Ashland Mountain Challenge 2k16

Photo credit: Called To Creation

 After traveling on Interstate 5 in triple digit heat for more hours than I'd like to remember, the thought of doing any physical activity was the last thing on my mind...However; once crossing over the Oregon boarder and into the happinin' city of Ashland, the mood quickly switched as this would be the venue for round 5 of the California Enduro Series.  Mount Ashland may provide some pretty rad skiing in the Winter, but once the snow melts and summer arrives, the trails beneath the many trees lay home to some of the best terrain for mountain biking.  Not many places consist of tight single track over tree roots and rocks while also opening up enough to gain speeds near 30+ mph as you shred through the forest.  The crew over at Ashland Mountain Adventures have made this event one of the best of the year in my opinion and with the packed classes, I bet many others agree.  As it most certainly is a blast to ride out here, it's nonetheless very physical. Between practice and race day, riders covered about 60 miles, gained 8,000 ft with 16,000 ft of elevation loss and around 4 hours of ride time on race day with 4 timed stages.  

Horn Gap was one of the rad stages we raced over the weekend, here is a group of us Santa Cruz shredders ready for some practice runs.

Saturday was go time and I was looking forward to the days' racing and feeling pretty excited after a podium result last year in the Expert field.  The Pro class was stacked with many local fast boys who know these trails like the back of their hand, making times close if you could stay on pace but also create some big gaps if you weren't feeling your best.  Detailed race reports can be pretty boring but to get to the point, my day felt pretty solid with no crashes or big mistakes..But racing is tight and I wasn't able to battle up front landing me in 22nd place after approx. 30 minutes of timed race runs.  Each event this season has been an incredible learning experience for me, and with this being my first year racing Pro, I'm pleased with the progress I've been making...Plus currently sitting 11th in points isn't too bad!  The final 2 rounds of the CA Series will be held at Northstar Ski Resort and Mammoth Mountain, where the high paced technical terrain means it's time to get comfortable with Downhill laps!

Always a big thank you to those who support me- My parents first off, the Cavaletto's at Scotts Valley Cyclesport who provide the best of race support at each of these events, Specialized Bicycles, Praxis Works, FOX, Gamut USA, SPY Optics, ODI Grips, Monster Army, Stikrd, and Krawl Clothing. 

 Instagram: @nickyd358

Twitter: @nickyd358

Facebook: Nick DiNapoli