AZTR 2013 Discussion Thread

[ScottM]

It is a beautiful night out there folks.  I did a sunset shakedown spin and it couldn't have been more perfect.  A barely more than half moon is high in the sky, temperatures are warm and trails are good.

The field is really tearing it up.  Aaron Gulley is an hour or so ahead of record pace, and seems to have been able to maintain the integrity of his tires.  Here's hoping his run continues with good luck and fast riding.  If he can do that, I think he's a lock for a new 300 record.

Eszter Horanyi is also about an hour up on record pace, as of the Kentucky Camp split.  She's got lots of strong boys around her, though she is consistently putting them behind her.  At present she is showing 5th overall, about to pass a stopped Max for 4th.  Only Aaron Gulley and Pete Basinger (perhaps Chad Brown is nearby too) are ahead of her in the 300.

Looks like Max Morris may have stopped early for the night.  He gets up @3am to work, so perhaps his plan is to sleep early and ride early.  He set a blistering 750 pace.  Though now has been passed by Aaron Denberg (750), also killing it out there.  When Chad passes him in the next half hour, that might spur him back to motion.  We'll see.  There's been some hilarious trash talk between the two of them.

Rich Wolf appears to be bailing on the highway.

The first night is always huge.  There will be some serious shakeups in the order and spacing by 6 or 7 am tomorrow.  I look forward to checking in before hopping in the car down to the border.  I plan to start around 11am tomorrow, then seeing how many dots I can catch.  More than anything I look forward to miles and miles of Arizona Trail.

[ScottM]

Rich is back on course!  Perhaps some confusion of the red highway line vs. the (often) red track line?

[Sean Allan]

Sean Allan here. I'm out. Did a major barrel roll into a huge prickly pear cactus and I am competely covered, including several a few inches deep that are broken off. Spent a couple of hours getting to a point I could ride and am now bivied up soewhere near hwy83. I'mo headed into town and the ER in the morn. Good thing I brought brought vicadan....

[ScottM]

Oh no Sean!  That is horrible.  Good plan to head to the ER asap.  Deep needles can be a bugger if they get infected.  You may want to try to hitch a ride in and get them out earlier?

You were killing it out there!  So sorry.

[joeydurango]

Sean, that's no good!  Terrible luck.  Heal up fast!

[tanman1337]

Sorry to hear man... I am really really looking forward to the CSTR! Hope you get healed up ok!

[ScottM]

Wow, Ez is on fire!  Desert warmth.  Only Pete and Aaron are ahead of her, and race flow shows her gaining on both after a few short hour's nap.

Luke Jay may be waiting for Broadway Bikes to open...

Chad has a small lead over Max.  That rivalry is getting good.

[tanman1337]

Yah, I can't believe how far up there she is! When are you heading down to start?

[ScottM]

Very shortly.  Looking to be starting at the border around 11.

[wookieone]

Go Kids go, nice work Ezster, keeping those boys honest!

[mtbcast]

Neil Beltchenko called in to say he’s down with a blown fork and Mark Caminiti called in near Kentucky Canyon(?)!

http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/azt13/

[JF-mtnbiker]

Can't say that I'm surprised to see where Ezster is right now. Amazing woman who knows how to work that throttle...

[Chad B]

I am out. Opted for a Parker to Tucson run this year. Good luck all the riders.

[tanman1337]

Looks like Aaron Gulley is on a record pace right now! He is 34 mins faster to Oracle than Scott's time last year. Hopefully he can hold pace for the final desert push!

[jbuchanan]

I'm out. No problems, no excuses, it wasn't in my heart this year. I'll be back to finish it someday.

I will be watching and cheering for all my friends out there and all those who keep pushing!

Looks like Eszter is having a good time on Oracle Ridge, Scott always prefaces the race with "Don't curse me on Oracle Ridge." 

[mtbcast]

Neil Beltchenko called in to say he’s getting a new fork and plans to finish!

http://mtbcast.com/site2/category/azt13/

[shey]

Is Jason Murrell off course?  Is there a water stop off route in that area?

Shey

[raybum]

I pulled the plug at Molino today.  Slice #2, sewed but not holding so had to tube.  Tire wouldn't seat right and I'm down to one tube... That plus my legs just don't want to go.

[HeiJinx]

Hi boyz und gurlz. I've got a couple of shots of the starters for the AZ750. We saw 3 more riders on their way to the start after these shots were taken and this crew left.
Since I'm new to the forum, and I see attachments are limited to 1MB, I don't know the method for posting photos, so I've put them on Flickr and the link to them is here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14683775@N08/sets/72157633292681724/show/

If somebody wants to put these in a more proper place, and let me know what the protocol is, I'm all ears.

I'm rooting for my homies Forest, Cjell, and Sheila. But I gotta say, Eszter is rotating her lower extremity in such a fashion that her metatarsal's are transmitting a high level of kinetic energy to the sacroiliac regions of most other riders!

[tanman1337]

Dude, she is a beast! Good job Aaron and Aaron! A.G. is on course for the record and A.B. is in first for the 750 so far! I can't believe how fast they are going!