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A sneak peek at some of the season’s best upcoming events
Lost & Found Gravel Grinder
June 4, Lake Davis
The Lost & Found Gravel Grinder, presented by Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS) features a course boasting the perfect blend of pavement, dirt, gravel, and historic railroad grade. Road, cross, gravel, and mountain bikes will all have their own advantages and weaknesses -but all are guaranteed to produce the same amount of smiles per mile.
The Lost & Found is the first event of the Lost Sierra Triple Crown – -a points race that joins the Downieville Classic and the Grinduro to crown a true King and Queen of The Lost Sierra. Check out page 28 for more information on the Lost & Found event and the Lost Sierra Triple Crown.
Groveland Gears and Grooves Mini-Triathlon
June 11, Groveland
The Groveland Gears and Grooves Triathlon, presented by the Groveland Area Partnership, is scheduled to take place in and around the town of Groveland, near Yosemite National Park. The course is a three sport event and racers start where they want to start and end where they want to end. Think of it as a “Choose your own adventure” event! Stage One is a swim on Pine Mountain Lake. Participants start at the Lake Lodge, swim a mile, and end at the Marina. Stage Two is a cycling ride from the Marina, east on State Route 120, through the countryside, and up to the Rim of the World overlook. Riders will finish this stage at the Pine Mountain Lake Stables. Stage Three is a run from the Pine Mountain Stables, through the airport and outlying areas, ending at Mary Leveroni Park.
Whether you individually run, swim, or ride or you go for it all by doing it all, the cost for this event is $50.00 per person or $130.00 per team of three, and participants under the age of 18 are $25.00.
Carson City Off-Road
June 17-19, Carson City (Nevada)
Joining the Whiskey Off-Road, Grand Junction Off-Road and 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo races put on by Epic Rides, the inaugural Carson City Off-Road will be held on June 17-19 in Carson City, Nevada. This all-new event will be the third stop in the Epic Rides Off-Road Series, featuring three distance options: 15, 35 and 50 miles. Each course offers world-class backcountry terrain, starting and finishing in the heart of historic downtown Carson City in front of the State Capitol building.
The 35 and 50-mile courses will climb King’s Canyon to Spooner Summit, then on to Marlette Lake, topping out on the iconic Tahoe Rim Trail with sweeping views of Lake Tahoe. The descent on trails like Snapdragon and Ash to King’s (50-mile) and Sunflower Hill (35-mile) will be rewarding, as will the post-ride celebrations, with open container permits for all of downtown Carson City and two days of live music. A guaranteed good time for everyone in the family!
Ride and Tie
July 2, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Ride and Tie may just be the coolest sport you’ve never heard of, and the 46th annual World Championships are coming to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park in Southern California on July 2. Teams are comprised of two runners and a horse, and the championship race is 35 miles on a challenging cross country course.
The race is complete when all three team members cross the line. The human athletes alternate running and riding the horse, switching every few miles. The horse and rider get ahead of the runner each time, so the rider ties the horse to a tree and sets off running. The second runner catches up and rides the horse. The runners leapfrog each other to the finish. Races are a test of endurance, strategy and teamwork, with mandatory vet checkpoints. Outside of the World Championships, ride and tie races vary in length and take place throughout the summer.
Eppie’s Great Race
July 16, Sacramento
Presented by Eppie’s Wellness Foundation, “The World’s Oldest Triathlon” raises funds for the Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services (TRS) programs that support people of all ages with special needs and developmental disabilities.
The event is a summertime tradition for elite athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and families. The race features a 5.82-mile run, a 12.5-mile bike and a 6.10-mile paddle along the scenic American River Parkway.
Downieville Classic
August 4-7, Downieville
The Downieville Classic offers riders a 29-mile cross country race or a 15-mile downhill with a 5,000 foot vertical drop. Downieville is infamous for its races, and riders come to prove themselves hardened and unbreakable.
The Downieville Classic Cross Country race is one of the last remaining point-to-point bicycle races in the United States. The 29-mile course follows a rugged “Gold Rush” era route from the mountain town of Sierra City to the crest of the Sierra Nevada and down 5,200 vertical feet into downtown Downieville. The Downieville Downhill, drops 5,000 vertical feet in 15 miles from Packer Saddle to Downieville and is the longest and most demanding downhill mountain bike race in the nation. Nearly as famous as the races are the Ron’s House of Big Air River Jump, the log pull competition, and live music.
SLO Ultra
September 10, San Luis Obispo
The inaugural SLO Ultra is a unique trail event running through the private Wild Cherry Canyon property on California’s scenic central coast near San Luis Obispo. Registration is now open for this highly anticipated event which features a 50-mile ultra race, marathon, half- marathon and 5-mile trail courses. Medals and awards will go to the top three athletes overall in all races. Additionally, the 50-mile race champions will be awarded a cash purse. The race is limited to 900 runners overall and is expected to sell out. A live Bluegrass Festival free to the public plus a BBQ featuring Firestone Walker brews available for purchase will cap off this day of celebration.
Dip and Dash Aquathon Series
July 10 • August 14 • September 18, Santa Cruz
This year marks the sixth year that Santa Cruz has played host to the Dip and Dash Aquathlon Series hosted by Finish Line Productions.
The series kicks off on July 10 with either a 750m or 1500m swim in the sheltered cove in front of the Dream Inn, followed by a four-mile run on West Cliff Drive. The second event takes place in conjunction with Tri Santa Cruz on August 14 and offers either a sprint distance or international distance event (750m swim/5K run or 1500m swim/10k run). The September 15 finale is a swim around the iconic Santa Cruz Wharf followed by a five-mile run.
California Enduro Series
The California Enduro Series (CES) is a for riders, by riders non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to promoting world-class enduro events that everyone from amateur to pro can enjoy, at a geographically diverse range of venues. The 2016 season includes an all-new pro triple crown within the series. (See page 28 for more information).
Remaining events for 2016 are: VP EnduroFest, June 25-26; Ashland Mountain Challenge, July 16; Northstar Enduro, August 27-28; Kamikaze Bike Games Enduro, September 15-18.
Sierra Cup MTB Racing Series
The 2016 Sierra Cup Series will serve as the USA Cycling Regional Championship Series for Northern California and Nevada. All events before July will be qualifiers for MTB Nationals at Mammoth. The Kirkwood Mountain Classic and Great Tahoe Flume race will be qualifiers for 2017 Nationals.
Remaining events for 2016 are: Sagebrush Scramble, June 26; Kirkwood Mountain Classic, July 24; Great Tahoe Flume Race, September 11.
Superpro Racing Events
SuperPro Racing presents an eclectic array of races and non-competitive recreational events that appeal to a broad spectrum of cyclists. Founder and organizer Murphy Mack is well renowned for his creative, fun events whether on gravel, asphalt, dirt, or a mix of all.
Remaining events for 2016 are: California Gravel Gauntlet Series Finale Shevock’s Sierra Surprise, June 11; Mendocino 100, July 9; Mendocino MTB Madness (M5), August 18-21.