WORS #2 Englewood Open

WORS race number two! This time out at Englewood Grass Farm on their homemade single track turned race course. Although I am a bit biased in my opinion as an Englewood sponsored athlete, this is one of my favorite WORS courses. It's new to the series and is ripping fast with plenty of fun singletrack and technical rock gardens. I pre-rode on Wednesday after some course work with Ben Agnew and got my lines dialed.

Since I didn't race until 3:30 and it's only a 35-minute drive I got to relax Saturday morning before heading out to the race. Then the usual: registration, nutrition, tire pressure, and then kit up, warm up, and call up.

I lined up in the middle of the front row, almost centered on the apex of the first corner. Don did his famous countdown and we took off with me leading the charge, taking the holeshot. I lead up the first couple of pitches and out onto first big straight away on. Cole House came around me at a full sprint and I glued myself to his wheel. Ben Senkerik and Pete Karinen also came around me and I slotted in 4th wheel through the first few single track sections.

When we got to the midpoint of the lap I attacked from the back of the group up a short pitch into a descent and into another climb where I stayed on the gas up and over into the descent. I lead the rest of the lap and into the second lap when the group came around me. On the ridge straight away Isaac went to the front with me on his wheel. Cole came around him again and Pete tried to sneak by on the inside of the corner at top speed causing the whole group to slam on the brakes to avoid crashing, pushing me back to fifth wheel.

Photo: Gary Smits

I was hurting from my time in the lead but stuck with it refusing to lose the front group. After the double climb and descend section we were heading into the rock garden at the top of the climb when Pete tried to pass Isaac at an inopportune moment. They went into the chunky rock roller and Isaac hit Pete and had to slam on the brakes to avoid crashing, bringing him, Ben and I to a stop, while Pete and Cole attacked down the descent.

Photo: Brad Sovinski

From there I gave chase separating myself from Isaac and Ben going into the third lap. Then it was three laps straight out in no man's land. I managed to hold/close the gap on Pete and Cole, even getting it down to about ten seconds but I could never quite make contact. In the end. I finished 30 seconds behind the front two, the closest I have ever been to the win of a WORS race. My legs felt great and I was happy to have held pace with the top guys and to have put in more time at the front then I ever have before!

As always big thanks to my team Linear Sport  RT and our sponsors: Trek, Bontrager, Wheel & Sprocket, Styled Aesthetic, Kettle Moraine Preservation and Restoration, and David Hobbs Honda. Thank you as well to my personal sponsors, Englewood Grass Farm, TOGS, Fox Racing Shocks, Honey Stinger, Mike's Mix, Wolf Tooth Components and ESI Grips.

Huge thanks to Ben and Kristi Agnew for putting on such an awesome event out at Englewood Grass Farm. Thank you as well to my awesome Linear Sport Racing teammates for all their support and cheers!

WORS #1 Iola Bump and Jump

WORS season is finally here! For those who are new, WORS is the Wisconsin Off-Road Series, the largest and longest-running mtb series in the country. My parents started racing the series in the early 90s and got me started racing mountain bikes in 2009. 

Due to excessive snow, the Iola Bump and Jump was pushed back a weekend. This meant great weather and perfect dry/tacky conditions everywhere. I opted not to preride on Saturday and just drove the two hours up Sunday morning. It was great to be back on the WORS scene and see so many familiar faces after being away at college for nine months. 

Photo: Bradley Sovinski

I started off on the front row and was quick off the line along with Ben Senkerik going 1 and 2 into the first corner. Cole House and Pete Karinen came around us at the top of the ski hill climb and then we dropped into the bowl. Pete was putting down the hammer and I dangled just off the group of three. As we emerged from the first single track section I latched onto Ben but he was feeling the burn too and a small gap formed between Pete/Cole and Ben/me. I came around Ben and tried to close the gap for the rest of the first lap but just couldn't do it.

Photo: Bradley Sovinski

Ben passed me back at the start of the second lap and took up the hunt. We settled into a good pace and established a solid gap on the rest of the field.

Fueling up with a Honey Stinger gel! Photo: Bradley Sovinski

I led for the whole third lap and Ben took over again going into the fourth lap. At the climb half-way through the lap, Ben launched an attack and stayed on the gas trying to drop me. It almost popped me but I barely managed to stay on and did my best to recover.

Photo: Gary Smits

Ben stayed on the gas all the way back to the start of the same climb a lap later. As we approached the top I counterattacked as hard as I could up and over. I put it down as hard as I could for the rest of the lap navigating through lapped traffic emptying the tank.

Photo: Gary Smits

I finished in third with almost a 50-second gap on Ben and two minutes down on Cole House who won. These guys have been out at the Pro XCTs in California whereas this was my first race of the season, so no complaints from me! The handling skills felt good and the legs felt great, now I just need to work on not missing the podium :)

Missed the podium, so solo shot instead lol!

For any data nerds out there, here is my heart rate data from the race. You can see where I was leading from miles one-ish to five on lap one, where Ben was leading from miles 5-10 on lap two, where I lead again on lap three from miles 10-15, where Ben attacked on lap four around mile 17 and finally where I counterattacked on lap five around miles 22. 

Overall pretty stoked to open the season with a top three. Big thanks to my team Linear Sport  RT and our sponsors: Trek, Bontrager, Wheel & Sprocket, Styled Aesthetic, Kettle Moraine Preservation and Restoration, and David Hobbs Honda. Thank you to my personal sponsors, Englewood Grass Farm, Honey Stinger, Mike's Mix, Wolf Tooth Components and ESI Grips. In addition, new to my program this season are TOGS and Fox Racing Shocks, so huge thanks to them as well and I'm proud to be representing them. Next up is the Englewood Open on Saturday, I'm heading out there today to pre-ride and will be posting a course preview video soon!