Eatough wins Ultra Series #2

By Steve Medcroft

Six-time 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World Champion Chris Eatough (Trek/VW) won the second round of the National MTB Ultra Endurance Series at the Lumberjack 100 in Wellston, Michigan on Saturday.

His 7.09.06 finish isn't going to affect the overall series standings though as his preparation for Worlds and other commitments as part of the elite Trek/VW pro mountain-bike squad will prevent him from making the requisite four series races. So Harlan Price (Independent Fabrication), who finished second to Eatough at the Lumberjack but won the series opener at the Mohican 100, will extend his overall competition lead.

Heat ended up being one of the bigger challenges at the Lumberjack. "It was over 90 degrees and humid," Eatough said. "These are the toughest conditions for endurance mountain-bike racing." The 24-hour solo world champion sees adverse conditions in a 100-miler as great preparation for the longer races though. "I love the challenge of 100 milers. They're great preparation for 24-hour races. My average heart rate for these races is only 5 beats less than for a 2 hour XC race, but it's 5 or 6 hours longer! They are also perfect for experimenting with nutrition, pacing, and equipment choices. I can recover from 100 milers in a few days, while it takes me several weeks to recover from 24 Hour Solos, so I can also race more of them. It's very tough to get such good training any other way."

Despite that appreciation for the format, Eatough says he doesn't have the time in his schedule to contend the entire series. "I want to support the Ultra Endurance series as much as I can. My schedule for this season is already pretty full. Next year I hope to make it to the full series."

Singlespeed competitor Dan Jansen (Founders Ales/Alger Racing) and master's category racer John Majors (Giffin Interior & Fixture, Masters) both took their second straight Ultra wins to extended their series leads. And in the women's race, series leader Tricia Stevenson came second to her partner from the 2005 Trans-Rockies (a race they won together), Karen Masson, but retains her series lead on points.

Read the entire Founder's Lumberjack 100 race report, photos and results here. For more information about the National MTB Ultra Endurance Series, check out their Web site at www.ultramtb.com.