Sundance Spin

I look forward to the Sundance Race every year for a number of reasons. One - it's the Mad Dog team's home court, so to speak. Many of us have ridden it extensively throughout the years and that sort of intimate knowledge of a course brings confidence to rider. Two - We are usually in our new kits just before or at this race. 2010 was no exception and some of the team riders and I spent Friday afternoon sorting everyone's gear so we'd be ready to go. The kits looked great and seeing so many team riders out on course was exciting. Finally, the course and the event itself really feel like we are really into mountain bike season. The early season races are nice to get you thinking about it, 5-mile pass helps you realize your fitness needs to be improved, but Sundance is when you start remembering what great single-track is like and how elevation feels on your lungs. Ouch!

So the team showed up in force on Saturday and there were many podium finishes by Mad Dog riders. We won the race with a total of 153 points, which puts us back into 2nd place on the team standings. We still have alot of work to do to catch UMB, but if we can have showings like Sundance we could make it an interesting season for the team competition.

We had a little mud to contend with, a few mechanicals, but overall everyone raced well and then we spent time together eating and talking about our experiences during the race. It was a beautiful day. The camaraderie of our team and the support of it's members and their families is what makes it great. While I wouldn't say we are unique in this way, I certainly do think our team has a very close knit feel to it and this makes the shared experiences that much more special. Thanks to all those who came race and supported the team on Saturday. I hope we can have many more races like that this season.

-- Keith Payne

More pics form the race
Team Points