VOL- UME 56 ISSUE 49 DECEMBER 10, 2019 P29
rode really well;
I didn't spend
too much en-
ergy on the first
two loops, so I
still had some
in the tank for
the third loop. I
rode smart and
didn't blow any
turns; some-
times, it's easy to do that when you're
the first rider through."
After crossing the finish line, Kepple
anxiously awaited his rival. Sutherlin,
starting from the row behind him and
with a minute-and-a-half time advantage,
had two minutes and 30 seconds to
take the overall win. "My dad started the
stopwatch when I crossed the finish line,"
Kepple said, "I kept asking, 'what's the
time? What's the time?' After two minutes
and 30 seconds, I knew I had the win."
Kepple cashed in on the $2500
grand prize while JT Baker, who recent-
ly signed with the FactoryONE Sherco
Enduro Team, collected second overall,
matching his finish from last year.
Sutherlin was still able to collect third to
round out the overall podium.
Nearly 300 riders lined up for the
Tecate Enduro, which, true to form,
sold out in a matter of hours back in
October. Three loops totaling of 85
miles of rocky single-track trail were
thoroughly soaked due to rainstorms
in the weeks before the race, and
while conditions were mostly prime,
there were several water crossings that
turned into mud holes (and nightmares)
for some. Thick mud baked onto bikes
was a common sight, and as always,
there was a high rate of attrition.
For the worthy and weary who
reached the finish, they were fortunate
enough to find none other than Mal-
colm Smith waving the checkered flag.
Malcolm was the honorary starter and
finisher for the Los Ancianos and hung
out for the post-race festivities, which
included plenty of tacos and beer.
Final results, once calculated, will be
posted at www.LosAncianos.com. CN
Noah Kepple
was thrilled
to take the
checkered
flag from
none
other than
Malcolm
Smith. PHOTO:
GARY KEPPLE
JT Baker was
once again
runner up after
putting in a
strong and
consistent ride on
the demanding
three-loop, 85-
mile course.
a smooth and error-free race, but Suther-
lin's third loop got out to a horrible start
when he immediately got tangled in some
barbwire. The wire was tangled in Suther-
lin's rear wheel so severely that he had
to wait for locals to fetch wire cutters to
free his Hatch Racing KTM and rejoin the
race. The defending champion lost about
17 minutes in the ordeal but was still amaz-
ingly able to make the overall podium.
"I felt good and pretty much just
checked out," Kepple said. "I felt like I
