Abby Strigel (HoneyStinger / Bontrager) and Brian Matter (GearGrinder / Trek) won the first race of the Wisconsin Off Road Series, in Iola, WI on Sunday. Heavy rains left the usually sandy course water-logged and muddy, giving extra incentive for a fast leadout over Iola's start climbs into the first sections of singletrack. In the women's race, Strigel was already alone and working her way through the tail end of the men's Elite field before she hit singletrack.
"I was going to stick with everyone, and see how it went, but I felt OK and just decided to go," said Strigel. "Sometimes it's harder in singletrack when there are more people around and it's that muddy. So I thought it would be easier if I just got away. And I ran into a lot of Elite men. There was a lot of running. But, that was OK because I just ran straight through the puddles that other people were trying to go around."
At the front of the men's race, the field was spread out early by Strigel's teammate Matt Shriver, who set a blistering pace over the initial climbs.
"I can start pretty hard and definitely went a little too far into the red today," said Shriver. "I like to get out in front and not have to bump bars with anybody or get gapped out at the front because there's always a selection. If you're too far back, you're going to miss the group so it's nice to get out front and stay out of trouble."
The mud at Iola derailed his game plan as the entire field hit an extremely steep climb out of the ski jump bowl, and everyone was forced to dismount and run through the mud. Brian Matter, Mark Lalonde (T6/Lalonde Brothers) and Issac Neff (Williamson Bike Works) moved into the lead. Also making the initial selection were Shriver, Nathan Guerra (Wheel & Sprocket / Vision) and Kevin McConnell (Mercy-Specialized). By the middle of the second lap, Matter and Lalonde had opened a 30-second gap, and then Matter then broke away for a solo effort.
"I just kind of wanted to go to the front," said Matter. "I just let the skills take over and started having fun. Too much fun, maybe, because I burped a tire in the second lap and had to be careful after that."
Matter was riding a Trek Top Fuel as usual, but not his own bike. In fact, he borrowed his wife Andrea's bike for the race at Iola.
"I'm riding the boss's bike," joked Matter. "I had to change my tires Friday because they were worn from Arizona, and on race day I was a little nervous about them holding pressure. So, I figured this bike was ready to go, and the small size was good for handling skills."
Matter cruised in for the win at 1:35:36. Behind him, Shriver was chasing hard and overtook Lalonde for 2nd in 1:36:29. Lalonde (1:36:59), who took third in his return to WORS after a break from competition of nearly two years, held off relative newcomer Isaac Neff (1:37:52). Nathan Guerra (1:38:17) rounded out the podium in fifth place by edging out Mike Phillips (1:38:26) in the final stretch.
"I was going to stick with everyone, and see how it went, but I felt OK and just decided to go," said Strigel. "Sometimes it's harder in singletrack when there are more people around and it's that muddy. So I thought it would be easier if I just got away. And I ran into a lot of Elite men. There was a lot of running. But, that was OK because I just ran straight through the puddles that other people were trying to go around."
At the front of the men's race, the field was spread out early by Strigel's teammate Matt Shriver, who set a blistering pace over the initial climbs.
"I can start pretty hard and definitely went a little too far into the red today," said Shriver. "I like to get out in front and not have to bump bars with anybody or get gapped out at the front because there's always a selection. If you're too far back, you're going to miss the group so it's nice to get out front and stay out of trouble."
The mud at Iola derailed his game plan as the entire field hit an extremely steep climb out of the ski jump bowl, and everyone was forced to dismount and run through the mud. Brian Matter, Mark Lalonde (T6/Lalonde Brothers) and Issac Neff (Williamson Bike Works) moved into the lead. Also making the initial selection were Shriver, Nathan Guerra (Wheel & Sprocket / Vision) and Kevin McConnell (Mercy-Specialized). By the middle of the second lap, Matter and Lalonde had opened a 30-second gap, and then Matter then broke away for a solo effort.
"I just kind of wanted to go to the front," said Matter. "I just let the skills take over and started having fun. Too much fun, maybe, because I burped a tire in the second lap and had to be careful after that."
Matter was riding a Trek Top Fuel as usual, but not his own bike. In fact, he borrowed his wife Andrea's bike for the race at Iola.
"I'm riding the boss's bike," joked Matter. "I had to change my tires Friday because they were worn from Arizona, and on race day I was a little nervous about them holding pressure. So, I figured this bike was ready to go, and the small size was good for handling skills."
Matter cruised in for the win at 1:35:36. Behind him, Shriver was chasing hard and overtook Lalonde for 2nd in 1:36:29. Lalonde (1:36:59), who took third in his return to WORS after a break from competition of nearly two years, held off relative newcomer Isaac Neff (1:37:52). Nathan Guerra (1:38:17) rounded out the podium in fifth place by edging out Mike Phillips (1:38:26) in the final stretch.
In the women's race, Strigel was untouchable at 1:29:52. Adventure 212 teammates Lisa Krayer (1:33:37), Diana McFadden (1:35:07), Michelle Peariso (1:37:23) and Sarah Agena-Wright (1:38:10) rounded out the women's podium in 2nd through 5th place.
Despite the downpour, the Iola Bump & Jump was well-attended by WORS Series racers. WORS has declared 2012 "The Year of the Junior" in support of youth competition in the Upper Midwest, and welcomed a large starting field of younger racers of all ability levels at Iola. A new women’s Open was also well attended, with some competitors new to the Series riding well within the Elite field. The Series will race again in two weeks outside Rhinelander at the Crystal Lake Classic, where Brian Matter, a coach with MomentumEndurance LLC, will be leading a special Expert level Learn to Race Clinic.
Pro and Cat 1 - Females
Overall Age Group Bib # Name City, State Age Time Time Back Team
1 1 F 4-99 501 Abby Strigel Madison WI 29 1:29:52.7 0:00.0 Honey Stringer / Bontrger
2 2 F 4-99 503 Lisa Krayer North Freedom WI 37 1:33:37.2 3:44.5 Adventure 212/Specialized
3 1 F 40-99 578 Diana McFadden DULUTH MN 42 1:35:07.5 5:14.8 Adventure 212/Ski Hut
4 1 F 30-39 508 Michelle Peariso AMHERST WI 36 1:37:23.1 7:30.3 Adventure 212/Specialized
5 2 F 30-39 505 Sarah Agena-Wright Stevens Point WI 34 1:38:10.9 8:18.1 Adventure 212/Specialized
6 1 F 4-29 506 Rachel Horstman MADISON WI 25 1:38:15.2 8:22.4 Team WI / KS Energy
7 2 F 4-29 504 Anna Ganju New Berlin WI 29 1:42:02.9 12:10.2 Polska
8 3 F 4-29 512 Nina Karinen Painesdale MI 19 1:44:19.1 14:26.4 Trek / Cross Country Sports
9 3 F 30-39 514 Denise Coppock GREEN BAY WI 38 1:44:36.1 14:43.4 Titletown Flyers
10 4 F 30-39 510 Jennifer Whitedog La Crosse WI 33 2:05:38.4 35:45.7 BikesLTD/ScenicConcepts
NR F 4-99 507 Renee Bach MADISON WI 36 ChainSmokers
NR F 30-39 509 April Dombrowski OSHKOSH WI 39 Team Pedal Moraine
Pro and Cat 1 - Males
Overall Age Group Bib # Name City, State Age Time Time Back Team
1 1 M 4-99 215 Brian Matter Sheboygan WI 34 1:35:36.6 0:00.0 Gear Grinder
2 2 M 4-99 55 Matt Shriver MADISON WI 32 1:36:29.8 0:53.1 HoneyStinger/Bontrager
3 3 M 4-99 65 Mark LaLonde MADISON WI 30 1:36:59.2 1:22.6 Lalonde Bros-Twin 6
4 4 M 4-99 52 Isaac Neff MADISON WI 26 1:37:52.0 2:15.4 Williamson Bicycle Works
5 5 M 4-99 3 Nathan Guerra Oconomowoc WI 31 1:38:17.9 2:41.3 Vision/Wheel & Sprocket
6 6 M 4-99 4 Mike Phillips Chicago IL 35 1:38:26.2 2:49.6 Adventure 212/Specialized
7 7 M 4-99 8 Kevin McConnell IOWA CITY IA 31 1:40:30.8 4:54.2 Mercy-Specialized
8 8 M 4-99 7 Tyler Gauthier ISHPEMING MI 29 1:40:52.6 5:16.0 Culvers p/b Meyer Family Visio
9 9 M 4-99 10 Corey Stelljes MADISON WI 32 1:40:53.9 5:17.3 The Bike Hub/Specialized
10 1 M 24-34 20 Tyler Jenema MARQUETTE MI 26 1:41:29.5 5:52.9 Kuhl Racing tain
11 1 M 35-44 28 Ryan Krayer North Freedom WI 40 1:42:46.6 7:10.0 Adventure 212/Specialized
12 10 M 4-99 79 Dallas Fowler Green Bay WI 25 1:43:19.5 7:42.8 Kuhl
13 1 M 4-23 38 Joseph Maloney MADISON WI 22 1:43:27.3 7:50.7 KS Energy Services/Team Wiscon
14 2 M 35-44 216 Maciej Nowak Waukesha WI 35 1:44:45.6 9:09.0 Team Polska
15 11 M 4-99 62 Ronald Stawicki WAUKESHA WI 34 1:44:50.5 9:13.9 Polska
16 12 M 4-99 49 Chad Sova RIVER FALLS WI 27 1:44:55.9 9:19.3 DTR
17 13 M 4-99 25 Chris Peariso Amherst WI 38 1:44:59.6 9:23.0 Adventure 212/Specialized
18 1 M 45-99 17 Jeff Melcher WEST BEND WI 45 1:45:25.3 9:48.7 Team Pedal Moraine
19 2 M 45-99 211 Todd McFadden DULUTH MN 48 1:45:58.8 10:22.2 Trak-Ski-Hut
20 14 M 4-99 6 Darrin Braun Butler WI 27 1:46:18.4 10:41.8 Adventure 212/Specialized
21 15 M 4-99 30 Scott Cole STEVENS POINT WI 48 1:46:20.2 10:43.6 Adventure 212/Specialized
22 16 M 4-99 9 Ben Koenig SCHOFIELD WI 24 1:46:24.9 10:48.3 The Bike Hub/Specialized
23 2 M 24-34 22 Tim Racette ANTIOCH IL 25 1:47:19.6 11:43.0 KS Energy Services/Team Wiscon
24 3 M 24-34 61 Ted Hanes Fond Du Lac WI 31 1:48:18.2 12:41.5 Fond du Lac Cyclery
25 4 M 24-34 209 Colby Lash MARQUETTE MI 34 1:48:45.2 13:08.5 Chocolay Ace/KMK Cycling
26 5 M 24-34 42 Brian Heifner MIDDLETON WI 32 1:49:01.1 13:24.5 Magnus
27 6 M 24-34 214 Drew Wilson Rochester MN 29 1:49:51.9 14:15.3 Almanzo
28 2 M 4-23 18 Ben Senkerik Wauwatosa WI 19 1:50:49.7 15:13.1 Vision wheel & sprocket
29 3 M 35-44 60 Gabriel Ion SPRING GROVE IL 39 1:51:20.7 15:44.1 Treadhead Cycling
30 4 M 35-44 54 Dan Holsen Manitowoc WI 42 1:51:21.5 15:44.9 Heavy Pedal Velo Club
31 5 M 35-44 59 Joe Stephens Elm Grove WI 44 1:52:00.1 16:23.5 Pen Cycle Milwaukee
32 7 M 24-34 45 Matt Gehling Madison WI 27 1:52:32.5 16:55.9 Team Wisconsin/KS Energy
33 3 M 45-99 11 John Lirette Menomonee Falls WI 46 1:52:45.6 17:09.0 Unattached
34 4 M 45-99 43 John Wypiszinski Kaukauna WI 46 1:54:19.4 18:42.7 Titletown Flyers
35 8 M 24-34 32 Luke Batchelor-Clark MADISON WI 33 1:54:53.5 19:16.9 Magnus
36 6 M 35-44 39 Kurt Schwiesow Green Bay WI 38 1:55:16.1 19:39.4 Bike Hub/Specialized
37 5 M 45-99 23 John Shull LIBERTYVILLE IL 50 1:55:23.4 19:46.7 EXPO
38 7 M 35-44 16 Vincent Steger MC FARLAND WI 35 1:55:33.2 19:56.6 Erik's Bikes and Boards
39 9 M 24-34 212 Christopher Tries Cudahy WI 33 1:55:42.6 20:06.0 South Shore Cyclery
40 8 M 35-44 76 Bryan Frazier COTTAGE GROVE WI 36 1:57:09.1 21:32.5 Baraboo Sharks
41 10 M 24-34 95 David Bender BELVIDERE IL 32 1:57:16.4 21:39.8 JVC/Michael's Cycle
42 9 M 35-44 64 Sanjay Ganju NEW BERLIN WI 36 1:57:34.2 21:57.5 Trek Midwest team
43 11 M 24-34 217 Carlos Haeckel Waukesha WI 29 1:58:38.8 23:02.2 Alterra Team
44 12 M 24-34 53 Scott Neperud Madison WI 27 1:59:11.9 23:35.3 Magnus
45 10 M 35-44 66 Tyson Schwiesow GREEN BAY WI 41 1:59:21.7 23:45.1 Bikehub Specialized
46 11 M 35-44 218 Mike Budd WRIGHTSTOWN WI 40 2:00:30.4 24:53.7 Team Wheel+Sprocket
47 13 M 24-34 21 Nicholas Holzem WESTON WI 30 2:01:10.7 25:34.1 Sprocketz
48 12 M 35-44 58 Tim Scanley Milwaukee WI 36 2:01:11.1 25:34.5 Alterra Coffee
49 6 M 45-99 207 Mark Burkholz Menomonee Falls WI 49 2:01:33.6 25:56.9 Team Extreme/Twin Six
50 7 M 45-99 15 Jim Peterson Edgerton WI 54 2:02:01.9 26:25.3 Michael's Cycles/JVC
51 14 M 24-34 46 Jason Gosse Eau Claire WI 33 2:02:06.9 26:30.3 Team WORS
52 8 M 45-99 37 Greg Jones WEST ALLIS WI 45 2:02:30.0 26:53.4
53 15 M 24-34 29 Dan Schaefer Adell WI 30 2:02:43.1 27:06.5 Team Fond du Lac Cyclery
54 16 M 24-34 33 Jesse Shoemaker DEPERE WI 32 2:04:50.5 29:13.9 The Bike Hub/Specialized Cycli
55 3 M 4-23 24 Aristotle Peters Hartford WI 21 2:05:18.4 29:41.7 Expo racing
56 4 M 4-23 210 Eric Oilis Houghton MI 22 2:06:40.8 31:04.1 Culvers Racing
57 9 M 45-99 57 Jan Rybar APPLE VALLEY MN 51 2:08:15.8 32:39.2 Pedal Moraine
58 10 M 45-99 213 Jack Nielsen Mt Pleasant WI 46 2:11:11.5 35:34.8 RPM-Bews
59 17 M 24-34 63 Bret Glembocki UNION GROVE WI 31 2:11:27.6 35:50.9 ISCorp - Novacyclsport
60 13 M 35-44 26 Mark Cole STEVENS POINT WI 44 2:13:33.2 37:56.5 Adventure 212/Specialized
DNF M 4-23 34 Myles Beach LARSEN WI 18 Adventure 212/Specialized
NR M 35-44 27 Bill Burkholder Rockford IL 42 Kegels
NR M 35-44 81 Chad Dean MADISON WI 35 5Nines Cycling
DNF M 4-23 47 Michael Dutczak Crete IL 19 South Chicago Wheelman
NR M 24-34 67 Michael Humpal LIBERTYVILLE IL 30
DNF M 4-23 19 Travis Johnson TWO RIVERS WI 19 Heavy Pedal Velo Club
NR M 35-44 12 Glenn Kirst MENOMONEE FALLS WI 39 Wheel & Sprocket
NR M 24-34 200 Jason Michalak CRESTED BUTTE CO 34
NR M 45-99 99 JW Miller MADISON WI 47
NR M 35-44 48 Bill Nigh WEST BEND WI 43 Team Pedal Moraine
DNF M 4-99 31 Justin Piontek WABENO WI 24 The Bike Hub/Specialized
DNF M 35-44 51 Steve Schafer BARRINGTON IL 42
DNF M 4-23 40 Cameron Schave FOND DU LAC WI 19 Eriksen Cycles
NR M 35-44 14 Karl Tillman LA CROSSE WI 38 Mt. Borah / Smith's Cycling an
NR M 4-23 69 Kyle Warras WAUKESHA WI 19 Expo Racing
Updated on May 13, 2013, 5:18am
or
to comment.
