Racing the fast guys

In stage 4 of the Langkawi International Mountain Bike Challenge (LIMBC), the group of 14 had whittled itself down to seven of us as we rolled the last few meters of the slight respite in our 13km climb, leaving 3km of real estate for the fireworks to go off in earnest. Chris Froome (yeah that Chris Froome) was next to me and I said... "Just like the Vuelta, eh?" Froome, looking effortless, immediately said "there were times where I wished I'd had a mountain bike in the Vuelta!"

Jason Sager (Team Jamis) is in Langakwi, Malaysia, racing the 2011 Langkawi International Mountain Bike Challenge. The 37-year-old father and husband manages the Jamis team and also still competes professionally.

Sager is a long-time racer who often does in mountain bike stage races and other endurance events although you will still see him in some cross country races.

In 2011, he won five stages of the Trans Andes and finished second overall at the Trans-Sylvania Epic with three stage wins along the way. He was 17th at the Cape Epic with a few top 10 finishes.

The past two years, Sager has finished as runner-up in the BC Bike Race, in which he has eight total career stage wins.

Sager, a former banker, is based in Ogden, Utah.