More than 500 racers gathered at the Deep Lake Campground in Middleville on Sunday, April 19, for the 20th Anniversary Yankee Springs Time Trial. The event, which traditionally begins the mountain bike racing season in Michigan, draws riders from across the state and serves as a fundraiser for the Western Michigan Chapter of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association (MMBA). It’s also the first race in the MMBA Championship Point Series.
Michigan’s weather can be unpredictable at this time of year, and race day was no exception, with temperatures in the 50s and a steady drizzle after being 70 and sunny the previous day. While the wet conditions tempered the sandy sections, they also added a wrinkle in the form of slick roots and rocks.
Still, the rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the racers as they lined up to start. Elite racers started one at a time at 10 a.m. with experts not far behind. The Elites and Experts rode two laps, while all other classes completed one lap.
The top three Elite finishers were Niel Scharphorn, Derek Graham and Stu Alp, with times of 1:29:22, 1:30:28 and 1:31:21, respectively. Expert Women racers were led by Erin Disterheft, with a time of 1:45:59. Local endurance racer Danielle Musto gave Disterheft a run for her money with a 1:46:31 finish. Rounding out the podium was Susan Stephens at 1:49:11.
Podium spots in the Expert Men 30-39 category were filled by Scott Chambers, Dan Korienek and Chris Pawielski. The top three Expert Men 40-49 racers were Jeff Wittbrodt, Terry Sensiba and Patrick Russell. Expert 50 & Over racers Ray Fulkerson, James P. Martin and “Mr. Kisscross” Rick Plite took first, second and third, respectively.
Eager to the see the results of the winter’s training, the next group of racers left two at a time beginning at noon. Sport Men were followed by Single Speed, Sport Women, Beginners and Tandem, who all completed one lap of the course. The fastest time in Sport Men went to David Yapp in the Sport Men 19-29 category, whose time was 51:04. Kim Thomas in Sport Women 30-39 finished with a time of 1:00:14. The Single Speed Elite/Expert category went to Eric Tompkin, with a time of 48:10 and Single Speed Sport Beginner went to Steve Dale, with a time of 52:10.
The Tandem category was taken by Dan & Brittney Johnson, with a time of 1:02:40. Beginner racers were led by Ben Vanhoose in Beginner Men 19-29, with a time of 55:03 and Beginner Women 30+ racer Joni Sommerville, who finished in 1:10:19.
An abbreviated Kid’s Race was held on a special course with kid-specific prizes. Racers also had a chance to get creative with the Vintage Race.
Pre-registered racers received a 20th Anniversary pint glass in addition to the normal swag. Chip timing was provided by Gault Race Management and real-time results were available for viewing at computer kiosks near the finish line. Photographers from Fast Photo Pro were also present and race photos will be made available for sale.
Despite the weather, the Yankee Springs Time Trial was a great kickoff to the Michigan mountain bike racing season.
