Bill Wins 6th Place In 24 Hour Solo Mt Bike Race!

It should have been 24 hours of dust! This is a night shot from when Niko and I (Paul) went up to the race at 3:40 am. No one had even rode through for a few minutes. Bill later reported that the whole course he could see low lying dust clouds.
Same shot but without the flash. Dawn was fast approaching. We were up there between 3:45 and 5:45 am. During that time we went on a road trip to find Bill some cantaloupe because he found this worked best for him but he had run out. There isn't much open in Canmore so all we got was some peach cups which seemed to do the trick. Bill was holding his own but it was painful and difficult.
At about 11:40 Bill came in on his last lap. He did not need to do another one because he had secured 6th place and 5th place was not a possibility.
Bill resting minutes after coming in. He was in great shape overall and his bike never needed repair the entire race! Keep in mind this was a rugged course and one that most of the solo riders claimed to be the toughest they had ridden. Bill later said he never felt sleepy. (This is despite passing out 3 times on the trail to find himself on the ground). He thought it was so technical that it kept him alert the entire time. He never experienced that in past races.
Bill with Pit Crew. This is a solo rider race but really still a team sport. The pit crew is essential and kept Bill running both physically and mentally. None of them slept the entire night. From the left, Bob Wagner (www.TripleRingProductions.com) - he is a former 24 hour soloist and now promotes endurance mountain biking in Butte, MT with his Butte 100 race (Bill won this race the last two years), Rich and Sten - both racers and part of the team Bill rides for, Bill covered with dust (I estimate about 1 cm thick). These are true friends and amazing people.
Bill's bike - frame donated by the Red Barn bikes out of Hamilton, MT.
Niko with the crew.
Final results for Bill: 17 laps, 180+ miles, 29,000+ vertical feet of climbing! All done nonstop other than moments at the pit tent and passing out three times on the bike. Did I mention that there were Grizzly bears in the woods and special dogs out in the woods to try to keep them away from the area - seriously. At one race in CA last year a girl actually died as a result of a grizzly encounter while out on her bike so I think they worked very hard to do everything possible to be extra safe. Not a bad idea.

Bill is an inspiration to us. He has done this through intense and persistent preparation. His passion for what he does is amazing. I had a hard time holding back tears of joy when reporting Bill's results to Lucy. Niko looks up to Bill's efforts and dedication with amazement.