MDH100-Dirt Spanker Classic-Flugly

A late season heat wave is ending out the summer as team riders have been racing across the Midwest in series races, grass roots type events and epic endurance races. In the Minnesota Mountain Bike Series team standings, the team has moved up to third! Nicely done.

Race recaps from Dirt Spanker,  the hot MDH 100 and Gear Grinder on MW MTB Report.

Jeremy Hecker on the big climb at Mon Du Lac.

Flugy report from Denny Barry:

After the  unique hill start , got to use the every hill you can find around that area , the next section was wind in your face for a few hundred yards and then into the single track . I was hanging close enough to Todd Hale's tail to feel if he ever took a quick nap or stopped for a sandwich I may have a chance to catch him , until the 3rd lap. On the weaving up and down the bank section,  some dude in a green shirt with a polo pony on it was walking his dog . Funny what one notices when trying to avoid things . I came around a corner , seeing this dude almost standing on the trail at the top of the steep little down , as I rounded the turn I needed to adjust my line to not elbow him , and then saw the dog in the middle about half way down , missed the dog , but not the tree waiting to attack .. Arm smacks an old limb stub sticking out ( which I didn't see ). Good thing I'm right handed because my oatmeal would  be cold by the time I would finish using my left arm , the  arm one with the big hicky this morning .
 . I yelled some Irish not sweet tunes at the guy to get his dog on a leash and off the trails . After that it took awhile to get back to feeling in tune .One person passed my while I was getting my bike out of the brush . After hitting left arm on tree , the left turn at the bottom just came way too fast . I was prepped for hitting dog -with enough speed to hit it and ramp over .
long story longer - I attempted to catch back up to Todd , and had the second and last bobble of race occur - cooked a turn , did the third best save of a life time of saves - I did nothing  but shut my eyes  trying to   think quickly  about a what to do. My  bike did it all   for me as it seemed to sense it was leaned way too far on the dry marbles . It didn't brake nor did it put any pressure on the bars . I love my Giant , it has done things like this many times .
all good races need good stories , not all need me being the stunt man. Fun race
but no watermelon afterwards at 120  degrees with 106% humidity

Denny Barry racing at the Flugly.

New team rider Isaac Hale racing the Flugly.

Team members after last Wednesday's race.


Looking forward to having most of the team this weekend for the Laddies Loppet stage race weekend!

Keep the wheels moving!

Border Crossing-Blacks-Rusty Ride-Wednesday Night Racing

Summer is zipping on by! Events galore on the calendar. The team is riding strong with solid results as Maplelag gears up for the big Laddies Loppet weekend.

Currently the team is sitting fourth overall in the Minnesota series, led by the Sport (3rd overall) and Expert (2nd overall) classes, moving up a few spots after the Border Crossing.

Team rider recaps from Border Crossing and Black's Grove on August 6th MW MTB report on skinnyski.com

Jordan Horner leading the charge in Sport Women. Taking her fourth consecutive win in the overall Sport female! Nice job Jordan!

And recap from the Rusty Ride on the August 13th MW MTB Report on skinnyski.com

Greg Ames cranking it in the Wednesday night race at Maplelag. Greg raced the Rusty 100 last weekend and racing the MDH 100 this weekend!

Denny Barry at the start of Black's River Crossing MTB race. Denny and crew did a great job with course prep and putting on the event.

Thad Schulz racing at Black's. Thoughts and prayers towards Thad as he crashed in to a loaded boat trailer earlier this week. The bike was toast but Thad came through okay and a few weeks of recovery will be back in action.

Jens Richards rolling through the singletrack at Black's en route to winning the kids race

Maplelag team riders at the line before Wednesday night racing at Maplelag on the 2013 Loppet course. Racing again on the 21st of August at 6:50pm! One lap of the Sport/Comp/Expert loop (7.5miles)

Results from August 14th

1)Richard Jaime     38:42

2)Greg Ames            42:40

3) Asa Jacobs          45:10

4) Steve Wenzel       45:25

5) Ben Olson              47:49

6) Matt Wenzel         49:10

7)Tony Schmitz        50:42

8) Jack Ellefson        51:06

9) Aaron Spicer         54:12

10) Todd Hale               55:35

11) Denny Barry       57:32

12)Andy Maganatto  58:06

13) Anne Ellefson       58:38

14) Tom Clowe             61:03

Photos from August 14th MTB Race on Facebook

Steve and Matt Wenzel out for a ride on the course a few weeks ago, hanging out with Maplelag's new dog to shred the Lag!

Jack rippin' on the singletrack last week.

The first Maplelag mountain bike team was called "Team Zizi", short for Zizibaakawadaboo which means "sugarbush" in Ojibway. Scott Olson, one of the original members, out on the course this week, still rolling the 26 rigid!

Keep the wheels moving!