As the nine Drivers Club riders awoke from their cozy sleep in the 600 square foot miners shack the cool U.P. morning air was filled with anticipation.  Five cyclist would be competing in their first ever mountain bike race.  They had been told it was an easy almost all downhill course.  The other four knew better.  They had been here before.  What they and one thousand other cyclists were in for was a morning of pain, agony, and in the end a great sense of accomplishment.  Some teammates had put in thousands of miles preparing for this day, while others a mere hundred (Joey).  The day before had been a fun training ride to get the legs working, today was the real thing.

The group was uncharacteristically quiet standing around a kitchen table strewn with water bottles, gel packs, tubes, bike gloves and other miscellaneous bike gear.  After they filled their water bottles with gatorade and camelbacks with water the bikes were put on the racks and it was time go. 

After a short three mile drive to the start line we parked and beheld the sea bikes.  Rumme graciously  filled everyone's tires tires to their desired pressure and fielded a series of questions.  Should I go out fast?  Where should I start?  How often should I eat?  etc.  The answer was almost always the same,  "It's your race."

Rumme and Hannes snuck in right behind the preferred start box on their tandem with Strouf in tow.  Mike, LVM (Soon to be the new MVM) and DelFrate found their way to the two hour box, while Jodi and Dan were a little further back.  No one, including Joey, was quite sure where Joey started.  There were a few announcements, "be courteous", "be careful", yada, yada.  Then the gun went off and the race had started.

Rumme and Hannes on a tandem, and Strouf went with the leaders.  LVM, Mike, and DelFrate rode together and Jodi, Dan, and Joey set their own speed for the upcoming 28 miles.  The first five miles were on the road.  Rumme and Hannes with Strouf were surprised to still be in contact with the lead lead group as they headed into the woods for the first round of 2 track racing.  As they neared the woods the tandem team got a glimpse of their main competition.  A mixed tandem from Waukesha and returning champions.  They would ride with them for the next 20 miles. The new comers finally realized the race was not easy and most certainly not almost all downhill.  The terrain was rough, the sand deep, and the choking dust unavoidable.  It was few miles later when tragedy struck the Drivers Club.  Dan had a minor crash, not unlike the fifty or so crashes the Club had as whole that day.  But this one was unique.  As Dan and his bike went down another rider ran over Dan's bright shiny new front wheel.  Not the riders fault, it happens all the time.  When Dan pulled his bike up he noticed the wheel had been tacoed.  This also rendered his front brakes inoperable.  What would Dan do?  Most cyclists would have waited for the sag wagon and gotten a ride to the finish.  But Dan had driven six hours to get here and had trained for months.  He decided to soldier on.  More on this legend to later.

As the miles clicked off the races within the races took shape.  Rumme and Hannes were stopped by another biker at a water crossing and lost contact with the first tandem.  They worked tirelessly for five miles of rolling hills, frightening down hills, and mammoth climbs before they saw them them again.  They passed the favored tandem and realized they were faster, better climbers, and could out maneuver them.  They were passed by the other team a short while later and decided to to follow them to the end and blow by them.  Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men.
Strouf was in no man's land.  He couldn't keep contact with the tandem and had no teammates to work with.  One thing he was sure of was that he was riding the race of his life.  It hurt to stick with the lead group at the start but now it was paying off.  If only he could find another rider willing to work with him.
LVM, DelFrate, and Mike were close for the mid twenty miles with Mike leading the way.  Although they were together, from what they said they didn't work together or communicate too much.  This race was friendly but definitely on.
Jodi was riding fast and looking to easily set her best time in this race.  Joey was riding his own race somewhere in front of Jodi.  Dan had found his way to an aid station where he found a rider whose bike beyond repair and had dedicated his race to helping others finish.  Good thing for Dan.
At the twenty three mile mark the tandem teams plan seemed to be working.  The caught every acceleration and merely shadowed the lead tandem.

Strouf was still in no mans land and working alone but still having a career day.  A little way back at the seventeen mile mark The Three Amigos broke apart when DelFrate had a chain drop and never saw Mike of LVM again.  And then there were two.

Joey was further back and starting to wish he had trained more, with Jodi now close behind.

At 26 miles the tandem began to see the folly of their ways.  They could follow the other tandem anywhere except sand.  At the biggest, longest sandpit on the course Rumme and Hannes lost the lead pair.  With 350 ponds and Hannes's limited technical skills the tandem just sunk in the sand.  When they looked up they were gone, never to be seen again.  This is where the race was lost.  They fought to catch up but were running out of real estate.  As they rounded the final bend with no tandem in sight they knew it was over.  They finished in 1:42.06, just a minute behind.  Amazing Rumme had predicted their time before the race at 1:42.00.  Still they had won the M/M division, but lost the war.  For a first race it was a success.  They learned a lot about tandem racing and will be back to fight another day.  At the finish the first tandem team said they just got off their bike and ran through the sand.  File that tidbit away for the next time.
Close behind was Strouf finishing strong in 1:46.21.  He finished 12th in one of the toughest age groups, easily a career best.

As the time ticked by and they waited for the others it was mentioned that the The Three Amigo had set a personal goal of two hours.  With one mile left LVM passed Mike.  Because of decorum we will not divulge what he said as he passed.  Mike had hit the wall and could not reel LVM back in.  LVM came in with a strong finish at 1:59.10.  A twenty five minute improvement over last year.  He attained his goal of under two hours and has been crowned the new MVM.  Mike came in just after at 1:59.27, also achieving his goal of under two hours.  An excellent race for a rookie.
DelFrate came in a few minutes later at 2:02.06.  He had some mechanical problems and still almost broke the two hour mark.  Also an outstanding race for a rookie.

Next in was Jodi.  Jodi had by far the best finish, flying by the other cyclists.  She finished in 2:18.38, a career best.  Congratulation Jodi. 

Joey was next finishing in 2:24.39.  He had little training and finished a very difficult course.  Good job Joey.

As the group sat and exchanged war stories they were all concerned about Dan.  What had happened to him?  The first to say it was the new MVM.  "Dan would never quit, he has too much heart"  As the minutes ticked away the feeling was glum.  Then some officials came and said someone matching his description had broke a derailleur.  Hearing this we all went to take showers (except for Joey).  Then Strouf noticed a man with an odd shaped wheel and front brakes taped back coming it to the finish.  It was Dan.  Dan rode 22 miles on a tacoed wheel with no front brakes and still finished.  Only 924 out of over 1000 riders finished the race and Dan finished with a barely rolling bike.  He reminded us all that's it's not the destination its the journey.  His goals might not have been attained but it's not whether you win or lose it's how you play the game.  That how we roll.