ACC Blog

Looks like all the rumors surrounding Lance Armstrong this past week were true. The greatest Tour de France rider and most accomplished American road cyclist of all time is returning to professional cycling for the coming season. A few days after proving this rumor true, Lance showed up for an Aspen Cycling Club event, which rumor had it might take place. (Apparently the rumor had leaked too as many of the local media, who we hadn’t seen almost all summer, were positioning themselves to catch Lance just in case he did show up). Thanks to this rescheduled race on our rain date of 9/10, the new Aspen homeowner was back in town and able to make it, looking fit and ready to race up Smuggler, Four Corners and down through Van Horn Park on this great mountain bike cross country course on a beautiful late summer’s eve.

An electric energy was in the air as the large field of buzzing local racers staged for the Start, taking up the entire uphill traffic lane at the base of Smuggler Road. Lance took his rightful place on the front line. It was very exciting and an honor for me to give the pre-race instructions, including a special presentation to Armstrong making him an honorary ACC member for the coming season. A club jersey and invitation to our annual banquet on Wednesday evening 9/17 (the eve of Armstong’s 37th birthday) was also extended in appreciation of Lance’s accomplishments and support of the Aspen Cycling Club. This was truly a historic night, especially since it was on the heels of his announcement to return to the pro peloton.

As expected, the pace was fast and furious after the mass start from the base of Smuggler Mountain. Armstrong led the way, flanked closely by his local team; The Hub of Aspen, several riders from Basalt Bike and Ski, endurance racer and 12 Hours of Snowmass organizer Natt Ross and Honey Stinger’s Len Zanni, who actually led Lance up Smuggler, “riding his own race” till he was passed towards the top of the climb by the LIVESTRONG man in black. By the time the climb to Four Corners began, the Texan had opened up about a 30 second lead over Zanni, who was also in a tight series points race with several other top local contenders, thus needed maximum points. But Lance was not to be seen again till Zanni popped out of the Sunnyside Plunge and onto the Hunter Creek Valley floor singletrack, where he spotted Armstrong off in the distance, with a little too much of a gap to close.

>At the Finish it was the seven time Tour Champion by a mere 14 seconds over local hero Len. As in Leadville, Lance showed he has mountain biking skills, high altitude fitness and his trademark mental toughness, enough to take on some of the strongest mountain bike racers in Colorado and perhaps the world next season.

Winners in their respective divisions for the final mountain bike and club race for the season include

Len Zanni 59:24, Cindy Morse 48:40 (5.5 mile course) Erik Skarvan 1:07:35, Alena Gauba 48:35, John Phillips 46:37, Keith Berglund 45:24, Ed Cross 52:55 and Rob Russell 1:10:06 (long course-fast on a singlespeed!).

There’s still time to “train” for the annual ACC Banquet to be held next Wednesday evening, Sept. 17th at Bumps restaurant at the base of Buttermilk. Details for this festive gathering to come. And if we’re lucky again Lance might show up, this time to celebrate another racing season with his newly adopted local bike club.

Erik Skarvanp>

The old local adage “they call it Government Trail because it rules!” was appropriate for this past Wednesday’s mountain bike cross country race, on the singletrack showcased in NORBA Nationals and years ago, for the Colorado State Championships. This race course ruled, if you like both buffed and technical singletrack on a true point to point route. Bike handlers were lovin’ it and roadies were’s able to fake it.

The late summer afternoon presented ideal weather and just the first signs of fall color, with yellow leaves beginning to blanket portions of the trail. Not only did the weather heat up that day, but so did the battle amongst the big dogs in the Senior Men A. In the end, it was Team Honey Stinger’s Len Zanni prevailing over rising star (and Lance’s local guide), Max Taam, by just over a minute. Len smoked the singletrack with a scorching time of 35:30. Local pro Kelley Cullen stormed the entire women’s field, crushing it with a time of 40:31. Alena Gauba, riding for Denver/Boulder Couriers, took the Vets with fast time of 50:24-even with the damaged hamstring that’s hampered her throughout the season. In the Men’s Vet A, yours truly was (finally) fortunate to get up and over Simon Elliott and Mike Maple, the dominators of this year’s road and mountain series. On the other end of the age spectrum, young gun Keegan Swirbul flew over the course in 43 minutes and 24 seconds. Atta boy Keegan! To round out the winners of the week, Robert Stumpus (aka Stumpy) cooked the course for the Masters in 46:48, Keith Berglund took the Vet C’s and Ed Cross won the Grand Masters in 1:01:51. In the “Uno category”-single speeds- club Prez Mike Pritchard rode a very respectable 43:23, without a frickin’ granny gear!

Thanks to all who volunteered their time for the race: Elliott Larson, Bill Boughton, Jack Ouland, Alex Feuer and Jonathon Forbes.

The club also had several hearty volunteers at this past weekend’s Adopt- a-Trail Day 2, re-routing the infamous “Root” section on Government Trail and trimming the entire lower part of the route. Showing off their trimming and trail work skills were Charlie Eckart, Mike Pritchard, Annie Gonzales, Alena Gauba, Agustin Gauba (sharing the family love), Erik Skarvan, Max Taam, Mike Maple and Jacques Houot. Thanks for giving back to our club’s adopted trail, the trail that totally rules dude!

Clear and dry conditions made for an excellent August evening of racing on Basalt Mountain last week. Turnout always begin to dwindle towards the end of the season but the racing and conditions are usually the best of the year. No other course has the Sopris views that this one does either.

Some categories raced two long parking lot/ Mill Creek/ parking lot loops while some raced one long loop with the addition of the rocky, loose singletrack descent paralelling the road with a grind back up to the main parking lot. As one of the few mountain races we host with multiple laps, the second grunt up to the Mill Creek cut off always hurts.

Congratulations to winners of their respective categories including Pam Seidler, Mike Maple (who edged out Simon Eliot by just 25 seconds!), Chris Hansen and John Phillips, Keith Berglund and Ed Cross.

With sunsets coming earlier now and hunters already marching around the local backcountry, Fall is just around the corner. Keep your eyes and ears open in coming months. The Upper Cattle Creek trail on Basalt Mountain is in great shape this time of year too (albeit with lots of overgrown sections) so get up there and ride it before it gets too wet.