The Reforestation Ramble in Suamico, WI hosted the 9th event in the Subaru-sponsored 2012 Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS). Many competitors are drawn to the Ramble venue for the full-gas speed on open ski-trail sections, challenging hills, and longer-distance competition. These attractions annually enlarge WORS fields at the Ramble as competitors gauge their fitness for September’s Chequamegon 40. Traditionally, winners at the Ramble are those contenders that can throw down hard for the longest amount of time. This year it was Cole House and Amber Markey.
For the second year in a row that Cole House (Competitive Cyclist/616) took the top step on the BelGioioso Elite men’s podium, narrowly beating Brian Matter in a sprint finish. House is a local to the trails, and lives in nearby Oneida, WI when not racing on the road in Europe. Having the home field advantage is what he says helped him.
Though dusty trails have become the norm in a year of record drought for Wisconsin, the skies opened on the morning of the event and rain fell through the start of the race. House used his knowledge of the trails to his advantage, alternately riding with caution and putting pressure on the other riders in the changing conditions. Establishing a modest early gap, he led most of the race until caught by Brian Matter (Gear Grinder) and Mark Lalonde (Lalonde Bros/ Twin Six). House and Matter have sprinted to the line in several major contests over the last three years, including WORS events, Ore to Shore and the Chequamegon 40. On Sunday, Matter finished less than a second behind House, losing the sprint for the second year in a row at this venue. Mark Lalonde finished 3rd aboard a rigid single speed. While his bike choice gave him fewer worries in poor weather conditions, Lalonde found long sections of very bumpy, fresh singletrack challenging. “I was seeing Brian just sitting down, riding through that stuff,” recalled Lalonde. “And being on a rigid hard tail, it was a little rough.”
In the women’s race a smaller field missed the defending Champion Abby Strigel and Pro racer Lisa Krayer, while relative WORS newcomer, Amber Markey (Magnus) stepped up for the win. Despite the mud and being stung by a bee mid-race, she crossed the line nearly 5 minutes ahead of second place finisher Anna Ganju. Of the start, Markey recalled “Anna was throwing down right away, so that was pretty exciting.”
The race started shortly after most of the rain stopped. While the first lap was punctuated by mud and slippery roots, Ganju found by the second and third lap that the lines were drying. Her strategy was to keep it in the big ring as much as possible and grab the wheel of any of the men passing her. This course is one of the few WORS courses with enough long, fast, open roads to allow riders to draft, and Ganju took a strategic second with smart pack strategy. Less than a minute behind her, hometown favorite Denise Coppock (Titletown Flyers) stepped onto the third step of the BelGioioso podium in her best-yet Elite finish. Denise’s team, the Titletown Flyers, organized much of the weekend’s event and supplied many of the volunteers. Coppock, for her part, came for a medal.
In the tightly contested men’s BelGioioso Series Overall, Matter’s finish on Sunday moved him into 1st place. A win in 2012 would be Matter’s fourth Overall Championship, and would tie him with Tristan Schouten for most Overall wins in the men’s BelGioioso Series. However, odds are that Matter could lose the top spot before October as he shifts his attention to the upcoming cyclocross season. In the women’s contest, Abby Strigel is undefeated, and though she also plans to compete in local cyclocross races, her lead in the Series is unlikely to be challenged.
The next race of the 2012 WORS Series, Treadfest, will be held at the Grand Geneva Resort on September 9.
Elite (Pro & Cat 1) Females
Overall Age Group Bib # Name City, State Age Time Time Back Team
1 1 F 4-29 515 Amber Markey Madison WI 25 2:39:39.1 0:00.0 Magnus
2 2 F 4-29 504 Anna Ganju New Berlin WI 29 2:44:32.2 4:53.1 Polska
3 1 F 30-39 514 Denise Coppock Green Bay WI 38 2:45:29.0 5:49.9 Titletown Flyers
4 2 F 30-39 600 Leia Schneeberger Middleton WI 33 2:46:37.9 6:58.8 Magnus
5 3 F 30-39 601 Lindsey Kriete Wauwatosa WI 35 2:50:58.3 11:19.2 Velo Trocadero
6 1 F 40-99 511 Lori Sable Thiensville WI 46 2:58:38.8 18:59.7 K9 Dynamics
7 4 F 30-39 509 April Dombrowski Oshkosh WI 39 3:06:28.2 26:49.1 Team Pedal Moraine
8 5 F 30-39 510 Jennifer Whitedog La Crosse WI 33 3:18:52.0 39:12.9 BikesLTD/ScenicConcepts
NR F 30-39 505 Sarah Agena-Wright Stevens Point WI 34 Adventure 212/Specialized
NR F 4-99 503 Lisa Krayer North Freedom WI 37 Adventure 212/Specialized
DNF F 30-39 508 Michelle Peariso Amherst WI 36 Adventure 212/Specialized
NR F 4-99 501 Abby Strigel Madison WI 29 Honey Stinger/Bontrager/Pat's
Elite (Pro & Cat 1) Males
Overall Age Group Bib # Name City, State Age Time Time Back Team
1 1 M 4-99 334 Cole House Oneida WI 24 2:17:04.5 0:00.0 Competitive cyclist / 616 fabr
2 2 M 4-99 2 Brian Matter Sheboygan WI 34 2:17:05.0 0:00.4 Gear Grinder
3 3 M 4-99 65 Mark Lalonde Madison WI 30 2:17:05.5 0:00.9 Lalonde Bros-Twin Six
4 4 M 4-99 52 Isaac Neff Madison WI 26 2:17:13.1 0:08.5 Williamson Bicycle Works
5 5 M 4-99 7 Tyler Gauthier Ishpeming MI 29 2:18:52.0 1:47.4 Culvers Racing p/b Meyer Famil
6 1 M 35-44 100 Ray Nelson Woodstock IL 42 2:19:34.2 2:29.6 Treadhead Cycling
7 6 M 4-99 6 Darrin Braun Butler WI 27 2:19:35.8 2:31.3 Adventure 212/Specialized
8 7 M 4-99 10 Corey Stelljes Madison WI 32 2:20:13.5 3:08.9 The Bike Hub/Specialized
9 8 M 4-99 25 Chris Peariso Amherst WI 38 2:20:26.7 3:22.2 Adventure 212/Specialized
10 2 M 35-44 83 Trevor Olson Rochester MN 39 2:20:42.9 3:38.4 Muddy Cup
11 9 M 4-99 3 Nathan Guerra Oconomowoc WI 31 2:22:08.5 5:03.9 Vision/Wheel & Sprocket
12 1 M 24-34 61 Ted Hanes Fond Du Lac WI 31 2:22:13.3 5:08.8 Fond du Lac Cyclery
13 10 M 4-99 79 Dallas Fowler Green Bay WI 25 2:23:02.4 5:57.8 Kuhl
14 11 M 4-99 31 Justin Piontek Fitchburg WI 24 2:23:32.0 6:27.5 The Bike Hub/Specialized
15 2 M 24-34 77 Carlos Haeckel Waukesha WI 29 2:25:02.1 7:57.5 Alterra Coffee/W85
16 1 M 45-99 17 Jeff Melcher West Bend WI 45 2:26:08.2 9:03.6 Team Pedal Moraine
17 12 M 4-99 62 Ronald Stawicki Waukesha WI 34 2:26:13.3 9:08.8 Polska
18 1 M 4-23 38 Joseph Maloney Madison WI 22 2:27:05.9 10:01.3 KS Energy Services/Team Wiscon
19 3 M 24-34 333 Nikolai Anikin Duluth MN 32 2:27:23.1 10:18.5 Conti
20 3 M 35-44 85 Josh Shively La Crosse WI 40 2:27:33.7 10:29.1 Team 360/La Crosse Velo
21 4 M 35-44 48 Bill Nigh West Bend WI 43 2:28:12.5 11:07.9 Team Pedal Moraine
22 5 M 35-44 60 Gabriel Ion Spring Grove IL 39 2:28:15.1 11:10.5 Treadhead Cycling
23 2 M 45-99 99 Jw Miller Madison WI 47 2:28:15.2 11:10.7 /
24 4 M 24-34 67 Michael Humpal Libertyville IL 30 2:29:41.1 12:36.6 Specialized
25 2 M 4-23 18 Ben Senkerik Wauwatosa WI 19 2:29:46.9 12:42.3 Vision / Wheel & Sprocket
26 3 M 4-23 34 Myles Beach Larsen WI 18 2:30:23.6 13:19.1 Adventure 212/Specialized
27 5 M 24-34 42 Brian Heifner Middleton WI 32 2:30:52.2 13:47.7 Magnus
28 6 M 24-34 21 Nicholas Holzem Weston WI 30 2:31:03.5 13:59.0 Sprocketz
29 3 M 45-99 11 John Lirette Menomonee Falls WI 46 2:31:07.0 14:02.5 Unattached
30 6 M 35-44 64 Sanjay Ganju New Berlin WI 36 2:31:07.7 14:03.1 Trek Midwest Team
31 7 M 35-44 39 Kurt Schwiesow Green Bay WI 38 2:31:15.5 14:10.9 Tower Clock Eye Center
32 8 M 35-44 335 Mike Budd Wrightstown WI 40 2:31:38.0 14:33.4 Team Wheel & Sprocket
33 9 M 35-44 338 Matt Zak Eveleth MN 39 2:32:07.2 15:02.7 NorthStar Endurance
34 7 M 24-34 53 Scott Neperud Madison WI 27 2:32:31.3 15:26.7 Magnus
35 4 M 45-99 43 John Wypiszinski Kaukauna WI 46 2:32:35.9 15:31.3 Titletown Flyers
36 8 M 24-34 44 Luke Holtan Milwaukee WI 30 2:33:48.6 16:44.1 VELO TROCADERO
37 10 M 35-44 66 Tyson Schwiesow Green Bay WI 41 2:33:58.1 16:53.5 Bikehub Specialized
38 5 M 45-99 37 Greg Jones West Allis WI 45 2:34:03.0 16:58.4
39 9 M 24-34 29 Dan Schaefer Adell WI 30 2:35:30.2 18:25.7 Team Fond du Lac Cyclery
40 13 M 4-99 30 Scott Cole Stevens Point WI 48 2:35:37.0 18:32.5 Adventure 212/Specialized
41 10 M 24-34 89 Bill Street Sheboygan WI 27 2:36:14.7 19:10.1 Kuhl / Rocky Mtn
42 6 M 45-99 80 Tim Jennings Wisconsin Rapids WI 45 2:37:20.8 20:16.2 Element Mobile/Brings
43 11 M 24-34 46 Jason Gosse Eau Claire WI 33 2:38:33.7 21:29.2 Team WORS
44 12 M 24-34 332 Seth Lenss Green Bay WI 28 2:38:51.7 21:47.1 Flyers
45 7 M 45-99 57 Jan Rybar Apple Valley MN 51 2:39:02.5 21:58.0 Pedal Moraine
46 11 M 35-44 51 Steve Schafer Barrington IL 42 2:40:05.8 23:01.2
47 12 M 35-44 26 Mark Cole Stevens Point WI 44 2:43:53.5 26:49.0 Adventure 212/Specialized
48 13 M 35-44 50 Jerrod Collier Lindenhurst IL 43 2:44:17.3 27:12.7 Muddy Cup Racing
49 8 M 45-99 71 Jeff Sympson Rockford IL 50 2:46:31.0 29:26.4 Big Ring Flyers
50 13 M 24-34 337 Casey Masterson Milwaukee WI 32 2:47:58.4 30:53.8 Velo Trocadero
51 14 M 35-44 336 Patrick Haley Milwaukee WI 38 2:56:30.3 39:25.7 Velo Trocadero
NR M 24-34 32 Luke Batchelor-Clark Madison WI 33 Magnus
DNF M 4-99 149 Tim Drankus Sheboygan WI 36 Unattached
NR M 4-23 47 Michael Dutczak Crete IL 19 South Chicago Wheelman
NR M 24-34 45 Matt Gehling Madison WI 27 Team Wisconsin/KS Energy
NR M 24-34 339 Christopher Mantel Cedarburg WI 30 Velo Trocadero
NR M 4-99 1 Tristan Schouten Plymouth WI 30 Rolf Prima / Giant
DNF M 45-99 23 John Shull Libertyville IL 50 EXPO
NR M 35-44 14 Karl Tillman La Crosse WI 38 Team 360 / LAX Velo
DNF M 35-44 56 Barry Winters Nekoosa WI 43 Element Mobile / Brings
Updated on April 25, 2013, 10:17am
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