ICEMAN 2008 Jason Lummis edition

Lummis report:

The 2008 Iceman was another great event. The weather was perfect and the course fast. The competition was fierce and strong.
I came into this race ready to have fun and ride strong. My parents, brother/sister inlaw and wife/son all came up for the BIG race. Kathy, Zack and I drove up Friday afternoon to meet up with the Simonster, Stewy, Doyle, Randy and Cruise for a preride of the course. It was a really nice and the course was fast. A good relaxing preride was done and off to check into the hotel, then dinner and then a quick Iceman # pickup and back to the hotel for a early night.

Race day : My son Zack likes to get up early, try 5:30am, while my race was at 2:30pm. Z and I hung around till the Omellete Shoppe opened at 7:30 am. We then hung out around the hotel pool till about noon and headed out to Kalkaska so Zack would nap in the van as we drove around for awhile.

Kalkaska--- We parked at the school around 1pm, I dressed and used my steel bike for a warm up bike as it was still sleeting on and off. Stewy calls me as I am heading out (SS)"My FS Anthem shock isn't holding air", (JL) " Man I told you not to bring that FS bike back to MICHIGAN", (SS) " Can I ride your steel Quiring", (JL) " Yeah sure, 1 gear 34/15, and you will be spun out and 23 mph on the flats, Oh yeah and your like 7" shorter than me"........ And then I just kept riding the course backwards to get a warm up. Check the clock ooops, I am going to cut this close. I got back with about 25 minutes to start (sorry Stewy), Scott had to remove the fenders on the bike and adjust the seat height. A quick change into my race gear and to the line in about 3rd or 4th row. I had set my STANS Crow and Raven on my 355 ZTR rims to 25 psi which was perfect for the pre ride and the cousre at hand. I notice the large selection of Road Pro's and Cat 1/2 guys in the field, this is going to be a hard start. GOOOOOOOOO and the choas begins. I get pinched in in the middle, literally fight my way to the outside and start moving up. Since the course is very OPEN, the the use of the weeds and straightening out corners is the best way to get around racers. The fact that if your not moving forward, you WILL be going backwards, is a struggle for most and a battle for all. If the racer if front of you is pedaling then stay on his wheel if he stops for a second and you don't pass him you will be passed by others quickly. In the first 10 minutes there is no sitting in, just to the wall speed, energy and aggression. I hooked onto Joberon as he was blasting thru the field, I bounced a few guys as they tried to get on Joe's wheel but I was there. We came to the single track connector between to sections of 2 track. Problem 1 a rider over extended his abilities and now was gaping us from the lead group. The trail opened up and we where around the slower racer chasing some very fast guys ahead. A few hard pulls by a couple guys (notably Joe's buddy Sven putting a huge pull to bring us back in the race), as we catch the group we hit a sandy uphill where I choose the wrong line and was off the bike chasing again. A few guys came off the lead group as they where 25-30 secs up the trail. John Doyle, Jake R. and I seem to be at the front of the second group most the time, with Doyle animating the pace consistently. I put a few hard efforts in to try and shake things up some, especially on the 2 track to dirt road transitions (WWMSD?). We had a group 0f 6 or so at Williamsburg and we picked up Stu from Canada shortly after the crossing. Stu would get to the front and we would slow down, Doyle would go around him and then repeat. The canadian was thinking he was the strongest, but he was not. The race was coming to an end quickly, I was feeling great. I was at the front as we caught Travis Brown and as we hit the hill with about 6 to go. Chris Peasario put a little effort to pick it up, as he was being annoyed by the canadian. Back together we rolled towards the finish with Doyle at point. I was staying in the front 3 at all times as we hit the final single track and the short steep climb, Sam Shultz was at the top trying to get his chain on. I knew we had been racing for 9th, but now 8th opened up. Doyle stayed on the front and I was on his wheel as the group started to splinter. We filed thru the last single track then up a hill, Doyle in front, me then Chris P., just hanging on. And that was how we finished, we all kicked to the line at 1:30. For my fastest Iceman and another 9th place. The field keeps getting stronger and my placing stays the same. Great Job to My teammates, Anderson rocked it, Erin rocked, JM won it, Joberon worked it, JAJ survived it and Q built it. Big thanks to our sponsors BELLS BREWERY, QUIRING CYCLES, STANS NO TUBES, CRANKBROTHERS, OAKLEY, ABERDEEN BIKE for all the support in our racing en devours.

---JL

Video of the 2nd group rolling towards the front group (Sven is on the front)

Hitting Williamsburg with Doyle and Jack

My son zack and I

( is that Uncle Fester in the background?)

Nana, Zack and Papa (aka Superfans)

ICEMAN 08 Mike Anderson edition 3rd place overall

The Anderson report:

Finish video:



After a lot of anticipation the 2008 iceman is in the books. This race has always been one of my favorites, and I look forward to it every year. I decided to drive over Saturday morning, being our start was at 2:30 in the afternoon. After a solid warmup and a few sprints with the Simonster, i was ready to go. The start was a little chaotic, with the underpowered roadies diving for the front line. I was about 3rd row right next to Sam Shultz. After a couple inside lines on the first couple turns I'm sitting top 5 and feeling comfortable. B-matter said you know your feeling good when the start of Iceman feels slow, I was ready for battle. I continued to follow wheels for the first 5 miles, the lead group was way bigger than last year and had me questioning if we were going fast. After Smith Lake road I took a little dig to test the waters, Bishop reels it back in. Back to following wheels, the group started to shrink one rider at a time. A few miles before Willamsburg Rd. Andy Shultz puts in a little move. The gap got pretty big, about 30 seconds. Simonster didn't like it and called B-matter and me out to chase. No Response. Right before a little technical downhill, I put in a acceleration and string out the group through Willamsburg Rd. Andy came back pretty fast and I was waiting for the counter attack. Nothing. Bishop pulls through and kept it pretty fast, I take a look behind me and see Sam Shultz and the Simonster gaped off, but they clawed back on. Weaknesses are starting to show. We hit the hills, and the legs still fell good. On the climb before Anitas hill, Bishop, Matter, and Marko roll away from the group. I wait for Andy and Colin Cares to jump across, but they do nothing. I jump across and tell Bishop we need to jam on it, we needed to accelerate hard to split the train, but we didn't go hard enough. When I pull through I some how ended up getting a good gap, and come to my first regret of the 2008 Iceman. I had the gap and didn't put in the effort to make it stick, I needed to fly up Anitas Hill, but I stayed within myself and B-matter closed the gap. Back to following wheels. Some how the group is still together, as we come into the last woodchip hill Bishop and B-matter jam on it. Andy Shultz and Colin Cares seperate me from the front of the race, I try to make a pass before the single track, but Colin shuts the door. My second regret of the 2008 Iceman, poor positioning on the last hill. Colin and Andy let the race roll away. When we spill out onto a open section, I make the pass and put down whats left. Round the last turn to see Bishop take the win and B-matter close behind. 3rd place.
Oh so close, this was one of the better races this year and I was happy with how I road, the power was there, the experience was not. Congrats to Brian, he always rides the smartest race, follow his wheel and your guaranteed to be in for a good finish. This was great way to start off with BELLS, I look forward to next season. Thanks everyone at BELLS for accepting me to the BELLs squad.
thanks
Mike

Mike hitting Williamsburg rd.

ICEMAN 08 John Meyers Edition

Iceman 08' Race report.

1st place Expert Men 40-45

This year was my 15th time racing the iceman! Were have all the years gone? The first year was clear back in 92' when Kinetics Systems racer Peter Noverr won.This years race I had hoped to repeat with a win but was feeling a little tired and weak? I was able to get a great start fast thru the first few miles until my front tire slid out on a simple lightly twisty flat section? I remember rolling thru in my warm-up and sliding a little but did not think anything of it. I hit really hard...bike and body! When I got up I could feel my right side but not thinking about anything else but getting back on to start the chase. When I got back to my bike I found that my stem had twisted which required a couple minutes to re-align. It took about 12 miles to pass hundreds of riders and bridge back to the leaders...somehow I was able to keep track of how many had gone by. The last 10 miles or so consisted of the three of us working and trading pulls. When we reached the last mile or so things were slowing down a bit so I decided that remaining in the front and controlling a higher speed was my best option and also not knowing how the new changed finish was going to play out. With about 1k. to go there was on attack by 2nd. place finisher Jeff Wittbrodt. I chased and tagged his rear wheel. He and I surged back and forth thru the sections of single track and I finally was able to punch it past him in the last section of the single track to get back to the front for the win. Just as so as I finished and gave a congrats to Jeff I felt the pain on my right side surging. The evening at the awards and the Sunset party was over the top.... The best part of the weekend was finishing and winning the prized jersey for my son Jozef so he could wear to school on monday for show and tell. He really wanted me to win so he could show off to the class....a very big deal! As I found out later that day from his teacher at confrences that Joe was the hit of the Day. Monday I also went in for X-rays and found out that I have three cracked ribs! Ouch! Was hoping to return to Waterford for the State Cx race in December but that may have to wait a year. A big thank you to Larry Bell, Scott Quiring, Jim Parks ( great time hanging after the race), Kelley Kronberg (Oakley rep.), Robert Kennedy (#1 mechanic), Clif Bar, Stans and all of my Teammates you guys Rock and Roll!.....It's been an awesome year!!!! How many wins? How many podium finishes? How many National titles? I lost track! Looking forward to even bigger things in 09'John.

ICEMAN 08 continued the Joberon edition

JOBERON RACE REPORT:

ICEMAN

It's cold. My ears are ringing. Legs sore. The Taco Bell I ate on the way home isn't sitting well. Sounds like post Iceman depression. With the pro race staring at 2:30 on Saturday it seems it's all over in the blink of an eye. Next thing you know you're back at work asking, "what just happened". The 2008 Iceman has come and gone and marks the end of another fun season. It was a supercharged rip roarin' finale that I'll never forget. This year was extra special as my parents and lots of friends made the trip up for their first Iceman experience. My good friend and training buddy Sven even made it over from Germany for a crack at race. This was my 3rd shot at the Pro Class and I had worked hard in hopes of finally having a good race. In the end it was probably my best ride of the 3 attempts but not my best race, or legs, this season. Physically I believe I was ready but my mind really got the best of me leading up to this Midwest cycling superbowl. I started towards the back of the group and had to delicately work my way forward. It's total mayhem during the start. Nothing quite like it. As hard as it is it's really quite a rush. I managed to get myself positioned pretty well within the first couple of miles. Unfortunately the trail narrowed not allowing riders to pass. A gap formed and off went a lead group. Eventually the trail opened up with the leaders still in sight. I charged to the front of my group and tried to chase. I made a fair attempt but realized the legs just weren't there for such a effort. Moments later the chase group reeled me in and we chased together. We were gaining on the front runners but slowly. Suddenly a rider comes flying by on the left side and it was none other than my buddy Sven. We jumped on his wheel and within a minute we were back with the leaders. It was awesome! The lead group must have been 25-30 strong at that point. It didn't last long however as the pace was lifted and the climbs were cracking guys. Myself included. Off in the distance I could see the heads of state drifting away. The group I was in was packed with powerhouses. We were hammering away as we entered some downhill single track. Teammate Jason drilled it Lummis style on the decent and immediately formed a gap. Sweet! I stayed put in the group which eventually swelled to 10 or so. We reached the Williamsburg Road party crossing and I felt so so in the group. I tested myself on a few climbs and felt I was climbing as well as everyone around me but I didn't have enough to try to get away. I ended up riding within myself noticing guys starting to pop off the group with 5 to go. Not long after I made a small attack on a downhill that separated myself, TJ Woodruff(Gear Grinder/BMC) and Derek Graham(Bissell). TJ ended up leading us all the way into the finish single track and eventually to the line giving me 19th for the second year in a row. Not the result I was hoping for but certainly respectable considering the talent that surrounded me this year. The field was stacked with talented riders and it really came down to who was feeling it that day. I congratulate all who finished. Especially my team. Great job to you all. After the race, thanks to my family and friends, we were able to get all riders, bikes, gear and party supplies where they needed to be. My head was spinning. Due to the time crunch we weren't able to make the awards. Bummer. We cleaned up, wolfed down a couple pizzas and headed over to prepare for the 2008 Bell's MTB Team Sunset On The Season Party. This year we moved the madness over to The Loading Dock which ended up working out great. It was still super packed but wasn't too bad and the tight fit really helped me stay upright. My bro set up and started spinning some tunes around 9PM which got us all ramped up for the main event...The Orbitsuns. The band showed up shortly after 10 and fired up about a half an hour later. Heart rates were high as these guys jammed the tunes. They didn't take a single break and had everyone on their feet dancing well into the night. They did not disappoint. I had a blast and enjoyed seeing everyone there. Thank you to all who came out and A BIG THANKS to Bell's Brewery, The Loading Dock and The Orbitsuns for one helluva night. My only question is, can we make it bigger and better next year??? Also, special thank you to our sponsors; Quiring Cycles, Bells Brewery, Aberdeen Bike and Fitness, Oakley, Stans No Tubes, Clif, Crank Bros, Paint Creek Bicycles and Pearl Izumi. I'm already looking forward to 2009. Climb on everyone. And, of course, HAUL ASS! Joberon

Joberon in the pack at Williamsburgh

Sven leading the pack before Williamsburgh Rd

Jason and Sven post race...

ICEMAN COMETH

ICEMAN 08 is in the books.... Mike Anderson 3rd < Erin Vicary 5th < Jason Lummis 9th < Joberon 19th < John Meyers 1st age group < Jason Jones 18th 40+ Single Geared class

Results

GPS of Jason's Race

Photos from the Biz of the Cycletherapy Mtb Team

Mike Anderson 3rd Place Overall Pro Open Men

Erin Vicary 5th Place Womens Pro Open










Guest Super Stud Scott Stewart Raced for the Bells Team at Iceman & Rolled in at 25th on Jason Lummis' Steel 29er set up single geared 34x15. It was a little to small of a gear for the Pro class and Scott did great spinning his way on a bike that was built for a 6'3" person and not Scott.


















A Few party Pics As well









More to come in the following days !

Send any photos to bellsbrewery_quiringcycles@charter.net we give credit to all...... Any good race or party stories let us hear about them !

BELLS BREWERY 7th ANNUAL SUNSET ON THE SEASON PARTY

GET READY TO HAUL ASS !

Come join us at the Loading Dock after the Iceman awards starting @ 8:30 pm (21yrs old and over $5 cover) SWAG, FUN and a great Beer selection




Video by: the Brzuchanski Bros.
Music by: The Orbitsuns
Starring: JOBERON, ERACER and the Bells Brewery/Quiring Cycles MTB team