Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

ing as much trouble as I was having. "The first lap was very tricky gefting through it - those weeds were tall!" One of the first obstacles they reached was Rock Creek, and it turned into a niShtmare for several. including KTM racers Chris Bach and Tim Taber. But the maiority of the Pros continued to Sive chase, with a surprising number of challengers taking turns in the runner-up spot, including Matt Buck, Adam Bonneur, Alan Westerlield and Thomas. But before too long, Jarrett tired of sitting at the back of the chase pack and marched up to second overall to keep a close eye on Williamson. "He was wasting a lot of energy the Iirst two laPs !o I iust kind of sat back and let him do his thing," Jarrett said. "The last lap. I got a good run at him on a road and passed him and put my head down and iust kept on charging all the way to the end." Williamson provided his ve6ion: 'lust after that big creek crossing you run down a long din road, and I didn't have my bike geared up as much as Jimmy did. He came out ri8ht behind me on the road and we lust dragged all the way down there- He iust slowly pulled me and pulled me and pulled me down that road." Williamron got dust€d out then chose a bad line, which left him stuck in a ditch shortly after that, sealing his fate. Asked why he didn't let larrett past and follow him instead, Williamson answered, "l used to like to follow people, but now it's the other way around. I like to be leading because when I'm following, I can't exactly see what we're coming up on. When I'm leading, I can see, I can do the stuff fine, I'm not getting roosted on [or] dusted out. "l kind of wanted to lead the entire time." And he came close, but Jarreft led when it counted most - and for the fourth time this season. Gll How touth is the Moose fuin? Consider the fact that it took Jimmy Janett some five hours and I I min- utes to romplete th6 105 miles. Justin williafison compared it to doing the Red Bull Lan Man Standing - except whhout the break between $e dey erld niSh runs at LMS, Beint from Gret Britain, Jason Thoriag wesn't enthely aware of dle Moose 8!n's reputation. "l rerlly didn t know what to e)gect. Every- bod), said iust to go slc'\,Y. Then ,usrin [Williamson] weflt oft r€ally fest, and I thouStrt, 'Wllat shall I do?' So I iust kind of stayed with limmy-" Thomas said. "The trark was 8ood. I didn't find the track thet hard. real- ly. lt was iust dre lenBh of tlme [we had to ride]." Thomas ended up fin- ishing with a nasty w6lt on his *lroat fram a vine that finked him ofi his bike on the second lap. 'The ones in England, tlte),/ just m.nr'e! They're not like thatl" Rookie Pro Addlr Booneur found hirrEef in th€ thlck of things early on, running with the leaders and even takint a turn at the front on his Fun Man CycleYMards/Moose Y2250. "l grew up idolizirE dis race, and it was iust kind oI a shock- er for me to actually be up runninS with the big gu,s this year," Bonneur said. "l had a good stan; I was prob- ably fourth overall right with Jimm), and iusr tried to keep up - iust ride wth them - beGuse everyboq/ knows these guF ,nst take h easy the lirst couple laps and they raae the next few. So I iun kind of h0ng with thern for a little bit - tried to fig- ure out the track, figure out where the lots were. I tot realty exhausted at the end, kind of tired, got tunnel vision, got kind of dizy, but I stuck it out and tot founh overall." Competito6 came close to

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