Refresh your browser frequently to see updates.

Moab 08 Event Home Page
Webcast Home Page
Link to Story Board™ results
Link to RealTime™ results
Pre-race Stories

Start of the Race: Run Run Run! (Saturday 12:20pm) by Elizabeth Boese

The 2008 Suzuki 24 Hours of Moab race began at noon on Saturday, October 12. With 365 teams anxious to get that first lap in, a Le Mans style start is used to spread the riders out before they get on the bike. Each rider runs about 200 yards before they can pick up their bikes from a rack and set out on the course.

First lap race order at The Butte between checkpoint 7 and 8 (Saturday 1:00pm)

1. Team 109: Monavie/Cannondale Pro
2. Team 3: Josh Tostado
3. Team 102: Kuhl and Scott Bikes
4. Team 125: Pedal Power/Street Swell
5. Team 1: Chris Eatough
6. Team 136: Dreaming Eagles
7. Team 2: Tinker Juarez
8. Team 110: Monavie/Cannondale Pro 2
9. Team 93: Shake and Bake
10. Team 65: Ben Bostrom
11. Team 300: 29, Single, and rigid-revamped
12. Team 111: Brick-Oven Pizzeria/CB Builders II

A Gnarly Start (Saturday 1:30pm) by Ron Georg

As the racers lined up for the Le Mans start of the 14th annual 24 Hours of Moab, winds were blowing steady at 30 miles an hour, and gusting well over 40 mph. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory until 6 p.m., for the first six hours of the race.

The southwest winds are expected to continue, with gusts up to 55 mph, before they shift to the west in anticipation of a cold front. The weather service is predicting the cold front will bring widespread thunderstorms and snow showers. While temperatures won't likely drop low enough at the course elevation to bring snow, small hail is anticipated around the thunderstorms.

"It's not too bad. It's a little hard on my voice, it's been so dry and dusty," race announcer Bruce Hildenbrand said. "But it's great to see the athletes haven't lost their enthusiasm. They say sports don't build character, they reveal character. We're going to see a lot of character revealed today."

Despite the harsh conditions, the race began on time, and the lead rider, Ben Senntag, from the Monavie/Cannondale team, turned in an impressive lap time of 1:05. Two minutes later, Josh Tostado was the first solo rider in.

Granny Gear Productions promoter Laird Knight said the venue is holding together, and the race will go on-although people may face a few unexpected issues.

"Equipment has taken a lot of stress. We're putting out fires left and right. It's messing with electrical circuits, it's messing with the crowd control fence. The good news is that when I bought my tents, I got the best in the world, and they are taking it. I can't say the same for all the pop-ups out there. The dumpsters are filling up."

First 3 to complete first lap of the race (Saturday 2:00pm)

1. Team 109: Monavie/Cannondale Pro
2. Team 275: NSW Flyin' Frogs
3. Team 3: Josh Tostado

1. Team 109: Monavie/Cannondale Pro
2. Team 102: Kuhl and Scott Bikes
3. Team 125: Pedal Power/Street Swell

Your webmaster webcaster Elizabeth Boese went out for a spin on the course! The wind was a mild breeze compared to the gusts earlier today.

The rock is slick to stick so long as you can slide through the rivers of sand. Riders cheer each other on and call out to make sure those side-lined are okay. I love that caring nature of fellow riders.

I rode through sunset with red rays highlighting the richly-red rock spires that line the backside of the course. It is a beautiful ride, and the dust behaved and all the riders seemed to be in good spirits.

24 Hour Rescuers (Saturday 8:30pm) by Ron Georg

David Line Denali and Zach Stires

As the light dims for the nighttime portion of the 24 Hours of Moab, David Line Denali starts to think about collarbones.

"They can’t see as well, they get into the sand, and the front wheels gets turned and stops," he said. That, as any cyclist knows, leads to an endo, as in end over end. It's not as amusing as it sounds, especially since it only takes a few pounds of pressure, applied just right, to pop that bone.

Line Denali is the leader of the Apache EMT Rescue team, the first line of defense on the 24 Hours course. "We're on course to respond to people on the course, and stabilize them for the Grand County EMTs," Denali said.

Apache rescue is a non-profit organization devoted to training young people in rescue operations. Line Denali has been bringing his rescuers to the 24 Hours of Moab since 1996, so he's seen the evolution of 24 Hour racing. He said the race has become safer over the years.

"My theory is the lights are getting good enough that riders aren't outrunning their light," Line Denali said. "When the HIDs really took off, it got much better. We definitely saw a decrease in injuries."

When there are injuries, Apache Rescue team members do professional work. "They get us just what we need," Grand County EMT Rebecca Stone said. "They can have a patient back-boarded and ready to go before we get there."

Apache Rescue operates on very little. Line Denali said he’s able to operate on donations from promoters including the Mountain States Cup and Granny Gear Productions. "It doesn't cost us very much; Laird pays for our gas and food."

Beyond that, Apache Rescue needs motivation, which comes from Line Denali, and things like jackets-which promoters also provide. "Laird will buy us a set of jackets," Line Denali said.

Men's Expert Update: A close call! (Saturday 10:00pm) by Ron Georg

As most mortals are getting ready to pack it in for the evening, racers are still packing the main area at the 2008 24 Hours of Moab. They’ve been going for nearly 10 hours, and riders are still turning in remarkably consistent laps, perhaps none more so as in the Men's Expert class.

Team Pedal Power/Street Swell has dominated the class with a tight group of times over the first seven laps, all between 1:06 and 1:18. While they haven't changed leads a single time, team Brick Oven Pizzeria/CB Builders is just minutes behind.

Close on their wheels, Smith Optics and Turd Fergueson are also within 10 minute of the Pedal Power/Street Swell racers. While there have been lead changes among the teams chasing Pedal Power, with the KUHL/Scott team dicing with the other four, the expert men have maintained position throughout the first ten hours.

Most amazingly, every time within the first seven laps for the top ten men's expert teams has been between 1:06 and 1:33. Still, even with the tight grouping, the gap between the first place team and the tenth in Men’s Expert is an hour and ten minutes.

Over the course of 24 hours, minutes per lap add up, and the cumulative toll is beginning to show in the teams' respective times.

For the best view of the unfolding drama (aside from webcast updates), check out the RealTime scoring Story Board ™ results page. The color-coded team designations rise and fall like a graph with the teams' successes and failures.

Sunrise (Sunday 6:30am) photo by Ron Georg

Sunrise at 6:30am Sunday morning of the 24 Hours of Moab.

Camping in Style (Sunday 7:30pm) photo by Ron Georg

Keeping warm by the fire at camp is essential through the wee hours of the morning in a 24 hour race. The winds died down enabling campers to rest peacefully through the night without their tents blowing around and plenty of campfires to keep warm.

Morning Course Conditions (Sunday 8:30am) by Elizabeth Boese

At the break of light, I headed back out on the course sporting the "Truth" mountain bike demo from our sponsor Ellsworth. With amazing ease this bike got me over the gnarly rock gardens and deep sand pits throughout the course.

The sandy sections are holding together with somewhat hard-packed single-track paths through most of the worst sandy sections. There's still the long down-hill section of deep sand that goes for 50 yards with some solid foundation along a single path, with five-inch deep sand if you are unfortunate enough to swerve off the path.

Several sections of the course have two options to ride that meet up together within 10 yards. This helps riders pick the section that works best based on their ability and enables fast riders to pass others more easily.

I cleaned up lots of trash along the route, with water bottles and goo packets being thrown off rider's bikes and backs in the bumpy rock gardens throughout the course. Riders missing something can pick up their goods at the announcer's tent in the Lost and Found box.

1. Liz Baumgardt-Kays Women's Solo (680 points)
2. Rob Lichtenwalner Men's Solo (650 points)
3. IC3 Masters - Sweatin' to the Oldies Men's Masters (605 points)
4. Jimmy C. McMillan Men's Solo (595 points)
5. 24nication Men's Veteran (545 points)

1. Monavie/Cannondale Pro (M Pro) 21 laps
2. PRO CYCLING (Co P/Am) 20 laps
3. KUHL AND SCOTT BIKES (M Pro) 20 laps
4. Pedal Power / Street Swell (M Exp) 19 laps
5. Monavie/Cannondale Pro 2 (M Pro) 19 laps

1. Josh Tostado 17 laps
2. Tinker Juarez 16 laps
3. Roan Exelby 16 laps
4. Ben Bostrom 16 laps
5. Leighton D. Poidevin 15 laps
6. Rob Lichtenwalner 14 laps

  Top 5 Women's Solo (Sunday 2:05pm)

1. Jari Kirkland 13 laps
2. Kris Cannon 11 laps
3. Kerry White 11 laps
4. Cat Morrison 10 laps
5. Liz N. Baumgardt-Kays 7 laps