RACING
ROAD TRIP

Twelve podiums, 2,100 miles of driving, and three national championships later - the Yeti / Fox Factory and Devo teams have been charging non-stop for the past few weeks. When race schedules get hectic, Polar Bear and Mark throw it into high gear to zip racers from event to event and keep bikes dialed. And it showed.

USA CYCLING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - WINTER PARK, CO

No stranger to the lift-accessed downhill tracks at Trestle Bike Park, Richie Rude, Lauren Bingham, and Yeti Ambassador Mike West showed up ready to pick up where they left off from Big Mountain Enduro in Winter Park, two weeks prior. Instead, they were faced with 23 miles, 4,400 feet of climbing, only to sprint down 4,470 feet of descending, over eight stages that favored pedaling prowess over gravity-induced speed.

Contrary to what his stature may imply, Rude can pedal. Over much debate on which bike would be the weapon of choice, even contemplating an SB100 over an SB165, he settled on the SB150. Rude went on to dominate five out of eight stages and take his first Enduro National Championship by 41 seconds.

For those who don’t know, Bingham has been racing in the Pro Women’s category since she was 14 years old. Now at the ripe age of 16, Bingham battled her competition in the Women’s 15-18 category to win five stages and solidify her title by 16 seconds.

Nine years after staking his claim as the Super D National Champion, “Old Man West” threw down against his competitors, who like himself, have stepped onto dozens of podiums over the course of their illustrious careers. Rubbing is racing, and West elbowed out his competitors to take the top of the box by 15 seconds.

All three championships were aboard the SB150.

BIG MOUNTAIN ENDURO - TELLURIDE, CO

No rest for the weary, Rude and Bingham jetted straight to Telluride, arriving in the pre-dawn hours to head straight into Friday practice. Home to the 13th and 18th Annual Yeti Tribe Gatherings, Telluride presented a brand new set of tracks for racers to crisscross in and out of the bike park and iconic box canyon.

While Rude's streak from earlier in the week was deflated by a front flat on Stage 1, he edged his way onto the podium in third place. Redemption was found in the downhill race Saturday evening. Racing blind, Rude took the win. Devo rider Quinn Reece finished the enduro race just outside the Top 10 by a few seconds and placed third in the DH competition. After climbing an additional 3,000 feet for the day through a mid-day monsoon, Lauren Bingham solidly maintained 7th place. A crash in practice kept Carson Eiswald out of the running for Telluride, Big Sky, and the overall Big Mountain Enduro title. He returned home to the Northwest to rest up.

BIG MOUNTAIN ENDURO - BIG SKY, MT

Known for endless vistas, wide-open skies, and wildflowers galore, the underbelly of Big Sky’s reputation is checkered by rugged, steep tracks, and grizzly bears around tight switchbacks. With the Factory Race Team preparing for the upcoming rounds of the Enduro World Series, Devo riders Reece and Bingham held down the fort in a consecutive weekend of racing.

Over the course of two days, racers tackled six stages, 9,500 feet of descending and 3,000 feet of climbing, including the notorious “Revenge” - Big Sky's ruthless DH track. Reece landed his first Pro enduro podium in third place and Bingham placed 8th, taking the win for the most amount of racing in 11 days.

BIG MOUNTAIN ENDURO – ASPEN/SNOWMASS, CO

Two weeks later, the Yeti / Fox Devo team was back in action for two days of racing at the Big Mountain Enduro Finals. The usual evening thunderstorms held off for the weekend, making for a hot, dry and dusty race. After ten weeks of no racing due to injury, National team rider Jubal Davis was back in action and finished 4th for the weekend.

Bingham claimed her first Pro Women’s podium, finishing in 4th place in the enduro and claiming the top step in the women’s DH race. She finished the BME season in 5th place overall.

Reece had a hard time keeping it rubber side down in the dry and dusty conditions. Despite a 9th place finish in Aspen/Snowmass, Reece landed on the BME podium taking 4th in the BME series overall.

Richie and Shawn missed the final BME to get ready for next week’s EWS round in Northstar. Reece and Bingham will join the Yeti / FOX Factory team next week, racing U21 in their first EWS race. Bring it.