2010 Breckenridge 100 / B-68 Videos
Yuki Saito was on course shooting these videos, check them out!
- Breckenridge 100 recap
- B68 recap
2010 Breckenridge 100 Race Report:
As promised, the 6th Annual Breckenridge 100 tested the limits of endurance racers from all over the country pulling participants from New York, Oregon and all parts in between. On Saturday July 17th, soloists and 3 person teams competed on a grueling 100 mile, high altitude race course in Breckenridge, Colorado. The race started at 6am as the sun was just peaking over the mountain top. At 10am the B-68 and B-32 races began. In total it was a hot day in the saddle as over 270 riders competed in the 3 races.
Along the course there were 10 aid stations well stocked with Clif Bars, Hammer Gel, Sportlegs, Lara Bar, Honey Stinger Gel, water and Heed. And in case you needed a quick slather of sunscreen, All Terrain provided the goods. Many racers were glad to leave their pack behind with so much aid available. The Breckenridge 100 course consisted of 3 loops, each one ending in Carter Park providing a chance for spectators to keep up on the action as racers rolled through between loops. A nice crowd gathered to cheer, Breck Velo was on hand offering mechanical support and quick squirt of lube.
At the end of the day no one was surprised by Josh Tostado’s 6th win. The expected battle between Josh Tostado (Bach Builders) and Jeff Schalk fell victim to the fate of mountain bike racing as Schalk’s double flat on loop 1 took him out of contention for a 1st place finish. Despite having to race on foot for several miles he managed to fight his way back to a very respectable 3rd place. “Jeff and I were neck and neck, if he hadn’t flatted it would have been a battle, but that’s racing” reported Tostado. Many racers reported flats on the rough descent off of Wheeler pass.
Post race Tostado was calm and contemplative, “I feel like I’m going to lose every year. I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself, it comes from others, friends, non-racers. But I don’t win all the time.” “I’ve been expecting to lose” Josh said of the Breckenridge 100. “I’m fortunate and happy that I’ve been able to win a race 6 times, not a lot of people can say that. I’m blessed.” In just 8:23:47 Josh Tostado completed the grueling 100 mile course with 13,719 ft. of climbing, shaving 10 minutes off of last year’s time.
Despite the reputation as the toughest 100 in the country, even some first timers were up for the challenge including second place finisher Joey Thompson (Mountain Bike Specialists) from Durango, CO. This young man was the talk of the day, coming in just under 8 minutes behind Tostado. “I didn’t know what to expect”, confessed Thompson, “I’ve never done a 100 miler before. I didn’t know how to pace myself, I just tried to focus on eating and drinking. I tried to stay with the front guys but I never saw Josh again after the first climb. This is definitely his race.” Well done Joey, everyone will be watching next year.
Mark Thompson once again took the singlespeed win. “It was hard but I felt good. It was a good field for singlespeed”, with 17 tough contenders, “I felt like I had a target on my back since I won last year.” On loop 2 Mark hit the ground hard causing him to really suffer on the next climb but he pushed through and finished in an impressive 10th place overall. Finishing almost 45 minutes behind Mark Thompson was Michael Melleny (Landis/Red Rock) of Chandler, Arizona followed closely by Gerry Pflug (Salsa/Spk/Pro Bikes) the current NUE Series points holder for singlespeed.
Women’s Race
Jari Kirkland not only rocked the women’s race but the entire field finishing in just under 10 hours and placing 17th overall. This was her first time competing in the Breckenridge 100 and stated pre race that she was “really, really, really, really… excited to be here” as she considers Breckenridge to be her home. She started riding here and has always wanted to return for the race. Jari raved about the course, “I left everything out there. It lived lived up to every expectation. It was a perfect mix of everything, singletrack, technical singletrack, climbing… Wheeler pass was really high and the descent was really sketchy, super loose and rocky”, but she didn’t go down. Her greatest challenge came on the last climb. Even though it was only 100 yards she had to coach herself through, repeating “come on Jari, you can do this”.
Eszter Horanyi although disappointed in the day, stating “it was a rough day in the office”, was happy with the overall turnout taking second in the women’s 100. When asked what would have made the day better she repeated her request for “Cabana boys at the top of all the climbs”.
Cheryl Sorensen once again gave an amazing performance. She was all smiles post race and seemed happy with her third place finish. Equally as impressive was the showing by the women’s singlespeed winner Andrea Wilson, spending a long day in the mountains tackling climb after climb. She completed the 100 miler in just under 13 hours. All should agree that the hardest earned Chipotle burrito goes to Ms. Wilson.
The top 10 mens and top 5 womens podiums received a pay out. Top finishers in each category got to go home with a sweet custom mug filled with a little something from Polar Water Bottles, Chipotle, WTB and Kenda Tires. The Breckenridge 100 is an epic adventure that tests the endurance and fortitude of all participants. Keisuke Nishimoto couldn’t agree more. Nishimoto finished the 100 mile challenge in 12:50:06, after the race he stated that it was harder than any of the 3 ironman races he had completed.
For some the day’s work was over by 3pm but many racers filed across the finish line late into the evening. Each rider was treated to a buffet dinner and beer from Oskar Blues and Breckenridge Brewery. At the end of an epic day of riding, a full belly, a cold beer, and a smile that comes from competing in the toughest race around is all the reward that is truly needed.