Full Tilt in Telluride Race Report By Pete Knepper

Well, to everyone's delight, the weather held out. It didn't rain a drop until the entire race was over. If you had ridden the world cup course prior to this weekend, you hadn't ridden the good world cup course. A lot of work was put into the course the week before and after 3000+ tires rolled down it in practice, it was buffed out and ready for some balls to the wall race runs. It was a pretty short course with the top pro time being 2:42 by Chris Boice.

Mike Zeek and I were the only ones from Grassroots in attendance and this was Mike's first race all year and almost his first time on DH bike all year.
Here I am ripping one of the many solid berms up top. This is the first race where I really started to learn to trust the berms and let it fly.
For being his first time racing this year, Mike was throwing down. With some more practice he stands a good chance of being on the podium next year in CAT 1. Unfortunately in his race run, he managed to go O.T.B. in a rock garden up top which put him in last place. Luckily he wasn't hurt and managed to do a fun run with me after the race.
Here's Mike and I celebrating after my HUGE win. I bought a few beers for everyone before I realized they would give them to me for free for wearing my gold medal! I was on cloud nine for 2 days after the race because I threw down a 2:53, beating all of the CAT 1's, making my time good enough for 10th in Pro, and beating Michael Buel (Factory Banshee Team)!
This was the best race of my life and I couldn't have done it without encouragement and help from my friends, Grassroots Cycles, Canfield Brothers ,and James Wilson at MTB Strength Training Systems.

After this Race, Grassroots Cycles as a team is in 4th place in the Mountain States Cup. If we get a decent showing at Winter Park in two weeks, we could move up a place or two for the final! Dust those bikes off Roots Riders, lets finish strong!