LOTOJA Classic Bike Race

Claiming to be the longest 1 day USCF sanctioned road race in the U.S., the LOTOJA Classic got off on a great start on Sept. 10, 2005. However, not long after the race began, the storm clouds rolled in and the rain and snow began to fall. Since I didn't get to race this year in LOTOJA, my brother and I went and volunteered with the race. For those unfamiliar, the LOTOJA Classic is a race that begins in Logan, UT, and ends in Jackson Hole, WY. In the process of the race course, the racers ride in three states: Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming.

For the last 4 or so races, the course actually ended in Swan Valley, ID, and never made it into Wyoming. This was due to road construction in the Snake River Canyon going up to Jackson. As such, the race was roughly 184 miles long on those years.

This year, the road construction was completed in time for the race course to end in Jackson, effectively increasing the total distance to 204 miles long. That's right, 204 miles in one day, on a bike. This year, the snow pelted the ill-prepared riders. So much so, that they ended up bussing approximately 4 buss loads of riders down Strawberry Canyon. Many riders began experiencing the early stages of hypothermia. Though 1,000 riders registered to race, approximately 700 actually showed up to race (presumably because of the weather forecasts). At nightfall, approximately only 360 riders had crossed the finish line.

This year, given the conditions and elements, the race tested the true ability of the riders. But, had the riders been more prepared, hypothermia wouldn't have been as much an issue. Even this Performance Gore Windstopper Shellwould have done wonders in keeping the riders warm.