Valmont Bike Park Zero Waste

A few weekends ago fellow teammate David Kessler and I took part in heading up the Zero Waste program at the Valmont Cylo-Cross race. For those unfamiliar with this program, its main mission is to reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills. This is accomplished by placing different stations around a venue. There are 3 bins; Trash, Recyclables, and Biodegradable objects.

We set the stations up bright and early before any race started to maximize the amount of savings. People were using them wisely and helping to make this Earth a better place. By the end of the day, all the bags were pretty full except the trash. It amazes me how much is wasted day to day.

Here are some statistics from the event:

-851.76 pounds of materials through recycling and compost which was 77% of all the materials collected.

-We saved 35 gallons of gas in energy savings

-1,838 pounds of greenhouse gases eliminated

-Our event saved:

-3.6 pounds of air pollution

-1.7 pounds of water pollution

-1.6 pounds of toxic herbicides that threaten plants, wildlife,

humans and our food systems

-387 pounds of substances that threaten human health,

including carcinogens, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds

Imagine the savings on a global scale!

Blue Sky velo cup/ Boulder Cup

Last Weekend was the Blue Sky Velo Cup and the Boulder cup. I started in the junior 15-18 elite field that started 2 minutes behind the Cat.3 field. The first race was out near Longmont. It was a really muddy race. When we started my brother Robin got the whole shot and I was in 6th place. Then i started to move up when it went down the back side of the course. Before it went back up to the sand pit I took over the lead. I had pretty good tires on so I had a good grip and basically took of there from the other people. At the top of the hill then I caught the first cat.3 riders. I picked the cat.3 riders up one by one, sometimes in packs. Going into the 2 lap then I was only 26 seconds behind the leader of the 3's. I rode as fast as I could to catch the leader of the 3's. Before the barriers at the top I was on his back wheel and past him after the barriers then. After I passed him then I decided not to play around and slow down I kept a nice hard pace up. One lap to go then I just watched out that I wouldn't crash because I knew that I won. So I crossed the finish line in first place in the juniors field, but I also crossed the finish line in first in the cat.3 field. I don't get placed in the cat.3 field because I was starting in the junior 15-18 field. I think I also did so well because I changed my bikes like every lap so I got a new clean bike that runs fluently and smooth.

Yannick Eckmann David Kessler

Zack Gould Robin Eckman

Danny Hiller Yannick, Zane Godby

I want to give out a thank you to my awesome pit crew and all the people who came and cheered.

1st Yannick Eckmann

2nd Robin Eckmann

3rd Skyler Trujillo

4th David Kessler

5th Zack gould

The next day the race was at the Boulder Reservoir it was amazing that it wasn't muddy or anything. I raced again in the junior 17-18 filed that started 2 minutes behind the 3's again. My brother got the whole shot again and I was right behind him. I took over the lead after a U turn on the very far back side of the course, because my brother had a problem with his wheel. I got instantly a gap to all the riders in my field. I was happy that i was in first place that lap because there was a prime also in the first lap that who ever crosses the sand after the bike pit first from the field would get a prize. So I got that and also had passed some of the 3's riders. So i was chasing the 3's down once again. Both days my goal was to pass the leader of the 3's. That day I didn't catch the 3's leader so fast because the ground was dry so everybody went a bit faster and it was so difficult because there was no mud. At one point I saw a time by the finish that said how far back we were behind the leader of the 3's. The first time I looked after 2 laps was 1:40 min I knew that i had to put a lot more power in to catch the leader that day. The next lap then was 1:15 min, then 35 sec, then the next lap I saw him and it was only 15 sec left to him. I caught him 4 laps to go then. I passed him right away and I kept going just not full power anymore. I tried to have more fun then, like speeding through the sand like the elites. It felt good because all the people would like yell and all that and that made me feel like I was in the elite race. I finished in 1st place that day in the juniors and unofficially in the 3's again.

Zack, Zane, Danny, Yannick Robin Yannick

Yannick Eckmann Zane Godby enjoying the sand

David Kessler Robin Eckmann

Danny Hiller Zane Godby

Zack Gould Zane Godby, new way to get over the barriers

I want to give a thank you again for the people who were at the Boulder Reservoir cheering and watching and just for being there. It is just a great atmosphere when so many people come and watch the race. It makes me go even faster at some points.

Also a thanks to my pit crew again. Unfortunately I didn't have to change but you never knows what can happen.

1st Yannick Eckmann

2nd Robin Eckmann

3rd Skyler Trujillo

4th David Kessler

Yannick