IDYLLWILD SPRING CHALLENGE 2012 DATE:
MAY 5-6, 2012 !!!
Rumors concerning trail closures in the May Valley area??? The trails/roads proposed for closure are the Exfoliator Tr., Coyote Run Rd. and the Hurkey Creek Climb. This temporary closure will alter the last part of the Cross Country courses. As soon as we get conformation on a reroute new maps will be posted.
The closure will also effect the running of our Super D and Stage Race. The Cross Country and Time Trial are still scheduled as usual and will provide a great weekend of racing!
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PRO MEN BATTLE IT OUT!
Menso Dejong and 2010 Idyllwild Spring Challenge defending champion, Manny Prado, battle it out during the last mile.
Written by: Robert Herber
On a crisp and cool morning all of the racers and friends of the Idyllwild Spring Challenge lined up ready to race one of the best courses in Southern California. The pros lined up anxious to get one large, 27-mile, loop of amazing singletrack under way.
The course offers mostly one track for all of the racecourses but only the pros and top experts get to do the "Long Course” that included the infamous "Death March Climb.” The climb is one of the only sections on the course that is fire road and it’s so steep in the corners that they had to pave them or cars would not be able to get up.
The Idyllwild Spring Challenge offers one of the biggest purses for the pro riders. Not only is there big money to win, at the end of the day there are three king of the mountain points, each with cash for the first rider to the top.
Manny Prado of team Sho-Air/Specialized took the first two "King of the Mountain” checkpoints. Beginning the "Death March” Manny Prado, Menso Dejong and Vincent Lambardi all hit the deciding climb to the final KOM together. Vincent was the first to drop off the pace that was being set by Dejong. Menso was the first one over the top and began the "Upper Southridge” descent $100 richer with former Ruta de Los Conquistadors winner Prado just 10 yards behind.
Prado was able to eventually overtake Dejong somewhere in the middle of the best singletrack in this area. The Sho-Air rider had a few second lead on Dejong while dropping into the final descent the"Tunnel of Love”. Unfortunately, in the Tunnerl Prado found the wrong side of a G-Out and lost his lead to Dejong.
On the final road section Prado tells it, "Menso put in multiple attacks on the road and was able to overtake me.” Dejong and Prado battled all the way to the line where Dejong was able to hold it across the line and earn the big payday.
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UNICYCLES AT THE SPRING CHALLENGE SUPER D ONCE AGAIN!!!
For the third straight year, the Idyllwild Spring Challenge hosted an Unicycle class for the Super D. Staging last, the Unicycles finished off the Super D with a round of applause from spectators and racers alike as they crossed the finish.
For more information on unicycles go to: