Team GoLite Finishes 4th (preliminary) at AXS Buena Vista 24 hour!

What a race! I don't even know where to begin! Maps at 5pm Friday, CP's 1-4 given at start and Cp's 7-10 given at the Kayak-Bike transition. The race start at 11:50pm was a pretty calm one, with everyone getting the coordinates of CP1-4, plotting, and putting a strategy together. We started out at a reasonable pace, keeping in stride with Team Eolus and Team Salomon/Crested Butte. After 7 miles on trail, we headed into the woods to get CP1 at a high point at 9262’. Straight uphill to the CP, and straight downhill to the road at McGee Gulch at 8900’. No rest, and straight back uphill to CP3 on a ridge at 10130’. This where it got interesting! Scrambling hands and feet avoiding 40’ sheer rock faces on the climb up, the skies opened up and began dumping wet, heavy snow. By the time we reached the summit, between the clouds and heavy snowfall the visibility was les than 15 feet! After a quick, blind search for the CP, we found it and headed off for the beginning of the O-course at CP-2. We got a few points on the way to CP4, ran the long distance to CP4, and then back on the o-course to get some more points. We determined that we had to leave for the ropes course by 7:15am to get there in time, and headed out right on time. After the beautiful but grueling 400’ Tyrolean Traverse, into the kayaks for a trip down class II and class III water on the Arkansas River. At 1250 cfs, the river was raging, and Brooks and Tiffanie ended up going for a bone chilling swim when they got caught in a nasty hydraulic. After pulling out the boats and trying to get warm again in a nasty wind, we got our new CP’s, plotted the maps, and headed out on the bikes. A long, steep, sandy ATV road climb really tested the new Rocky Mountain Elements and Maxxis Monorails, and they performed flawlessly! A quick trip through the second O-course and a downhill-singletrack to the finish. It was a great race, and the conditions really tested the toughness of the team. Although we finished in 3rd position, we were plagued by O-course penalties from injuries, and were relegated to 4th place by a team that finished behind us. Lots of adversity, lots of bad weather, and lots of great teamwork: we had a great time, and are now looking to get everyone healthy again for the 24hours of Erock. We will also be doing some community outreach—providing a bike maintenance clinic and Q&A session for the City of Boulder Alternative transportation awards Ice cream social. Keep tuned to the blog for information!

Team GoLite would like to thank all of our sponsors, GoLite and GoLite Footwear, Smartwool, NUUN, Tifosi Optics, Rocky Mountain Bicycles, Native Energy, Maxxis Tires, Ay Up lighting, Boulder Performance Lab, and Alta Physical Therapies. We thank you for your continuing support. We have had a strong start to the season, and we are only getting stronger as the year rolls on!