Race winner Tinker Juarez

Here’s our man Ian Leitch

The 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World Championships took place at Laguna Seca, California on the weekend of 1/2 September. After making the trip last year I decided to make it again this year and try my luck. A second at the Bontrager 24 in the UK meant that I was eligible for the Elite Class and a stacked field of Americans, Canadians and Australians meant my work would be cut out. No Chris Eatough this year – he’d opted to focus on the US 100 mile series – but other than that the entry list was a Who’s Who of endurance people. Getting into the top 20 would involve a horrendous effort…

Staying with my team mate Sean Sullivan, I took the course in on Thursday to be greeted by an absolute scorcher. The course was a good distance at 14 miles, but was very exposed and had an unprecedented 2,600 feet of climbing per lap. The course opened up with some technical sandy climbing to a fantastic view across Northern California and Monterey Bay. Next a 45mph revival downhill and then into one of the best singletracks I have ridden in some time. There was about two miles of it, and even after the 24 hours I hadn’t memorised every turn. Then came the ups… A singletrack sandfest and then another before the course entered its exposed section. Sun beating down on steep fireroads, I assumed this would take us to the finish, but instead it was into a canyon via a fantastic technical downhill, and then chin on the stem stuff for a couple of miles and into the finish. Truly world class.

Come Friday and the pits were being set up. The Worlds is a nice event in that there are 120 “pits” all in a row where each rider gets his or her allocated space. Through the night each area sees a hive of activity as bikes are kept in order and riders are cheered through. A browse around the pits turned up a belt-driven Spot, Tinker Juarez’s new 18lb carbon Scalpel and an Independent Fabrication Ti Deluxe with beer can head tube and carbon Lefty fork. The only thing left was the rider briefing, which contained the terrible news that iPods were banned – noooo!

So to the race. Burning conditions and lots of nerves were the order of the day as each rider was called forward for the obligatory run. I’m a pretty good runner, so I was on the bike in about sixth and found myself cruising out with Tinker Juarez, Nat Ross and all the big guys… this couldn’t last and indeed it didn’t. Come the first climb and the touchpaper was lit – the Aussies were on the attack. I always ride conservatively and then come through in the night, but hey, this was a big one. So I went a little quicker than usual and came through lap 1 in around 1.15, already 15 minutes down. I found my rhythm and continually soaked myself at water stops as the temperatures soared. By lap six Tinker Juarez and Kelly Megelky lapped me at a blistering pace, but last year I’d been had on lap four so things looked good.

Into the night I kept it steady and felt really positive, the singletrack by night was exceptional and I was smiling all the way. By 3am, 15 hours in, I was up to 12th but then as ever the gremlins hit. For me it was a short moment sitting in the trees for five minutes with a little confused tripping in my head. Ahh, the joy of 24… But I gathered myself and then picked it right up. I was on a roll, unlapped myself from Nat Ross and caught Tinker who was two ahead. I stayed with him for the next two hours, kinda chuffed to be on the wheel of a legend. Then a battle royale with the legend that is Johnny Waddell. The Australian was a World Cup top 10 downhiller but crashed out so badly a few years back that he went into a coma. Now he’s switched to endurance racing, Santa Cruz’s Syndicate having stuck by him. It was great to be racing head to head after so long but I have never had someone pull out a lead on a singletrack over me like that guy – incredible!

Into the morning and the heat kept getting turned up – by now it was a war of attrition. I came in with 17 laps (two down on the winner) with a whopping 45,000 feet of climbing in the bank. That gave me 8th place – way better than I was expecting. All night the people on course had cheered, helped and supported – it was a great feeling.

Up at the front Tinker had taken the win – so pleased that he got the one that has eluded him. As for the others, four riders were taken off course by medics with heat exhaustion, keeping in theme with last year where winner Craig Gordon ended up on dialysis!

Got to say thank you to Independent Fabrication for my bikes – they were as always fantastic – and Industry Nine for me flyin’ green wheels. Also thanks to the organisers and other racers… next year we need some more Brits over to see if we can challenge!

Results

Elite – Male

1. Tinker Juarez – Cannondale (USA) – 19 laps
2. Kelly Magelky – BMC (USA) – 19
3. Nat Ross – Subaru – Gary Fisher (USA) – 18
4. Ernesto Marenchin – Speedgoat – Asylum Cycles (USA) – 18
5. Mark Hendershot – Santa Cruz Syndicate (USA) – 18
6. John Waddell – Santa Cruz Syndicate – (Aus) – 17
7. Steve Schwarz – Titus (USA) – 17
8. Ian Leitch – Independent Fabrication – Industry Nine – (GB) – 17
9. Chad Swanson – S&M Kona (USA) 16
10. Leighton Poidevin (Can) 16