Looking back at Cylco Cross Season

Some of us Mt Alpha girls decided to extend the racing season with Cyclo-Cross.   

Jr Alpha racer - 12 yr old Ellie Bardsley racing

Jr Mt Alpha - Clara taking first place

It was pretty fun , pretty painful. The difference is the lack of rest. With mountain biking, you get rewarded with a fun and fast downhill to recover from a long uphill or pinchy steep climb. But with Cross, it is mostly a flat race for 45 minutes  How hard can you go without blowing up or being totally anaerobic?  http://www.montanacyclocross.com/

Mama Jen racing - Fat tires vs Skinnys

Sarah, Kristine, Clara, Riley, Mama Jen and Ellie - Cyclo Cross Race at Equestrian Park

Mt Alpha at Rolling Thunder

MT Alpha Represent!

Mama Jen taking money from childen -  Thanks for the photo David Howland 

The Rolling Thunder Race in Missoula has become an epic event with flash-mob dances, huge crowds and plenty of carnage on the course. 

The Course is really gnarly. Besides the usual barriers to jump over, the organizers incorporate some serious technical elements into the design. There are a long series of "whoops", super tight turns, steep drops and uphills, and heavy thick sand to negotiate with skinny cross tires. Some girls opt for a mountain bike with fat tires for this course, but the risk is losing speed on the flat sections. Whatever bike chosen, the race is still a blast. Crowds are nuts at Rolling Thunder, there are hundreds of people yelling, blowing horns, ringing cow bells and putting out money for riders to slow down and grab. I love it.

The women's field had a huge turn out this year with riders from many other states. I heard there was over 40 women! Elite riders to Cat 4 battled it out under the lights and gave a good show. We had many Alpha girls rocking the dirt - for some girls it was there first race! I was personally so proud of these girls because Rolling Thunder is so intense and super hard. Way to go ladies! 

http://www.montanacyclocross.com/

Mt Alpha Tent

Cat 1 women's race; Emily Kip 

Cat 3 women's race; Kristine Akland 

Cat 4 women's race; Jen Bardsley, Katie Rogotzke, Brianna Lui, Reily LuJan

Mama Jen, Kristine and Jamie

Emily Kip
awesome spectators cheering!

3 Mt Alphas - Katie, Brianna and Mama Jen

Mama Jen on the whoops

After the race

YEAH RILEY!

MT Alpha's end of the year celebration/ Sponsor Appreciation Party

Are you an MT Alpha sponsor? 

Are you a friend of MT Alpha? 

Do you want to be either of those things? 

If so, come to our Sponsorship Appreciation Party!

THIS Friday, November 2nd at 6pm.

At the Bardsley's House (1032 Sherwood St, Missoula, Montana 59802) 

Beer (from Draught Works) food and juice will be served.

Wear an ugly sweater. 

And let us know if you have any question!  

Team

Secret Identity

Photo: Tom Robertson Photography 

We put on our superwomen disguises and raced to the top of Sawmill Gulch last week.  Bet you guys didn't know a few of us were super heroes. 

Thunder is in the air!

Can you feel it? 

Mt Alpha Juniors Kill it!

Mt Alpha Junior Riders - Clara Murray and Ellie Bardsley at Werks Mountain Bike Race in Helena

Every year Great Divide Cylery of Helena hosts one of the last races of the season up Davis Gulch. The "WERKS" race has always had a healthy dose of junior races due to the efforts of Jeff Proctor. Proctor started a Junior Bike program that focuses on Mountain Bike and Cylco Cross and has probably the largest group of kids riding in the state. 
So it was exciting to bring MT ALPHA's junior girls over for the event.

Ellie Bardsey (12yrs)  racing in Helena!Registration on race day started at 10am. We showed up 10mins before 11am and the officials informed us that the JR race was at 11am! YIKES! This info was not on the flyer, so we were planning on racing at 1pm. However, this did not phase Ellie, she jumped out of the car and without warming up went to line up to race. Right away Ellie's shoe strings got caught in her chain, everyone passed her while she worked on her shoe laces. She was way behind the pack of 20 or so jr riders, so she had to motor up the mountain to catch up.
After passing 10 or so kids, she finished as the fastest Jr Girl, and 8th overall.Way to go ELLIE!  

Ellie - First Place JR Girls

Racers meeting. Jen racing Cat 2 women (3 laps) and Clara race Cat 3 women (2 laps)

Clara Murray is our high school sophomore from Hellgate. She is 15yrs old and is scary fast on downhills. She registered for the Cat 3 race. This was 2 laps at 9 miles. Clara was in first place when she wrecked hard on the second lap. She ENDO-ed over the handle-bars on a corner and the bike landed on her head. With her front tire flat, she hiked 2 miles to the end to receive a big round of applause at the finish line. 

She ended up taking 2nd place at her first race!

Way to go CLARA!!!!!

(BTW- she is gonna need a new helmet after that sick wreck)

Clara pre-riding the course

 Feeling good after the race! 

MT ALPHA JRs  - Thumbs UP!

Jr Alpha's - pre riding the course

Ouch!

Cat 2 women - MT Alpha Jen Bardsley 2nd place

GO ALPHA! Ellie, Clara and Mama Jen in Helena, Montana