap times were all within 3-4 minutes of each other so a good steady pace. I did the start lap and the 4 more and Ries did 4 for our total of 9 laps. We were pretty happy with a 5th place as we were certainly the oldest Male Duo team.
The course was a mix of tight twisty trail, some open bermed trails with a couple small sections of open double track. There was about 700 feet of climbing per 7 mile lap.
Stage 1 = 6:17, Stage 2 = 3:42 and Stage 3 = 2:58. On Stage 3 I choose the hard line and didn't make it up the big step up and had to climb up costing me a big chunk of time!
A very fast, except for the climb, 5.6 mile mountain bike course with a little bit of everything, sand, rocks, big sweeping turns, tight twisty turns and a big drop making for a great TT course.
This annual event has been going on for 24 years. The course is a very fast 16 mile desert ride with lots of twists and turns, some rocks, lots of sand and CACTUS! It is fun but really just too many participants despite the race being capped at 2000.
Kim Bear: 1d 41m 26.5s, 14/29, 5 Person Coed combined ages 250+
Team Santa Fe crushed it for 14th place in a tough division after 16 laps and 256 miles of racing. Team members, Deborah K, Kim B, Brent B, Ruben R, and Wendell E! Each team member did three laps except Wendell who did 4! Kim was very happy with a 1:23:36 first lap.
Jan Bear: 1d 47m 50s, 2/29, 5 Person Coed combined ages 250+
We had a great team, Aileen E, Randy F, David J, David M and myself. We were faster than last year but still came up just a few minutes short ending up in second place 13 minutes off the top step of the podium after 21 laps and 336 miles of racing. Overall I personally was a little slower by about 2 minutes over the four laps but had to walk one of the bitches on my lap #4 due to a racer injury at the bottom of the hill so the organizers and medical staff made all the racers walk that 3-400 yard section, without that issue I think my times would have been the same as last year, this includes two night laps.
January
Cyclocross
New Mexico Old Fashioned Cyclocross Sreies Race #6
