ACC Blog

Here are the FINAL End of the Season Point Standings. Thank you for a great season!

Last night was an exciting race for the race volunteers! It turns out that the new finish was very technical and in one case very punishing. Peter Hajau had a face to face meeting with guard rail along Tiehack Road. We want to thank the race volunteers Mak Keeling and Gary Nichols for keeping the race moving while Peter was attended to.

Peter was taken by ambulance to Aspen Valley Hospital. He sustained two fractured vertebrate (C2 & C3), and several bone chips. We were told by Dr. Martinez that Peter is lucky to be alive and not paralyzed. Peter is expected to make a full recovery, albiet a long one. We hope to see him racing next season!

Peter is resting in a medicated induced state at home, he welcomes calls or visitors. This is a good reminder to all of us how dangerous racing can be, let’s be careful out there!

Since I was at the scene I can’t report on the rest of the race, although I heard it was great!

Did you brave the dark clouds and the drizzle during the Hunter Creek Race last week?  If so, you might want to check out the Results & some Photos from the event.  Click here if you’d like to see a slideshow of the photos.

Brian Schaefer suffering and smiling in the Hunter Creek

Per Mike Maple’s excellent suggestion, we’re extending the Government Trail Race (the last mountain bike race of the season), so that it finishes at the Aspen Golf Course, adjacent to the tennis courts.  Instead of finishing on the pavement at Tiehack, racers will continue on dirt for an additional mile +, along an awesome trail that parallels the Maroon Creek.  After crossing the Creek over a wooden bridge, the finish is at the top of a brief climb that meets the paved bike path.  An updated Google Earth .kmz file will be posted on the website soon.  Check it out ahead of time, so that you’re familiar with the course come race day.  Racers are welcome to enjoy dinner or drinks at the Clubhouse’s Red Mountain Grill; happy hour deals are being arranged!

For perhaps too many years, the ACC has run a “love it or leave it” downhill race on the Scorch and Luge Trails.  These events were often sparsely attended, or at least enthusiastically volunteered for.  For some, the Scorch Trail was too much like a real downhill course: steep, scary, and downright dangerous, especially when hit by an afternoon thunderstorm moments before the start!  For others, the thought of gearing up for 2-3 minutes of racing just didn’t seem worth it.

After years of discussion on how to improve this race, (or whether to scrap it all together), the ACC finally designed a course that appealed to the majority(?) of members in the club.  Beginning near the mid station of the Village Express 6-pack lift, the Super D format shot off  with a LeMans start, followed by a short uphill grunt to space racers out before the first singletrack section.  The course wound down Snowmass Mountain following largely cross country style trails, including Village Bound, Government, Connector, and Bandit.  Mid way through, a work road with a short climbing section allowed for plenty of passing opportunities.

Taking advantage of a rare misstep by Len Zanni (actually a flat tire) , Mike Scanlon took the win for the highly competitive SMA category.  Congrats to Mike, the only racer to break the 13 minute barrier!  Must feel great to get back into that # 1 slot!  Check out the full race results here.

Although still the shortest race on the calendar, it seems that most racers enjoyed it enough that we’ll be seeing this course again next year.  If you’ve got ideas on how to improve the course or race even more, consider leaving a comment or talking to a Board member.

ACC members – Learn more about the newly signed Colorado Bicycle Safety Act which goes into effect August 5, 2009 here

After weeks or rainy weather we were treated to a perfect early summer evening at the ‘Milk. While the standard Butterhack course hasn’t changed the re-route around The Root gave racers a line choice and I’ll be darned if the standard Root line hasn’t gotten easier or partially filled in. Did someone go up there with a shovel and fill that in last year? Charlie Eckart maybe? Regardless of your line choice there the following switchbacks are never a ‘gimme’ so what’s done is done.

Results are now posted elsewhere but the winning riders in their various categories included the following; Logan McNamee, Hunter Callahan, Phil Overeyndr, Jon Gibans, Rafe Lehner, El Presidente on his single, Jack Oulund, Lo Semple, the Swirbuls, Lauren Z, and Len Zanni.

Special thanks to all of of our volunteers last night and to this years’ sponsors. See you next week!

Len Zanni

These are the point standings, with no points dropped and no trails points added through 6/16/2009. If you have any questions or corrections please Click Here. Point Standings.

Much like Wednesday the week before, the weather before the Snowmass Circuit Race kept us guessing.  Summer weather prevailed and the races were rain free.

Between racers and volunteers nearly 100 people made it to the Snowmass golf course  area for the Race.  More racers than we’ve had in recent history!  With our growing racer numbers we all need to remember to follow the rules most importantly for the sake of safety, but also for the sake of preserving the privilege of racing on public roads in the Roaring Fork Valley, and of course for the sake of fairness.  Racers need to stay on the right side off the yellow lines in any road race where the roads are open to other traffic.  Racers caught crossing the yellow line during a race will be disqualified.

As usual many of the races at the golf course ended in sprints!

In the Grand Master Men’s category James Shaw edged out Ed Cross to win by two seconds.  Leading Master Men also crossed the line with two finishers reaching for the line toghether and Danny Pierce took the win over Wade Smith by a hair.  The Vet Men A’s group nearly all finished together with only small gaps between finishers thanks in part to a little neutralizing effect of a bus on the Brush Creek descent on the second to last lap.  The Senior Men A’s group likewise finished in a bunch spring with club veteran Butch Peterson coming out on top.  It’s good to see Butch back to racing with us.  Good unless he’s beating you perhaps. . .

Looking forward to our first mass start mountain bike races on the Butterhack course soon.  Have you checked out “the root” recently?  Don’t forget about the post race party at the Highlands Pizza Company after the race.  Pizza and beer will be provided by the HPC as they are one of the club’s new major sponsors!  If you’re driving to the race, consider parking at Highlands and give yourself a cool down spin back to the Highlands after the race.

See you at Butterhack!

-Elliott