Tanguy and Sornson victorious in Cohutta 100
Muddy conditions add extra challenge to 100-miler
The dry weather and mild temperatures that welcomed racers last year at the Cohutta 100 were nowhere to be found on Saturday. The race was held at the Ocoee whitewater center near Ducktown, Tennessee, host of the 1996 Olympic whitewater competition.
Dropping temperatures, cold winds and soaking rains saturated the race course overnight and intermittently throughout the day. Eighty of more than 400 racers failed to make it to the start line of round 2 of the Kenda National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Series due to the conditions. Start line temps hovered around 49 degrees (Fahrenheit) in pouring rain.
Even fewer racers were able to endure to the finish of the course with 13,000 feet of climbing in the Cherokee National Forest.
Sornson wins women's race
Cheryl Sornson (Team CF) finished with the win at the end of what she called a tough day in 9:32:21.
"Staying focused on survival was my main objective," she said. "Wanting to redeem myself from the slow start at True Grit (NUE race #1), I stuck to the first group into the singletrack. There were no other women who were with me at that point, so I put it in a manageable gear and safely negotiated the slippery singletrack."
Sornson said her spirits were high for the first few hours, but as the race went on, conditions deteriorated and so did her spirts.
"It got really cold for a bit which made going down the fire roads in the wet an awful experience. I kept it reigned in and never took a chance by going too fast. Once the roads or trails went up I used the effort to bring myself up to a manageable temperature. Keeping warm was a motivation to keep going. Unfortunately, no matter how hard you went, it felt like you were almost going backwards."
Muddy trails made the going even slower. Her time was over one hour slower than last year.
Brenda Simril (Motor Mile Racing) splashed into second place on the day at 10:41:40. Getting her best NUE Series finish ever following a fifth place finish at the Mohican 100 last year, Linda Shinn (Crankskins/Blacksmith Cycles) finished third in 10:52:45.
2011 NUE Men's Open Champion Christian Tanguy (TeamCF.org) got off to a solid start on his race season with a win. He finished in 8:00:47. Kevin Carter (Gripped Racing p/b Dogfish Head Ale House) was second, just seven minutes later.
Chris Peariso got the hole shot, followed by Carter and Tanguy just. An encounter with a trail marker temporarily derailled Peariso, but fortunately he was ok and soon rejoined the racing.
Sam Koerber took over the number two spot from Tanguy, then Carter and Koerber took a wrong turn at a fork in the trail while Tanguy went the right way. The two off-course riders eventually got back on track, without losing too much time.
Tanguy was first out of the singletrack and onto the fireroad. Koerber, Carter, Peariso and another rider pushed hard to bridge up. The pace was urgent but not unruly for the next hour with everyone taking some turns at the front.
Three hours in, the pace got deadline and Tanguy and Carter opened up time on the others. Carter got away on the rollers, but his time at the front was fleeting. "Miscalculated nutrition equals leg cramps, lost power, and relegation to the pain cave," said Carter.
Tanguy took over the lead and rolled away. Carter raced in second, ahead of Koerber.
Carter was one of many racers hampered by disintegrating brake pads and descending with just one brake was challenging.
Third place ultimately went to a newcomer to the NUE Series, 28-year-old Westley Richards (Clemmons Bicycle). Koerber rode in for fourth place in 8:14:06, just two minutes ahead of Peariso.
Pfluginator wins singlespeed race
Four-time NUE Singlespeed Champion Gerry Pflug (Team CF / Pro Bikes) crushed the field by nearly a half hour in 8:34:58, delivering his second straight singlespeed win this year and garnering sixth place overall on the day.
"The Pluginator", 44, chose a 40/24 instead of the 34/20 he used for the win at Cohutta last year.
Sporting long rain pants, a long sleeve base layer, and a Team CF jacket throughout the race, Pflug faced down a tough field that included Mike Montalbano and 2011 Master's Champion Doug Andrews, who chose to debut this season in the singlespeed division. Andrews will be 52 this year and hails from Mission Viejo, California. In 2011, the year Andrews turned 50, he was smashing the masters field by as much as two hours, and, almost always, finishing in the top ten overall against guys nearly half his age at times. Andrews admittedly had Pflug in his sights on Saturday.
"Many of the Cohutta fireroad ascents have sections where a rider can look down on the switchback turns below to see if anyone is chasing," said Pflug. "On one of these climbs, I saw another singlespeed racer, Mike Montalbano, chasing hard and, judging from his pace, I knew it wouldn't be long until he caught me. When he did catch me, just prior to checkpoint 3 at about mile 36, I knew it was time to start riding hard again."
Montalbano caught Pflug and spent some time in front of him while the latter paced himself before attacking his rival.
"Shortly after getting clear from Mike, there was a super long descent down to the race turn-around point. Even with all the clothing I was wearing, my body was still getting cold and I wondered how riders wearing just shorts on their legs would feel. I like being warm and seem to ride better when my leg muscles are not cold. I'm sure my race time would have been much slower if I wore less clothing and I also think my choice of clothing was one reason I seemed to be riding well in the nasty conditions."
Montalbano finished second in 8:58:44, "Last year, I competed in the open class on a geared bike. This year, I figured I could knock a half hour off my time on the singlespeed. If my race went according to plan, I thought I'd give Gerry a run for the win."
2011 Champion Andrews wasn't able to Out-Pflug the Pfluginator in his first attempt as a singlespeed racer. However, he managed to earn the three spot on the podium in a sign of what is shaping up to be a hotly contested division this season.
Drogalis gets first ever masters NUE race win
"I was pretty much oblivious to where the other masters riders were all day as I let the first selection of 30-35 riders separate from me on the first road climb off the gun. Fortunately, two other castaways and I joined up immediately and kept a high tempo to the first section of singletrack where I began to pick through riders from the first group. I like to climb the tight stuff on my own so it all worked perfectly on the first singletrack section where I held position until the first road section."
Speaking of the conditions, he said, "I felt fast and comfortable all day without the slow fade I sometimes get racing in the heat. I'm from Northeastern Pennsylvania originally so that makes me go well in cooler temperatures I suppose. I was especially gratified with the result because, on a day when the overall man and woman were nearly an hour slower, I managed my loss to just 35 minutes."
Finishing second at 10:16:44, 51-year-old Roger Sutton (Brick City Bicycles) was 15 minutes ahead of True Grit winner, 54-year-old David Jolin (Stark Velo).
Next NUE Series round
The next round of the NUE Series will take place in the Shawangunk Mountains in upstate New York. The Wildcat 100 will happen on Saturday, May 11.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Christian Tanguy (Team CF) | 8:00:47 |
2 | Kevin Carter (Gripped Racing p/b Dogfish Head Alehouse) | 0:06:53 |
3 | Westley Richards (Clemmons Bicycle) | 0:11:56 |
4 | Sam Koerber (Pro Gold/ Industry Nine) | 0:13:19 |
5 | Chris Peariso (Adventure212 / Specialized) | 0:15:48 |
6 | Michael Danish (Miami Bike Shop) | 0:47:22 |
7 | Andy Rhodes (North Mountain Woodworks / Black Dog Bikes) | 0:52:42 |
8 | Andy Gorski (Pro Bikes) | 0:59:03 |
9 | Michael Naughton (Wheel Werks/Gore) | 1:11:46 |
10 | Garth Prosser (Specialized Factory Racing/ Ashford Surgical/ Pura Vida Adv) | Row 9 - Cell 2 |
11 | Jesse Kelly (Team CF) | 1:19:27 |
12 | Jake Wade (Toasted Head Racing) | 1:22:36 |
13 | David Tippy (Team RJR) | 1:22:42 |
14 | Kelly Klett ( Specialized/Dumonde Tech/Industry Nine) | 1:23:45 |
15 | John Petrylak (Bike Factory Elite) | 1:25:56 |
16 | Scott Cole (Adventure212 / Specialized) | 1:29:11 |
17 | A. Zane Wenzel (Horst Engineering Cycling Team) | 1:29:45 |
18 | Andrew Dunlap (Adventures For the Cure) | 1:40:33 |
19 | Gregy Gibson (www.TruckerCo.com) | 1:44:20 |
20 | German Bermudez | 1:53:18 |
21 | Brent Mayer (Trek Store Cincinnati Racing, Maxxis) | 1:57:43 |
22 | Jay Click (Cycletherapy Specialized Racing) | 2:02:48 |
23 | Andrew McKinney | 2:02:57 |
24 | Brad Rogers (Y-Not Cycling) | 2:04:33 |
25 | Jeffrey Stevens (Trestle Bridge Racing) | 2:12:19 |
26 | Raymond Willard (Empire Brewing-Syracuse Bicycle) | 2:12:40 |
27 | Luke Sagur (Cannondale MTB P/B Spirited Cyclist) | 2:13:01 |
28 | Frank Yeager | 2:14:00 |
29 | Andy Bailey (SCO Micro Metals / Bike Zoo) | 2:17:13 |
30 | Scott Morman | 2:17:23 |
31 | William Hudgens (Truly Spokin) | 2:24:52 |
32 | Jose Mendez (Cycleworks/Trek/ Rudy Project) | 2:33:43 |
33 | John Litz (The Bike Shop of Columbus, GA) | 2:33:44 |
34 | Michael Powell (Team Momentum) | 2:33:50 |
35 | Harvey Minton (IF Grassroots Racing) | 2:33:52 |
36 | Lee Carmichael | 2:35:52 |
37 | Bill Crank (Crankworks Bicycles/CES) | 2:36:07 |
38 | Kenneth Rose (East Atlanta Posse) | 2:36:40 |
39 | Lee Simril (Motor Mile Racing) | 2:40:55 |
40 | Tim Smith | 2:44:45 |
41 | Greg Maness | 2:53:25 |
42 | Peter Bauer (Bandwidth.com/Revolution Fitness) | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
43 | Jeff Plassman (Design Physics Racing p/b Endorphin Fitness) | 2:53:41 |
44 | Bradley Smith (Orrville Cycling Team) | 2:55:54 |
45 | John Carr (Treehouse Racing) | 2:57:25 |
46 | Cooper Fowler | 2:58:22 |
47 | Jerry Jackson (BRCC) | 3:02:04 |
48 | Jim Rivers | 3:05:38 |
49 | Austin Francescone (Backroom Coffee Roasters) | 3:06:41 |
50 | Christopher Lane (Veloworks-Spokes Etc.) | 3:07:24 |
51 | Paul Brannon (Hammer Down) | 3:10:58 |
52 | Will Seidel (RTO National) | 3:12:23 |
53 | Michael Anderson (Happy) | 3:12:28 |
54 | Tomas Delgado (Alex's Bicycles Pro shop) | 3:12:44 |
55 | Yuri Cook (Raintree Healthcare) | 3:20:34 |
56 | Anthony Patterson | 3:20:54 |
57 | Michael Fulton (FCA Endurance Fayette) | 3:25:51 |
58 | Charkie Huegel (Revolting Cogs) | 3:32:35 |
59 | Todd Berry | 3:37:30 |
60 | Sean Wallace (Team Bikers Choice) | 3:42:18 |
61 | Eric Watson (Bike Town usa) | 3:50:53 |
62 | Chad Wamack (Motor Mile) | 3:52:43 |
63 | John Van Alsburg (Team rJr) | 3:53:54 |
64 | David Wagoner (Aldefer Bergan Racing/Racing for Rileys) | 3:54:17 |
65 | Michael Bonsby (Team Mt Airy) | 3:58:10 |
66 | David Moore (Cycletherapy Specialized Racing) | 4:00:47 |
67 | Jarom Thomas | 4:08:57 |
68 | Steven Gravlee (Life Data Labs Inc) | Row 67 - Cell 2 |
69 | Zach Adams (Toasted Head Elite Racing Team) | 4:14:30 |
70 | Mark Ely (Fischer Plumbing) | 4:17:01 |
71 | Jeff Hartz (Alderfer Bergen / Racing For Riley) | 4:21:46 |
72 | Steven Hecht (Toasted Head Racing) | 4:29:23 |
73 | James Allen (CatUp Coaching) | 4:30:29 |
74 | Warren Kitchens (Hampton Hall Halo H3) | 4:32:12 |
75 | Joe Verstegen (Big Cock of Cable) | 4:36:02 |
76 | Keith Duncan (Team Ed) | 4:38:34 |
77 | Dan Marshall (Eager Beaver 100: Canada's 100 Miler) | 4:42:31 |
78 | Daniel Cleaver (We Must Be Crazy) | 4:48:57 |
79 | Brad Verstegen (BCOC) | 4:49:39 |
80 | Benjamin Forshee (team bike works orlando) | 4:50:13 |
81 | John Tenwalde | 4:53:53 |
82 | Kevin McCauley (Team Dirty Donkey) | 4:53:57 |
83 | Victor Gasior (Stanky Creek Cycling) | 4:57:59 |
84 | Timothy Davey | 5:02:35 |
85 | Edilson Cremonese (Bike Tech Miami) | 5:08:36 |
86 | Diego Tosoni | 5:10:24 |
87 | Stephen Huddle (Rogue Racing Project 513) | 5:14:11 |
88 | Thomas Worley | 5:15:15 |
89 | Cory Eubanks | 5:19:52 |
90 | Mitchell Greenberg (Team Bike Works) | 5:25:11 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Cheryl Sornson (Team CF) | 9:32:21 |
2 | Brenda Simril (Motor Mile Racing) | 1:09:19 |
3 | Linda Shin (Crankskins/Blacksmith Cycles) | 1:20:25 |
4 | Jennifer Moos (Bike Tech Miami) | 1:50:38 |
5 | Mary Rosser (CahabaWeb) | 1:57:17 |
6 | Priscilla Baltz (Arkansas Cycling & Fitness) | 2:25:10 |
7 | Shannon Tenwalde | 2:25:12 |
8 | Mashon Coleman | 2:35:23 |
9 | Jocelyn Linscott (Toasted Head Racing) | 2:54:39 |
10 | Julie Whalen (Team Shine) | 2:58:44 |
11 | Heather Hawke (Rock N Road/Rokform) | 3:21:04 |
12 | Kathryn Hansen (VeloWorks-Spokes etc.) | 3:26:21 |
13 | Brenda Herrington (FCA Endurance) | 3:38:59 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Mark Drogalis (Team Cycle Center) | 10:11:18 |
2 | Roger Sutton (Brick City Bicycles) | 0:05:26 |
3 | David Jolin (Stark Velo) | 0:22:26 |
4 | Robert Herriman (TREK/WSC/ACFSTORES.COM) | 0:25:20 |
5 | Monte Hewett | 0:34:03 |
6 | Chris Irving (Los Locos) | 0:41:21 |
7 | Rick Pena (MAGGIE ROSE'S BICYCLE SHOP) | 1:08:57 |
8 | Hugh Kelly (Ben's Cycles) | 1:10:16 |
9 | Michael French | 1:42:09 |
10 | Greg Brannon (bubba) | 1:42:30 |
11 | Charles Buki (Team CF) | 1:52:45 |
12 | Steve Wagoner (SPARTANBURG FREEWHEELERS) | 2:30:20 |
13 | Stuart Rackley (YABA) | 2:30:34 |
14 | Vick Dyer (Micro Metals/Bike Zoo) | 2:38:05 |
15 | John Millon (Chicora Alley) | 2:39:43 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Gerry Pflug (Team CF / Pro Bikes) | 8:34:58 |
2 | Mike Montalbano (Bicycle Tech/Eleven Madison Park/Gu) | 0:23:45 |
3 | Doug Andrews | 0:36:30 |
4 | Craig Fleetwood (BLACKSMITH CYCLES) | 1:03:42 |
5 | James Prentice | 1:06:21 |
6 | Peat Henry (Team Noah Foundation) | 1:07:12 |
7 | Philip Hantel (Orange Peel Bicycle Service) | 1:12:59 |
8 | Watts Dixon (The Revolting Cogs) | 1:16:42 |
9 | Taylor Kruse (Paradise Garage Racing) | 1:41:16 |
10 | Scott Green (Toasted Head Racing) | 2:07:40 |
11 | Chris Joice (dirty south) | 2:51:17 |
12 | Lance Pope (Scenic City Velo / Motor Mile Racing) | 3:24:37 |
13 | Kelly Von Canon | 3:50:29 |
14 | Steve Friedman (Off The Front) | 4:08:55 |
15 | Edward Chapman (Eastern Shore Cycles) | 4:11:54 |
16 | Scott McConnell (Moots) | 4:19:12 |
17 | James Sivec (Cog & Balls) | 4:37:24 |
18 | John Meek (Cysco Cycles) | 4:43:42 |
19 | Scott Thigpen | 4:52:08 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Andy & Cara Applegate (pepper palace / CTS) | 2:50:03 |
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