The weather for Bozeman’s signature cyclocross race last weekend couldn’t have been worse. No rain, no snow, no sleet, no hail…just sunny skies. Jeesh… We’re hoping for better conditions next weekend at Rolling Thunder, with weather reports predicting more typical ‘cross weather! Seriously though, another successful Montana cyclocross race is in the books! See our results page for details!
A fund has been started in Don’s memory. We are excited to announce that the first recipient will be the newly formed NICA league in Montana! Please consider making a donation of any amount, by accessing this link:
College mountain bike teams from all over the country converged on Marshall Mountain in Missoula for four days of racing fast in the dirt. Almost all genres of mountain bike racing were represented: dual slalom, cross country, short track, downhill and team relay. Unlike last year. the weather couldn’t have been more perfect for this prestigious event! Once again Mountain Bike Missoula outdid themselves as hosts and everything went off without a hitch!
It was the Flathead Valley’s turn to host a Wild West Cyclocross Series race on October 6 & 7. The Flathead Cycling Team did an outstanding job of putting on the race at Herron Park in Kalispell. It’s been a few years since ‘cross has made an appearance there, and everyone was excited to see it at this amazing venue once again. Great turn out, great course, fierce riding, tasty hand ups! Next stop for the series is Bozeman, Oct. 20 & 21. Visit the Wild West website to view info on all the race dates: http://wildwestcxseries.com/
Women’s Cat 3 Podium
Women’s Cat 4/5 Podium
Genevieve Thomas through the corners at Wild West Flathead
Sam Schultz presented to a large group of Flathead Valley cyclists on Sept. 20. He made a great case for joining the growing group of towns starting NICA teams in our state. Here is his followup email:
Hi crew, Thanks a bunch for making it to the Flathead stop of the Montana NICA Dirt Tour last night. This is an amazing group of people and I’m excited to grow this further and get more kids on bikes! Big thanks to Great Northern Cycle and Ski for graciously hosting us (special thanks to Stella and Willie for getting you all in one place!) and to Big Sky Brewing for the refreshments. And of course, to my Mom for the cookies and snacks! Attached to this email is a copy of the presentation in case you would like to look back or share it with anyone. Here is a link to the video I started things off with: https://vimeo.com/96744740. If you want to see more, google Singletrack High and the full documentary is available for free online. Here is a link to some great resources for making a Flathead team a reality: https://www.nationalmtb.org/team-starter-kit/ . As I mentioned at the meeting, NICA does a tremendous job of making this as easy as possible, however, it takes a group of people putting some skin in the game to step up and make each team happen. It’s going to take a point person to lead the charge and rally coaches and volunteers. If you all could let me know who wants to step up, that would be a big help in order to streamline communication.
A reminder, if you’re interested in helping us out at the league level, we’re looking to fill these very important positions:
Fundraising Chairperson- without good fundraising at the state level this won’t happen–anyone with experience or any leads would be a huge help!
Venue Surveyors- If you can make it to three stops on our Venue Survey training trip coming up October 13-16, you will be certified and able to help us capitalize on the best venues Montana has to offer.
GRiT Coordinator- Looking for an enthusiastic lady to head up the charge on this exciting program that aims to get more female athletes and coaches on board with NICA
Social Media Specialist- we need to boost our social media presence–anyone who likes working with social media would be a big help.
As mentioned last night, if you’re interested in coming out swinging as a coach, be sure to put our Leaders’ Summit on your calendar. It will be April 27th and 28th in Missoula at the University of Montana and will be a great way to get everyone on the same page and get our league rocking and rolling under the guidance of NICA’s National team!
Thanks again for your attendance and enthusiasm. If you have any questions moving forward or if there is anything I can help out with, let me know!
We are so excited about this!!! Check it out! Montana Cycling Association will be attending the Sept. 20 meeting in Whitefish, to learn about how we, as an organization, can help support middle school and high school mountain bike racing. Please consider attending a meeting near you, to learn how you can help. Any middle school or high school students who are interested in racing should also try to attend one of the meetings. We will post more info here, after the Sept. 20 meeting!
Yesterday, most of the bike racing community in Montana learned of the death of Don Russell on August 14. Geoff Proctor, of CrossSportif, shared his thoughts:
Don was instrumental in the growth of bike racing in Montana as well as regionally and nationally with @usacycling. He had a full command of the cycling landscape as a coach, competitor, official, organizer, and supporter. He understood the importance of rules and boundaries. Punctuality and timeliness. The art of compromise. The list of Don’s contributions to our Montana cycling scene runs long and deep.
My favorite Don memory is from just over 10 years ago—September 2008. Montana’s first Scholastic Mountain Bike Championships in Phillipsburg, MT. Weather: cold, raw, pissing down rain. Competitors: maybe 17. Mud-spackled smiles: numerous.
My point: Don understood the ecosystem of cycling in a rural state. He understood that it had to start somewhere. The desire. The dreams. The skills. The pathway. And—crucially–that it could go somewhere.
Our club (Montana Velo) went on to organize the next three state scholastic mountain bike championships in Helena (2009-2011) and now—a decade later—Sam Schultz is orchestrating a Montana chapter of NICA to move us into the next generation. We are all indebted to Don for his tireless work on behalf of the sport we love.
Our sport needs more Don Russells right now. It’s not an easy road and it takes a community to nurture good bike racers. I am proud to have known and worked with Don, sharing a deep, mutual passion for athlete development. My thoughts are with his family.
Photo: Don Russell presenting gold medal to winner (12-year old/7th grader) Landen Beckner (Helena) at Montana Scholastic Mountain Bike Championships, 21 September 2008, Phillipsburg, MT. Almost exactly 6 years later, Landen went on to represent Team USA at the 2014 Junior World MTB Championships in Norway.
This year was the biggest year yet for the 12 & 24 Hours of Flathead! Over 113 folks registered and, despite smoky skies, 103 raced throughout the day and night at the beautiful Herron Park venue. Full results on our results page!
Women’s 12 Hour Duo Winners…crazy fast ladies!
Five hand cyclists competed this year…they rocked it!
Only a week left until what is becoming one of the most sought after endurance races in the West! The 12 & 24 Hours of Flathead has it all…amazing course, beautiful venue, incredible food, great music, and it’s right next to a lake! This race is a fund raiser that provides adaptive equipment and recreational opportunities to those living with paralysis and other life altering disabilities. There’s still time to register! Get a team together or go solo! Volunteers needed, if that’s more how you roll, or just come on over and cheer on our athletes! Full info on our Events page.
This little racer left it all on the trail, at the 5th installment of the TNRL. This week’s race was a racer favorite….up the Summit Trail and down the swoopdelicious Kashmir! One week left in the series! As always, full results on our results page!
