Mountain bikers to take on Utah's rugged southern terrain
Few events along the slickrock trails, however, compare to 24 Hours of Moab.
The daylong festival of endurance mountain biking attracts thousands of cyclists and their support crews to see who can go the farthest in a 24-hour span.
While many participants join the race as part of the relay team, with one rider taking over for another after each completed lap, the true hard-core mountain bikers sign up for the solo division.
The course is a 5-mile loop around an area called Behind the Rocks, a few miles south of Moab. Featuring 1,360 feet of climbing and descending on each lap, the course is as rugged as can be expected.
It also attracts some of the top mountain bikers and endurance athletes in the world.
Former Olympic mountain biker Tinker Juarez is back to challenge for the solo title — a race he won just a few years ago. He'll be joined by the likes of defending champion Chris Eatough and Josh Tostado.
The event is entering its 14th year and is viewed by many as the ultimate mountain bike race. In fact, the promoter of the race — which also sponsors a nationwide series of 24-hour races — has labeled Moab as the "Galactic Championships" of 24-hour endurance mountain biking.
For most, it's about finishing and having a good, dirty time.
"We're all about racing, respect and revelry," event director Laird Knight said.
Perhaps the most challenging part of the race is the steep technical descent down Nose Dive — a portion of the trail many are forced to take by foot while carrying their bikes. That section of the race becomes even trickier at night when the only visibility available comes from bike- or helmet-mounted lights.
There is a prize purse of more than $40,000 with other prizes added.
And it all starts at noon on Saturday with a LeMans-style start with cyclists sprinting on foot across the desert to a point where their bikes are waiting for them.
From that point, it's all about finding the best lines, staying hydrated and fueled, and enduring 24 hours of suffering.
The top solo riders are expected to complete 14-15 laps of the course, while the best relay teams will log more than 20 laps and 300-plus miles.
E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com
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