Lutsen Mountains will be the site of the start and finish of three exciting mountain bike races this Saturday. With all of the rain that we’ve been having this week racers will have to contend with the mud on the trails as well as the difficult, hilly terrain, which will make the events even more interesting for riders and spectators.
Some 1,500 mountain bike enthusiasts will converge on Lutsen Mountains on June 27 to compete in one of three events, a 19-mile, 39-mile and 99-mile race.
Entrants in the 99-mile race will experience about 7,000 feet of climbing. They will pedal on a variety of surfaces, 10 percent pavement, 7 percent single-track trails, 40 percent on ski/snowmobile trails, and 43 percent of the trek will be on Forest Service roads.
Racers in the 39-mile event and 19-mile events will also experience plenty of rolling scenery as they traverse the trails in and around Lutsen Mountains. And if it should rain, the mud will make it all that more interesting and challenging for riders.
Spectators will have a chance to watch riders in the 99er race at Devil Track campground as they come around there twice.
The first races were held in 2011 and the event has grown every year since.
Top riders finish the 19-mile race in about 1:10, while first place in the 39-mile event is around 2:07. Last year’s winner in the 99er crossed the line in 5:51:49.
Sponsored by Lifetime Fitness, the Chanhassen, Minnesota organization brings a lot of expertise and enthusiasm to the event. While quite a few locals participate, most of the elite riders hail from the Midwest and Thunder Bay, Ontario.
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