Pikes Peak APEX Stage Race Recap!

Pikes Peak APEX was one of the most unique and well-run events I have done. With the most stacked field of the entire season, varied stages, and a convenient location, the race made for quite the spectacle and challenge. As a bonus, I could ride to ¾ of the stages from school!

I entered the race off the back of my block 1 exam the day before. Thursday morning, I woke up not feeling mentally ready to race. I was simply lethargic and my mind was in the post-exam-let-down phase when once simply wants to shut down and just reset. While all athletes like to sound as if they are always 100% motivated and ready, that is quite honestly not the case internally. Thursday was one of those days. While I tapered physically into the race, I had just reached my peak mental load, and any type of stress on your body and mind is just that: stress. Nevertheless, I committed to the race because I knew that once I got into it, I would be 100%, even if it took a day. I am so glad I did! I ended up 13th on GC overall and 2nd in the U23 category and had an amazing adventure that helped reset my mind after a hard block at school!

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Stage 1 - Palmer Park time trial

Stage 1 TT (photo: Elevation Wheel Company)

A true spaghetti-bowl course. Needed all the navigation warnings I could get from my Hammerhead!

Stage 1 was a 11.5-mile time trial in Palmer Park, which is just a 10 minute ride from campus. The course was the ultimate test of skills and navigation. It was a true spaghetti bowl. Despite pre-riding the course the day before, I could not remember which section I was on at a given time. Because of this, I had the route on my Hammerhead computer so I could see any sharp turns coming up. Really, the entire course was about cornering and weird rock moves. Palmer Park is a unique venue because of the rock formations (one section is even nicknamed “Little Moab”) and the deep sand. I was kept on my toes from the first minute to the last. Overall, I did not feel like I pushed myself to how I could have if I had been 100% mentally. I ended up about 2-minutes down on the time I was hoping for. The course, however, was fun, challenging, and got my mind in race mode for the next 3 days. That is what mattered most to me at the end.

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Stage 2 - Monument

Stage 2 took place in Monument and the Mt. Herman trails (photo: Elevation Wheel Company)

I was very excited going into stage 2 considering the extended length and because it was on trails I had never ridden. As it turns out, the course was one of 2 halves. The neutral start took us to an hour-long dirt road climb at about 4%. The pace gradually ramped up and I had to let the lead group go with Keegan driving the pace up front. I quickly formed a group with 3 other guys and we suffered our way to the top (I set an altitude 20-minute power PR). I hung on for the next few shorter climbs until I finally had nothing in my legs to stick with them. While I was expecting a lot of singletrack, there was only one 5-mile section in the first 30 miles. However, that did not mean it was easy. The rolling hills and loose gravel descents made the riding challenging physically and mentally. The first 30 miles would be great on a gravel bike. The last 7? I wanted an enduro bike. The descent was very chunky and riding it blind meant I had to make the decision a few times to hop off heading into a few short, steep, unrideable rock garden climbs in the middle of the descent. I managed to ping-pong my way down, but not as fast as I wanted. Still, I made up a few spots on GC to 16th and was happy with my performance. I also was very happy with how my fueling strategy was becoming so reliable. Now that I am using Neversecond products, I found I was able to take in more carbs per hour and keep track of intake given their 30g carb increment products, instead of lower carb gels that most companies make. They went down easy and my commitment to fueling early and often paid off at the end and in the next few days! This is very key to stage racing, and it is something that I know can make or break a race. 

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Stage 3 - Gold Camp/Jones Park

Stage 3 - head down and suffering. (photo: Kathy Waite)

An extremely unique profile with two finish lines: one at the top of the climb, and one at the actual finish.

​The Gold Camp/Jones Park stage was also one of 2 parts: about 25 miles of continuous climbing and then 11 miles of descending. I had great positioning in the first bottleneck section which meant I was in the lead group up part of Gold Camp road and the pace felt easy until Keegan flatted and Riley attacked (no respect from the youngsters, eh?). I then found my group of 5, which then became 4. While Jack, my closest competitor, and I tried to drop the others, Cody (Jack’s coach) kept dragging them back. I worked some mind games on Miles, one of the other racers. He was complaining about the pace and making lots of suffering noises, which I took to be him bluffing. He would not pull through. Given the shallow gradient (3%), drafting was a slight advantage. I finally guilted him into pulling through and noticed by the pace and his body language that he truly was on his limit. Soon after, Jack and I left the other two behind. While Jack gapped me a bit, I clawed my way back, only for him to drop me again once we hit the final steeper section. The race then became a solo downhill TT on some washed out trails. I pushed the pace just to my limit, trying to factor in the time lost in potential crashes and came away with a 12th place and moved up 2 more spots on GC. I was genuinely tired of descending by the end. 

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Stage 4 - Cheyenne Cañon

Those were some tasty descents on stage 4! (photo: Elevation Wheel Company)

Stage 4 was short at 19.5 miles. With the same neutral start and bottleneck, I charged to the front at the start and made sure that when the flag dropped, I was ready. I was not. As it turns out, people were very excited to race that day and as soon as the neutral ended, it was XC-race pace. I still kept up toward the front and ended up in a group with a few others. I could see the closest person ahead of me on GC (also a U23), dangling about 30 seconds behind me as my group buried ourselves on High Drive. I dangled about 10 feet behind the first 2 but committed to staying with them even if it meant going a bit over my limit. The guy 30 seconds behind stayed in no man’s land the rest of the race. When we hit the first descent, I pushed it a bit but eventually lost the front guy on the next rolling section, and the closest guy behind me gapped me. I gunned it the rest of the final climb and while I couldn't see him on the winding course, I was confident I had enough time in hand to keep GC. The final descent down Captain Jack’s for the 2nd time was terrifying and also fun since I knew It was all downhill to the finish. Captain Jack’s is classic Colorado Springs riding: kitty litter gravel that is not packed down by rain and that leaves you on your limit of traction the whole time. One wrong move and you are done. Sadly, Alex Howes crashed on this descent the first lap when he was just up the trail from us and broke two fingers. I made it down safely and ended up moving up 1 spot to 13th on GC and 2nd U23. I enjoyed a nice cool down chat with Lachlan Morton, which was a highlight of the day.

Post-race chat with Lachlan! (photo: Kathy Waite)

​Overall, I came away from the race proud of my constant improvement. If I am to be honest, I am tired both mentally and physically at the end of a long season, so I am happy with how I pushed myself and kept moving up the ranks each day. I also felt like I made major improvements in tactics -- letting myself get dropped when I knew that following would lead to my blowing up and because I could come back later when the other person cracked, using mental tactics to figure out how other competitors are feeling, and also just staying relaxed. It was a great 4 days, and a great way to spend the block break! My biggest regret was not racing the pro category as I could have won $450, but hindsight is 2020! 

The race was very well-run, down to having ample drinking water at every start and finish and a bike wash station at each stage. I have never done a race with stages that were so unique in profile and terrain, so it made for a fun few days. I can’t wait to go back next year!

While I am still uncertain about marathon nationals given how late it is in the season and that it may affect next season’s prep, I am planning a big adventure/personal challenge that may take its place! 


Thank you to Elevation Wheel Company and Kathy Waite for the great photos! Elevation is based here in the Springs and makes great custom wheels and offers top-notch service!