Race #2 of our young season was at Nordic Mountain in Mt. Morris. In the past, this race has fallen a bit later on our schedule and it always ranks as one of the most technically-demanding venues in our calendar. This race is a 'tale of two courses' as the first half presents fast, flat and sandy singletrack to lull you into submission. Just as you're finally settling into the twisty flow, the course violently transitions into it's second half, snaking up and down the ski hill and throwing in a healthy dose of rocks and roots.
This was the first camping trip of the year and our Shorewood MTB support crew was up to the challenge. The campsite meadow was packed to capacity with tents and campers and a pleasantly warm evening was a great backdrop for a delicious team dinner and campfire. Overnight and into the race morning, the skies opened up and we had steady rain for a couple of hours. It was amazing to see the cooking volunteers powering through the breakfast shift huddled under the small amount of cover that our team tents provided.
The rain subsided and after a brief delay, our racing got underway. The trails at Nordic Mountain responded remarkably well to the rain and the sandy terrain firmed up to provide a near-perfect track for cross country mountain biking. We had a couple of mechanical issues for a few racers, but as a whole, the team battled one of the toughest courses in Wisconsin like champions. In the Middle School races, Nick moved up a spot from his previous race's podium position to take second. In the High School races, Isak and Zane rode away from the field again to take the top two positions of the Freshman race. The Junior Varsity race podium was dominated by Shorewood again, as Clayton took his first win, and was joined by Charlie D., Liam and David D. on the steps at the award ceremony.
Thanks again to all of our volunteers and support crew - it's fascinating to watch this bigger and better version of Shorewood MTB in full camping mode. See below for the detailed race results and photos from the event...
