NMBS #3 Vermont

Joe Brzuchanski aka Joberon Brewchampski hit the 3rd round of the National Moutain Bike Series in Vermont. Check out Joe's weekend report below :
My first MTB race was a NORBA back in the o'l Schuss Mountain days in TraverseCity Mi. I remember having no idea what to expect as I rolled to the start line with the other beginner 19-24's. Fast forwarding 10 years to this past weekend I found myself at the 3rd stop on the NORBA circuit. Mt. Snow in the beautiful state of Vermont. After a couple of course test laps guided by the super talented Kelli Emmett(Ford Cycling) I was starting to feel ready for the races. On Friday, after watching Justin and Pete of the Kona crew kick some butt in the Semi ProXC, I started warming up for the Expert Short Track event. Minutes later the NORBA announcers, a couple of them were pretty fun and animated I might add, started to call us up to the line. And, just as I was 10 years ago, full of nerves and knew not what to expect. The competition looked quite fierce as I rolled up about 3 or 4 rows back from the front. The 20 minute plus 3 lap racestarted very fast. I was really hoping not to get a flat like the Simonster did the week prior. My second goal was not to get lapped. I was about 10 guys back until the first little climb. From there I went on the outside and moved myself within the top 5. I was certain this wouldn't last but decided to stay put and see if I could survive a lap or two. I was waiting for mobs of guys to just start passing and attacking from behind but it didn't happen. It was the opposite. A couple guys peeled off the front and I found myself 3rd wheel. Even leading a lap or two later. After 10 minutes or so our group had formed a little gap. There were about 6 of us just hanging on for dear life until the last lap when the attack came. It was a strong move that myself and one other rider could follow. I lasted about half of a lap and ended up rolling in for 3rd and a spot on a NORBA podium. Pretty sweet! Saturday I did another lap of the XC course. This would be my 5th lap of the 8 I did all weekend. Perhaps a bit much but hey...I'm pretty sure I turned in a"vacation" request to my manager;) I loved the course but the downhills were still kickin' the crap outta me. Just ask Kelli. She dropped me on every decent out there. BAH! After my lap it was time to watch the big show. It was amazing. The pro's ripped around that course like it was rail trail leading to a friggin'cider mill. Very fun to watch. Sunday was time for my Expert XC race. Thankfully we started at 8am as it was a boiling hot day. Justin and Pete told me to be sure I was towards the front before going into the technical single track atop the first long climb. I was able to position myself in the front row on the start line. Then...off we went. I had a great Lummis style start. Clicked in quickly and was the first off the line and onto the start of the climb. I was hoping to be climbing well and makeup some time there as my downhillin' ain't pretty. I was in the front for about a minute when I started hearing the sounds of the fat tires rolling past. Not too bad though. Only about 3 or 4 guys. Ok, maybe 5. But that's it! So I was around the top 5 or 6 going into the single track. As I bobbled my way through that mess I was already getting yelled at. I let some dudes by only to catch them again on the climbs. That was pretty much the story of my race. Pass me on the downhills, I'll pass you on the climbs. I ended up hanging on for a 6th place finish. One spot away from another podium spot. BAH!I'm pretty darn happy with the trip overall. Looking back I can see I've come along way from those beginner days. In a way though, my second NORBA experience has left me feeling more like a beginner than ever. I would like to say great job to everyone from Michigan that made it out there and pushed themselves. Thanks for the cheers and support from you all and my family too. It was awesome to see some familiar faces and meet some new folks too. Thanks to the Ford Team(www.fordcycling.com) for letting me hang out a bit and check out the behind the scenes...scene. Joberon --
Joes pic of the Pro Womens XC start -- Kelli Emmett is on the left---

LUMBERJACK 100

Lumberjack 100 Michigans only 100 mile off road MTB race. The race started at 7am with temps in the high 60's and they would rise to near 90+ deg. Chris Eatough (24hr solo World Champion) lead the way thru the 4 laps of 25 miles each. The Simonster stayed on him as long as he could, until the heat and exhuastion caused Mike to leave the race early. John Meyers sitting in 3rd place for most the race was passed with a few miles to go and finished an Awsome 4th place overall. Jason Lummis rode a strong race and held 6th place until the last lap exhaustion had him traveling backwards to 9th at the finish line. John Meyers wins the tough guy award with a 2nd lap crash and with stretched shoulder liagaments and still drilling it to the end. After a few hours to rest the Bells/Quiring team finished off a few celebitory OBERONS (ok so we killed a case). Thanks to Scott Quirng for the trail side feed support and the beautiful wives that ran the show. RESULTS: www.lumberjack100.com
pic below: John Meyers heading for the finish line

Jason Lummis finishing the Lumberjack 100 mile Race, 9th place overall 

Bloomer XC NORBA

Sunday was the Bloomer XC race 5 laps of twisty single track. There was 16 starters in the Open class. The Bells Team took the #1 and #3 spots on the podium. Scott Quiring won easily and Jason Lummis followed in with a 3rd place finish with a 4th lap pass, Joberon finished 7th on the day. Enjoy the below pics of the race thanks go out to Tom Linning for his awsome photographs. Tom also has his own website dedicated to Bikes click his name and enjoy. Next Stop the Lumberjack 100, the Simonster, John Meyers and Jason Lummis will be tackling the 100 mile race this Saturday in the Manistee National forest..........

The Start of the Bloomer XC 

Q on his way to 1st place Bloomer XC 

Jason Lummis at Bloomer XC 

Joberon at Bloomer XC 

NORBA #2 NMBS

Mike Simonson traveled to North Carolina for the 3rd time this year for #2 stop of the NMBS NORBA series. Mike did well in the semi-pro class with a 13th and DNFed the short track after leading the start with a mechanical
the Simonster report:
I guess at some point in the season bad luck has to kick in, or lack orpreparation. It's just too bad it had to happen at Nationals. The XC coursewas a brute. 1600 feet of wide open ski hill climbing with a supertechnical downhill at the end would sum it up pretty well. I think JasonLummis sums it up best with his famous quote,"ya leave Michigan and it rains and ya get flat tires." After Pete Ehman and I pre-rode the course in a torrential downpour, I decided to switch my rear tire from the Nano to the Jones ACX. I had no resources for going tubeless, so I bought one of those superlight Kenda 29er tubes which proved to be a huge mistake. I should have just thrown my 5 bucks into the trash can next to the Kenda trailer. I started in the back of the semi-pro XC field, and after the first couple of miles up the ski hill, I had gotten clear of the entire field by about 15 seconds. That's when I heard the dreaded hissing sound of the rear tire going flat. I immediately pulled off to the side and I actually had a pretty fast tube switch. As I got going again, I just kept moving through the field of over 50 again. I had worked my way back into the top 10, when I had another mechanical. This time it was the chain. Good thing I carried a powerlink and I managed to fix it rather quickly. Only a few riders passed me, and I ended up 13th over all. The last lap was a real bear. The 4th time down the ski hill just pounded my arms. OK, got all of the bad luck out of the way, time for the short track race! I had the perfect bike for the course with a rigid fork and tubeless kryseriums with CX tires. The bike had to weigh under 20 pounds. The course was true to its name as it was quite short with one little gravel climb. I got off the line pretty well, and as soon as I hit an open lane, I launched an attack and had gotton clear of the entire field up the gravel climb. I continued to open up the gap to almost 30 seconds after the first of 4 laps.Then KABOOM! The rear tire blew off the rim as I was coming around one the corners near the start/finish area and my STXC race was over. I was pretty bummed out about the whole weekend, but all in all it was a good experience to see the continents fastest pros and race on a world class XC course. I think my fitness was good enough to at least win one of the two races, but I guess it takes a little more than fitness towin bike races. A big THANKS goes out to Pete Ehman who drove most of the way and put up with the Simonster's shenanigans for the weekend.

Pontiac LK TT NORBA & Hanson Hills MMBA

Simonster crushes them at PLRA. Mike Simonson wins the PLRA TT NORBA race, easily. Jason Lummis finished 7th behind a tough field of Semi-pro's and Elites. Saturday was a great event held near Waterford MI.

John Meyers raced the Hanson Hills XC MMBA race this past Sunday. He finished 3rd and was in the mix the whole race.
Check out what John had going on:
Had a great race Sunday up at Hanson hills, raced comfortably with Nate and someone that got a free wheel from us. Anyways I had one crash in second lap w/ dropped chain. I was able to bridge back up to the two and then ramped it up for the third lap with hopes of dropping our wheel sucker but no luck. Going in to the last lap the ever so courteous Nate set tempo for the fourth lap, as we closed in on the final few short climbs to the finish down hill I jumped out and took control with the idea that I would lead out the sprint and not allow anyone past. Everything was going as planned until the last 300 yards, I new that as soon as I made the slight bend around the building and the edge of the 8 yard dumpster I could apply the turbo. I am not exactly sure what happened but I believe that I thought I had cleared the dumpster no problem but for some oddity the top of my shoulder was in exact alignment with a metal cleat at the top of the dumpster which I had as I had just started to rise of my saddle and upper body because the force of the hit threw me and my bike to the ground with Nate and the other guy jumping past me...Nate sat up to make sure I was o.k. and rolled in for second and I remounted and finished a very disappointing third. A solid 3rd for the team but not the win that I felt that I had in the bag.
Tough finish John -0-- Great job racing the Bells Brewery/Quiring Cycles team colors !

Jason Lummis raced the Cedar Creek RR sunday, also the MI Sate RR Championship. As any MTBer would do in a Road Race Jason was out front trying to keep the pace high. Cat 3 field sprint at the end and he finished somewhere !