|
Posted April 28, 2004 Majesty and tragedy at the Tour of Canyonlands 
On Sunday, April 25 the Tour of Canylonands began the Mountain States Cup on a perfect spring day in Moab, with blue skies and temperatures in the mid to high 60s. Heavy rain in the preceding week packed the dirt to unheard of fastness, and most dust particles were happy to cling to each other rather than accumulate in racers' nostrils.
Five hundred riders in 40 classes gathered in Kane Springs Canyon south of town, a cliff-ringed rift teeming with mountain bikers, hikers, campers and off roaders. Beginners followed a 15-mile lollypop up Kane Creek Road, down to the creek, out into the open Kane Springs Canyon, around some swoopy river washes and back. Everyone else climbed all the way to Hurrah Pass, bombed to the Colorado River, then caught Amasa Back Trail. Exposed singletrack made mistakes seem like a bad idea, and the infamous 150-foot hike-a-bike, called "Jacob's Ladder,² tested everyone's mettle and Achilles tendons. Amasa fed racers back onto Kane Creek Road for a fast descent to the finish. The 25-mile route combined open dirt roads with tech singletrack, a verdant valley with sweeping vistas. Brian Smith of Trek/VW rolled the fastest pro time, with a 1:29:50.64. Jennifer Smith of VW/BonJovi/Cannondale blazed a 1:47:03.69 to win the pro women. Carl Swenson of RLX, who finished a minute behind Brian Smith, crested Hurrah Pass way out front only 33 minutes after the start, which is impressive considering the aid station worker took 40 minutes to drive up there.
From the aid station one could witness a wide range of physiques, fitness levels and attitudes. Hyperfit pros motored to machinelike performances. Type A experts hammered to glory. Forty-something men chatted about other cool rides. A heavy-set sport woman persevered with the biggest stoke of everyone.
Many believe our bodies are only a small part of who we are, that the other ninety-something percent consists of our higher selves. If you belong to this school of thought, then a race like Tour of Canyonlands becomes less of a physical test and more of a spiritual journey. No matter what your needs victory, escape, challenge the race helps you climb to a higher level of prowess, enlightenment or just plain stoke. Down on the wide-open valley floor, Ben Hall took a hard pull at the front of the expert 30-34 group. Ben Hall, 33, of Albuquerque, NM, with the bushy red beard and shaven legs, dropped back and tried to get into the paceline. He slipped into the draft, head down, and hammered to stay in contact. A Ford Excursion towing a trailer appeared in the road. The group split around the obstacle. Ben kept hammering, straight into the grill. His bike snapped. The windshield shattered. Ben soon died of a head injury. Racers on the return trip passed his sheet-covered body, a pool of his blood soaking into the dust. Everyone in the mountain bike community offers the most sincere condolences to Ben's friends and loved ones. No doubt, for Ben this day marked a spiritual milestone. Let's hope he's OK wherever he is. 
Ben Hall at the Sea Otter Classic. For more photos and full race results, go to cyclecyndicate.com For the Mountain States Cup schedule go to handlebarandgrill.com |
Home
|
|
Home Email Lee © 2004 Lee McCormack. All rights reserved. |
