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Vail Recreation District mountain bike town series continues at Beaver Creek Bash

Sam Brown topped a deep field which included many of the area's best cyclists

Sam Brown cruises to victory at the Beaver Creek Bash on July 24 at Beaver Creek Resort.
Maddie Lindley/Courtesy photo

Over 150 riders turned out for the Beaver Creek Bash, the fifth of seven races in the Vail Recreation District’s mountain bike town series, on July 24. Sam Brown took the men’s pro overall win — his second victory this summer after claiming the Davos Dash title in June.

“I definitely think I am at the highest fitness I have ever been and the effort I was able to put in on Wednesday surprised me,” Brown said before adding that he’s been pleased with how his primary racing schedule has fit nicely with the mid-week town series. “Also there has been a pretty good field to race with, which always helps to make these races more fun.”

The Beaver Creek Bash men’s field was particularly deep, albeit a bit fatigued. Brown was fresh off a career-best 12th-place finish at the 120-mile FoCo Gravel race, which was just three days prior. Runner-up Josiah Middaugh and sixth-place finisher James Kirschner were both coming off of XTERRA Quebec, while Aiden Brown and Landen Stovall — who rounded out the podium in third — competed at USA Cycling Mountain Bike Nationals in Pennsylvania the previous weekend. Road specialist Mack Dorf, who now races for the University of Virginia and EMPYR Cycling, was also in the mix.



Even with all the local heavy hitters present, Brown said it was “the most chill start to any town series race” all year. The group stayed intact up the Lost Buck climb, with Middaugh setting the pace. Brown said the pro division dwindled to about seven by the top of Daybreak Road, where he had been planning to test the group.

“I put in a 10-second attack with only Josiah being able to follow,” Brown said. “I let him come to the front, sitting up a little letting (and) Landon and Mack Dorf come back on. I looked back at Landon and he did not seem to be about at his limit.”

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Brown executed another short burst. Once again, only Middaugh responded.

“As he came by me, he put in a little effort himself to give us a gap on everyone else,” Brown recalled. “I continued to test Josiah as we climbed with three more of the 10-second attacks. On the third attack, I was able to put in the biggest gap between Josiah and myself, so I kept it going.”

Brown was able to keep the effort constant throughout the remainder of the 16-mile race, which contained over 2,500 feet of climb. The 24-year-old stopped the clock in 1 hour, 6 minutes, 35 seconds. Middaugh finished in 1:08:45 and Stovall, who won the season-opening Eagle Ranch Classic and the Boneyard Brawl — both races in which Brown placed second — came through in 1:10:05. Dorf was 97 seconds back in fourth.

On the women’s side Haley Dumke — who won the Life Time Silver Rush 50 MTB just 10 days prior to the Beaver Creek Bash — took the win as the sole pro/open competitor, completing the course in an impressive 1:23:12.

As always age-group battles proved to be fierce and fun as well. Jason Rosener won the men’s vet sport (35-49) title in his first try at the event.

“Tougher than anticipated but a great track,” Rosener said. “It’s a race that incorporates a little bit of everything.”

Jason Rosener won the men’s vet sport category (35-49) at the Beaver Creek Blast town series mountain bike race on Wednesday.
Maddie Lindley/Courtesy photo

Rosener’s summer highlights have included winning his division at the Davos Dash and also taking the AC/DC crown.

“For me, I’m riding the best I have and it’s been a great season,” he said.

Tianna Hill, a senior financial accountant for EastWest Hospitality, was thrilled about her first win in a cross-country mountain bike race in seven years after topping the beginner women’s field.

“It feels good to push myself and to see improvements,” Hill said. “I am so thankful for the community that VRD has built with this series; it’s such a good time racing alongside friends who love the sport just as much as I do.” 

The race series heads south for the Camp Hale Cup on Aug. 14 before finishing up with the Vail Grind on Aug. 28.

Brown will miss the penultimate town series race as he competes in the Breck Epic.  

“I would love to have a stage win there and improve on my seventh-place overall finish that I got last year,” he said. For Rosener, summer training is pointing toward the Park City Point 2 Point on Labor Day weekend.

“I’ll be happy to finish this one in under eight hours,” he said of the 75-mile race with 12,000 feet of climb. The 49-year-old also hopes to win the overall age-group title in the Vail series.

“This is a great series,” he said. “Fun races, awards (after-party) and people — not to mention the competition against your buddies.”

Jennifer Razee rides in the Beaver Creek Bash on July 24 at Beaver Creek Resort.
Maddie Lindley/Courtesy photo

 


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