Race Report: Arctic MTB XC Series, Event 1

Pipsport/Chain Reaction Cycles riders bombing through the woods — Pipsport/Chain Reaction riders bombing through the woods

After what felt like an eternally-long winter, mountain biking has finally returned to Kincaid Park! The Arctic MTB XC Series kicked off on June 2nd, and the field was packed with riders looking to celebrate the start of the race season. By the beginning of the race, 104 entrants had made their way to the starting line and were ready to take to the expertly-maintained trails (hats off to Singletrack Advocates) and set down the first laps of the 9-race series.

Speed was the name of the game for course layout, with the fastest cyclists ticking off mid-22-minute laps of the flowing 6-mile circuit. Right from the starting line, the riders were sent down a quick XC-style sprint, only to be greeted with the punchy ascent of Elliot’s Climb. This initial scramble gave an edge to the riders with the strongest legs and lungs, but that isn’t to say that there wasn’t a need for technical skill, with Bolling Alley’s berms, pumps, and jumps adding variety to the cardio-centric blasts through Margeux’s Loop and the Jodhpur Trail.

Getting some air time on one of Bolling Alley's many jumps — Getting some air time on one of Bolling Alley’s many jumps

After all of the riders had completed their race through Kincaid’s glorious singletrack, the leaderboards were posted and the results shook down as follows:

Expert Men (3 laps)