Left: Hundreds of gravel grinding bicycle riders gathered at the Coast Guard parking lot last Saturday in the fog to take part in the Le Grand Du Nord bike race. Above: Linda Jurek and Dave Eckel both completed the 20-mile bike race. For Linda, it was her first bicycle race while Dave has completed many such events. Staff photos/Brian Larsen
A chilly, foggy morning brightened into a warm sunny day for bike riders in the Saturday, May 25 Le Grand Du Nord long race.
The event had three races of varying lengths, 110 miles, 54 miles, and 20 miles. There was good local participation this year, especially in the shorter races.
For Jim Joynes and his wife Shanie, the defending women’s champion three years running, the results were different for each, but overall, the race was challenging and rewarding.
Jim described the race—and the route—this way.
“The race started in a heavy fog, but we rode out of it as we climbed Bally Creek to The Grade,” said Jim. “From there, the 110-mile course went east, along the north side of Devil Track and up the Pine Mountain Road. We crossed the Gunflint Trail and continued east on the Greenwood Lake Road, to Firebox Road, to Powers Lake Road, and to Tom Lake Road, finally ending up on the Arrowhead Trail.
“We turned north for a couple miles and started back to the west on the Shoe Lake Road. The Shoe Lake Road took us around the north side of Greenwood Lake and back to the Greenwood Lake Road. We basically backtracked from there, up to the Pine Mountain Road, across the north side of Devil Track, Bally Creek, to County Road 7.”
When the race was over, Jim, age 54, had placed seventh overall with a time of 6 hours, 25 minutes and 31 seconds (6:25:31). Ian Hoogendam of Minneapolis was the men’s winner, crossing the finish line in 5:52:32.
Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux, Grand Marais, placed 34th with a time of 7:36:55. Scott Bergstrom, Grand Marais, finished 120th in 9:42:33.
Megan Barr, Minneapolis, was the women’s winner with a time of 7:03:08. Dominique Taylor of Neenah, Wisconsin placed 44th in 7:50:26. Tera Hasbargen, Duluth placed 58th in 8:10:42. Lauren Miller of Two Harbors placed 63rd in 8:19:45; Shanie Joynes finished 70th in 8:29:10; Traci Giefer, Minneapolis, placed 77th in 8:33:54. Johanna Ficatier, Rochester, Minn. placed 104 in 9:14:52; Kate Arford, Saint Paul, finished 117 in 9:41:29; Brook Wheeler of Maple Grove, Minn. finished 119 in 9:42:33 and Trisha Groth, Saint Paul placed 128 in 10:51:15.
As for Jim, he said, “I was happy with my ride. Shanie, who’s been the fastest female in each of the past three years, got held back by a flat tire and gave up her crown. Mayor Jay was in the top 10 for the first 40 miles, but dropped back after multiple flat tires on the rough section of Powers Lake Road.”
58-mile race
Keith Ailey of Thunder Bay was the men’s winner of the 58-mile race with a time of 2:55:29.
Christina Spencer, 40, of Chaska was the women’s winner with a finish time of 3:29:39. She placed 46th overall.
Thomas Wahlstrom, 38, Grand Marais, was the top local finisher, placing 17th in 3:02:09. His wife, April Wahlstrom, age 36, was the top local woman finisher by placing 72nd, with a time of 3:42:26, one place ahead of Lynn Wiitala, Tofte, who crossed the line in 3:45:01.
Other local finishers include John Alt, 64, who finished 27th in 3:09:38. Bill Lane, 64, Tofte, placed 49th in 3:31:39. Tim Lederle, Grand Marais, finished 52nd in 3:32:00 and Max Wahlers, Grand Marais, 57, placed 59th in 3:37:49.
Finishing 88th was Chris O’Brien, 62, Grand Marais, in 3:52:23.
Patrick Johnson of Grand Marais, 41, was 94th in 3:56:21 and Michael Garry, 49, Grand Marais crossed the finish line in 4:12:47 to place 128th. Lutsen’s Molly O’Neill, 35, crossed the finish line 139th in 4:18:42.
Jonathan Hedstrom, Grand Marais, 40, placed 142nd in 4:19:17. Steve Surbaugh, Grand Marais, 47, was the 144th finisher in 4:19:25.
Braidy Powers, 64, Grand Marais, was 161st in 4:30:03 while Hovland’s Cory Pederson, 36, placed 163rd in 4:33:30. Dan Schueller, 42, Grand Marais, finished 164th in 4:33:30.
Anton Moody, 40, Grand Marais, finished 165th in 4:33:48.
All told there were 226 finishers in the race.
20-mile race
James Van Sloun, 53, Minneapolis, placed first in the 20-mile race finishing in 1:24:17.
David Bergstrom, 24, Duluth (formerly of Grand Marais) placed third in 1:24:17, just ahead of his mom, Lee Bergstrom, 58, who was the women’s winner in fourth place with a time of 1:27:05.
Jill Barber, 52, Grand Marais, placed sixth in 1:36:20 with Joey Pederson, 36, taking 15th in 1:50:35. Carly Puch, 27, Grand Marais, was 16th in 1:50:43 and Carolyn VanHandel, 55, Grand Marais, placed 17th in 1:52:41. David Eckel, 60, Grand Marais, placed 24th in 1:58:40 while Mike Roth, 40, finished 34th in 2:06:11. Linda Jurek, 58, Grand Marais, crossed the line in 41st place with a finish time of 2:17:07. Ann Ward, 44, Grand Marais, placed 49th in 2:31:35.
There were 69 finishers in the 20-mile race.
Le Grand Du Nord features three gravel grinding races that are organized by event coordinator Jeremy Kershaw, who heads Heck of the North Productions, Duluth. Assisting with the race are Visit Cook County, Voyageur’s Brewing Company, Tiaga Design, Fika Coffee, and the Fireweed Bike Coop, along with a great many volunteers.
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