Eatough, Juarez favorites for world 24-hour title

By Ray Easterling, special to VeloNews.com

Two-time world solo 24-hour champion Chris Eatough will look to defend his title this weekend on the rugged mountains of Silver Star, British Columbia. Among those hot on his heels will be two-time NORBA national solo 24-hour champion Tinker Juarez.

“I think it will be a super-interesting event,” said Brian Lee, marketing coordinator and media liaison for Trilife Sports International, the company organizing the event.

One of the biggest obstacles facing competitors could be the altitude. The rocky 19km course, home to Canada’s National Altitude Training Center, tops out at 6280ft, with more than 1000ft of climbing per lap.

“My strongest point is climbing,” Juarez said. “The harder the course is, the better chance I have of doing well.”

Juarez, 41, and the rest of the solo racers will have their work cut out for them. Not only has a special extension loop been added for solo competitors, but also Silver Star Mountain is notorious for fickle weather.

“Silver Star has had a bit of a history with weather,” Lee said. “There’s been one year … when [if] it wasn’t cold rain, it was snow. I think that will be one of the challenges that will be posed to a lot of the solo riders’ minds.

“Those roots and rocks definitely have a whole new element once you add moisture to them as well.” Lee said.

“I’ve always heard that the weather up there can be really tricky, too, and that could be a hard thing,” Juarez said. “I haven’t done any 24-hour [events] yet with extreme conditions except really good conditions.”

Eatough, though plenty experienced with wet conditions from racing in West Virginia, hasn’t been concentrating on 24-hour events this season.

“The NORBA national series is my focus for the summer,” Eatough said. “If I am strong in the NORBA nationals, that will set me up for the solo world’s.

While Eatough, 27, has been primarily interested in traditional cross-country events, he has still been dabbling in the endurance scene as well, picking up a team win at the 24 Hours of Snowshoe as well as a stage win and sixth place finish in this year’s TransAlp Challenge.

“He wants to defend his jersey,” Juarez said, “but now that it’s going to be in a whole different environment, it’ll be a tough one for him to do.”

Both riders, it seems, are very aware of the other’s progress through the season, as well as their differences in preparation for this title chase.

“Tinker Juarez is devoting himself to endurance events now, so he will be one to watch,” Eatough said. “[Juarez] has built up enormous experience, as well as very deep fitness.”

But, Eatough cautions, there’s a fine balance in the number of endurance events raced in a season.

“Too few endurance races and you lack the staying power and experience, too many and your body and motivation can be toast,” he said. “I think two a year might be ideal.”

“He might have a little advantage,” Juarez said, “but as long as I give myself some time before the Worlds, as long as I don’t do any 24-hour [events] like a week or two weeks before, I think I’ll be okay.”

Curiously, Juarez recently competed in the 24 Hours of Nine Mile in Wisconsin on August 17-18, completing 18 14-mile laps for the win.

“I want to let people know that I’m still one of the best out there,” Juarez said. “I don’t want to just be some kind of memory. I want to still make history in the sport.”

While both Eatough and Juarez will be looking to take the title this weekend, other solo competitors will also try to get their names in the history books.

“It isn’t going to be a walk-away event of any sort,” Lee said. “There are a lot of names that are coming to this event that perhaps people aren’t entirely familiar with but have the potential to make some big surprises.”

While front runners such as Rishi Grewal, winner of the recent Montezuma’s revenge, and Ariel Lindsley from Subaru-Gary Fisher will be there, Lee adds that a couple of Canadian riders might also make some noise. Among them are Tom Zidek of Calgary who took a 24-hour event in Arizona early in the season, and Ryan Draper of Canmore, winner of two 24-hour events this year.

“It will be very interesting to see how Rishi and Tinker and Chris Eatough are going to fend off against each other,” Lee said. “But there are a couple of underdogs that have something to prove.”

So what will it take to win this year’s championship title?

“Good health, sound preparation, huge motivation and a bit of luck,” Eatough said.

“The Worlds’ course is going to be a good test of all of us,” Juarez said.