Davos done, riders hit the Berry Creek Bash

EDWARDS — Officially, Wednesday’s mountain-bike race was the Berry Creek Bash.

It also could have been called the “Thank God We Didn’t Have To Do Davos Again” race.

“This is a million more times fun than that,” said East Vail’s Dana Walenta.

“I did not race the Davos Dash because I had to work,” Ayse Manguoglu said. “It’s the only race I’ve missed. I was not sorry at all. I don’t like climbing that much.”

Team racing

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The Berry Creek Bash was the fourth of seven in the Westin Athletic Club Vail Town Race Series presented by East-West Destination Hospitality. It’s off to the Cap Hale Hup in two weeks.

And as racers reached the rough halfway mark of the season, the team race is coming into focus. Pedal Power leads the pack with Dusty Boot/Mountain Pedaler in second, followed by the Vail Valley Medical Center.

“It was good out there,” the Vail Valley Medical Center’s Manguoglu said. “We had a lot of girls show up in the expert women’s category today and a lot of people from the Vail Valley Medical Center showed up today. We’ve got some great riders out there. Everyone’s pulling their weight.”

She added that Vail Valley Medical Center team might have a shot of moving into second as the series progresses.

Strategies and bikes

Some take the series very seriously, as if it were the Tour de France. Others, well, not so much.

“I like just coming out,” men’s sport racer Weston Bierma said. “It’s more the social aspects.”

Some train for these Wednesdays. And then there’s John Lettice.

“It’s funny,” he said. “A lot of people ask me how I train. I don’t train. I just ride my bike. I’m either suffering or I keep on going.”

The race is also an opportunity for some to try new rides.

“I actually demo-ed a bike today and it was a 29er,” Manguoglu said. “Getting to go downhill that fast was cool.”

In the pro division, Tamara Donelson and Josiah Middaugh took top honors. On the men’s side, the series also welcomed back Jake Wells, back in action in the series after a major crash.

Sports Editor Chris Freud can be reached at 970-748-2934 and cfreud@vaildaily.com. @cfreud.