By Ray Adams

For many years, there has been a mountain bike race at French Creek. The course has changed from year to year, longer or shorter, muddier or dryer. This time around, the course was a 12-mile loop featuring 1700 feet of climbing per lap, lots of sharp-edged rocks, and several hair-raising descents.

The Friday prior to the race saw two inches of rain falling over Central Pa., but this did not seem to affect the course too much. There were slick roots and wet rocks, but not too many muddy spots on the already difficult terrain. The Elite Men and Women would race two laps for a total of around 23 miles, while endurance competitors would complete as many laps as possible during a five-hour allotted time period.

Mike Hebe and Mike Kuhn would be the first to begin the day's racing as they both entered the endurance contest. visitPA.com was looking very strong as the two sat in 1st and 2nd places, respectively, after several laps.

Then the Pro Men's and Women's cross country races began, featuring higher speeds, larger fields, and large cash awards for the top finishers. visitPA.com's Wes Schempf and Ryan Leech surged to the front of the field as the race began, with Rob Lichtenwalner, Mike Yozell, and Ray Adams not far behind. After 40 minutes or so, the leaders were whittled down to Wes and a few others, with Wes riding comfortably in 2nd or 3rd place. Biding his time carefully, Wes waited for the right moment to pounce, then made a surge and left his competition in the wake. He rode in alone for the win, defeating many of the strongest in the Mid-Atlantic region. Lichtenwalner would be the next to arrive in the visitPA.com colors (5th), with Ryan Leech scoring 8th and Yozell and Adams finishing inside the top 20.

In the Elite Women's race, Nancy Adams rode strong to finish 3rd, convincingly passing three of her competitors in the second and final lap.

The endurance race was the first to begin and the last to end. visitPA.com's Mike Hebe rode from wire to wire to take the win in this all-day adventure. Mike Kuhn held his position for a 2nd place finish—both impressive achievements in this grueling challenge of mind and body.

The team's Pa.-built Cannondale bikes were awesome for the rocky, technical terrain of French Creek State Park, which, by the way, is an awesome place to spend an afternoon on your bike!

Big thanks to our sponsors:

• visitPA.com
• Cannondale Bicycles
• SRAM Bicycle Components
• Northwave footwear
• Rudy Project helmets and glasses
• Cadence Cycling and Multisport Centers

Please support our charity:

• The Blue Bluterfly Fund