May 03, 2012

Dylan at Cohutta 100 - 2012

Race: Cohutta 100
Date: April 28, 2012
Location: Tennessee
Rider: Dylan
Result: 21st (out of of 400+)

Dylan traveled to Ducktown, TN for the opening round of the National Ultra Endurance Series 100 mile races at the Cohutta 100.

This event featured a newly revised course for 2012 with more singletrack and approximately 13,000 feet of climbing.

Dylan was out to avenge a bad crash on the gravel roads at Cohutta in 2011 that left him with cuts to his chin that required stitches.  As usual, Dylan was the youngest racer at the 100 mile event!

He borrowed a rear wheel from Kevin Carter (who finished 3rd at Cohutta) prior to the start and unfortunately it turned into a tough day.

On the front row at the start
 Just after the start, Dylan's chain jumped in between the cassette and spokes and he had to break it to wrestle it out.  Due to the large amount of gravel roads at Cohutta, that meant Dylan would be riding outside the draft of the leaders for nearly 100 miles of gravel fireroad.

Lots of elevation gain in the hills
However, he got the chain out of the jam and soldiered on only to have the same thing happen again at mile 70.  Undeterred, he repaired the problem and finished in a solid 21st place (out of more than 400 riders).
Dylan - Post-Race
You can read the Cyclingnews.com report of the event here (Dylan is the "wunderkind referred to in the report - "What do four Costa Ricans from La Ruta de los Conquistadores, rigid hard-tailed women, The Pfluginator and a rodent, the SiMonster, a Wunderkid, a Ferrari, a refugee, and a US Olympic hopeful all have in common?")  


Dylan also got a mention given his status as the youngest in the field:  "At age 17, the youngest rider was Dylan Johnson (Scott RC Mountain) from McLean, Virginia, who finished 21st 8:16:48. He returned to Cohutta following a brutal crash last year that earned him a trip to the ER.")


- Jeff

1 comment:

  1. This kid is awesome! he rides with my brother up in VA. I met him at his house one day, his dad let me borrow a bike for a day. Great kid, will be one to watch for in the Olympics fo sho!!

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