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Breck Epic - Day 6 diary by Brandon Dwight
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As you probably know, I have never raced in the Tour de France, but I think it’s a safe bet to say Friday’s final Breck Epic stage is kind of like rolling into Paris along the Champs-Élysées after many hard days of racing.
Except instead of riding 100-plus miles on rough French roads surrounded by cars, motorcycles and helicopters, we got to ride incredible singletrack in the quiet and pristine Rocky Mountains. I won’t go into to detail about today’s course, but this final stage took us on sections of trail that just put a big ol' smile on my face. And, it erased the memory of all the pain the Breck Epic had inflicted upon my body leading up to this day. It was very good course planning by race officials.
Speaking of race officials, I can’t say enough about how well the inaugural Breck Epic went off. Mike McCormack and his rock star crew put on a great show. Treating racers well, both on and off the course, was the top priority.
Every evening, following the day’s stage, we had a mandatory racer meeting where we had the opportunity to chime in on what we didn’t like, to help improve next years event. I don’t think I ever heard one complaint. The only night we did not have a rider meeting, was following the final stage. Instead we went to Breckenridge’s beautiful Riverwalk Center, where we were treated to a huge barbecue feast complete with ribs, beans, cornbread, apple cobbler and plenty of Oskar Blues beer!
Following dinner was the awards ceremony, when every racer was called up on stage and given a super cool Breck Epic finisher's belt buckle. Every racer in their respective categories was asked to stay on stage and gather around the podium while the top three finishers were called up. It was great to stand on stage with everyone you raced with and celebrate a week of riding together. Following the awards, there was a huge schwag give away, too. No one went home empty handed.
I was quite lucky all week to not have one mechanical mishap. In fact, after six days of racing I think I only dropped my chain once, and we rode over some gnarly terrain. Even though I have been racing some type of a bicycle for the last 15 years, the durability and consistently reliable performance of these lightweight bicycles and components never cease to amaze me. Thanks to Scott USA for the ultralight Spark RC. This bike has survived La Ruta de Conquistadores and now the Breck Epic without a single problem. Thanks also go out to Crank Brothers for the never-fail Candy pedals and to SRAM for the rock solid drivetrain, braking and suspension.
Well, to wrap things up, it was a great week in Breckenridge, Colorado. The weather was fantastic and the race was one I’ll never forget. Special thanks to the entire Breck Epic crew for putting on a spectacular event and truly making it a great rider experience. Thanks also need to go out to the crew holding down the fort at my bike shop, Boulder Cycle Sport. If I couldn’t rely on them, then I wouldn’t be racing. And last, but most certainly never least, my wife Heather. From helping me at the start and in the feed zones, and for reminding me all week to keep drinking water, she has been a super soigneur. Thanks honey!
Thanks for reading my Breck Epic journal reports for the past week. You’ll likely hear from me in September when 'cross season kicks off!
Brandon Dwight lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife Heather and chocolate lab, Oban, and is part owner of Boulder Cycle Sport. He is also the founder of Doperssuck.com. His sponsors include: Scott Bicycles, Crank Brothers, and Clif Bar.
