This was the grand finale of the Highlands Ranch Race Series mountain bike events. A slightly longer cross country point-to-point course vs. the smaller weeknight circuit courses. The stakes were high for many of the leaders as the series points were very tight in several of the categories.

I shot the start of each category then sprinted across the park to my car to drive to the next location a few miles away and get in position before the racers arrived. During the sprint my brand-new Leadville 100 finisher jacket worked its way free from the bungee straps on my pack and fell silently to the grass without my knowledge. Thankfully, a passer-by shouted at me and I finally heard him and realized why some stranger was yelling at me when I was a man on a mission. Thanks, stranger!!

Full gallery here.

Round two of the HRCA mountain bike race series was a great one. Photographically, it was a blast to shoot. Things were bumpy at first as we had two lightning delays (hazard of an evening race during a Colorado summer), then yet another delay for a 911 call somewhere out on the trail system that was unrelated to the race but blocked the course for some time as fire and paramedics responded. All told, the race was pushed back by an hour.

It was worth the wait, as the dramatic skies added a great dimension to the images.

Full gallery here.

Despite the mountain bike being my vehicle into endurance racing waaay back in 1991, this was my first official shoot of a mountain bike race. I like it. A LOT!

Part of the appeal was that it was on a weeknight, which really made for some cool shooting conditions as the sun dropped lower in the sky. And it didn’t carve a chunk out of my weekend like most races do. The action was fast and furious, and I got in a great workout as usual running all around the trails carrying $$$ camera gear and dodging rattlesnakes along the way. All in a night’s work…

As soon as this race was over, I hopped in the car and drove straight to Leadville. Time for the annual running of the LT100.

Full gallery here.