Last weekend I hosted the Triple Loop 600k - it was a bruiser. I had one rider on the 200k option, one on the 400k option, and fourteen on the 600k option. They started between 5am and 6am on Saturday morning.
The staff ride did not go to plan when my chain self-destructed just short of 400k. I had a chain tool, but I didn't have the skills to repair it properly. I've have since watched the appropriate YouTube videos. All the tools, still a fool!
The first loop is nice and flat and the first rider, Daniel, got in about one in the afternoon having ridden it in just over eight hours. We had our first DNF near the end of the ride when James, suffering from an adverse vaccine reaction, had to stop just seven miles from the end. I think we all know what it's like to ride when sick.
Greg Jones (not that one) completed the 200k so he now has a 200k and a 300k and is looking forward to the Four Fingers 400 on May 1st.
I had Costco pizza, 85 Degree pastries, Monsters, and orange juice waiting for the riders and that seemed to hit the spot for them. The 400k and 600k riders headed out after a little R&R with lights and an extra layer for the cold.
The second loop has more climbing as it heads south down the coast. I had a volunteer, Renee, on standby for any riders who needed help on this loop but everyone came through well. Please thank Renee, she was there for you. Daniel was the first rider to complete the second loop just before midnight - a very impressive time. He had to ride fast because he then drove 30 minutes home to sleep, before driving back to start the third loop! To make things even more interesting the hotel lost power all Saturday evening but, fortunately, this did impact any of the riders.
Even though the weather forecast just two days before had predicted 80F in Beaumont and 10-12 mph winds, a Santa Ana wind event sprung up and the high was above 90F with 35mph winds gusting to 50. For some reason weather.com cannot predict Santa Ana conditions more that 24 hours before they happen. So it turned out the third loop started with a sixty mile climb into a strong headwind. There were a lot of DNFs as riders looked at the wind and either decided not to start or to turn around quickly.
Out of the fourteen riders that signed up for the 600k we had eight DNFs and six finishers. Congratulations to the finishers - that was the hardest Triple Loop I have ever hosted.
200k finishers
Greg Jones: 10:25
400k finishers
Hoang Nguyen: 25:49
600k finishers
Greg Cardell: 38:20 (SR)
Gregory Goebel: 36:08
Brandon Kirisaki: 39:55
John Marino: 33:35
Lihn Nguyen: 40:00
Daniel Tran: 39:38
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