Brian Buell racing along Porcupine Rim in the shadow of the La Sal Mountains. Photo Dan Dunn//danieldunnphoto.com
Concluding Interbike I battled the Las Vegas blues for a while, but finally my body couldn’t keep up with everything and I went down hard wednesday all day with a full body bug. This was not conducive to my preparation, but I rallied and made my way out to one of my most cherished places on earth late Thursday evening. After a fantastic dinner with Nat Ross and Holly, it was straight back to the Slickrock RV park and into my Kelty tent with an early morning Whole Enchilada shuttle.
An early morning Latte at the Love Muffin is a must do before any epic Moab day. Photo Brian Buell
Holly and I stoked on the day for different reasons, little does she know what is about to happen. Photo Brian Buell
She said "OF COURSE!" making me the happiest dude in bike shorts. Photo Stranger on trail
Little did Holly know, but I had been planning this day out for quite some time and I started it off right with a breakfast stop at our favorite cafe Love Muffin. Snow had fallen on the La Sal Mountains and the prospect of riding Burro down looked bleak. The Whole Enchilada Shuttle company head honcho and local shred hound Kyle Mears made the call and to my disappointment we would forgo Burro and headed to Hazard Trailhead. My initial plan to bring Holly back to our original meeting spot amongst the aspen trees for my planned proposal was a no go, time to figure out a plan B. The view from Hazard was amazing, but it was frigid and snow graced the ground so we quickly made haste. Holly and I were having a great ride moving quickly and by the time we knew it we were at the porcupine overlook. Holly was jazzed on the ride and was through with her snack ready to continue, it was now or never! While posing for pictures overlooking Castle Valley, on the 3rd photo Holly was ready to jump in the air when I went to a knee and asked the love of my life to “Marry Me”. It was an incredible moment, I captured it on both camera and Go Pro and had a group of older gentlemen congratulating me immediately following the proposal. The rest of the ride we had huge smiles on our faces as we floated down porcupine, I couldn’t ask for a more amazing day/ride to share this experience with Holly. After enjoying an amazing dinner at the Sunset Grill overlooking Moab I fell asleep under the desert stars with my fiance by my side. How could life get any better? The rest of the weekend was just gravy!
This is one happy Holly taking a moment to share her stokage alongside Pocupine. Photo Brian Buell
Day 1 - Stages 1-3
Thanks for all of the support Devon Balet and Vitalmtb for the kind words and wishes. Photo Devon Balet//vitalmtb.com
Working to find the flow on stage 2 while trying to navigate a tricky trail through the slickrock. Photo Dan Dunn//danieldunnphoto.com
Riders taking and moment between stages to frienduro in the shade of a juniper tree. Photo Dan Dunn//danieldunnphoto.com
Back up to the Magnificent 7 trails up in the Gemini Bridges area where the Enduro Cup was held back in May. It was a tough Stage 1 down Bull Run, close to 15 minutes of all out cross country sprinting awaited and my lungs burned as I inhaled the desert dust. I finished out of breath, tasting blood and the fatigue from the past two weeks was felt big time. Not one to give up I peddled the transfer stage to the start of stage 2 and took another break to find my wind again not feeling too hot. Stage 2 was about half in length and easier to find some flow, and once through the finish line I felt that the rust had finally been shaken off. Unable to pre-ride stage 3 would be a new one to me, so I took the opportunity to peddle up the transfer and rode it quickly before racing commenced. Stage 3 which was held on Gold Bar was a tough mixture of slickrock and tight blind turns, I kept it smooth and had another decent run and overall good day on the bike all things considering.
Riders roll into the Archway Inn parking lot before sunrise to catch the early shuttle. Photo Dan Dunn//danieldunnphoto.com
Team Geronimo would like to thank all of the photographers out there for their efforts and early days. photo Eddie Clark//eddieclarkmedia.com
I rolled out of the tent around 5:45AM and made my final preparations before rolling down the dark road to the shuttle pickup outside the Archway Inn. A van full of bro’s cruising southbound to the La Sal Mountains stoked that the snow had for the most part melted and it was a go to Geyser Pass. I smashed a chia seed kombocha, banana and noosa yogurt and felt ready to make my way up the 1,000 foot ascent to the saddle of Burro. The sun baked the southern hillside and soon the trail up became slick as I approached the start of stage 4. Straight away off the startline it was apparent that zero sun had made an appearance on this north facing slope as the steep switchbacks had turned into one ice chute after another. It was a serious hoot chucking a foot here and there managing my way down the icy swath of trail. The adrenaline flowing through my veins would have to sustain me now for the rest of the day, because stage 5 from Hazard on would be one heck of a ride. I felt good and was having a great ride through kokopelli but once I entered the realm of Upper Porcupine I went into survival mode and kept the legs moving and riding smooth. Utilizing the strategy of picking an object in the distance and focusing in on it until I had past it and repeating was the only way I could keep pace, if I thought of the amount of distance to the finish it would have been a crushing blow to the psyche. After making a few passes I was within sight of the finish a few miles away and mostly downhill before all my momentum was halted by a mechanical, overall I spent a minute fixing it before moving again. I made my passes back and then was struck again with the same mechanical and again was off the bike losing time. Assessing the situation I eased up and made it to the finish in just over an hour and still a respectable time with setbacks. Slightly Bummed I couldn’t keep it together I was thankful to be physically feeling better and clean on the weekend.
Brian trying to hold it together as he prepares to plunge into the frozen creek crossing bottom of stage 4. Photo Alex Bamberger
North American Shimano fast guy Joe Lawwill showing those young whippersnappers how its done. Thank you Joe for a great 2013 season from Team Geronimo. Photo Dan Dunn//danieldunnphoto.com
A big pow wow would ensue as all of the friends I had made throughout the season came together to celebrate the end of it. This weekend was a bit of a bust racing wise, but it signified the beginning of a new chapter in my life and to be able to spend it with so many awesome, supportive people was incredible!
Riders slowly filtered in and filled the Archway's backyard for an afternoon of food and hanging with friends. Photo Eddie Clark//eddieclarkmedia.com
These dudes are fast, congrats to all on a killer 2013 season. Bring on 2014! Photo Nick Ontiveros//bigmountainenduro.com
I would like to extend a huge thank you to all that have helped me this season, I’m extremely grateful for everything that you all have done for me and Team Geronimo in 2013 and look forward to the future.
Back to the drawing board to create a bigger and better 2014...stay tuned! photo Andrew Wilz//frontlineimage.com
This is my 3rd season representing POC and I was asked to be apart of the POC Interbike team out in Las Vegas this year. Upon this request I was excited to be able to utilize my experience as an athlete to help out and to also use this trip as a learning experience. Not too many people really get to be apart of the behind the scenes of a big time trade show and demo, the amount of work that goes into putting together this polished production that most see is insane and is a total team effort.
Congratulations to Michael and Sandi on getting hitched! Photo Andrew Wilz//wilzfoto
I left shortly after my brothers wedding and found myself under the bright Vegas lights Sunday evening. Managing to find my way to the Palms Hotel I met the POC crew for a fantastic dinner and pleasantries were exchanged as I have never before been introduced to the brain-trust from Sweden. Excited to contribute, getting to know the POC team and not knowing what to expect I made sure to be fresh for the beginning of a long week.
The mobile meca that is Outdoor Dirt Demo. Photo Jake Orness
The scene in Boulder City at the Bootleg Canyon Outdoor Dirt Demo was densely populated as this traveling circus that is the cycling industry set up shop in the most demanding, dry and dusty venue conceivable. For two days we would all call this village of pop up tents home as media types, athletes and the cycling crazed public partook in demoing the latest and greatest product. The POC tent was a constant buzz and helmets and padding flew off the shelves and onto those hungry to hit the trail. The temps were intense reaching triple digits both days, I found myself needing to escape to the Air Conditioned Shimano tent before overheating. I had a great time meeting some locals that helped out with demo gear and being apart of such a successful and busy demo. The general consensus is that the new POC Octal helmet is going to be a big hit as everyone came back stoked, some admittedly even said they forgot it was on their head due to the fact that it weighs under 200 grams which is featherlight light! At the end of Tuesday it was a struggle to get everything packed up and out of there due to high winds, but Nat, Aimee and I made it happen. Our reward, a quick stop to In and Out and straight to bed in hopes my voice would come back.
The calm before the storm as Team POC prepares for Interbike domination. Photo Brian Buell
The early morning wakeup call came and went and soon enough I was in a taxi, latte in hand on route to the Mandalay Bay for the biggest cycling trade show under fluorescent lights in North America. To provide you an example of the monstrosity of this event, it took me nearly 30 minutes to find my way to the POC booth for an all staff POC meeting. As soon as the velvet rope was dropped it was one shop owner, media guy, and consumer consultant after another from all over the globe. From POC sponsored athlete I transformed into brand ambassador, sales/marketing consultant and rep depending on who I was engaged with. I really enjoyed this experience and learned a lot while observing others as they described the product from all angles and got down to the nitty gritty when talking sales terms. After the first day I felt comfortable enough to talk to anyone about all of the POC Product line. When I had a chance I was busy stocking catalogs, putting product back on the shelves and cleaning the booth. Luckily Honey Stinger was just a trade show block away and so I would snack throughout the day trying to stay energized until closing time at 6pm. Each day brought about a new question, challenge and learning experience, but the overall outcome of being able to work with such a great group of people and represent an amazing company like POC was extremely rewarding. I also had the opportunity to talk with each and every member of the POC Sweden team and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next.
Talk about being a brand ambassador in the business section of the Vegas Newspaper. Photo Brian Buell
I was able to break away the last day to manage some of my own personal appointments and to take in the show from the pedestrians perspective as I roamed the streets and rows upon rows of cycling memorabilia and product. The last obstacle standing in our way was booth tear down and pack up. This lasted long into the night and by 10pm we were back celebrating a job well done at the Palms enjoying a nice meal and even winning a little cash playing some roulette. I slept like a rock waking up to the sound of the cleaning staff knocking on my door. I kicked the tires, got on the road and looked back at Vegas in my rear view mirror as I made my way back driving the lonely highway home extremely satisfied with the week that was Interbike 2013.
For the first time ever I might actually feel inclined to come back, thanks Vegas! Photo Davos
Brian racing out of the gate and into thin air at close to 12,000 on Kennebec Pass. Photo Nick Ontiveros//bigmountainenduro.com
Stage 1 - Kennebec Pass
Still in a slight Whistler Enduro World Series hangover, I made my way down to Durango for the fourth round of the Big Mountain Enduro. After two days of pre-riding the 4 different race stages Michael, Jess and I were aboard the Fun Bus early Saturday morning on route to the base of Kennebec Pass situated in the La Plata mountain range. After a brutal 6 mile uphill grind we were rewarded with amazing views and a long sketchy descent down some of the most high speed, high alpine single track along the famed Colorado Trail. With my POC Trebec buckled tightly I prepared for one tough effort ahead. Shortly after I departed the start line situated at 11,700 feet, I nailed a rock and quickly started hearing things. I couldn't stand not knowing anymore whether or not I had a slow leak so I pulled off the trail for a hot second just to clear my conscience, 35 PSI still remained which allowed me to hold the throttle wide open the rest of the way without worry. After successfully dodging and weaving backpackers I checked my heart rate and noticed I was near the red at 180BPM, so I backed it off a few BPM's and continued to ride as reckless into blind corners as I could. The trail morphs from the high Alpine, to thick pine forest where it runs parallel to the topographical lines, bench cut into the side of the hill. There is no room for error on this particular stage, with steep drops around every corner I was encouraged to ride conservatively until finally being spit out into the drainage thousands of feet below point A. Multiple river crossings greeted me, each with a different approach to cleanly crossover and just when I thought I was on the home stretch I overcooked the very last crossing, ran it wide and OTB'd into the cold river stones below. Once I finished minutes after getting wet and after a short recovery, it was time to start the hour long ascent out of the gully to the beginning of Stage 2.
Brian having a laugh with friends before the start of stage 1. Photo Daniel Dunn//danieldunnphoto.com
Two small mistakes and never finding overdrive left me sitting in 15th after Stage 1.
Racers look on as Brian drops the clutch and presses the gas pedal to the floor. Photo Daniel Dunn//danieldunnphoto.com
Jess lives a short distance away and has utilized his close proximity to the venue to practice multiple times and was rewarded with a strong 13th place finish, even after a major crash early in the stage.
Michael rode a strong race and rounded out the team with a nice 20th place finish out of 50 racers total.
After a long slog up to the start of Stage 2 keeping the heart rate at no higher than 140BPM, we all enjoyed the view for a few minutes and then prepared once again to attack the long sustained, flat and peddle driven sections leading down to the Dry Fork split. The pace picks up and rocks strew the double track creating a tricky track. Chain suck and a few blown corners were the only misfortunes I suffered, but the toughest test of the stage was outlasting the countless twists and turns through the shrub brush before finally being spit out at the finish line 20 plus minutes after departing.
Jess pushing his 27.5 wheels hard on the Dry Fork Trail. Photo Nick Ontiveros//bigmountainenduro.com
I dug deep and tried to conserve energy throughout to finish strong in 11th place.
Brian eyeing the finish line on stage 2. Photo Holly Turner
Jess got over-amped once again and high sided his way to another competitive 13th place.
Michael eying the photographer near the finish, focus Michael, focus! Photo Holly Turner
Michael used too much energy too early suffering the consequences and fell back to 37th on the stage
Michael and Brian soaking in the Animas, can you guess who recently spent a week on a lake? Photo Holly Turner
The Animas River was our salvation as we took advantage of the cool and calming waters to help our muscles recover. The fallowing days stages were going to take place in Horse Gulch just outside of town and with Stage 3 starting up on the Extended Raider Ridge Trail overlooking Fort Lewis College. After our pre-ride on the trail, we all had our doubts about racing it due to its extremely technical nature. After riding it just once, I knew I was in for a bit of a cycle cross experience as many of the uphills had to be ridden just right, otherwise I was running up the many red stone slab staircase climbs. The fallowing morning we were at the start just after 9am on a beautiful blue sky day. The chatter between racers at the start was about race strategy and how we were all going to approach this run. Me, I was going to look ahead with a goal to keep forward momentum on this glorified trials course. After the familiar beeps I was off and found a rhythm riding well but once I approached the first uphill I knew I wasn't going to clean the climb, so I ended up dismounting and running. This trend continued for another 10 minutes and then the trail finally dropped off the ridge and made way downhill. My mouth was agape and I was most definitely slobbering on myself as I approached the final stretch full of rough, rocky descents and a full on double track chalked with bowling ball sized rocks that brought us to the finish line. Compared to what I thought before, the race went a little better than I had imagined, however local knowledge and racers that could afford to focus days on this track leading up to the race won out as times were drastically different. Once we had our wits about us again, it was southbound up the Telegraph Trail to the fourth and final stage starting miles away on the other side of Horse Gulch.
Brian tightrope riding the Ridge while trying his hardest. Photo Daniel Walker//mountainflyermagazine.com
It was a journey, however it was not a clean run as I made two passes, missed a turn and ended up dismounting and falling backwards into another 15th place finish.
Jess utilizing his newfound wheel size for all its worth. Photo Daniel Dunn//danieldunnphoto.com
Jess utilized some of his local knowledge to navigate to a solid 12th place finish upon the Ridge that overlooks his alma mature.
Michael sprinting hard up the final climb before descending down to the finish. Photo Holly Turner
Michael rocks and rolls his way across the line and into a 30th place finish.
Brian doing his best to give the encouraging spectators a good show on a climb. Photo Holly Turner
Riding into the gut of Horse Gulch on the Telegraph Trail transfer between stages. Photo Holly Turner
The 4th and final stage of the day couldn't me more different than the previous stage as Crites Trail to Carbon Junction is a steady downhill grade of marbly, slick singletrack to the HWY 550/3 junction. The long weekend was starting to take its toll as I approached the starting line and the sun beat down. This being the last stage of the weekend I planned on giving it my all and crossing the line leaving nothing out on the trail. Once I was on course I started to find a state of flow, but as soon as I got comfortable I managed to go off track and do some serious bushwhacking through the forest, once I found my way back to the trail I had a sense of urgency, but my rhythm was interrupted and I struggled to push the rest of the way home. In the end I felt beat and needed to seek shelter from the sun and cool off while watching racers cross the finish.
The Kelty cooler keeping food cold and spirits high after a grueling weekend. Photo Holly Turner
Long stretches of flat out sprinting pushed me to the limit towards the end and I was unable to finish as strong as I would like and into 16th place.
Brian running on fumes but pushing hard all the way to the line. Photo Holly Turner
Jess rounded out a consistent weekend with a few mistakes that proved to put him off the back and into 27th place in a tightly contested stage.
Michael kept the wheels turning into 37th, not what had in mind, but with his wedding weekend upon him he had other things on his mind.
Michael putting the hammer down and putting the nail in the coffin on another burly weekend of enduro racin. Photo Holy Turner
Overall
Jess had his best result of the season with an 11th place overall finishing a total of 15 seconds in front of me in 12th after well over an hour of total race time. I had a mixed weekend but kept it consistent and rubber side down for the most part. Michael fresh off of his victory in Winter Park put in a top 25 effort finishing 23rd. Over Race Results:http://www.bigmountainenduro.com/assets/files/BME_Durango_Results_Final.pdf
The 5th and final round of the BME will take place in Moab at the end of the month. Jess and I will be there to represent as we tackle the EPIC 25 mile Whole Enchilada Trail that encapsulates some of the best and well known trails in the area. Thank you so much for your continued support of the Team Geronimo, I look forward to seeing you all at Interbike.
Brian racing deep into the heart of the Whistler wilderness. Photo Brandon Turman//vitalMTB.com
It was an amazing week in Whistler as Brian took to the 5th stop of the Enduro World Series. Hear it straight from the horses mouth about why it was the toughest, but most satisfying race of the season. Images by Brandon Turman//Vitalmtb.com.
Brian stoked and on Top Of The World. Photo Brandon Turman//vitalMTB.com
I made sure to sign up for this race but at the time was unsure if I was going to be able to attend, however the dominoes fell my way and I was off to Whistler again for another Crankworx, but this time it would be spent on the small bike.
Boarding the prop plane from Seattle to Vancouver. - Brian Buell
Travel was a breeze and before I knew it I was in Whistler getting my Whistler Season's Pass picture taken and soon thereafter was on my way up the Peak chairlift to the Top Of The World trail 4000 feet above the Whistler base village.
Heading up the Peak chair and taking in the incredible views. - Brian Buell
Brandon hard at work making VitalMTB.com buzz! - Brian Buell
Whistler's news source, The Question's Enduro Race Recap Video
I've never been up there before and was jittery to get going, so I wrangled Team Geronimo alum and VitalMTB.com frontman Brandon Turman and hit the high elevation tundra. There is something special about riding above tree line, the terrain is rocky and rough with massive views abound. First run we analyzed the terrain, took some pictures of marmots and tried hard to remember some key turns and sections that didn't leave much room for error.
Epic view are everywhere no matter what angle you look at it from. Photo Brandon Turman//vitalmtb.com
Turn around and another epic view takes shape on the tundra. Photo Brandon Turman//vitalmtb.com
Its a good thing Brian likes downhill, only 4000ft to go! Photo Brandon Turman//vitalMTB.com
The first two days of practice, August 7-8 were spent practicing Stage 5 and stages 1-4 would be opened August 9th with the race taking place on August 11th, so there was plenty of time to practice and get to all of the tracks.
Turman and I cranking out some runs on the gondola. - Brian Buell
A screen shot off my phone looking at the Stage 5 map. - Brian Buell
Rocks on rocks on rocks heavily armored this track. Photo Brandon Turman//vitalMTB.com
Stage 5 is going to be a kick in the pants come race day as its a 23 plus minute continuous downhill run on some of the roughest, fastest and most varied terrain the mountain has to offer. Due to its intense nature, I only took 4 practice runs in total to help not only preserve my body, but most importantly the bike. With two successful days of practice in the books I was extremely anxious to see what stages 1-4 would be like.
Utilized this screen shot to help me navigate the 51km loop. - Brian Buell
This happened to more people than just Turman on Stage 5. - Brian Buell
Tough to sleep not knowing exactly what the day would hold, but I knew it would be a long day so I packed accordingly and headed out to the 8am riders meeting. I was like many whom were kitted up and ready to rock, but there were plenty who attended the meeting pajama clad with coffee in hand who were not as stoked on getting an early start. The organizers highlighted some keys points, riders high five'd and by 9am I was off to stage 4 with Queenstown shredder Pang and Scotsman Gary Forrest. After a 45 minute brute of a climb to the top with an amazing view, I dropped in Go Pro rolling and tried to let it ride. One punchy 30 second climb split up one of the most fun, rough and steep tracks I've ever ridden. Come Sunday it was going to get loose on this one!
Chris Ball addresses the crowd of racers enjoying muffins and coffee at the GLC. - Brian Buell
Atop Stage 4 overlooking Blackcomb and the valley from the parasailing launch. - Brian Buell
10 miles in and we were back at the Gondola and on our way up to the Top Of The World trail and the start of Stage 1 on a natural trail called Khyber that would drop us down the shoulder of Whistler and into the Wild of Whistler. Half way down my day was extended by snapping a brake lever and hiking back up into the park to get it fixed. 3 hours later I was back where I left off riding solo and continued smoothly through the forest, down the 15 minute transfer fire road and to Stage 2 called business time.
Back up the Peak chair for another scenic go around. - Brian Buell
It was all business as there were some serious pitchy climbs that mixed up a twisty track through the tight trees that would open up at the bottom with some steep drops.
This trail is designated to a fallen friend Duncan. - Brian Buell
A quick peddle across the highway through Function Junction and up another very demanding 50 minute hill climb to Stage 3 trail called Pura Vida. This valley trail opposite to Whistler was tight, chalked full of tough turns, no room for mistakes here with a large drop off riders left. Unfortunately the track was shortened due to property boundary issues, instead, one of the transitions brings us down probably the most tech trail of the day AC/DC. Overall, it was an amazing loop with over 51km of peddling and 19km of timed stages. It was a big day as the clock struck 7:30pm and my chamois were still on!
A big day calls for a big 3 egg and ham salad! - Brian Buell
I spent the fallowing practice day in a cold tub trying to recover, tuning up the bike and dialing things in before race day!
What's cooler than cool? ICE COLD! Worked like a charm. - Brian Buell
Another tough nights rest, a stressful morning double checking and triple checking, a quick selfie with the MC and OG hucker Brett Tippie and I was off front wheel manualing down the large start ramp towards the gondola. Lightning postponed my ride up the Peak chair and I was late to my start time and had to be slotted into the lineup within 15 second intervals which would create mayhem down the track filled with crashes and passes. I rode well, but the crash left me tight and wasn't the best start to the day.
Racing fuel to help me sustain throughout the day. - Brian Buell
Who needs coffee when you have Brett Tippie yelling at ya! - Brian Buell
Trevor Burke fuels his hunger with iced coffee and a lemon bar while we wait out the lightning. - Brian Buell
The view from the start of Top Of The World Trail overlooking Mount Garibaldi. - Brain Buell
Dirt TV's Rob Parkin catches me climbing my guts out on Stage 1. - Brian Buell
An over the bars crash left me with a lot of work to do after Stage 1. - Brian Buell
A mechanical on the transition stage left me pressing for time and when I got to the start of stage 2 I was tossed immediately in the lineup without a break which made finding the flow more difficult and those climbs tougher. The crowd was amazing and helped me finish strong, it wasn't my best stage but at least it was clean. I kept my BPM under 140 while on the transition stages to keep my energy level high, so it was slow going but was the perfect pace to get me to the rest of the stages on time.
Starring down the barrel of Stage 2. - Brian Buell
After getting thrown into the gate I had a hard time adjusting and the climbs killed. - Brian Buell
The true spirit of Enduro, lounge chairs half way up the transition between stages 2 and 3. - Brian Buell
Stage 3 started great, I was having a great run going but ended up snapping a derailleur cable and jamming by chain in the process. I kicked and pumped my way the rest of the way to the finish.
A broken derailleur cable and a jammed chain left me out the back. - Brian Buell
Motivated to make stage 4 my best yet I loosened up and let it run big time making multiple passes down this brilliant trail and just as I reached the bottom third of track I blew my chainring in two and was once again subjugated to coasting to the finish without rear suspension due to the ring jamming in-between my linkage and cranks. Disappointed as I was on such a good run I flintstoned a few miles back into the village where I would fix up the bike and ready myself for a daunting stage 5.
Fellow racers gear up prior to Stage 4 while overlooking the valley below. - Brian Buell
Stage 4 starting line and a 30 second sprint before dropping fast down the fall line. - Brian Buell
A major mechanical, breaking my chainring in two once again destroyed my chances of a strong finish. - Brian Buell
An amazing venue, Stage 5 started so high up and far away from the finish that it was tough to grasp the distance between the two. Instead of riding all out like in the first 4 stages, I paced myself during stage 5 trying to keep a good pace and when the going got tough I started hunting the horizon for the bright colors of fellow racers polyester. My friend arm pump found me a few times but I was able to shake it off and finish the 10.5km track strong, well under 24 minutes, my best stage of the day.
Brian off and about 23 minutes from the finish. Photo Brandon Turman//vitalmtb.com
Plenty of opportunity to get loose on Stage 5's dry and dusty drops. Photo - Brandon Turman//vitalmtb.com
Still plenty of opportunity for some airtime as Brian takes flight over one of many small doubles. Photo Brandon Turman//vitalMTB.com
Did I mention it was a very long way to the valley floor? Photo Brandon Turman//vitaMTB.com
Now thats an Enduro finish arena properly equipped with a huck into the finish line. - Brian Buell
I finally put down a run I was proud of and was slotted well inside the top 20 where I think I belong on Stage 5. - Brian Buell
Enduro to me is a roller coaster of emotions, and this race was no exception. I had so many high points fallowed up with the lowest of lows but was able to keep things together for a top 30 finish. Not exactly happy with how it all went down, I'm constantly searching to become more consistent so I can avoid this roller coaster effect and just ride high above the mayhem, however bumps in the road are inevitable. The race organizers did such an amazing job once again, everyone from the timing crew to the race volunteers were incredibly supportive and it was awesome watching the traveling spectators with their cowbells navigate from stage to stage. It was truly an adventure and the most fun I'd had racing all year. I was however disappointed with the representation of my USA brethren, I feel like we as a nation have a long way to go to be competitive on these more demanding tracks and that we need to start replicating what the EWS is doing in Whistler and overseas in Europe. This will happen over time and I'm excited to be apart of it.
One of my most trying weekends and I'm still in the thick of things and 3rd American if that means anything. - Brian Buell
A cookie and Flat White were much appreciated the morning after! - Brian Buell
With the race over its time to frienduro in Squamish with Pang, Baller, Irish Pete and Seb Kemp. - Brian Buell
The best trail treasure I've ever found! - Brian Buell
Thank you to all of my family, sponsors and everyone that supports my mountain bike addiction as the season winds down with the conclusion of the Big Mountain Series in Durango and Moab.
