letsbikemqt.com

More of an official announcement to come , but I have partnered with letsbikemqt.com and the Marquette Convention and Visitor Bureau to grow the sport of mountain biking in Marquette County.  They will be working with the team to promote our trails and increase biking tourism.  I am extremely excited to be working with such a powerful group.  I will be writing stories from time to time for the website and will soon be officially moving my blog to there sight.  In the mean-time, here is a pre Ore to Shore story I put together.

  LARGE FIELD OF PROFESSIONALS EXPECTED AT 2012 ORE TO SHORE

Posted on 08.10.2012

By Tyler Gauthier

While the weather may be cooling in the Upper Peninsula as Fall starts to roll in, mountain biking will bring some heat into Marquette this weekend.  August 11, 2012 marks the start of the 13^thAnnual Ore to Shore Mountain Bike Epic.  Hailed as the largest mass start point-to-point race in the state of Michigan, it is a staple in Marquette County, the Upper Peninsula, and the Midwest.  It is also the first race of the Midwest Triple Crown, which includes the Chequemagon Fat Tire race in September and the Iceman Cometh in November.  The Ore to Shore will bring 2,300 racers, from all over the country, to the start line on Saturday. This year’s event includes a 48 mile Hard Rock, 28 mile Soft Rock and 10 mile Shore Rock.

Photo by Jeni Jewell

The Ore to Shore has grown in almost every year of its existence.  Race director, Scott Tuma attributes the geography of Marquette County to that success.  “We have great terrain here in Marquette County. It’s not flat by any means, but it’s not as undoable as the Colorado Mountains either,” said Tuma. “With Lake Superior as a backdrop, magnificent views are provided as some racers descend practically 1,000 feet. Sometimes I know it doesn’t seem like it, especially at Kirby’s Hill, but from 20 or so miles out, you’re on a gradual decline towards the lake for the duration.”

Photo by Jeni Jewell

As the race grows, so does the number of professionals who compete in the 48 mile Hard Rock.  The professionals provide an exciting and highly competitive race for all spectators.  In the most recent years the race has seen about five to ten professionals start.   The list includes past winners, Brian Matter, TJ Woodruff, and Michael Simonson, along with annual attendees like Mike Anderson and Chris Peariso.  These names have been part of the Midwest mountain bike scene and the Ore to Shore for many years. The 2012 edition of the race could see as many as 20 professionals wheel the line.  This could arguably make the 2012 edition the most competitive race in its existence.

The Upper Peninsula and Marquette County has even bred a professional of their own, Ishpeming rider, Tyler Gauthier.  Tyler, who rides for Culver’s Racing, compete in the Hard Rock 48 mile, Pro field.  He has finished in the top 15 in the past two years and is competing in his 8^th Ore to Shore in 2012, his 2^nd as a professional.  “To compete as a professional is an honor, but to do it in such a big race in your own back yard is a privilege.  I ride with U.P. pride on my shoulders,” says Gauthier.  “It has been a dream of mine since turning professional to keep the Ore to Shore trophy in the Upper Peninsula and more importantly Marquette County.  My goal is to win the title for the U.P.”

Photo by Jeni Jewell

What brings so many Professionals to the Ore to Shore? According to Vision – Wheel & Sprocket rider, Nathan Guerra, “It is the most beautiful race in the Midwest with the hardest competition.  Guerra, a native of Oconomowac, WI finished 4^th in the 2011 Ore to Shore.   “The landscape is the best, it provides all of what mountain biking is,” he said.  As for the race organizers? “They understand bike racing for Pro’s.  They pay for our effort.”

Here’s a quick race prediction from Culver’s rider Tyler Gauthier:

“The race starts in Negaunee and moves West towards Ishpeming.  The race usually splits on the always-painful power line through West Ishpeming.  Exiting West Ishpeming and starting the trek towards Marquette, expect that many Pro’s might be thinking a like. After exiting Misery Hill and completing the first 25 miles, a larger group than normal may come through 510, with each one chasing the same goal.  With so many past champions and pro’s in the field, sitting in a large group can be discomforting.  So expect attacks to come swift and often as the riders exit 510 back on to the Noquemanon Trail Network.  This is where a large group may be split to a select few.  In the recent years the race has come down to the last mile.  If the same is the case this year, be ready for fireworks.  Only time will tell who will be there to shine in the end.”

Tyler Gauthier rides for Culver’s racing and Meyer Family Vision. He is also supported bywww.letsbikemqt.com, a huge promoter of the mountain biking in Marquette County. Check out his blog at www.letsbikemqt.com