A.E.LANDES PHOTOBLOG

That’s right… The ’101. Dirt, rocks, fire roads, heat, summer, over-extending yourself into a hot mess, and creek-soaking at the after-party. This year, I did not have a wedding scheduled in the afternoon, so I was able to dedicate the whole day to covering the race (and by whole day, I mean from 5 AM to 8 PM). With all day to work, getting the start, the Three Bridges, the Sassy Pig, and the Second Tunnel was no problem (just look out for the chicks-in-bikinis-and-beer-chugging-bros a mile from the finish). Now, staying around long enough at these locations for everyone to come by was tough, but hopefully everyone will be seen. It would be great to get out from behind the camera one of these years… Check out the photo collections below!

Here is the highlight gallery from the 2011 Wilderness 101.

And the full collection, with prints and downloads available here: 2011 Wilderness 101 Complete Collection.

IRON CROSS VIII. What I found to be most disturbing about this race is the amount of people that *smiled for the camera… I mean, you spend a grueling 62 miles on a cyclocross bike (most ‘cross races last 30-45 minutes, right?) over all kinds of terrain and about 7,000 feet of elevation gain? Mike and Zach, the Evil Promoters, must have it out for everyone – the Wigwam Rock Wall and a nasty bit of ending single-track should be a red flag to their, um, ideas of ‘fun’. Glad to see everyone survived, even though my boy Mike Festa flatted twice (I think that second wasn’t quite so accidental). And a shout to Team Freezethaw for sharing some of that Troeg’s booty winnings with me.

Here is a quick highlight Gallery from IRON CROSS VIII – 2010.

And if you have the time, here is IRON CROSS VIII’s Complete Collection and Product Order Site.

Ahh, another year, another ’101. At least this year they had drier conditions to race in, as I am sure not many racers missed the fog and soggy rocks. Like clockwork, the leaders came bombing in a little before 9 AM, and the steady stream of riders crossing Three Bridges and the Stupid Rock Garden lasted past 10. Shooting conditions were ideal, as I was able to use the bright spots in the trees to create the speed streaks. And it was great seeing the familiar faces out there riding.

Here is a quick gallery from the 2010 Wilderness 101 Mountain Bike Race.

And if you have a lot of time, here is the Complete Gallery and Print Order Site for the ’101.

As always, if you don’t see yourself here, just send me an email and I will see if I can find you. Thanks!

Blistering heat? Choking dust? Hill climbing for eight hours? Sounds about right for the Marysville MASS Mountain Bike Race. Jeez, I did one lap for fun and went through all of my water and just about keeled over. Throw in a nighttime time trial and a short-track race on Sunday, and that’s a killer weekend. I got lots of goodies (photographically speaking) throughout the weekend, including shots from the Slowest Downhill Challenge and the Huffy Toss. Kudos to Mike Kuhn and team for another great race (remember the Trans-Sylvania Epic? Same promoter!).

Here is a gallery of the Marysville MASS Mountain Bike Race highlights.

And see the Complete Gallery and Print/Download Ordering here.

Wow – I really cannot tell you how much fun (and work!) this week has been! Hanging around this kooky crowd may have affected (or infected) my brain – truly, I am already craving next year’s race and blacked it out from my professional and social calendars. The front image is from one of my favorite racer-through-the-stream set-ups, and not to mention Leadville 100 Champ Rebecca Rusch in this image (name-drop here!). The final days of the Epic were amazing, with crushed souls and cracked Chris King headset races littering the Central PA forests. Looking forward to next year with Mike and Ray at TSE 2011!

Here is the highlight reel from the Trans-Sylvania Epic: Day 5-7.

And for those of you without jobs and a healthy mountain bike obsession, the TSE 2010 Complete Gallery.

The Trans-Sylvania Epic is most assuredly one of the highlights of my year. One week of stage race mountain biking in State College with plenty of rocks and roots to eat… *yum*. Lots of photos, lots of stories, and lots of sleep after exhausting days. And it’s only Tuesday. Here are the photos from Day 1 though Day 4, with hot stages and rainy downpours.

Check out the gallery here: Trans-Sylvania Epic 2010: Day 1-4.

And for all of you with a lot of time (and wanting to order prints and downloads), here is the Complete Trans-Sylvania Collection.