Sunday, September 9, 2018

Lotoja 2018 Race Report












The Rexburg Cycling Blog extends a hearty congratulation to this year’s Lotoja finishers, including Bruce Baxter who toughed it out after a rough start for his fifth Lotoja finish. TCI-Kelson organized two  relay teams: TCI-1 with Boyd, Cameron, and Cameron’s brother-in-law Brent, and TCI-2 with Aaron, Kellen, Greg, and Jeff.  I drove support for TCI-2 which placed third for the second consecutive year in the 3-5 Man Race Relay against a very fast and competitive field.
I understand that there were a few other locals participating who I don’t know or don’t know well. If you are interested in sharing your story here, don’t hesitate to contact us. Conditions yesterday were good generally with mild temperatures and favorable winds for the earlier finishers.  As the day progressed, the winds became significantly less favorable.
In 200+ miles on the road at Lotoja, it is almost an inevitability that something will go a little off script. It happened this year on the climb of Strawberry when Kellen was sideswiped hard by another cyclist and went face first into the handlebars of a third bike. Momentarily stunned, he shook it off to rejoin the group with a puffy lip and a loose tooth..
In a couple of very random notes, Kellen’s leg started in Preston, so he and I stayed in Preston’s two-star Plaza Motel along with the newlyweds pictured above. The vintage Winnebago was parked near the first transition. I included it in the photos as a curiosity and a bit of historical Americana.

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