MBAA Warm -Up Races

The Mountain Biking Association of Arizona is where it all began for me. The MBAA's six-race series holds races around AZ, from Phoenix to Flagstaff and in between. If you're six and want to race mountain bikes in AZ, the MBAA is the only choice, and they do a great job. As a child, I was able to hone my skills racing in the MBAA, so when I became old enough to race in the NICA and ACA leagues, I could hit the ground running. 

This will be the first year I don't do the entire MBAA race series because I will be racing nationally, which conflicts with the series. I'm also starting to chase USAC points, and the one negative as an older, more serious racer is that the MBAA is not sanctioned by USA Cycling, meaning you don't earn points. Perhaps that will change in the future. 

Since the national races don't kick off until late March, the first few MBAA races are perfect for returning to race mode after a few months away. This year, I did the McDowell Meltdown in Jan. and White Tank Whirlwind in Feb. I skipped Estrella also in Jan. because I didn't want to over race. Plus, Estrella is super rocky, not the best for a hardtail race bike, which I'm currently on. See my Aug 1st post. 

The McDowell Meltdown was on Jan. 7th. I was excited when I rolled up to the start line to find out there was a mass start. The Elite Men would be first, then the jrs. My group, the youngest, 15-16 Experts, was the furthest back, but we'd all go off on the same start gun.  

2023 McDowell Meltdown - River Valdez

I know McDowell well; like I mentioned, I've been racing there since I was six. By the end of the first lap, I had caught up with the top elites except for Gabe Harrelson, who had a good gap. I latched on to the second and third-place elite men. I led my category but wanted to beat the elite riders, too. Near the end of the final lap, I attacked the third-place rider and got around him. I was chasing second place, he add a gap I struggled to close, but kept fighting. As the course pitched downhill to the finish, the elite man I passed earlier came around me like a freight train. He is a big rider, and I couldn't stay with him. I finished fourth overall and won my age group. I was happy my form was good. The next race would be White Tanks.    

I arrived at White Tanks on Feb. 4th, feeling good about my fitness. Like the McDowell race, there was a mass start. And, like McDowell, I bridged to the elite men within the first Lap. I headed out for lap #2 with two elite racers that were in 2nd and 3rd place. The first-place racer, Tanner Thornton, had a large gap; I feared he was gone. While this race seemed similar to the McDowell Race, there was one big difference. A racer in my category was still with me, Zane Koogler. He wasn't at the first McDowell race but won the 2nd MBAA race in Estrella, which I missed. It was on!

Heading into lap two, Zane took control. The four-person group turned into three as one of the elite men was dropped. With Zane upfront, me and Adam Ptaszek, from Wait Endurance, followed. Tanner was still in first. 

Deep into the third and final lap, Zane was still leading our group; I was on his wheel, and Adam was on mine. When the single track opened up, Adam came up next to me and made a hand gesture; it meant, let's work together to drop Zane. I gave him a slight head nod. Adam went to the front, and I followed tightly behind to ensure Zane could not slide between. Zane was now behind us. Adam and I started trading short pulls. After a little bit, I couldn't hear Zane breathing behind us anymore. He was gone. 

2023 White Tanks - Zane with me on his wheel.

Once Zane was gone, Adam and I started racing each other. We were together until the final finishing straight. The tall elite rider laid down some massive power and sprinted by me to take second overall. I finished third and won my age group. 

The legs continue to feel good. My next challenge will be at the Specialized Cactus Cup in March, a three-day stage race. I'm looking forward to this event because several top-ranked jrs will compete. That should be a good barometer for where my form is heading into the national race series.