Justin Thompson Places SECOND in
SENIOR EXPERT!

Race: Racing Avalon 3
Location: Patapsco Park, MD
Date: 5/30/99

Written By: Justin Thompson

     Instead of driving all the way into the Catskills to do the AMBC up in NY Ryan DeWalt and Justin Thompson decided to race a little closer to home. It was a very hot and humid day at Patapsco Park in MD with temperatures in the low 90's. Being well hydrated was crucial on this day as it was one of the first very hot races of the year. The course was about 8 miles and Experts did 3 laps. Almost all of the 8 miles were singletrack with lots of creek crossings and tons of logs. There were a couple little rocky sections but for the most part the trails were hard and very fast. The course was fairly rolling but some of the hills hurt by the 3rd lap.
      For better competition and harder training Justin Thompson decided to race in the Senior Expert division for the second time this year. The race started in an open field with a Le Mans style start. After running to our bikes we went on a paved road for a little bit and then hit a tough water bar filled climb. TREK riders Ryan DeWalt and Justin Thompson along another racer slowly put distance on the field. After a couple of miles Ryan got out of sight and Justin continued to battle it out with the other Expert racer. By the end of the first lap DeWalt was in first and Thompson was in second.
      By the end of the race not much had changed and TREK riders took places 1 and 2 in the Senior Expert race. Justin Thompson finished 1min and 29sec behind the winner Ryan DeWalt.

Fairhill, Md - The first of a series of beginner rides was held on April 18 at 9:00-11:00 am in Fairhill Md just outside of Newark, DE. There were a good number of beginner riders that showed up for this event and the weather was great.
          The Appleton Rd. parking lot (turn right off of 273 coming from Newark, drive approx. one mile and look for parking lot on left) is where the ride started. Fairhill is a good place to ride especially for beginners as it has fairly level ground but also more challenging terrain as you advance in skill.
     The riders split into two groups. One group went at a comfortable pace (around seven to eight miles per hour) stopping occasionally for rest. The other group went a bit slower but still ended up with a good workout.
          Jon Kane chose the "Little Egypt" trail for this ride. It is not too difficult but definitely requires some skills to complete the loop. At seven miles per hour it takes about 30-40 minutes to ride. Facing down the hill from the parking lot go left on the fire road. Stay left and look for a trail to the left in about 200 yards. It will take you under Appleton Rd. then bear left and go through the field and into the woods where the winding single track starts. Pay attention to which way you go as it's easy to get lost if you don't know your way.
  The trail winds in and out of the woods and along the edge of some fields making a counterclockwise loop (in this direction) eventually crossing back over Appleton Rd. There are some steep short hills, a 10-12 ft. dip, a large log that has smaller logs on each side so you can ride over it (and a path around it if you are not yet ready for that). Watch the ruts in the fire roads as they can catch you off guard. Also the

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