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The 5th Balltown Classic – held May 31 in DeWitt, IA – provided at least one first that
everyone could appreciate – NO RAIN! This 200 mile race has been rained on since
the first running in 2004, but not this time!
It was cool but clear at 5 AM when
a field of 28 riders gathered in the parking lot of the Super 8, just off highway
61 in DeWitt. The group headed east out of town before turning north to rejoin the
traditional Balltown route through Welton and Lost Nation before getting to
Baldwin, Iowa
– where hills begin to become a factor.
The Balltown Classic is a fairly tough race that
consists of over 11,000 feet of elevation gain over 200 miles – not what you would
expect in
Iowa
. Although there are no long ascents that go on for miles
like you find in the mountains, the repetitious
steep climbs – many of which are
over 15% - fast descents and rough, winding roads that have not recovered from a
long winter make this event a challenge for everyone. But the ride is in many ways its own reward; there is nothing like the view from the Balltown ridge. After struggling
through the first hundred, the panorama is absolutely breathtaking!
The Classic
is a UMCA Ultra Cup event and there are always a number of serious racers who are
joined by UMCA point riders and local cyclists out looking for adventure. The field
Saturday consisted of 28 riders – not a big group perhaps, but this is a 200 mile
race in May!
For the first 50 miles the leaders – facing an increasingly stiff wind – stayed in a tight
group, including QC couple Mike and Paula Winters on a Cannondale tandem. They came
from
Iowa
,
Illinois
,
Indiana
,
Michigan
,
Wisconsin
and
Missouri
. After the first 65 mile check point the leaders started
dropping a few and the hills became steeper and more frequent. At the 100 mile mark,
most
took
a few minutes to recuperate, but Big Dogs Bill Ford and
Larry Ide made it a short stop and rocketed down the huge hill out of Balltown,
grabbing a few minutes lead on
the rest of the pack. These two hammered on together over the biggest climbs of the day and reached the 150 mile checkpoint at the same
time. Shortly after that, Bill dropped Larry and turned east for a 12 mile tailwind
run before arriving back in DeWitt in 10 hours and 11 minutes. Nearly 20 MPH for
the 200 miles, but not quite fast enough to break the record set in 2004 by Jim
Amelung.
Randy Love, of
Nashville, IL
was a woman with a mission! She
rode nearly nonstop on
a lime green Kestrel dead set on breaking Merry Vander Linden’s 2007 time of 14
hours and 51 minutes. And break it she did! Despite a flat and going off course,
Randy finished in less than 14 hours.
The 100
mile riders included another first for Balltown – mixed tandem
Team Winters was
the first tandem to attempt the ride and the first to complete the Balltown 100.
Maybe they’ll have some competition next year? As they noted as they
waited to be shuffled back – they had the record for their class before they started!
And Randy Johnson – Yorkville commandeered a Breschetta recumbent to be the first
recumbent to finish the 100. Of course, in 2007 Dennis Grelk finished the double
in a streamliner – but lets face it, that was Dennis Grelk and his Yellow Submarine!
Congratulations to all the finishers of the Balltown
Classic and Balltown 100 in 2008! And See you all in
Metamora, Illinois
for the MM4X50!
There are a few pictures that I snapped on the Big Dogs Photo Site:
Click Here
100 mile riders – Note that I finally listed yuor times!
|
Balltown Classic Results
|
|
Age Group
|
Rider
|
Time
|
From
|
|
Women
|
|
|
|
|
50-59
|
|
|
|
|
|
Randy
Love
|
13:11
|
Nashville, IL
|
|
Men
|
|
|
|
|
25-49
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bill
Ford
|
10:11
|
Illinois City, IL
|
|
|
Larry
Ide
|
10:20
|
Monmouth, IL
|
|
|
John
Buffington
|
10:37
|
Michigan
|
|
|
Joe Mann
|
10:38
|
Muscatine, IA
|
|
|
Paul
Carpenter
|
11:20
|
Batavia, IL
|
|
|
Jay Yost
|
11:35
|
Mahomet, IL
|
|
|
John
Hunte
|
13:20
|
Hiawatha, IA
|
|
50-59
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dru Dixon
|
11:12
|
West Plains, MO
|
|
|
David
Thompson
|
12:41
|
Moline, IL
|
|
|
David
Meridith
|
12:47
|
Downers Grove, IL
|
|
|
Joe Camp
|
13:23
|
Eureka
, IL
|
|
|
Greg
Zaborac
|
13:23
|
Canton, IL
|
|
|
Gene Terhorst |
14:00 |
|
|
60-69
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wendell
Hyink
|
13:20
|
Niles, IL
|
|
|
Tom McCarthy
|
13:57
|
Davenport, IA
|
|
|
John
Thier
|
13:57
|
Park View, IA
|
|
Balltown 100 Results
|
|
Women
|
|
25-49
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mary
Kundel
|
7:26
|
Davenport, IA
|
|
Men
|
|
<
25
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ryan
Bruxvoort
|
|