Local race prepares cyclist for Armstrong challenge
By Tim Gallagher - tgallagher@siouxcityjournal.com
Posted: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 12:00 am
CLIMBING HILL, Iowa -- Cyclist Ian Gray used a race in Woodbury County on Sunday as a tune-up for a dash through the mountains of New Mexico in 2.5 weeks.
He'd better be ready. He's going up against Lance Armstrong. You may have heard of him.
You also may have heard of the Twin Bing Road Race, hosted Sunday by the Sioux City Velo organization. Some 115 cyclists from all over the Midwest converged on tiny Climbing Hill on Sunday morning to race either 68 miles or 44 miles.
Yes, on a bicycle.
Gray, 29, defeated Aaron Poole in the 68-mile tour for "A" racers. The two were separated by three or four seconds in a race that lasted just under three hours. Sioux Cityan Clark Priebe took third place.
"I figured I'd come out and use the race in Woodbury County as a tune-up," said Gray, a resident of Fort Collins, Colo. "I wanted to see how my legs are doing."
And? "They're doing fine," he said. "About a month ago I was in Singapore working for a few weeks. I used that time off the bike to get some rest. (Sunday) was the first test of the season."
He said he will now prepare for Tour of the Gila, a five-day stage race that runs April 28 through May 2 in the mountains of New Mexico. Poole will be there, as will Armstrong and many of the nation's top cyclists.
The event continues a quick ascent for Gray, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate who took up the sport just four years ago. Before then, he was a distance runner for the Cornhuskers' track and cross-country programs.
"This (cycling) started because I had a stress fracture in my femur as a junior in college and that hampered my running career," he said. "I bought a bike and basically went from rookie to pro in one year."
The native of Eugene, Ore., now rides a 16-pound Orbea bike that's worth about $5,000.
He can't remember for sure but figures he and Poole hit 40 mph with tail winds yesterday as they rode around the Climbing Hill and Bronson areas.
The winner and race organizer, Bill Feiges, both lauded crews with the Woodbury County Secondary Roads Department and the Woodbury County Sheriff's Department for having the course in great shape. It was hard to tell that some of those roads were home to 20-foot snow drifts a few weeks ago.
"The hills and roads we have are a hidden treasure," Feiges said.
"I can't say enough about how fun the course was," said Gray, an employee for Talent Plus, which does human resources consulting and strategic management consulting. "There were really some good, steep climbs. the traffic was really accommodating, which is a plus, because it can be scary out there."
The race in Climbing Hill, he concluded, follows a pattern he's seen in his time on the bike.
"Midwest racing is some of the best and most well run," he said. "I'd love to come back next year."
SC Velo Admin note: Special thanks to Mike Franken of Sioux City who happened to photograph race winner Ian Gray just after crossing the finish line. By happy coincidence, Mr. Franken offered this photo to us among others not long after Mr. Gallagher contacted us for just this photo. Thanks to Mike, we could accomodate his request.
