It isn’t very often that two WSI riders lead an endurance race, but that happened recently at the start of the 2017 8 Hours of Ithaca. WSI went one and two and showed promise for the remaining 7 hours and 40 minutes… but their one-two standing was not meant to be for long.
Dan and Jeff both partnered up with two other non-WSI Cycling riders to race the 4.3-mile loop as many times as they could in the 8 hour time allotment. Unfortunately, Dan’s partner took a nasty spill when he went out for his first lap and bent his front wheel beyond repair. Instead of going solo for six hours on a really rugged trail, Dan’s team decided to call it a day early and go have a beer and a calzone instead.
However, that was not the case for Jeff’s team, the returning two-person defending champion from 2016 and 2015. The two of them put their heads down and cranked on the pedals throughout the entire 8-hour time allotment until the final bell rang at midnight, racking up over 100 miles between the two of them. When the dust settled, they found themselves in first place again by one lap, completing 22 laps overall (the most of any other team or solo rider for the day).
Dan’s focus now is on putting in some solid training leading up to Ore to Shore, while Jeff sets his sights on the Iceman Cometh Challenge. Congrats to both WSI Cycling riders for their great showing, even if one did involve an early adult beverage and inside-out pizza!