Mile 40 at the 2014 Lost and Found gravel race. © Cyclocross Magazine
Breaking Up the Pack
Up at the front, Kessler was already pushing the pace to force a selection, and managed to avoid all the crashes. “I’m pretty bad at being patient,” Kessler told Cyclocross Magazine. “I put in a pretty big attack at the beginning. I kinda sacrificed myself a little bit and made people work to catch up, and that worked out pretty well.”
His two course recon companions followed his aggressive move, and Prenzlow, staying true to his plan of staying with McGovern, joined the trio, and the final selection for the pro men was made.
The race featured aid stations every 20 miles, but the quartet had a gentleman’s agreement to skip the first two stations and continue to build their gap over the other racers. The four would experience smooth sailing through mile 60, but the roads and pace would get more severe.
Just one of the offerings at mile 58’s aid station, but the leading four didn’t take part. 2014 Lost and Found gravel race. © Cyclocross Magazine
Prenzlow, racing carbon wheels dressed with Challenge cyclocross tubulars at 40 psi (Chicane front, Grifo XN rear, without a spare), was nervous about flatting on the rougher roads and downhills. Under Kessler’s relentless pressure, he fell back on the major descent as he rode conservatively in attempt to avoid a puncture miles from any aid station or support.
Kessler kept turning the screws, and his companions started to suffer. Soon, he was off on a solo effort and on his own on the biggest climb of the day, a ten-mile, 3000 foot slog of a climb at mile 74.
On the climb, McGovern flatted, and soon after, Burt, according to Prenzlow, started talking jokingly about finding a sag wagon. Meanwhile Prenzlow, after nursing his tubulars down the rocky roads, found his second wind, and motored past a flat-fixing McGovern and a spent Burt. Prenzlow’s best hope was to hold off the two for second place, and expected them to catch up.
Prenzlow hit the top of the climb and got “pretty motivated.” “It was 16 miles to go,” he told Cyclocross Magazine, “I was hammering it in, and then a motorcycle told me I had one minute, and I didn’t believe it.”
100 mile participants were on the bike from 5.5 to 10+ hours. 2014 Lost and Found gravel race. © Cyclocross Magazine
But up ahead, Kessler still had something left in the tank, and would open up his winning margin to over two minutes by the end, finishing the 100 miles in 5:31:16 to start his gravel career with a big win.
“That was just about the hardest day I think I’ve had on a bike I’ve had in quite a while,” Kessler told Cyclocross Magazine after his solo finish. But it wasn’t the end of his racing for the weekend, as he’d line up the next day for the Downtown Auburn criterium to try to defend his last year’s win (He would finish third, behind Joshua Carling and fellow Lost and Found participant Tobin Ortenblad). “I’m starting to get into some stage racing, so I guess it’s good practice for Cascade.”
Come fall, Kessler plans to race cyclocross for the Ghetto CX team, a new focus for the versatile racer.
Left to right: Prenzlow, Kessler, Burt – 2014 Lost and Found gravel race. © Cyclocross Magazine
On the women’s side, the pro women had just two finishers, with Masters Marathon XC Mountain Bike National Champion Julie Young powering away in impressive fashion from Caro Gomez Villafane, finishing the 100-mile race in 6:36:45.
Just two pro women finishers despite more starters at the 2014 Lost and Found gravel race. © Cyclocross Magazine
Stay tuned for bike profiles from the 100-mile contenders.
Notes: the top four men raced on carbon cyclocross bikes, and all but third place used cantilever brakes. Kessler used a WTB Nano 40c front tire, but a 32c Cross Wolf rear tire due to his Ridley X-Fire frame’s limited rear clearance. Prenzlow, riding a Focus Mares frame, raced his 33mm Challenge tubulars without flatting to second place. Tara Stone of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship is excited about the success of the initial event and is already planning for 2015 and hopes for a similar event date.
See our photo gallery from the 2014 Lost and Found gravel race below, as well as our video interview with winner Jared Kessler. Full results at the bottom of this post.
2014 Lost and Found Bike Ride Photo Gallery
Pro Men Winner Jared Kessler Interview Video
2014 Lost and Found gravel race results
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