2018 Penitente Canyon Mountain Bike Race

Single Speed Solo racer Teddy Gutshall enjoys a little down time after finishing second in his race. (Courtesy photo by Stan Moyer)

DEL NORTE — The fourth annual 12 Hours Penitence Race (12HOP) had a slightly smaller number of active participants than the 2017 event, but no lack of enthusiasm and record-breaking achievements in its time frame. Each lap of the contest is 17 miles, and for the first time in the race’s history the winners of the male duo category completed eight laps. That totals a distance of 136 miles in 11 hours, 45 minutes and 24 seconds over the rough territory.

The Ska/Zia/Matheny Endurance pair out of Durango was Nick Gould and Daniel Matheny. The fastest single lap course record of one hour, 21 minutes and 32 seconds was set by Gould between 8:30 and 10 AM in his first lap contributing to the overall win. The time broke the old record by almost 15 minutes. Six of the team’s other lap times were also faster than the record set in previous race years.

The finish of the second place male duo team was hardly dull either. The 6202 Cycling Team finished six laps in 11 hours, 58 minutes and 37 seconds, leaving rider Cameron Walker saying moments after the specially illuminated end, “Coming up the last few minutes, I was either going to fall [on his bike] or finish before 7.” The smile on his face as he rode over the finish line was as probably as bright as the light. Dan Riley was his teammate, while Walker is from Castle Rock. None of the other male duo teams finished as many as six laps.

Winner of the male solo competition Ryan Graber of Como, Colorado completed six laps in 10 hours, 22 minutes and 16 seconds. Thirteen riders competed in the category. Graber was the only rider to finish six laps, six other riders finished five. Graber lived in the Alpine Village area near South Fork between 2008 and 2012, and owned and operated a bicycle shop in town during that time, so his name may be familiar to some. Even completing five laps, the second place time of Terry Daley of 10 hours, 28 minutes and 57 seconds was more than six minutes slower than the winning time.

Weather for the event may have been a contributing factor to the outstanding times. Temperature was close to 34 degrees at the start, and it seemed to be practically windless until 2 p.m. when a breeze seemed to begin, growing stronger after 3 p.m. and positively gusty towards end-of-race designated time.

Fanny Toorenburg was the female solo winner, completing five laps in 11 hours, 15 minutes and 19 seconds, with Tamara Jenlink the only other solo rider to also finish five laps in 11 hours, 37 minutes and 7 seconds. Four other women completed four solo laps,

Team Suffergettes informed event attendees, that after completing 4 laps and officially winning the Female Duo division this year that they probably will not be competing in next year’s race. The team name, has little to do with voting rights and more with the difficulties combining bicycle racing and motherhood of several small children, the race awards announcer explained.

A different diversion exists for the Co-Ed Duo winners. Tennessee Pass Cookout finished six laps in 11 hours, 13 minutes and 51 seconds. They are restaurant operators, thus the name. Second place finisher Ryder’s Riders had a slightly faster time, by 48 seconds, but for three, not six laps.

Exciting, close finishes should not be left out. In the Male Trio division, three teams completed six laps in under 12 hours, with a finishing total time spread of three minutes and fifteen seconds. Winning team Soda's total was 10 hours, 17 minutes and 11 seconds. Second place Pedaling Padres finished in 10 hours, 19 minutes and 2 seconds, and Mountain Freedom logged a time of 10 hours, 20 minutes and 26 seconds.

To round out finishes with existing divisions, Bobby Kuepper won the single speed solo division with four laps in 9 hours, 39 minutes and 2 seconds. His only competition was Teddy Gutshall, two laps in 7 hours, 39 minutes and 31 seconds. This category was quite prominent in the 2017 race, but a more prominent national event in the same timeframe may have drawn away potential entrants.

The best result of entry fees and group/business support is help to the San Luis Valley Composite Mountain Bike Racing Team. The composite team has brought high school students into the sport and more recently, middle school age competitors.

Rattlers Coach Brian Stevenson announced during the race that five team members will compete in the Colorado State Championship October 20-21 in Durango. Funds provided from the 2017 12 Hours of Penitence  aided in the $3,600 purchase of an equipment trailer for the Composite Rattlers. Other funds have enabled the team to supply competition bicycles to youth who are not in a position to buy themselves. Coach of the Adams State bicycling team Jerry Duran told attendees that he feels that introduction of youngsters to mountain bicycling competition will be very positive for the University in the future.

In terms of variety, attendance to the race and participation was not hurt by two musical groups playing after 2 PM until closing after 9 PM. Blue Skies, from Alamosa started entertainment, while Maggie Rains and The Crooked Keys, played up to and after the evening Awards Ceremony.