Mountain Bike Race Results

Written by Bob Lecznar | 16 December 2010

FLORIDA’S 2010 BIKE RACING SEASON IS FINALLY DRAWING TO A CLOSE.   What better way to end it than with more podiums for GearLink’s great off-roaders.  And what better way to tell the story than this excellent field report from Harry Portellos who came out of retirement just to mix it up in the mud one last time: 

Hey Bob,

 Here is something to add to your weekly race report:

 After a 12 year hiatus from the mtb racing scene I thought I would try and re-live my "youth" this past weekend at the final race of the Florida fall series state championship.  I wanted to see how the racing as progressed (bikes and riders) over the last decade.  And also to see if Tony Timonere and Geri Laverty are not sandbagging their outstanding results so far! Just kidding.  

After the "deals" that I had to make with the family to get Sunday off and spend most of the day "having fun" (as my wife would put it), I was off to Santos Trails in Ocala.  The weather report was saying cool temps and rain starting at about 10am.  My wave was scheduled to go off at 11:30am.

 I arrived in time to do one full practice lap of the race course before the rain started to make the trails wet.  I could tell the 3 technical rock garden sections where going to wreck havoc on everyone and especially me and my 14 year old mtn bike. I learned that a 28 lb. hard tail with v-brakes just doesn't cut it as a race bike these days.  By the time 11:30 rolled around the promoter decided to cut out 2 of the 3 rock garden sections from the course because they were to dangerous to ride while wet.  We all went back to the cars to stay dry and get warm.

 At around 12pm, after shivering at the start line for a few minutes, we were off.  I couldn't get clipped in my pedals so I missed the hole shot by about 20 riders.  The first section of roots there was a bottle neck and I hit a root and went over the bars.  I was fine but I was the last rider in the group.  I made it around the first lap without crashing again but I was dropping way off the back of the group.  On the second lap my brake levers and cables were filled with so much sand and dirt they would lock up with out releasing. Yay! No brakes from there on.  The course was pretty much flat and twisty except for the one rock garden so I decided to tough it out and at least finish.  By the time I finished my 3 laps I was passed or lapped by almost the entire wave of riders.

 But yes, it was fun! Big hats off to Tony (5th place overall - should have been 3rd overall if it wasn't for his chain snapping in the 2nd lap, aarrgh!) and Geri (3rd place overall) for a well deserved race series.

 Harry

Thanks Harry for a great job of race reporting.  I’m really looking forward to reading more of the same from you and the rest of the GearLink crew next year.  It really took guts to even enter, much less finish, such a tough race in such tough conditions.  And kudos to TONY TIMONERE and GERI LAVERTY for their great race results on Sunday, as well as in the entire series.  All you guys rock!

This will be my last Race News for 2010, so I want to wish the entire GearLink family a safe, happy, and blessed Christmas.  And I want to leave you with a little Christmas bike humor. 

Enjoy, and see you all next year.     

Best Biking Wishes from