Meet the Racers
Friday July 7, 2006 by George
Annually my favorite Blog to write. Check back frequently for updates to this entry. I guess I’ll start with Meet the Directors this year. My dad – who runs Race Headquarters during RAO – told me he’s received a number of calls from irate fans wondering ”...who the h*ll do we think we are putting on such a difficult race…” or ”...have THEY ever done anything like this?!?” Anyway, Dad said that for ‘06 he wanted us to post that Yes, we have done something like this.
Terri Gooch, Hood River, OR – the brains and organization of RAO. Race Across Oregon was a well intentioned though unorganized little race till Terri came along in 2001. She streamlined the Training Camp, whipped the route book into shape, revamped the website and basically turned RAO into the world class event it’s become. Terri’s race history includes 1st place woman and 3rd overall in the solo division of RAO 2001, a 2nd and 1st respectively in the tandem division at the ‘01 and ‘02 UMCA 24 Hour Championships as well as finishes in the ‘02 Tandem division and ‘04 Mixed 2 Person Relay division of the Race Across America. She’s a stud.
George Thomas, Hood River, OR – came up with RAO in ‘98. Set a race record of the then 444 mile relatively flat route from Ontario, OR to Newport, OR. Has redesigned the route on an annual basis in an attempt to make sure his record will never be broken. Finished RAAM on a 4 person team in ‘93 and ‘94, as a solo racer in ‘95, on a tandem in ‘00 and ‘02 and as part of a 2 person mixed relay in ‘04. Took 3rd as a solo racer at the ‘94 508, 3rd solo in the ‘96 24 Hours of Adrenaline mountain bike race and placed first in the solo divisions of the ‘97 Midnight Sun and ‘97 BAM. Terri pulled us to some respectable finishes at the ‘01 and ‘02 UMCA 24 Hour Championships in the tandem division.
As far as racing goes our goals for the future include more tandem and 2 Person racing with an eye toward Le Tour Ultime in a few years. Our primary goal in cycling is the continued improvement of RAO into one of the highest quality events of its kind and to make sure you have one of your safest, most rewarding, memorable and, most of all, fun times on a bike.
Now…on to the Racers!
Men’s Solo
Racers who are currently RQ
#100 Rick Ashabranner, Mountain House, CA – Ashabranner rode a stellar RAAM in ‘03 placing 5th with a sub 10 day crossing. Rick is one of the few people in the history of RAAM to ride a negative split (rode the second half of the race faster than the first). A veteran of numerous California doubles and multiple 508s, Ashabranner has the speed and experience to be a contender for the win in ‘06. I look for him to be among the leaders from start to finish.
#151 Wade Baker, Atascadero, CA – After being repeatedly thrashed on Mule Pass by Mr. Baker during a PAC Tour Desert Training Camp it gave me true pleasure to stroll along next to him as he crawled up Timberline Road during the dwindling miles of RAO ‘05. I would leap frog Wade, run down the hill then turn around and accompany him back to my car. It became increasingly difficult not to laugh as each time I saw him he’d repeat a story (almost verbatim) he’d told me a few minutes before. Watching Baker climb Timberline for a hard earned 2nd place deepened a respect I grudgingly held for him. Like many of our racers this year, Wade is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet but he is one mean competitor on the bike. This will be Wade’s fourth time on the RAO course. He is climbing faster than I’ve ever seen him and has improved his speed on the flats and descents as well. Baker has been killing the Cal Doubles this year. His talent on the climbs and love of the heat combined with multi-time crew chief Isabelle Drake terrorizing him to stay on his bike make Wade another racer in contention for overall victory.
#102 Alessandro Colo, Monterotondo-Roma, IT – This will be Alessandro’s sixth time on the RAO route including camps and races. Colo placed 4th in ‘03 and 5th in ‘04. The Italian is a wildly popular Spinning instructor in his home town of Rome. He holds numerous records for consecutive hours/days/weeks on a Spin bike. His ‘04 finish was difficult to watch as he rode much of the race pedaling with one leg due to some gruesome, bleeding saddle sores. His is one of the toughest competitors you’ll meet. I haven’t seen Alessandro for a couple of years so I’m not sure of his fitness for ‘06. If he’s on form he will again be in contention for a top 5 finish.
#155 Gregg Geser, Sisters, OR – Gregg is a tough call. He was in amazing shape in ‘03 when he won and set the then solo RAO course record which didn’t surprise us at all. In ‘04 he told us he hadn’t been riding and was doing the race for fun. I figured that even out of shape Geser was strong enough to place in the top 10. Gregg took this as an insult and proceeded to ride a great race taking second. He was actually moving in to 1st some 60 miles from the finish when he passed then race leader and eventual winner Graham Pollock who was not feeling well and off his bike. Geser pulled up, gave Graham a quick pep talk and was promptly passed by the reinvigorated Pollock. Gregg’s crew has extracted a promise from him that he will keep his pep talks to himself in the future. Gregg took second again in ‘05 on a two person team. He is one of our trio of killer 50 + racers all of whom are capable of finishing 1st. Geser has always excelled on this course and we look for him to do so again in ‘06.
#157 David Holt, Laguna Nigel, CA – David is the 50+ record holder at the FC 508 where he took 2nd overall in ‘04 and 5th (I think) overall in ‘05 when he set his record. Holt has been in a see saw battle with Wade Baker throughout the Cal Doubles this spring. David’s speed blew us away during the 3 Day Training Camp – the 30 mph pull through Monument was especially impressive. The (well one of the many) cool thing about David is his ability to keep his speed in check. He’s fast enough to be the first racer through Maupin but he’s wise enough to hold back. If I was racing I would do my utmost to shadow this guy. A racer who excels in the heat, I look for David to make his move after the Long Creek climbs, be near the front over Ochoco, move up during the descent and flats to Warm Springs putting him in a tight race for first through the final climbs.
So how would I rank our 50+ racers? Based on my observations Holt is definitely the fastest of the three on the flats. He would be followed by Geser then Baker. On the climbs I think Wade would be first to the top again followed by Geser then Holt. Intangibles…hmmm Baker and Holt like the heat more than Gregg but Gregg pretty much owns this course. They’ve all had excellent performances at the 508 however Holt has beaten the others twice at that event. Each of them has a real desire to win RAO. All in all I’m too much of a wimp to make a prediction on this one – I guess we’ll find out at the finish.
#108 Tom Jacobson, Sedro-Woolley, WA – Tom is the current record holder at S2S, winner of last fall’s mountainous Ring of Fire 24 and placed 4th overall solo (earning an RQ in the process) at RAO ‘05. Tom is back looking to improve on last year’s time. His training is on target and he’s riding well in the heat. Last year, Jacobson had the best rookie crew I’ve ever seen and they’re all coming back for ‘06. Tom had a rough first day at the 3 Day Training Camp as he was coming back from a long illness. He really impressed us with the way he improved throughout the weekend. Last year Jacobson was the strongest rider on the first day of Training Camp. This year he was the strongest rider on the last day of Training Camp. Tom is a well rounded racer who has the capability of winning if he can keep his momentum going through the night. He is intense and focused while racing. I think he’s going to work to ignore the competition and stay focused on his goals this year. If he meets those goals he’ll be one of the first to cross the finish.
#110 Al Smudz, Monroe, MI – The first thing you’ll notice about Al are his legs…they’ll put Mr. Universe to shame and will psyche you out if you let them. Al qualified for RAAM at the ‘06 Sebring 24 by riding 430 miles in approximately 22 hours. He was slowed somewhat by dietary issues during this, his first race. Al came to Training Camp to use it as early preparation for the 508. He ended up loving the course and, when circumstances made it possible, decided to do the race (Llamas Ken Morton and Lisa Kienle were participating in the 3 Day Camp when they realized some logistical problems were going to force them from racing. They offered to crew for Al as well as help him with equipment, etc. Thank you Llamas for helping make this happen!). Smudz is going to surprise a lot of people this year. Though not a true climber like Baker, Al has the ability to maintain a solid pace. We never saw him falter through the 3 Day Training Camp. He was always smiling and friendly. He is going to be a pleasure to crew for. If Al decides to do RAAM he will do very, very well in that race. He is going to be difficult for racers to shake. If his dietary issues stay at bay I see Smudz finishing in the top 5 or even the top 3.
#114 Allen Larsen, Cle Elum, WA – As Allen was set to do RAAM this year till his neck failed him during his Washington record ride in May he is in pretty amazing shape. The pre-race favorite to win Traditional style RAAM this year, Allen made the wise though difficult decision to withdraw from starting when he realized he’d end up racing nearly the entire RAAM wearing his traction contraption for his blown neck. Allen is about 99% sure he’ll race RAO though he’s waiting to make the final call after a long training ride next weekend. If his neck holds up he’ll race. If it doesn’t, he’ll film. We’re hoping to see our 2001 men’s solo champ back on the bike at the start of RAO ‘06.
#115 Saunders Whittlesey, Deerfield, MA – A lot of people – including us – had Sandy pegged as the pre-race favorite for ‘05. Whittlesey was meeting those expectations till he was put down and out by food poisoning. He picked himself up and proceeded to go back to the east coast and smash his year old B-M-B record. Boston-Montreal-Boston (B-M-B) is a 750 miler ridden brevet style (no follow cars). Whittlesey won the ‘05 race with a time of 46 hours and 3 minutes…nearly 12 hours ahead of second place. The climbs out east aren’t as long as he’ll encounter on the RAO route but they are much steeper. This is another racer who would do extremely well at RAAM. If he doesn’t find food that disagrees with him this year he will also do extremely well at RAO.
Men’s Solo
Rookies – racers not yet qualified for RAAM
#103 Upton Dabney, Klamath Falls, OR – Upton was signed up to race with Team Basin Extreme in ‘05. Unfortunately the team had crew issues the day before the race and they were unable to compete. Thus, I have never seen Upton race and am not familiar with him. Sorry for such a lame introduction Upton! To the best of my knowledge Dabney has a background in multi-sport racing.
#104 Hugh Gapay, Cornelius, OR – Another racer with a pedigree in S2S and Cannonball a’la Larsen and Jacobson. Hugh is an excellent climber who performed well at the 3 Day Camp. Speed doesn’t mean much if one can’t maintain it however and what impressed us most about Hugh was/is his ability to recover. He had an especially impressive day 2 at Training Camp. He woke up not feeling very well and had trouble eating the morning of the 3rd Day. At SAG #2 he stopped and forced a number of calories down. He bounced back and ended up riding with Holt through the rest of the day. While it will be very difficult for a rookie to win this year Hugh has a good shot at challenging the leaders.
#109 Frederick Mulder, Seattle, WA – A Seattle Randonneur, Frederick should be easy to spot in his wool cycling gear. The SRs field some of the strongest ultra riders in the Northwest. Mulder is a veteran of the Cascade 1200 k and we expect a good performance from him at RAO.
#111 Scott Youngren, Mount Vernon, WA – Upon observation of Youngren at the ‘05 Training Camp, RAAM vet Rich Kondzielaski picked him to win the race. Youngren was riding well during RAO but found himself the victim of the most common of rookie problems – logistics. He eventually decided to drop from the race at Prineville. Scott’s goal for ‘06 is an official finish and he’s already made a great stride toward accomplishing his goal by enlisting one of the best crew chiefs in ultra – Sandy Earl. Earl’s racers always make to the finish line and we know we will see Scott at the finish this year.
#112 Ricky Martin, Portland, OR – This man lives la vida loca on his bike…literally. Martin hasn’t owned a car for 19 years and when he’s not walking, sleeping or sitting in a chair he’s riding. If there’s a being in the universe with less fat on its body than Wade Baker it’s Martin. Ricky’s background is as a mountain bike racer but he is equally competitive on the road. Martin has all the tools to do well at RAO – he’s an amazing climber yet has great speed on the flats. If he can keep his competitiveness in check to the base of Ochoco he will be a factor at the finish. I’ve never seen anyone climb Timberline Road as effortlessly as Martin. Not a guy you want anywhere near you in the final miles of RAO.
#116 Russ McBride, San Francisco, CA – Russ has one of the most fascinating resumes of our racers. McBride is a world class rock climber and mountaineer. Till 2001 he held the speed ascent record for climbing California’s fifteen 14,000 footers. He held the Titanium Man record for 10 years. This event consists of 14 pitches of 5.12 followed by a 5 mile swim, 24 mile run and 112 mile bike ride. This year he concentrated on bike racing and has done well including a 2nd place in the 18 – 49 division at the Davis 12 Hour. McBride is strong both mentally and physically. Another rookie with a great shot at challenging the leaders.
Solo Women
Racers who are currently RQ
#121 Patti Jo Struve, Kings Beach, CA – Patty Jo is one of my favorite ultra athletes. She races on road bikes, mountain bikes and snow shoes. She’s also a middle school band instructor who plays the trumpet – Struve played the National Anthem at the start of RAAM this year. Patty Jo qualified for RAAM at RAO in ‘03. Her dream of an official RAAM finish came to an end in Cortez, CO due to what we will politely call bleeding saddle sores though in reality it was much, much worse. After making the difficult decision to withdraw, Struve decided to become the first person in history to use RAAM as a training ride for RAO and promptly entered. She recently completed a 24 hour training ride which included Spooner Pass, Kingsbury Grade, Carson Pass, Mt. Rose, Geiger (twice) and a few more of the Tahoe climbs…I’d say Patty Jo is ready to go!
Solo Women
Rookies – racers not yet qualified for RAAM
#120 Jodi-Annette Ashley, Bremerton, WA – Jodi-Annette’s cycling resume is filled with metrics, centuries, doubles and ultras though this will be her first competitive effort at an ultracycling event. Jodi-Annette’s primary goal is an official finish but her ultimate dream goal is to qualify for RAAM. Jodi-Annette wrote me one of the coolest pre-race e-mails I’ve ever read. Terri and I really want to see you finish. I look for a spirited but friendly competition between Patty Jo and Jodi-Annette.
Fixed Gear Solo Men
#001 John Spurgeon, Hillsboro, OR – Spurgeon was the Feel Good story of RAO ‘05…through 532 miles. He turned into the Heart Break story of RAO ‘05 when he was unable to continue past the base of Timberline Road. John had a great season last year going on to finish the Cascade 1200k, the 508 and Ring of Fire all on his fixie. However, the RAO finish must be something he really wants as he was the first racer to sign up for ‘06. He’s already working to top that feat – plans are being formulated for Team Spurgeon to race RAO ‘07 on a fixed gear tandem…yikes!
Previous: "Meet the Racers" Completed for Solo Field -- Next: Crew members needed!
Back to the RAO Blog