Race Report: Montana Enduro Series - Helenduro X
“There are 3 signs you’re going to want to keep in mind today on course” shouts Tony Zammit, one of a handful of individuals that runs the Montana Enduro Series and a part of the all-volunteer board that heads up the Montana Bicycle Guild.
He addressed the 120 racers gathered for the 8:30am mandatory racer meeting in downtown Helena, Montana, for the tenth anniversary of the Helenduro. “The first sign is a yellow arrow, which means you’re going the right way. The second, a big red X that means you’re not.” Tony’s mirrored SPY sunglasses caught the light as he yelled over the thumping bass of registration music. “The third sign is going to be a green exclamation point - we’ve got quite a few of these out there - they mean you’re headed into something real interesting.”
Tony wasn't wrong. The first stop on the 2018 Montana Enduro Series, sponsored by FSA, Deity, Spy Optic, and BlueCross BlueShield of Montana, would not disappoint. HelenduroX provided ample opportunity throughout six stages to discover Helena’s riding potential. Rocks, trees, loam, tack, and incredible views met racers on every stage. Competitors traveled to Helena from all over the Western US and Canada to compete in five rider classes. Each were treated to a prime sampling of the Montana capital’s diverse and enthralling trail selection.
Pre-enduro burrito? Yes please.
Pre-race bike storage.
Stage 1 picked up where last year's Helenduro left off: The top of Mount Helena on Hogback. Hogback demanded excellent line choice, or DH casing rubber, and forced riders to navigate wheel-eating rocks before sending them down flowing ribbons of hero dirt punctuated by handlebar-crunching sapling squeezes.
Riders then transferred around the backside of the mountain and onto the famous Helena Ridge Trail before descending what is perhaps the area’s most iconic trail, Show Me The Horse for Stage 2. Fast and generally dry, the previous day’s thunderstorms had Horse running wild, letting racers explore the limits of their tires before sending them once more into the trees for a transfer to Stage 3 up Wakina Sky.
A pedaly adventure through the humid foothills littered with sunken stumps and loam awaited racers before another climb up to Stage 4, a rider favorite, Rent Money.
Stage 5, ending in a trail appropriately named Little Moab, caused consternation with those not hailing from Moab or France and with those unfamiliar with the art of line choice. The choose-your-own-adventure section spit riders out into the heart of historic Helena before a well-deserved minor transfer to the final 250-foot descent of the day, the Acropolis Crest.
Race Directors Eric Sivers, left, and Ryan Ford under the MES tent and managing rider check-in.
Stretching a little more than 19 miles (30 kilometres), the HelenduroX course showcased the area’s most coveted trails, keeping riders on their toes with interesting transfers and classic front country descents, all the while keeping the city nearby and the capital building in sight.
Missed the race? You can relive the action anytime you're in Helena thanks to Trailforks.
Tony addresses the team at the pre-race volunteer meeting. This race would not have been possible without all of the amazing volunteers!
The transfer to Stage 1 was climbing almost 1,200 feet? That’s one way to get the blood pumping.
Pro Male Nathan Kirshner cutting up Stage 1.
Alicia Leggett smashing the 654,765th descending turn. Alicia rode hard, but a flat on Stage 5 held her to a Pro Women's third place finish.
Masters Male Andrew Keen navigating the tight trees of Prairie Trail.
An inconvenient washout on Stage 4 cost John Doran third place, but he’ll be back!
All thriller, no filler! Bellingham, WA, local and former Helena resident Andrew Franks-Ongoy throwing on a number plate for the first time. Andrew was one of the individuals who organized the first Helenduro back when short, high, and steep was all the rage.
Expert Male David Staley showing that over is sometimes faster than on.
Alison Kinsler throwing down hard on Stage 5, falling just 15 seconds short of the podium.
Kathryn Paddock flowing through the trees on Stage 1.
Maryjane Martin levitating on her way to the Expert Women's first place.
Dillon Murdoch with some boost love on Little Moab (he did come back to earth).
Nick Dunn styling his way through Stage 5 to the top of the Junior Male podium.
William Martin dodging the trees on Stage 1. William finished 4th in Masters Male.
Eva Culpo keeping her head down and eyes locked. She came out on top for Sport Female with a time of 28:53.6.
Bayley Phillips squeezing through the trees on Stage 5.
One of Helena’s favorite beertenders and local trail builder, Timmy Weisman, registered for the race at the last minute and finished out the day third in Expert Male.
Do you like rock gardens? Do you like drops? Yeah, we have rock gardens and drops at the same time.
Even after setting the course and prepping for three days, there's still energy to spare. MBG Director TJ Lehman vuvuzelaing at the finish line.
Ian Morgan, showing everyone how to recover from a handlebar-to-tree collision. Despite the unnecessary contact, Ian finished 8th in the Pro Male category.
The tent at the finish line was a popular place post-race.
Dogs, like Pintler, make everything better.
All the post-race noms.
Dawwwww... In addition to the racers, the spectators helped make the event.
Helenduro Official Results:
Courtney Merrill holding down first place for the Junior Female class.
Nick Dunn led the way for the Junior Male Class. Close behind him was Kai Bauer, followed by Tyler Schrowe.
Helena local, Cody Flinders, took home first in the Sport Male Class. Stephen Antonich took home second and Luke Regan followed with a solid third place finish.
Eva Culpo earned herself the top spot in the Sport Female Class with Ellie Dunn and Lindsey Gilstrap grabbing second and third.
The Expert Male Class was tight! Keenan Cox edged out James Turcotte by less than a tenth of a second for the top spot and Timmy Wiseman sat comfortably with a third-place finish.
Maryjane Martin took the top spot in the Expert Female Class with a time of 30:53. Allison Ross was close behind for a solid second place finish with a time of 31:45.
In the Masters Female Class, Rene Huge took home the win, followed closely by Angela Paterna in second and Tootsie Schrowe in third.
Paul Cullen took home the win for the Masters Male Class, with Joey Weamer and Mark Weirich close behind in second/third.
In the Men’s Pro Class, Christopher Brule reigned supreme on the day, followed by hometown hero Dan Barry and fellow Montanan Tim Crandell.
For the second year in a row, Bend Oregon’s Porsha Murdock clinched the top spot, with Helena local Tara Wilson and EWS racer Alicia Leggett following in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
The Montana Enduro Series' next stop is a bonus event, the North American Enduro Cup, at Silver Mountain in Kellogg, Idaho.
Check out the full photo dump from Jason O'Neil here.
MENTIONS: @deityusa @FlyRacing @TheGarage @troyleedesigns
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What a killer event!