PEDALFEST

Deer Valley hosts event with something for everyone

The 1999 Park City PedalFest provided a wide variety of events and activities for cyclist of all ages and abilities. The day began with a 25-, 50- and 75-mile road ride to benefit the American Lung Association. Following on the heels of the skinny wheelers was the beginner race component of the Intermountain Cup's Spin Cycle PedalFest Mountain Bike Race.

Adam Hitesman of Tooele cleaned the 5-mile Deer Valley course in 44:11 to beat Com-munity Olympic Development Team rider Tyler Turkington by three minutes. Jesse Hawlish, Clayton Karz, and Dustin Wynne, also of the CODP team, turned in commanding finishes in the Beginner Men's 13-15 yr. old category, giving the Park City-based team four top 10 finishes.

Greg Ragland of Park City racing in his first ever competition beat Patrick Beckwith of Las Vegas, NV. by a narrow margin of 30 seconds in the Beginner Men 40 + race. Brent Turkington, father of CODP rider Tyler, took home the third place ribbon.

The second heat of the Spin Cycle PedalFest race began just as the sun was climbing high in the sky. Sport, Elite and Pro riders took over the west lane of Deer Valley Drive as the 200+ racers sped from City Park to Deer Valley Resort for a grueling 1000 feet of vertical climbing per 5-mile lap.

Setting an amazing pace for the Pro/Elite Men was Bart Gillespie of team Sobe/Head Shock, narrowly beating his brother/teammate/training partner Bryan Gillespie by only a minute. Jarom Zenger, riding for City Search pulled off a close third place over the four laps, 24 miles and over 4,000 feet of climbing.

In the Women's race, Mindy Gillespie of Sobe/HeadShock took home the second win of the day for the Gillespie household by beating fellow Pro/Expert Sally Warner by one and a half minutes. Park City rider, Roxanne Toly, secured a third place birth over the women's 15-mile course.

Stewart Goodwin of Pleasant Grove, UT, riding for team XL-1 beat teammate, Brian Tolbert by a little over three minutes in the Expert Men's 16 - 18 category. Other XL-1 riders beating the heat and vertical challenges of the day were Todd Henneman, who placed first in the Expert Men 30 -39, Ian Harvey, third place and Jason Travis fourth place in the same category. Tom Noaker of Oakley, took home a first place prize in the Men's 40+ race, and Park City resident, 16 year old Paul Clark rode hard to a first place finish among his Sport category peers.

Other riders making podium appearances were Ken Chord, first in the Sport Men 30 - 39 and Linda Karz first in the Women 30+ race. Other Community Olympic Development team members, that had a good day despite the heat included Dylan Johns and Tyler Toly who placed second and third in the Sport 13 - 15 age group.

As the racers completed their cross-country ride, a party was beginning in City Park, compete with music from the Zach Parrish Blues Band. Nacho Mamas Restaurant served up a lunch fit for a hungry cyclist. A product expo offered participants a chance to demo new bikes from such lines as Klein, Rocky Mountain Bikes, Trek and Cannondale. Several brave souls opted to continue their thrill of competition with a flight down the Chainless Downhill course.

Speed demon Greg Smith of Moab, UT won a Festina Watch compliments of Tommy Knockers Jewelry for turning in the fastest men's downhill time. Smith covered the eight-mile course in 6:30 to beat Community Olympic Development Team Coach, Sean McLaughlin by only 11/100 of a second. Bart Bachura of Salt Lake City came in a close third with a time of 6:45. Speed must run in the family as Amber Bachura, wife of Bart, went home with the Women's Festina Watch and in a time of 10:21.

For the ample of gray matter, and comfortable at recreational speeds, a tricycle criterium race was held around Miner's Hospital. Several young participants beat out the adults as riders of all shapes and sizes participated in this campy competition complete with thrills and spills. The Norwegian Outdoor Exploration Center offered the kids a chance to test their balance and coordination while on a bike during the youth rodeo. Lassoing cones and pulling a raft were a few of the outlandish events won by the Baker Brothers gang of Blaine and Reid.

As the sun slowly melted to the west, an awards ceremony was held to honor the participants of all of the activities of the day. Organizers marveled at what a perfect day the Mountain Trails Foundation had for their 7th Annual Fund Raiser. The foundation was grateful for the support of their sponsors: Fidelity Investments, United Park City Mines, City Search, Zions Bank, Orthopedic Specialty Hospital, the Park City Chamber/Bureau; and to the University of Utah, DCE Graphics, the volunteers and participants.

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