Ear to the ground:
“This reminds me of a beer I used to get at Trader Joe’s, which reminds me of this really good beer from the ’70s, Lowenbrau.”
– Microbrewery customer taking a stroll down the memory lane of shame
“The CTR was sweet,” said Ernst, who finished, along with riding partner Powers, in a highly respectable 6:07:30. “I went into it not sure how to approach it this year, but by the end of the first day, I’d decided not to destroy myself trying to ‘race,’ and treated it more like a fast tour.”
In case you were wondering what constitutes a “fast tour,” it’s 19-20 hours a day on the bike. “We took photos, ate a lot, slept as much as needed,” said Ernst.
After leap-frogging for most for the race, Altman finished a few minutes behind his Durango cohorts at 6:18:15. For Altman, the hardest part was getting past Silverton, where a call to his wife, Irene, made all the difference. “I was so close to home and considered calling it quits, and I called Irene,” he said. “She told me to take a break and go get some coffee at the Avalanche.”
Alas, a little sip of the liquid gold was all it took, and Altman was back in the saddle for the long haul. And other than a torturous 18-mile slog up Sargeant’s Mesa in 98-degree heat, he said the overall experience was nothing short of “awesome.”
“I met so many good people,” he said. “The camaraderie that developed out there was amazing. There are great riders with so much experience.”
Despite speculations that Gunnison rider Jefe Branham would break his sub-4-hour record this year, he ended up coming in a few minutes slower than in 2012. Branham and Colorado Springs rider Jesse Jakomait duked it out for the yellow jersey till the bitter end, with the extremely sleep-deprived Branham pulling it out in the last few seconds to beat Jakomait (who reportedly indulged in a few hours of shut-eye every night) by 56 seconds, with a time of 4:04:17.
“Jesse Jakomait and Jefe Branham duked it out up front, as they have the last couple years, with Jesse’s strategy being more speed and a bit of sleep every night, while Jefe’s tactics were slow and steady, next to no sleep at all,” said Ernst.
Of course, “slow” is all relative, but seeing as how many of the big hoss racers are in their 40s, there’s plenty of time for Ernst and Altman, who are mere spring chickens in their 30s, to get even “slower.”
“I know I’m not doing it again next year, but maybe in a couple of years,” said Altman. “I really don’t’ want to look at my bike for a while.”
“This reminds me of a beer I used to get at Trader Joe’s, which reminds me of this really good beer from the ’70s, Lowenbrau.”
– Microbrewery customer taking a stroll down the memory lane of shame
Taking the high road
It’s been nearly two weeks since 64 bleary-eyed souls embarked on the 550-mile Colorado Trail Race odyssey from in front of Velorution Cycles in the wee hours of July 21. And while a few racers are reportedly still out on the course, the three racers from Durango, Joey Ernst, Ian Altman and Danny Powers, are home, safe, sound and basking in the warm afterglow of their well-earned saddle sores.
It’s been nearly two weeks since 64 bleary-eyed souls embarked on the 550-mile Colorado Trail Race odyssey from in front of Velorution Cycles in the wee hours of July 21. And while a few racers are reportedly still out on the course, the three racers from Durango, Joey Ernst, Ian Altman and Danny Powers, are home, safe, sound and basking in the warm afterglow of their well-earned saddle sores.
“The CTR was sweet,” said Ernst, who finished, along with riding partner Powers, in a highly respectable 6:07:30. “I went into it not sure how to approach it this year, but by the end of the first day, I’d decided not to destroy myself trying to ‘race,’ and treated it more like a fast tour.”
In case you were wondering what constitutes a “fast tour,” it’s 19-20 hours a day on the bike. “We took photos, ate a lot, slept as much as needed,” said Ernst.
After leap-frogging for most for the race, Altman finished a few minutes behind his Durango cohorts at 6:18:15. For Altman, the hardest part was getting past Silverton, where a call to his wife, Irene, made all the difference. “I was so close to home and considered calling it quits, and I called Irene,” he said. “She told me to take a break and go get some coffee at the Avalanche.”
Alas, a little sip of the liquid gold was all it took, and Altman was back in the saddle for the long haul. And other than a torturous 18-mile slog up Sargeant’s Mesa in 98-degree heat, he said the overall experience was nothing short of “awesome.”
“I met so many good people,” he said. “The camaraderie that developed out there was amazing. There are great riders with so much experience.”
Despite speculations that Gunnison rider Jefe Branham would break his sub-4-hour record this year, he ended up coming in a few minutes slower than in 2012. Branham and Colorado Springs rider Jesse Jakomait duked it out for the yellow jersey till the bitter end, with the extremely sleep-deprived Branham pulling it out in the last few seconds to beat Jakomait (who reportedly indulged in a few hours of shut-eye every night) by 56 seconds, with a time of 4:04:17.
“Jesse Jakomait and Jefe Branham duked it out up front, as they have the last couple years, with Jesse’s strategy being more speed and a bit of sleep every night, while Jefe’s tactics were slow and steady, next to no sleep at all,” said Ernst.
Of course, “slow” is all relative, but seeing as how many of the big hoss racers are in their 40s, there’s plenty of time for Ernst and Altman, who are mere spring chickens in their 30s, to get even “slower.”
“I know I’m not doing it again next year, but maybe in a couple of years,” said Altman. “I really don’t’ want to look at my bike for a while.”
In this week's issue...
- January 25, 2024
- Bagging it
State plastic bag ban is in full effect, but enforcement varies
- January 26, 2024
- Paper chase
The Sneer is back – and no we’re not talking about Billy Idol’s comeback tour.
- January 11, 2024
- High and dry
New state climate report projects continued warming, declining streamflows