Thank you for registering for the 13th Annual Shenandoah Mountain 100 - Sept 4th, 2011 - NUE Series Finals!

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A quick SMT Info'mercial..(if the facebook bit wasn't enough already!!)

- Harvest Moon Festival Century & Metric - Saturday September 24th. It is a super cool 100 M or 100 K road spin along a flowing route in the mountains with a great mix of rolling roads that snakes around Bath County along paved roads lined with wildflower and surrounded by some of the most remote National Forest backcountry including the southern end of Shenandoah Mountain. The route finishes with the only climb of the day up Warm Springs mountain before the final 5 mile run into the finish like a true European classic. Sunday you can either head out for another scenic road ride or relax and explore some of Bath Counties amazing backcountry singletrack in Douthat. Bath County has some great family activities planned for the whole weekend.

- Friday Hookie Rides - If you are having trouble getting clear during the weekend we have your fall end of the month Friday HOOK UPs!

- Friday - Sept 30th - supported and sagged road ride on "THE" Alpine Loop - ITS HUGE! - depart 8:00 am Downtown Harrisonburg! $50

- Friday - October 28th - end of season ride on the Southern Traverse - fall singletrack delight! - depart 8:00 am Mr. J's south Rt. 42 $50

- Spruce Knob-Seneca Creek / North Fork Mountain IMBA Epic Backcountry Tour - October 1st-2nd (We have the PERMIT!) - This AMAZING tour includes Saturday and Sunday lunches, Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, camping AND guide service with two shuttles! Check out these pictures of the threatened Spruce Knob/Seneca Creek and North Fork Mountain Trail IMBA Epic rides! They are THE fall east coast dream rides! Participant limit... sign up NOW! - $175

- Virginia Mountain Bike Trail - ITS HAPPENING! From the North to the South, ending in "trailtown" Damascus, VA on the Creeper Trail. This year is the full pull - 14 days of bicycling on remote National Forest backcountry singletrack. We will be leading tours on 1 of the 4 segments over the next 4 years and will return for the full pull again in 2016 if you can't make the dream ride this year. Here are the details -

Virginia Mountain Bike Trail - Supported Tour Oct. - 4 Segments - inquire here now!

1) Oct. 4- 7th (4 days) County Line - Big Schloss- Shenandoah Mtn.
We are taking the weekend off the trail to celebrate and ride at the SVBC Festival
2) Oct. 10- 12th (3 days) Shen. Mtn - Southern Traverse - Douthat
3) Oct. 13- 16th (4 days) Douthat - Dragon's Tale - New River
4) Oct. 17-19th (3 days) New River- Iron Mtn - Damascus

We don't have flyers or any additional information besides a gear list and start times. If you want to book a slot on one of these amazing adventures, hit us here!

We have spent a lot of time getting the trails ready to go for the event and they are riding really nicely. The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition made a HUGE contribution last year by adding over $50,000 of value to the trails used in the Shenandoah Mountain 100. They successfully administered a grant from the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration Recreational Trails Program that finished the bottom of Wolf Ridge Trail and rehabilitated Chestnut Ridge Trail. Lynn Trail (2nd climb known as the hike a bike) has been majorly improved too with some great treadwork and a fully rideable switchback midway up that really compliments the new lower half on Wolf Ridge Trail. The Lynn Trail improvements were the result of four SVBC work days last fall and one last weekend with the Bridgewater College Cross Country running team assisting. SVBC is on a ROLL!

The final downhill in the SM100 Shaffer Hollow is also seeing a major renovation this week thanks to the United State Forest Service, Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, IMBA, Shenandoah Mountain Touring and Ironwood Outdoors. SVBC has been leading the charge on all fronts, its truly amazing at what this all volunteer organization is doing. SVBC will be on site at the event under our VIP tent. We encourage you to stop by, say "thanks!" and contribute to the Coalition's efforts (and your local club at home)!

A great way to say thanks to SVBC is to come down for the Shenandoah Mountain Bike Festival - Oct 7-9 (SVBC Event) - register here

 

--- THE Race Brief! ---

 

From Shenandoah Mountain 100 - 2010

The Shenandoah Mountain 100 is FULL. If you registered and are unable to attend please notify us so we can admit the next person from the wait list. There are many folks holding onto hope of participating in the 2011 event.

Guests are not welcome at the event unless they have signed up to volunteer in advance. We do have a few slots remaining for VOLUNTEERS who notify us in advance. Please use our volunteer form, it should take between 18 and 39 seconds to fill out. We could use a few marshals and need a tiny bit of help serving food.

If you forgot any bicycle related items, our local shop the Shenandoah Bicycle Company located in downtown Harrisonburg, VA is open till 4 PM on Saturday. If you do stop in to visit them save room for one of their delicious smoothies from the Pulp Smoothie Bar

Directions below - please follow them! and do NOT call or email us looking for an address to enter into your GPS. If you can't find the campground with these directions you will have to much difficulty following the course.

From I-81 take exit 240. Follow Rt. 257 to Bridgewater. Take a left on Rt. 42 south, cross the bridge leaving Bridgewater and turn right onto Rt. 727. Follow to T and turn left staying on 727. Follow to stop sign, turn left onto Rt. 730, and follow to Stokesville. At next stop sign turn left on Rt. 730 again and cross over the Iron Bridge. The Stokesville Campground is immediately on your right.

Changes for 2011 -

1) New starting area and increased camping area below the Stokesville Observatory. We will have a bracketed starting area similar to marathons. Please line up in the area based on your expectations/reality (7HR, 8HR, 9HR, 10HR..)
2)Aid Station's #2/#6 (Todd Lake), #3 (Dowell's Draft), #4 (Braley Pond), and #5 (Shenandoah Mountain) have been slightly altered.
- #2/6 will be moved 1/4 mile south at the exit from the Chestnut Ridge downhill. For the first pass you will have to leave the road at the designated area and enter a dirt road to have support.
- #3 will be on your side of the gate at the crest of the hill after the singletrack, slow down to enter the roadway after the aid station. This will allow more room for volunteers to serve you
- #4 will have part of it located on your side of the gate as you approach - same great result
- #5 will be set just off the road in a parking lot that you may have never noticed. You will turn left off of the main death climb into the parking lot about 50 yards before the traditional aid station location. Participants will be exiting the aid station through the field and continue traveling up the road..
3) Please do not use the showers at Todd Lake Campground unless you are a registered camper at the Campgound. We have been informed they are not included in the day use swimming fee. We have rented a nice shower truck for the weekend to offset this situation.

Here are your participant responsibilities. 1) obey all traffic laws and rules of the trail while participating in the event (you will be riding on open roads and trails - stay tight and to the right on Rt. 250 after Station #3 and never stop and set your bike down in or on a road, please get in the grass on the shoulder, the only ones who can stop in the road are the bear hunters with their trucks - sorry!) 2) notify the finish line official AND the nearest aid station if you drop out of the event 3) don't ever turn your car alarm on while you are at the Stokesville Campground 4) don't take your car keys with you during the race and make sure everyone traveling with you knows where they are 5) make sure your guests are signed up to volunteer or don't bring them 5) make sure your dogs stay on a leash the whole time if you really have to bring them. 6) take all the supplies you bring to the event home with you (that means trash) 7) don't drive out of the Stokesville Campground the way you entered - exit the way the racers leave at the start, the "EXIT". 8) bring your favorite camp plate, drink cup and utensils 9) do not light a camp fire - there will only be ONE near the pavilion! 10) Only let your children play in the playground if you deem it safe - the fact that the equipment is there does not mean it is safe.

We are requesting that folks who know their way around don't drive through the Todd Lake area to get to aid station #3-#4 because the road is closed because of a blown out culvert. The aid station directions for #3 and #4 give directions using Stribbling Springs Rd. to Rt. 250. By using this route you will prevent racers from coughing up nasty dust phlegm for hours after the event. We also don't want anyone but the sweep vehicle driving up FR 95 / FR 85 to get to Aid Station #5. The Volunteer directions send you up the paved route towards Reddish Knob via Rt. 924 - this will eliminate you dusting out racers for over 15 miles.

All volunteers please follow parking directions when you arrive at your aid station - signs will be posted!

Not only is the racing field full for the event, but the campground is at max capacity too.... don't bring extra people unless they have committed to volunteering for the weekend. Don't be a primadonna and have your special person think they can drive around the course to cheer you on. There is not enough room on the forest roads for this to happen and this year the roads will be super dusty. Managing the campground food and beer situation has always worked somehow. It can't continue if you bring unannounced people. We don't have the room. They can come to Harrisonburg to ride any other time of the year. They can come back to the Stokesville Campground Oct 7-9 weekend for the Shenandoah Mountain Bike Festival.

We will be missing Chris Eatough (Trek Mountain Co-op) at the event this year, though he has vowed to return in 2012. He will be offering a special on his Shenandoah Mountain 100 12 week training plan to participants of the 2011 event. We had a really good time riding the course with him in July during our annual Shenandoah Mountain 100 Training camp. It will be exciting to see how his athletes do again this year. Improvement will be hard to notice for some of his elite athletes such as Chris Beck and Team CF riders Cheryl Sornson, Christian Tanguy, and Brandon Draugalis. It will be hard to notice which of his athletes have improved that are using his 12 week Shenandoah Mountain 100 training plan as well, but you can expect the person that finished ahead of you had used it.

The 2011 Shenandoah Mountain 100 looks to be an amazing endurance contest that will decide the NUE Series Champions for 2011. The event has been the finals for this prestigious series in years past and is hosting the Series Finals again this year. The battle between Jeff Schalk (Trek Mountain Co-op) and Christian Tanguy (Team CF) will be of epic proportions! Christian Tanguy won the contest with a breakout ride in 2011 and he has been handing out a HUGE beating in almost every event thus far. It has taken some of Jeff's hardest efforts to compete with Christian. Jeff is going to be SOOOOO AMPED for this one though. He will have his adopted home town of Harrisonburg cheering for him and will be riding on trails he has personally worked on as a member of the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition. This battle for the NUE Series is going to make this an unforgettable event!

Chris Beck (Team CF) is sure to be looking good, but will he be able to run it full throttle and contend? Mike Simonson (RBS Trek MTB Team/Stans No Tubes) rode amazingly on a similar course at the Wilderness 101, can he do it again here? Nobody can count out Brandon Draugalis (Team CF), with his solid skills and super fitness, after a missed turn at the Wilderness 101 you can bet he will be flying at the Shenandoah! Is PA going to make a showing this year at the Shenandoah? Will Richie O'Neil (Stan's NoTubes/Giant) open up a can of RAGE after missing his local Wilderness 101? Maybe PA isn't as weak if you consider the whole state. Pistol Pete Schildt (Keswick Cycles) pulled through like a champ in 2009 and O'10, can he do it again?

2011 Tour d Burg champ Sam Koerber (Trek 29er Crew) is riding well with victories in the Iron Mountain 100 K and the ORAMM 100 K and he is ready for ACTION! Other top 10 hopefuls include Drew Edsall (Super Cool Bike Shop/ First Place Racing) who rode at the front for the first 3 hours of the Wilderness 101, Kevin Carter (Team Calleva) who was FLYING at the Wilderness 101, Garth Prosser (Cannondale/ Ashford Surgical), Robert Marion (American Classic/Kenda/Tomac), Greg Kuhn (RBS Trek MTB Team/Stans No Tubes), Andy Gorski (Pro Bikes), Ryan Mckinney (Clean Currents p/b Don Beyer Volvo), Dan Atkins (Trek 29er Crew), Rob Spreng (Dirty Harry's), Chris Strout (Team Skink), Mike Cushionbury (Team Trans-Sylvania Epic), Ernesto Marenchin (Pivot Cycles), and Lee Hauber (Trek 29er Crew) is rolling with all of Kentuckys hope on his shoulders after a good ride at the Iron Mountain 100K. Jens "the Biking Viking" Nielsen (Sports Systems) is coming back from New Mexico to do it up AGAIN! Everyone else is a true longshot who is going to have to have a huge gutsy ride to crack the top 10. Is David Wood (Trek 29 Crew) going to be able to perform after just getting in the event today?

Yeilding the young jedi in training powers at the Shenandoah this year will be Connor Bell, Madison Matthews (MBR/The Bicycle Shop) and everybodies favorite young guy with a huge heart Adam Croft (Trek Mountain Co-op) who brings so much excitement to the event.

Will Cheryl Sornson (Team CF) roll this one free and clear? Vicki Barclay (Freeze Thaw Cycles/Stans NoTubes) has plans to keep that from happening! Karen Potter (www.MTBRaceNews.com), and Brenda Simril (Motor Mile Racing) are going to look for every opportunity to take a higher step up on the podium! Look for Emily McDonald (Veloworks-Spokes, Etc.) and Laura Hamm (Virginia Tech Cycling) to have great rides and round out the podium in the super fun and challenging womens field.

Is Justin Pokrivka (Pro Bikes/Cohen and Associates) back on form after a heavy load of riding and racing this past summer? Can past NUE Series Champ Harlan (Santa Cruz) do what is needed to get a victory here? its been a while! Can Gerry Pflug (Salsa/SPK/ProBikes) take the title again while getting in the top 10 overall? Matt Ferrari (Freeze Thaw/Hub Cap Cycles) is climbing well again but can he light up the singletrack descents enough to contend and place in the top 3? Did the Tour D Burg "experience" do anything to improve Rich Dillens (Team Dicky) chances of doing well this year? Can Dylan Johnson (Oasis Bike Works) be the dark horse that rises up amongst these proven stallions, if not him, who will it be? Mike Ramponi (Independent Fabrication) will be riding his single amongst the Masters. Gary Chambers (The Bike Zoo) will be back to toss his hat in the ring after a very good ride at the Iron Mountain 100 K last month. Chris Merriam (4 boys racing)

Roger Masse (Trek 29er Crew) has an advantage on these familiar trails. But can that advantage stay ahead of Mike Ramponi and his enthusiasm to RIDE ALL DAY LONG? They were riding neck and neck at the 101 until Ramponi started to fall apart, something about tire trouble...? Rob Herriman (Trek 29er Crew/WSC/ACFSTORES.COM ) was virtually untouchable last year. How will he fare this year with Masse and Ramponi flying like they are? John Williams (the Bike Line) just got off the waiting list about an hour ago and will now get his chance to slug it out with these guys. Bill Nagel made a claim at the 101 that he was going to be going well for this one. Did his weekend doing recon on the SM 100 course do him any good? Jim Matthews (MBR /the Bicycle Shop) had his first taste of the Shenandoah last year, he liked it and will be back to try and improve!

The thousand mile club has long time hero's Larry Camp (Michaux Green) and Mike Buchness (Team Bike Lane) rolling this year without Barry Quigley for their 13th. Barry, we will miss you MAN! Who else is going to join the club??

The local battle for the men is going to be INTENSE! Chris "Chas" Michaels (American Classic/Kenda/Tomac) is SUPER fit and was riding great at the Wilderness 101, but he has an AMAZING amount of pressure on his shoulders to perform without world class pros Jeremiah Bishop, Nick Waite or Sue Haywood able to contest the event. Collin Vento (Shenandoah Bicycle Co.)is pumped to represent and has been TRAINING for hours and hours and hours every day with intervals and hill repeats and pumptrack workouts, OH MY, how will all of his TRAINING pay off? He started his winter programe' with Arizona in Feb and extended that with additional weeks in California. It paid off great for him at the Tour de Burg as he was the top mortal local. Kyle Lawrence (Trek 29er Crew/Shenandoah Bicycle Co.) is hoping to give his coworker and good friend a run for it. Kyle has lacked any specific training this year as he has spent the bulk of his spare time representing Virginia in trail advocacy efforts, but he did just return from a few days of super mellow bike touring into West Virginia. We can't wait to see if that will do the trick compared to the regimented, strictly rigid training done by Collin. Is Ryan Fawley (Trek Mountain Co-op) gonna flake and ride a tandem, or will he let loose and show his form for the upcoming cross season? If he does choose the tandem he better be ready for the Kristin Eddy/Chris Caul Huckleberry BEATDOWN!

Ok, back to the rules and then onto the good stuff in a minute. Racers can send a maximum of 2 drop bags to aid stations (1 gallon zip lock bag) that we will provide upon request at registration. Those bags have to be closed and sealed for us to take them to an aid station. We will not transport camelbak systems. You can take an extra 30 seconds to fill up the one you are already wearing. Jeff Schalk will not get this special treatment, neither will you. Your pals at the aid station can not bring things out there for you period. Anything they bring will be open for everyone to use - i.e. neutral support. If we see this happening the Dead Run Devils, who are running security for the event, will quietly pack you into their vehicle and take you away. This will apply to anyone with a vehicle following them around from aid station to aid station - YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE COURSE!

The Law of Support - Race Rule #1- For 2011, as in past years, we do not allow outside support on the course (except from other registered racers) or at aid stations (except from volunteers). This decision was made in an attempt to extend the life of the event. We cannot have spectators or support crews traveling around excessively on the National Forest roads during the event or we will not have our permit renewed with the National Forest. We have been told this again this year. The Forest is for many different users and we don't want to ruin anyone's experience by overusing an area. So we are asking for your friends and family to volunteer at an aid station or pick one to hang out at and not try and follow the race. Those of us that want this event to continue thank you tremendously for not traveling on the course to follow your special person. Open up your heart to everyone at one of the aid stations and make friends!!!

Slippery Fingers – Race Rule #2 - We are going to tighten up in regards to trash on the course after last year’s 100 was such a mess. NO gel packets on the course!!!- use the flasks given to you at registration!! You can take an empty flask if you don’t like Hammer Gel and you can put your favorite blend it in – just NO packets in your pockets for your slippery fingers to drop. Tuck your energy bar wrappers under the elastic on the leg of your shorts, don't just reach behind for your pocket and assume it made it in there!!!

Stokesville Campground - as most of you have experienced the Stokesville Campground is a wonderful place to host the event. Camping is first come first served. There are flush toilets, sinks and lots of porta johns. We promised bigger and better in 2011 and we WILL have a shower trailer on site. You can still swim in the river under the Stokesville bridge. There are not any RV hookups and we will not allow any generators to be running at Stokesville Campground. Leave your RV at home please. Please do not use the trash can vaults that are in the ground near your campsite. You had room to bring everything your brought with you, we request that you take it home with you too, even if it is in a trash bag. There is enough room for every racer to camp. Please assist us with our effort to limit waste this year by bringing your favorite camp plate and mug that can reuse the entire weekend. Take your trash out with you, we can handle the trash from the food we provide, and request that you do the same.

Stokesville Observatory – it will be open for your pleasure on Saturday and Sunday night. If you are camping near the Observatory please keep your bright white lights OUT so those interested in viewing the planets can have a higher quality look.

Packet Pickup- Saturday 4:05ish -10 pm
Sunday race starts 6:30 am

Aid Stations -- please note that HEED is the ONLY sports drink we will be providing at the aid stations
#1 - 10 miles in- is just a quick water fill up with a water bottle exchange system
#2 - 31 miles in- is full on food, water, and HEED
--cut off 12:30
#3 - 45 miles in- is Hammer Gel and full on food, water, and HEED
-- cut off 2:30
#4 - 57 miles in- Clif Bars, full on food, water, HEED, other sports drinks – some carbonated soda
--cut off 4:00
#5 - 75 miles in- is Hammer Gel and full on food, water, and HEED(light drop station).
-- cut off 4:20 if you DON'T have lights 6:30 even if you do have lights
#6 - 88 miles in- is full on food, water and HEED
-- cut off 8:30-

**** all cutoffs are subject to change at any time ****

Full on food is – PB&J sandwiches, Figs, Cookies, Granola Bars, Trail Mix, Pringles, Twizzlers, Gummy Bears and a mix of Apples and Bananas.

Check the website for the weekend schedule (campground schedule)

If you have to leave a drop bag behind at the race, fill out a priority mail label at the finish line table with your racer number on it and give us a $10 check for postage – Otherwise we appreciate your donation of gear to the cause. All bags not claimed or will be emptied at 9:00 am on Monday morning and contents/supplies will be emptied and used for the local fall trail work series.

The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club, MORE, IMBA and the SMT staff has done some great work on the trails in the last few weeks making them ride much better then they have all summer. Keith and his crew at the Sole Source has teamed up with the Shenandoah Bicycle Co. crew whom all sponsor the event will be out on the course providing support - HUGE thanks to them!

VOLUNTEERS - we are looking for a HAM radio operator for the Start/Finsh HQ and still need a few course marshals . A HUGE "thanks" in advance for everyone coming down to volunteer for the event. We hope you have a wonderful time at the Stokesville Campground and enjoy your time in your National Forest.

Emergency Protocol -- If you have any allergies or require any medications please grab a sharpie from the registration table and describe your condition or list your needs on the back of your number plate. This is the first place that will be checked if someone is found unconscious. There is a good chance we could have a nasty case of Yellow Jackets (Bee's) on the course this year. You must be prepared with the medication that you would need to survive multiple stings.

We will announce our aid station cut off schedule at the racers meeting and again at the start line.

A HUGE thanks to all of the sponsors for 2011

Virginia Eagle Distributing Company has brought on:
Heavy Seas - Marzen
Starr Hill - Northern Lights
Kona Brewing Co. - Pipeline Porter
Pyramid Breweries - Haywire

Dogfish Head Ale House in Gaithersburg, Fairfax and Arlington
Clif Bar
Hammer Nutrition with Hammer Gel and HEED
Shenandoah Mountain Touring, LLC
Trek Bicycles
Kenda USA
Massanutten Resort
Shenandoah Bicycle Co.
The Sole Source - Harrisonburg Shoe Store
Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition
Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club (CAMBC)
Mid Atlantic off Road Enthusiasts (MORE)
United States Forest Service
Stan's NoTubes
Pro Gold Lubricants
Sugoi
BoB Trailers
Billy Jack's- Wing and Draft Shack
Jack Brown's- Beer and Burger Joint
CZB

A HUGE thanks to the JMU University Recreation Wilderness First Responders who will be out on the course at our remote medic locations. Dr. George Wortley the leader of the ducktape brigade, and Mr. Richard Watson and the Lynchburg Amateur Radio Club!

Our team of local course tech's for the weekend are sooo pumped!! Joe Therrell, Chase Lyne, Marshall Hammond, Kyle Lawrence, Jason Burch, Branch Crockett, Paul Hansohn, TJ Rickard, Jonathan Evans and Tony Vachino are the all star crew for the weekend HUGE PROPS!

Johnny Ritchie and Dan Fudala will be leading it all out on the Motos! SOOOO EXCITING!!!

We wish you safe travels to the Shenandoah Valley and Virginia's George Washington National Forest for the Shenandoah Mountain 100.

Good luck and we will see ya soon,

Chris, Matt, Tyler and the Shenandoah Mountain 100 Crew