Lee takes Sunderbruch Cat3 Title; Joann 2nd in Ca2

Last week's IMBCS race was held in Davenport on a 9-mile course that had many awesome features built in to it.  This was the first year that this location was part of the series and it proved to be enjoyed by all of the racers.  The FORC club puts on a great event with plenty of fans, food and an atmosphere that guarantees a fun day. 

Lee's race was two laps while Joann also had two laps but with an additional blue-rated and a black-rated section.   The race started with a torturous climb up a paved trail that seemed to go straight up and  and never end.    Lee shot off the line and hit the pavement first.  After encouragement by Zoe R (winner of the Jr Girl's Cat) Lee made it into the single track ahead of the rest of the field.   The course was pretty technical for a Cat3 race.   There was a banked, wooden section that beckoned you to take speed into the walls and carry it right back out. 

The course had a bit of everything...........roots, climbs, steep descents, bridges, logs and a great decent prior to heading back to the start to do it all over again.  However, for the second lap, the steep climb was eliminated and the riders entered into the woods and a 150'-long, raised wooden ramp that had to be navigated uphill.  The section was named Kickapoo up and it appeared to be aptly named.   The field closed in quickly and it was a three-woman race.   On the last decent, Lee could literally hear the two gals behind her breathing.   She grew a pair and let go of the brake and bombed the downhill section;  popped out on the trail and rode it like she stole it to the finish.  She was only two seconds ahead of the other two racers.

Joann's race started out quickly with a local rider that shot off never to be seen again.  Joann settled in and set the pace for the rest of the field.  She worked hard tackling many of the tougher features without fear.  The further into the race she got, the harder she pushed the pace.  She easily outdistanced the balance of the Cat 2 racers.

Joann and Lee have a few weeks off before they compete in the next series race on August 10 in Ida Grove.

Your Roving Race Reporter,

Luann