Jason Madsen wanted nothing to do with that in Saturday's 50-mile solo men's race, one of several events that make up the Fireweed 400, Alaska's largest cycling race.
That's why Madsen signed up for the solo event, basically a time trial where drafting is not allowed, instead of the 50 road race, where anything goes.
But Madsen, 41 and from Chugiak, not only easily won his race in 1 hour, 50 minutes, 57.69 seconds, he also finished 14 minutes ahead of the first 50-mile road racers -- even though Madsen's race started about 15 minutes later.
Let's put that in perspective: Madsen raced alone, often against a head wind, yet he caught and passed riders who could draft.
"It's just me," Madsen said, explaining why he prefers solo events. "And you don't end up with somebody who sits in the pack for the whole race and comes through at the end."
Madsen hoped to do the 100-mile race but didn't feel he had the training base. His work as a land surveyor keeps him out of town for long stretches.
Still, Madsen found time to compete in a time trial at the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championship on June 30 in Louisville, Ky., placing 16th in his age group.
More than 700 cyclists competed Saturday, the largest field in the six-year history of the Fireweed 400.
Early morning mist turned to patchy blue sky and sun, allowing riders glimpses of spectacular mountain panoramas from the Glenn Highway as it departs the upper Matanuska Valley.
The largest event was the 100-mile men's road race, with 52 riders.
It was also the closest: Matt Jordan, Seth Downs and Daniel Folmar all finished with identical times -- 4 hours, 14 minutes, 45.15 seconds -- but Jordan was declared the winner.
Members of the winning 400 relay team "Wheat and Chaff" came up with an efficient system to blaze the course to Valdez and back in 20 hours, 12 minutes, 50.22 seconds.
Twenty-somethings Mike Hinkley and Zach Melms (the "Wheat") and 50-somethings Dirk Sisson and Scott Hinckley (the "Chaff") each rode 15-20 minute intervals of about 5-7 miles. While one person rode, the other three sat in a Dodge pickup, either driving, rehydrating, or preparing to get back on the bike.
"It worked like clockwork," Sisson said. "It was actually really fun. It was sort of like passing the baton."
During their 20-hour adventure, there were a few mishaps. Sisson had to stop for a stubborn black bear that wouldn't yield the road. It finally ambled off when a truck drove past.
Mike Hinkley got a flat in the one section where the team's walkie talkies wouldn't work -- narrow Keystone Canyon outside of Valdez, near spectacular Bridal Veil Falls. The support vehicle was several miles ahead. He ditched his bike shoes and ran barefoot along the road until he could get reception.
"You can't run in bike shoes," Sisson said.
Fireweed 400
At Sheep Mountain Lodge
Saturday's results
400 solo -- 1) Ben Popp, 22:28:42.17; 2) Rocky Reifenstuhl, 24:46:27.02; 3) Brandon McNerlin, 24:56:22.38; 4) Chet Fehrmann, 26:01:24.19; 5) Lew Meyer, 29:12:28:75.
400 relay, 2-person --1) Todd Goodman, Steve Long, 23:42:17.22; 2) Manny Massony, Kim Kittredge, 25:01:59.22.
400 relay, 2-person mixed -- 1) Glen Cravez, Pam Cravez, 27:26:33.89.
400 relay, 4-person -- 1) Dirk Sisson, Mike Hinkley, Scott Hinkley, Zach Melms, 20:12:50.22; 2) Tim Kelly, Joe Fish, Miles Kelly, 22:02:28.15.
400 relay, 4-person mixed --1) Natalie Dawson, John St. Clair, Chad Carl, Greg Russel, 21:31:04.12.
50 tandem --1) David Predeger, Betty Predeger, 3:17:53.84; 2) Miles Hancock, Warren Hancock, 3:21:50.74.
Women
50 road race --1) Laurel Brady, 2:17:58.29; 2) Stacy Steinberg, 2:18:00.03; 3) Thomissa Cornellas, 2:40:23.40; 4) Olivia Karns, 2:44:08.86; 5) Lindy Kinn, 2:52:42.15; 6) Nancy Hanneman, 2:53:13.93; 7) Lisa Smedley, 2:55:27.26; 8) Catherine Egan, 3:00:09.99; 9) Gloria Hunter, 3:01:11.24; 10) Katherine Faryniarz, 3:23:22.16; 11) Karen Sue Forsyth, 3:33:26.68; 12) Chelsea Bennett, 3:45:38.23.
50 solo --1) Shannon Donley, 2:02:59.66; 2) Sheryl Mohwinkel-Fleming, 2:03:59.14; 3) Guadalupe Marroquin, 2:25: 15.29; 4) Rosalyn Singleton, 2:28:31.69; 5) Holly Spoth-Torres, 2:29:51.23; 6) Nina Volkova, 2:32:08.70; 7) Linda Lyons, 2:32:10.22; 8) Alisa Kincaid, 2:33:15.19; 9) Suzanne Dvorak, 2:34:03.25; 10) Pam Tittle, 2:35:58.72; 11) Janus Reyes, 2:36:38.55; 12) Lesley Yamauchi, 2:38:02.21; 13) Andra Love, 2:42:01.65; 14) Hanna Johnson, 2:42:19.66; 15) Rachel Duffy, 2:47:13.11.
50 fat tire -- 1) Elizabeth Butera, 3:03:16.32; 2) Mary Herman, 3:36:03.81; 3) Sue Gregg, 3:40:07.63; 4) Tamara Deschaine, 3:47:49.77; 5) Carol Reed, 3:49:06.43; 6) Emily Gregg, 3:54:34.48: 7) Tina Tomsen, 4:04:30.35; 8) Jo Karas, 4:11:02.96; 9) Tana Hart, 4:15:15:29; 10) Erma Martin, 4:18:38.74; 11) Kim Donchak, 5:00:32.62.
100 road race -- 1) Tiffanie Novakovich, 4:27:33.77; 2) Melissa DeVaughn, 4:37:54.57; 3) Flint Galen, 5:15:26.39; 4) Shelly Schwenn, 5:46:43.94; 5) Wendy Arnett, 6:35:43.83; 6) Erika Klinger, 7:41:56.97.
100 solo -- 1) Greta Anderson, 5:04:33.68; 2) Jenny Hoeger, 5:29:47.82; 3) Shan Forshee, 5:53:20.16; 4) Aase Haugen, 6:23:27.11; 5) Patty Moran, 6:34:48.64; 6) Jaime Bronga, 6:49:59.50; 7) Laura Pillifant, 6:54:16.98; 8) Katie Cartee, 6:59:44.25; 9) Jane Faulkner, 7:04:21.26; 10) Dawn Groth, 7:29:40.54; 11) Margot Bias, 7:32:02.56; 12) Mary Kemppel, 7:37:52.34; 13) Alane Ballweg, 7:40:04.22; 14) Lois Epstein, 8:06:53.44; 15) Lyn Lindboe, 10:27:03.29.
Men
50 road race -- 1) Kevin Donley, 2:04:58.59; 2) Logan Hanneman, 2:04:59.03; 3) Joey Austerman, 2:12:40.51; 4) Tim Gravel, 2:15:02.27; 5) Nicholas Ferree, 2:15:57.64; 6) Karl Hanneman, 2:17:55.04; 7) Matt Packham, 2:17:57.80; 8) Eric Morrison, 2:17:58.91; 9) Steve Morris, 2:17:59.22; 10) T.J. Morris, 2:37:02.00; 11) Choyu Brandon, 2:52:28.53; 12) Jairo Cedano, 2:52:40.42; 13) Leonard Steinberg, 3:09:50.47; 14) David Wilson, 3:31:44.59; 15) Samuel Dinges, 3:27:28.44; 16) Gerald Forsyth, 3:52:13.69.
50 solo -- 1) Jason Madsen, 1:50:57.69; 2) Sam Dougherty, 2:14:03.37; 3) Craig Gardner, 2:16:47.56; 4) Robert Wiggins, 2:18:30.60; 5) Joe Anders, 2:21:11.42; 6) Tim Murray, 2:24:09.00; 7) James Singleton, 2:24:20.45; 8) Doug Davis, 2:25:45.05; 9) Brian Sorbel, 2:30:03.83; 10) Chuck Gilbert, 2:31:13.13; 11) Ryan Holtan, 2:31:54.50; 12) Luke Simpson, 2:31:55.58; 13) Samuel Flora, 2:33:48.51; 14) Mark Wipfli, 2:37:10.34; 15) Daniel Reyes, 2:39:30.94.
50 fat tire -- 1) Chris Gregg, 2:51:37.03; 2) George Haugen, 2:58:32.24; 3) Paul Butera, 3:03:15.28; 4) Jeffrey Quickel, 3:07:34.84; 5) Tony Quickel, 3:09:07.86; 6) Jonnie Olson, 3:21:26.50; 7) Troy Afano, 3:36:59.99; 8) Louis Ulmer, 3:47:50.75; 9) Joe Quickel, 4:13:23.15.
100 road race -- 1) Matt Jordan, 4:14:45.15; 2) Seth Downs, 4:14:45.15; 3) Daniel Folmar, 4:14:45.15; 4) Brian Bonney, 4:15:26.09; 5) Tim Lamb, 4:15:50.26; 6) Reese Hanneman, 4:18:45.22; 7) David Norris, 4:18:45.50; 8) Tom Peichel, 4:18:45.79; 9) James Stull, 4:18:47.61; 10) Marc Lickingteller, 4:18:53.52; 11) Peter Morris, 4:18:55.74; 12) Max Treinen, 4:19:09.78; 13) Philip Hunter, 4:21:10.05; 14) Ed Sniffen, 4:23:17.56; 15) Bill Fleming, 4:27:31.49.
100 solo -- 1) Eric Breitenberger, 4:14:19.71; 2) Jason Potsander, 4:45:39.52; 3) David Hansen, 5:03:37.76; 4) Thomas Coolidge, 5:07:34.10; 5) Alan Mcarthur, 5:25:37.24; 6) Gordon Dorr, 5:33:39.08; 7) Dave McAnally, 5:35:43.99; 8) Martin Lindeke, 5:44:46.00; 9) Roy Baxter, 5:58:25.45; 10) Mark Hansen, 6:05:02.68; 11) Mark Stewart, 6:30:03.96; 12) Jeffrey Carter, 6:46:03.68; 13) Roland Weir, 6:57:10.26; 14) Jeff Ireland, 6:57:49.51; 15) Peter Houston, 6:59:54.38.
RESULTS: Find out how individual riders and teams fared.
HONORS
BANQUET, MOVIE: Awards will be handed out and this year's Fireweed 400 race movie will be screened at 5:30 p.m. today at Bear Tooth Theatrepub in Spenard.
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