|
Hendershot Third at 24 Hour National Championship
Déjà vu. The old school podium at the USACycling National Championship 24 Hour Solo race was a repeat of last year. Mark Hendershot (Santa Cruz Syndicate) finished third to defending stars and stripes winner Chris Eatough (Trek/VW). Nat Ross (Subaru/Gary Fisher) took second. Hendershot and Ross put up 271 miles in 19 laps. Eatough knocked off 20 laps for 285 miles. Women’s champ Pua Sawicki (Team MATA) finished an amazing 4th overall in the 50 racer solo championship field.
This was the second year the national championships were held in conjunction with the 24 Hours of 9 Mile race, near Wausau, WI. The 14 mile course was flat and fast, but racers were challenged by more than 7 miles of twisty single track. A pre-race storm firmed up the sandy soil, leaving the course in perfect condition. “The track was in great shape.” commented Hendershot, “That was really appreciated because it sure is a long one. My lap times were just under an hour at the start.”
As is his style, Hendershot rode his own pace from the gun. With steady laps Mark climbed from fifth to third as other racers slowed in the afternoon heat. “It’s a long race. My goal is always to ride within myself early on. Heck, at my age I have to pace myself.” The 43 year old racer’s strategy paid off with fast, consistent night laps and a good run to the finish Sunday morning. “I knew I couldn’t catch Chris and Nat. I just wanted to keep a good lead over the rest of the field.”
“Once again, the bikes were flawless for the entire race. A minor derailleur adjustment was all that my mechanic, Steve Hollingsworth, had to do. SRAM rocks! A lot of guys rode hard tails since the course was so flat, but the Blur is just as efficient. And I finished 24 hours without a back ache. I didn’t see any of those hard tail boys standing up straight on Sunday. Lupine’s Wilma LED light made the night so much easier. Visibility with the Wilma light was as good as with the best HID, but I rode the whole night on one small battery.”
Hendershot was fueled by Hammer Nutrition HEED and Endurolytes. “Plain HEED is great race fuel. I took in 300 calories per hour and kept my electrolytes replenished. Roberta cooked up plenty of goodies too. Pierogis with a slice of avocado on top were a lot of fun. The sun got pretty hot in the afternoon, but my magical ice socks cooled me down. My crew fills a tube sock with ice and I wrap it around my neck. The melting ice really helps keep my body temperature under control. Man, I couldn’t wait to finish a lap to pick up another ice sock.”
Always on the lookout for wildlife, and other strange happenings, Hendershot was not disappointed at this race. “A bat flew right into my chest. It was probably a vampire bat with lousy radar, couldn’t find my neck.”
As always, Mark greatly appreciates the support of his sponsors:
Santa Cruz Bicycles
SRAM, RockShox, Truvativ, Avid, DT Swiss, Kenda, Crank Brothers, Chris King, WTB, Clif, Troy Lee Designs, Lake Shoes, Zeal Optics, Sock Guy, Hammer Nutrition, BURN Energy Drink, Giro, Lupine Lighting Systems, Hydrapak |
