June 27, 2004 - INTERVIEW
Name: Bill Ringler
City: Newark
State/Province: De
Country: USA
Age: 46
Place: 1st
Category: Beginner
Class or Age Group: 45-49 "Master 1"
Team: Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers
Race Bike: Trek Fuel 100
Tires: Panaracer 100
Conditions: hard / fast
Email: bringler@infosysinc.com
How was your fitness level going into this race?
I've been training for Triathlons, and just finished one last week. This
obviously helps the biking and running aspect of racing. Particularly during
the second lap when fatigue typically begins to set in.
Were you happy
with your position going into the singletrack?
I went into the singletrack in first place. Then within the first 2 miles
I passed a couple of slower riders from a previous group. This was helpful
to keep the other riders in my category, at arms length
Were you strong
from start to finish?
The course ran hard and fast. This lent itself to a fast race. I held a
10.7 mph pace on lap one then dropped to 10.2 mph for the entire race.
All in all, I felt strong the entire race.
When did you put the hammer
down?
I knew I was in the lead the entire race and with the many switchbacks the
course offered, I realized Cullen Wambaugh (2nd place finisher) was running
close enough to challenge late in the race. This got me hustling up the last
spectator dirt uphill in the woods strong, and then I pretty much sprinted
in to the finish approx. 1 mile away.
Did you have any
unusual problems?
Just an unexpected "ENDO" during my pre-race ride. I hit a root with my
pedal, it flipped me and woke me up for the remainder of the day.
Were
you happy with the way the race was run?
Yes, very organized, as expected. The entire Classic Trek Series has gone
off without a hitch. The web information at www.mountainbikeracer.com
has been amazing!
Did you have any interesting experiences during your race
(exchanges with competitors/spectators)?
I got a little spooked with the "right" and "left" turn arrows on the same
tree. It identified two different routes each racer could take... I
actually stopped to attempt to deceipher the arrows and then went right on
a guess. After riding 50 yards, I realized the trails came back together, then
ran the same route on my second time through.
Anything you would like
to add?
Great Job !