Team Vesrah Brakes - With Great Suffering Comes Great Reward
9 Mile County Forest, located in Wisconsin just West of Wausau played host to the Midwest’s largest 24 hour mountain bike race. The coarse was a mixture of tight twisty bumpy single track to fast rolling fire roads. This combination tested the riders bike handling skills and also forced every bit of effort from their energy stores.
Team Vesrah Brakes Ken Melville started the race and put Vesrah in second place after the first lap setting the stage and the possibility for a win. Mike Kelsall went out next and sprinted his first lap to put Vesrah in first place by four minutes. Mark McCrimmon put in a fast lap to hold Vesrahs lead. Mike Laney rode the fourth lap for Vesrah and was able to gain six minutes extending Vesrahs lead to seven minutes. The consensus in the Vesrah camp was that it would be a long hard race at that pace. Still light out and very hot at this time Ken Melville was next to ride. Ken with another fast lap though feeling the affects of the temperature held Vesrahs lead. Mike Kelsall went out next and added six minutes to Vesrahs lead extending it to a ten minute lead over second place. Mark McCrimmon was able to extend the lead a minute on his next lap out putting the lead to eleven minutes. Riding hard Mike Laney added four minutes to the lead putting the lead to fifteen minutes. At this point nine hours was in the books and still fifteen to go in the race. With a lead of just fifteen minutes Vesrah was heading into the night looking to extend their lead. In the next eight laps each rider taking two night stints Vesrah put the lead to thirty-five minutes. Now with just five hours left of racing Team Vesrah Brakes knew they could not relax the pace. The next five hours was crucial to the outcome of the race. Riding conservatively to avoid some kind of mechanical mishap could cost the race. So Vesrah put their heads down and went back to work, now in the light of day. In the next five hours Vesrah not only held the lead but extended it to over forty minutes finishing a full lap ahead of second place.
9 Mile County Forest, located in Wisconsin just West of Wausau played host to the Midwest’s largest 24 hour mountain bike race. The coarse was a mixture of tight twisty bumpy single track to fast rolling fire roads. This combination tested the riders bike handling skills and also forced every bit of effort from their energy stores.
Team Vesrah Brakes Ken Melville started the race and put Vesrah in second place after the first lap setting the stage and the possibility for a win. Mike Kelsall went out next and sprinted his first lap to put Vesrah in first place by four minutes. Mark McCrimmon put in a fast lap to hold Vesrahs lead. Mike Laney rode the fourth lap for Vesrah and was able to gain six minutes extending Vesrahs lead to seven minutes. The consensus in the Vesrah camp was that it would be a long hard race at that pace. Still light out and very hot at this time Ken Melville was next to ride. Ken with another fast lap though feeling the affects of the temperature held Vesrahs lead. Mike Kelsall went out next and added six minutes to Vesrahs lead extending it to a ten minute lead over second place. Mark McCrimmon was able to extend the lead a minute on his next lap out putting the lead to eleven minutes. Riding hard Mike Laney added four minutes to the lead putting the lead to fifteen minutes. At this point nine hours was in the books and still fifteen to go in the race. With a lead of just fifteen minutes Vesrah was heading into the night looking to extend their lead. In the next eight laps each rider taking two night stints Vesrah put the lead to thirty-five minutes. Now with just five hours left of racing Team Vesrah Brakes knew they could not relax the pace. The next five hours was crucial to the outcome of the race. Riding conservatively to avoid some kind of mechanical mishap could cost the race. So Vesrah put their heads down and went back to work, now in the light of day. In the next five hours Vesrah not only held the lead but extended it to over forty minutes finishing a full lap ahead of second place.
This win gives Team Vesrah Brakes their fourth win this year in four attempts. Three previous wins in the WEMS Series and now on a National Stage Vesrah shows their strength winning the 35+ category.
Team Vesrah Completed 21 laps in 24 hours 49 minutes logging 300 miles with an average speed of over 12 mph.
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