When Robert Freeman was asked about the course used for the second annual Carson City Off-Road 50-mile race on Saturday morning, he didn’t hesitate.
“It was freaking fun,” said the Tustin, Calif., rider. “It was really hard.”
Freeman made it look relatively easy, clocking a 4:39.11. Brian Gordon was second in 4:40.29 followed by Eric Chizum in 4:42.34.
Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour de France seven straight years and later had the titles stripped because of doping offenses, finished fourth.
According to reports, Armstrong had some mechanical difficulties on his second lap.
Freeman was a model of consistency. He was third after the first lap (1:17.03), had the second-fastest second lap with a 1:36.44 and clocked a 1:45.24 on his final lap.
The race winner said he had to walk during one portion of the race.
“It was pretty gnarly,” he said. “It was really rocky. People were riding, but I decided to walk (that stretch).”
Freeman just started to mountain bike this year. Most of his experience has been in road racing.
Gordon was eighth after the first lap, but he recorded the fourth-fastest second lap and he had the second-fastest final lap behind Ryan Cobourn.
“I signed up for this one because it was the closest to me,” said Gordon, who lives in Morgan Hill, Calif. “Whiskey Road or Grand Junction would have meant more travel. Next year, I plan to enter all three.”
Gordon said the heat was a factor at various times during the race.
“I just kept dealing with it,” he said.
Armstrong came through the first lap in sixth place, and despite some mechanical issues had the fastest second lap recording a 1:36.00. His final lap was 1:52.36.
Mike Sooder was the top Carson finisher, taking 11th in 5:04.32. Mark Mazza, also of CC, was 15th in 5:09.53.
The top female rider was Anne Perry of Draper, Utah, who was 32nd in 5:31.16. Shawna Glazier from Phoenix was 83rd, but completed just two laps.
Hill wins Capitol 35
For the second straight year, youth was served in a Carson City Off-Road race.
Alex Hill, 17, a senior-to-be at Rocklin High School, won the Capitol 35 by nearly two minutes over Kenny Wehn.
Reno’s Matthew Balzer (3:13.09) was third followed by Justin Morgan (3:13.27), Sean Hahn (3:13.42), Cole Cherpak (3:21.27), Sparks’ Craig Manning (3:26.15), Jeffrey Bitton (3:27.01), Julie Baker (3:27.54) and Mark Gouge (3:28.17).
Wehn was seventh a year ago and Balzer was 12th.
Hill, riding in his first-ever Epic Rides competition, was clocked in 3:03.48,
“I really liked the course,” he said. “I did a pre-ride on it last Sunday. Originally, I was using it as a warm-up for a race in Virginia. I knew I had to pace myself and run my own race.
“The first lap is the easiest. The second lap is hard, and you learn a lot more out there.”
Balzer said the new course set-up was harder.
“It’s definitely harder,” he said. “It’s more technical; more climbing.”
Bruce Alt, Balzer, Hill and Wehn were toward the front of the pack on the first lap.
Alt covered the first lap in 1:18.47, more than a minute ahead of Balzer, Hill and When. Alt, according to the results, didn’t finish the race.
Baker was the first female rider to finish. Stella Sisneros, a junior female rider, was 37th and Carson’s Janice Keilor was 38th.
Steve Elliott was the first male finisher from Carson, finishing 22nd in 3:48.31.
NOTES: The Shimano Youth Ride starts today at 8:45 ... The pro men’s 50-miler starts at 8:30 a.m. and the women’s 50-miler starts 10 minutes later. Katerina Nash and Howard Grotts are the overall leaders heading into the final.