DEVO alumni, Grady James has been spotted this season taking names for the Fort Lewis Cycling Team. This past weekend he rode to victory in the short track and has been in the top 5 all season in the highly contested collegiate B category. Grady was a DEVO team member during season uno and found his love of road racing while training that year. He left the team the following year to race the road. He has developed into a strong Cat 3 hard man and is now jumping back into the dirt action in the amazing college racing seen.
The Smile Theatre will host a fundraiser for the Durango Independant Film Festival this Saturday night following the Jr DEVO Pedal Test Shredfest, doors open at 530 with the show to begin at 6:30pm. Tickets are $10 and the cycling films will not dissapoint. Rumor has the shortened version of Klunkerz taking the screen following the local bike polo film, Mallethead. It will be a good Saturday for spectating sweet cycling action.
Wednesday morning, Durango 9-R partnered with the city of Durango, Healthy Lifestyles La Plata County, and local professional cyclists to promote the international Safe Roads to School Program. A healthy looking bunch took to the early morning and talked about how cold it was. The kids were scattered and stoked to be outside before school. Ned, Tad, Drew, Andy, DEVO coaches Anne and Chad, and Jon on a big wheel were invited to join the group and promote riding and helmet wearing. Cameras flashed and the group rode and walked around the block with the local police leading the way. The kids laughed and went to school.
New to Durango this fall is Norse Cycles. Welder Tom Joyner is now in the buisness of custom cycles so, contact him at thenorseman@norsecycles.com and get yourself a custom ride.
The future of cycling is looking sweeter and sweeterer every day. Boulder has developed a plan for a super bike park with everything from pump track, terrain park, cyclocross, and cross country trails. These are becoming increasingly popular across the country. Durango is on the way it seems and this thursday night a meeting is to take place with local cyclists and city members to discuss the possiblity of something simular in our community. If you are interested in getting involved, check out the pdf and contact Mary@trails2000.org.
Saturday October 11th at the Factory Trails training site, the DEVO junior riders are invited to a day of fun competition. Registration begins at 430 and is $5 per racer. The event begins with a fun race at 5pm. 5:30 will be a timed race for all ages and 6pm will mark the start of the relay race. The course will be similar to last fall’s race and coach Chad will be making the relay teams prior to the race. This is going to be an amazing event for the kids, the parents and the community so tell your friends. Local professionals are encouraged to take part and let the roost fly. Remember to tell your friends.
Tonight from 4-7pm the young lads and ladies from the DEVO race teams will meet up with Mary from Trails 2000 and get to work. Parents and community members are invited to join us as we clean garbage and maintain the trail network, Factory Trails on FLC campus, the goegline connect trail, and Shocker. We’ll se you there.
SInce 1981, the Road Apple Rally has been October’s kick-off to the off-season and the final local mtb race around. It happened again this year. The course was slightly sandy and the clouds kept it cool, so the race was pretty darn fast. This years overall winners were Shannon Gibson and Matt Shriver of Durango. DEVO represented as well with Henrique Pohl, DEVO’s u-19 exchange student from Brazil, taking the top junior spot for the long course. This was his second local race and he was seen grinning big-time as he hammered the singletrack. Coach Annie raced the long course and placed 3rd in the sport women, Coach Kricket took the win in the singlespeed category and Coach Chad placed 6th in the pro man. DEVO friends Travis Brown was 2nd and Ned Overend was 4th. Quinn Simmons was the lone junior DEVO racer and took a medal home. His Dad, Scott raced fast and out sprinted Coach Chad for 5th. It was a good day for a race.
Quinn Simmons, sponsored by Todd Wells Olympic Experience, take control late in the race
We are looking for a title sponsor for Chase Orricks’ latest creation, “Never Forget the Feeling.” The film is about DEVO’s 2008 season will be playing on Tuesday October 21st at the Abbey Theatre. Doors open at 6pm for the DEVO fundraiser. We are also looking for an under 11min short to play before hand. If you have any ideas, please contact Chad@durangodevo.com.
At the moment, Chase is in Utah filming the Red Bull Rampage, the amazing big mountain cycling event.
WHEN: MONDAY OCTOBER 6TH 4-7PM TRAIL WORK DAY WITH TRAILS 2000- this is for both U14 and U19 teams, families and coaches.
WHERE: We will meet and start at the”Factory Trails” up on Fort Lewis campus, this at the most southern tip of campus behind the Bader/Sherridan dorms. We will do trash clean up and work on the Goeglein Connection Trail and Shocker Trail. Tools and gloves will be provided. This is a great way for us to give back to the community and Trails 2000 for providing us with awesome trails to ride, practice, and race on.
Alumni Nora Richards and Joe Schnieder both raced last weekend in Boulder at Colorado University’s home race the Buffalo Hay Bailer. Nora placed 3rd in the B women xc, 1st in the short track and 1st in the mountain cross. Rumor has it was her first MX ever. Joe, coming off a collarbone break, raced his first weekend back in the short track and placed 8th in the A men. Joe is racing for a spot on the Colorado School of Mines national team and Nora is taking her rookie season by storm for Fort Lewis, just weeks ago competing at her first Track Nationals. Remember to keep an eye on them this weekend. Racing starts at 8am both sat and sunday up on campus at the Squawker Classic.
When? Sunday 2:00p Where? Meet at Boggy Draw trailhead, training ride will start around 2:30p after a few practice laps and warm-up (please no cars parked on the side of the road next to the course) What? Rugged cyclocross course. perfect for mountain or cross bikes. Plan on 8 laps to make it 45min-1hour Why? No fees, no prizes, just bragging rights, and some great early season training Also, Dolores River Brewery opens at 4:00p, we should be heading down the hill about that time.
Q: When did you decide to switch it up and go XTERRA?
A: After racing the professional mountain bike circuit for 9 years I decided it would be good to have a change. So last year I decided to focus on XTERRA racing for ’09. I had done a few XTERRA races for ‘fun’ in previous years and knew that it would provide the new challenge I needed to keep me motivated to train, represent my sponsors, and have fun.
Q: Did you swim or run that much before you made the switch? Was it hard learning to race the other disciplines?
A: I won a few state championships in high school track (way back…haha) so the running is coming back to me. The swim is definitely my biggest challenge. I’ve never swam competitively so I am spending a lot of time working on technique. You can’t hide behind your fitness in swimming, you really have to learn the game.
Q: What does a typical XTERRA race consist of and where do they take place? Is there one near Durango?
A: XTERRA races are Olympic distance, 1.5 K swim, 30 K mtb, 10 K trail run. There is a national series circuit that takes us all over the U.S. and also a Global Tour with races in Australia, New Zealand, Saipan, South Africa, Brazil, and throughout Europe. The World Championships are in Maui, Hawaii at the end of the season. There is a regional XTERRA race in Farmington, NM, in June. It’s on the Road Apple course so you can bet it’s a lot of fun! I recommend giving it a ‘tri’.
Q: Who was your female MTB hero when you were first starting to race? What was it like when you met them for the first time?
A: I starting racing pro after one year as an amateur. So honestly, I lined up for my first Pro NORBA National race not knowing any of the pros since I was so new to the sport. But I would say I came to respect and admire Ruthie Mathes for her persistence and accomplishments over her career. It’s always a pleasure to run into her in town or on the trail.
Q: What is your favorite epic ride in Durango? How about in town ride?
A: Epic – anything in the high country. In town favs – Sailing Hawk, Big Canyon and the BMX track!
Q: What was your first MTB race experience like? How about your first pro race?
A: My first mountain bike race was in Del Norte, the old CORPS series. I had just gotten clip-less pedals so I fell over several times. My first pro race was the Big Bear NORBA National in ’99. It was probably good that I didn’t know any of the pros and wasn’t intimidated. I just rode my race and ended up on the podium in 4th.
Q: You played college basketball, what was that like? What was your best game ever?
A: My first love is b’ball for sure. I still love it, even though my skills are rusty. I enjoyed the team aspect of the sport, camaraderie and sense of group accomplishment. My best game ever was when I hit a 3 pointer just past half court to win the game. That scenario has been played out in every b’ball players’ dreams.
Q: We have some pretty fast junior ladies on DEVO, what advice do you have for them making the transition from junior to senior racing?A: Wait until I am retired before you start kicking my butt. Just kidding! It is so exciting to see you ladies improving every year and while keeping a big smile on your face. My advise is to keep it fun, mix it up (single speed, BMX, downhill, XC, unicycle, try an XTERRA), vary your training. If you BELIEVE it you can ACHIEVE it, whatever it may be! BELIEVE in yourself!!!
