The Breck Epic
Stage 5- The Goat Trail
Cory Wallace / 09.07.2009
After yesterdays great stage none of us expected anything too crazy today but things got a little crazt. We all knew today we would climb to the race\'s high point at 12,500 ft but noone expected it to be via goat trails. As stage winner Jeremiah Bishop (Monavie-Cannondale) put it \"That was pretty epic. If I knew what we were in for today I would\'ve ate a little more supper last night.\" Not sure what would\'ve happend if he ate more supper last night as he was tearing it up again gapping Travis Brown (Trek) on the first goat trail.
Riding in 4th I had a great view above me as Bishop hopped on his bike on one of the steeper sections and gapped Brown who was doing the same thing and walking his bike. In third place Colby Pierce (Michelob Ultra/Big Shark Racing) was also walking and tried to ride his bike once he saw Bishop get away, but at this altitude it was too much for anyone else to do without blowing their cardio systems through the galaxy.
As we crested the first climb a vast alpine meadow opened up in front of us in where the singletrack weaved between rock gardens and through marshes. 3,000 ft below us was the town of Breckenridge but not many riders noticed as most of them were focused on the massive wall at the end of the alpine meadows.
I was pretty confused as too why the trail was headed that way as all I could see were cliffs, snow and pretty much a dead end, but getting closer I could see something moving half way up the wall. Yes, Bishop is not only a biker but also a billy goat as he troated up over the notch and into the 3,000 ft singletrack descent back into the valley. Not far behind was Brown who managed to pull some time back on the descent and rocky singletrack leading back to the finish, but in the end he would come up just over 2 minutes short of Bishop.
Talking to racers at the finish line it appeared people were starting to reach their limits as it\'s turning out this race isn\'t quite the cake walk some figured it would be after the shorter stage 3. Womans solo leader Jen Gersbach (Spot Bikes/Dale\'s Pale Ale) commented on the day \"That was hard, the climb was really tough but coming down the singletrack afterwards was even tougher as the body was pretty blown at the time.\" Nonethless Jen would come in first again on the day, catching her main competitior Cristina Begy in the final few miles to maintain her 28 minute lead in the GC.
Too note there are also some ill people at the race who have clearly succumbed to the altitude and have been riding each stage on single speed bikes. I\'m not sure if they fell out of their baby cribs at a young age and bonked their heads or maybe ate something that\'s not meant to be eaten, but these guys are pretty out there. I must say they are also some of the most respected riders at the race as for them to put out that much effort in this thin air is like a runner trying to run under water with a straw sticking up to the surface for oxygen. As one guy put it \"These guys are riding the course with pack\'s full of hammers and dropping them all over the place.\" There\'s also a 65 year old lady \"Punching it out\" as race orgainizer Mike Mcormack stated at last nights rider meeting.
With only one day to go you would figure people would be getting a little looser but after what they went through today nobody is saying anything just yet as there\'s a big question mark ahead in Stage 6.
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