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

350 around the world

Downeast 'Cross

Last Saturday and Sunday, Curtis and I raced in maine for the 7th and 8th rounds of the Verge series. The conditions were extremely muddy both days. It was freezing and rainy on Saturday. It was nice and warm on Sunday, but muddy because they just ran the previous day's course backwards. I started out well on saturday and got the hole shot with Curtis right behind. I had too big of a gear for the extremely thick mud, so I went right back to 7th place. My legs just didn't work. (This was also due to poor race preparation on my part...) Curtis was with the leaders for most of the race and finished fifth. A few of the top finishers were mountain bikers, so they had an advantage in the woods section. On sunday, I used my dad's bike because it had a 39T little ring, which was needed for the mud. Again, Curtis was second off of the start and I led. Curtis and I changed bikes every half lap, which was extremely helpful. Curtis was with the third place rider for the majority of the race. I caught up to him in the long woods section. We were going to try to catch second and third place but his gears were shifting all over the place on a climb, forcing him to run. Curtis and I both held our spots for the next two laps to finish in 4th and 5th place. I learned a good lesson on saturday. A successful weekend overall for the New England Clif squad!

Kentucky USGP #2

Last weekend was our 2nd USGP race in Kentucky. We looked at the course on friday to check out the course. It was muddyish and in some spots it was dry. The next morning me and my bro pre rode the course and looked at it. Then we went to warming up on the road. When it became to the staging i got nervous. When we started i was going second into the first turn which was a great position. After 1 lap the field was split up already it was Chris Wallace, Robin(my brother) and me. After another two laps robin dropped back and it was only Chris and Me. Two laps to go then I put the hammer down through a really hard muddy section were i dropped Chris then. From that point on i was pushing as hard as i can to get me a win and get me closer overall to the leaders jersey. In the last lap i had a nice gap to second. I crossed the finish line in first and behind me Chris was fighting with Cody Kaiser the series leader and cody ended up second then becasue i just had a greater momentum going in the last mud section of the course.

So the results were 1st me, 2nd Cody Kaiser, 3 Chris Wallace, 4th Jeffery Bahnson and 5th Robin Eckmann

The next day they switched the course a little. It was robin who got the whole shot and was out front for 2 laps with a 5-10 second gap to the main group. After the two laps i attacked and went out front. I was leading the last 3 laps of the race and then in the last 200-300 meters of the race Cody Kaiser came from the back passing me and i tried to stay on him but at the last muddy section i took the wrong line that i thought was better but unfortunately it was the slower line so i didn't get on the road right behind him for the sprint so he got another win. I still finished in a strong second place.

third place was Chris Wallace

fourth Robin Eckmann

fifth Jeffery Bahnson

After the race my dad told me that if you don't look at the course carefully enough that this could cost you the whole race unfortunately that happened to me.

Yannick

350.org International Day of Climate Action

Check out the slideshow over at 350.org!

On 24 October, people in 181 countries came together for the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history. At over 5200 events around the world, people gathered to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis.

Weekend Wrap-Up, 10/24-25

The CLIF BAR squad was racing this past weekend in Kentucky, Maine, and Colorado...

At the Crank Brothers US Gran Prix Series in Louisville, KY, great results were achieved by Robin and Yannick Eckmann in the Junior 17-18 races, and Brady Kappius and Troy Wells in the Elite race.

Saturday: Yannick 1st, Robin 5th / Troy 16th, Brady 17th
Sunday: Yannick 2nd, Robin 4th / Troy 15th, Brady 18th

The East Coast crew was dealing with rain, cold, and mud in Maine at the Verge New England Championship Series.

Saturday: Curtis White 5th, Nate Morse 7th
Sunday: Nate Morse 4th, Curtis White 5th

Out in Colorado it was a muddy and snowy weekend, with races in Castle Rock and at the Boulder Reservoir.

Saturday: Conor Mullervy 4th, Kevin Mullervy 12th
Sunday: Colin Cares 16th, Mitch Hoke 26th

Connecting with the pavement

This past Friday Kevin and I made our trip over to the front range for some cross racing. Saturday was the Castle Cross race in Castle Rock. We had some nice weather and a muddy course. Since it had snowed a couple days before this the course was covered in mud making for a fun race. Pre-riding the course was interesting, considering some of the course was difficult to ride with all the mud. Though by the time our race started some places firmed up and made for some quicker sections, but was still muddy.

I had a good start this time, sitting in about 8th or so before we got to the first corner. I sat in for the first lap as Summerhill and Baker made there gap off the front. Starting the second lap I started moving up to try and close that gap as much as possible. I made my way up to 3rd after the second lap with Baker and Summerhill about 30sec. up and 4th about 20sec behind me. Though as I came into the finish I went wide to make the 180degree turn off the pavement. Though doing this I went threw some water greasing up the mud on my tires making it so I slid out on the corner hitting the pavement real hard. I laid there for a couple of seconds before I got back on. And by this time 4th place closed that gap on me.

This fall took a lot out of me, including a good portion of skin. I kept on going trying to stick with 3rd but by this time I was hurting a lot due to the fall. I managed to stick it out for 4th which is my best result this year. Kevin had some bad luck with a flat on the start, though he clawed his way back to 12th. Not bad considering he almost lost 2min by the time he got to the pit to get his new bike.


We heading over to the race today at Boulder Res. I decided I wasn't racing cause I am still real sore from the fall and I have a bad chest cold now. Kevin pre-road the course which was about 90% sand and most of it seemed to be un-rideable. So we decided it was best to head back to Junction cause the mountains are suppose to get a lot of snow.

Next weekend is a set of UCI races in Boulder that Im really looking forward to. I just hope I get over this cold and the passes are clear to head over.

Old school log-hopping

Nate Morse in the freezing rain at the Wrentham Cross.

Brodie's first 'cross race

I guess he found it boring!