Downieville All Mountain 2017 Downhill

[Michael Koppe]

  After the XC race the previous day I returned to Packer Saddle for the start on the downhill portion of the Downieville All Mountain event. I wanted to drive to Downieville first and take the shuttle up so I could leave directly to Marin afterwards, but I watched my brother-in-law compete in the Crossfit Games in Wisconsin online. Ironically he also competed in the 50+ category and won the national competition! It was quite inspirational for me, however I had no delusions of grandeur for success in my 50+ category. My goal was to finish to complete the downhill race under my age in minutes (63m 55secs to be precise).

  Since I managed to get a nail in my rear tire, I opted to replace the tire rather than repair it which could potentially change the weight of my bike which is in violation of the rules. The bike store in Tahoe City did not carry the Maxis brand so I bought a Specialized Ground Control. While they weighed my bike, I attempted to explain my situation but as it turned out the bike weighed exactly the same(26.02)

  As previously stated my goal was to complete the course under 64 mins with no dabs or crashes. I really enjoy the second day because there are hardly any riders to contend with. I can just focus on the trail although I was a little worried Cathy who left 10 minutes behind me might catch me since she is a great downhiller.

  At the start the initial small climb on Sunrise felt hard and uncertainty crept into my head. Something about the altitude and the sudden start. With most of my races the start is gradual as the mass of humanity and bikes creep forward to the starting line.Gradually I got into the flow and I developed confidence. I climbed out of the Gulch without a problem, but I put my foot down momentarily in the Waterfall section. Eventually one rider passed me but I also passed someone else. It was nice not riding in clouds of dust from other riders. 

  At a bridge crossing my chest bumped my Garmin and accidentally pressed the lap button so I loss track of my total race time, but I knew I was close to my goal. I had trouble on the root section above the Wall, but pedaled strong through the remainder of the race. Jim was at the finish line. I was happy I didn't have to explain to him how his girlfriend who started 10 minutes behind me had come in before me. My time was 63 mins 15 secs which was under my age. Mission accomplished! As it turned out Cathy had a great run and I believe ended up on the podium. I was probably in the bottom half of my age category. Thanks to Jim for dialing in my bike and giving me a ride back to Packer Saddle.