It took 12 years, but Canmore’s Craig Bartlett finally figured out how to win 24 Hours of Adrenalin.
Bartlett completed 18 laps of the steep course on his single speed bike to win the 19th edition of the biggest race in the Bow Valley on Sunday (July 20) at the Canmore Nordic Centre. It took Bartlett 23:48:30 to complete 315 kilometres, finishing well ahead of his nearest competitor, David Franks, who finished 18 laps in 24:24:15.
“It feels awesome. I’ve never won a 24 Hours (solo) race before. I’ve always finished behind Mr. Leighton Poidevin,” Bartlett said.
This year, with Poidevin in his pit crew, Bartlett raced a very smooth endurance ride, completely free of mechanical trouble, body breakdown or twilight crashes. In years past, physical and emotional low points slowed his progress, but this year he had the mental strength to overcome the pain locker.
“After six or seven laps I was still feeling good. That’s when I knew it would be OK. I never had any low points in the race this year. The night went well, there were no mechanicals. It all worked out.”
No stranger to the local mountain bike scene, Bartlett partnered up with John Firth to win the seven-day TransRockies stage race last year. This year, he put together a strong training plan, kept his nutrition in check on race day and kept his energy and attitude levels high during the dreaded 3 a.m. laps. Remarkably, Bartlett was still fresh and coherent at the finish line.
“(In training), I spent lots of hours on the bike, and on the single speed specifically. I was eating properly on the course. It’s a pretty steep course, so you’re standing a lot, you use your upper body. You can’t just live off gels. You have to eat more than that,” Bartlett said. “The night went well, and that’s hit me before. This year, everything worked out.”
Every year, a handful of insane cyclists ditch their gears and settle on fixed or single speed setups (and one poor rider did the course on a fat bike this year). Bartlett said it was always something he wanted to try, adding another element to what has become a familiar race.
“I really enjoyed it this summer. In all, I’ve done 12 solo 24 Hours races, and (the single speed) was pretty good. It all worked out and the fact I won is pretty cool,” Bartlett said. “I’ve done so many of these. This year I didn’t have a low point and I knew when to fight through. My support crew of Leighton, Alicia Evans and Matt Duggan were fantastic and the boys at The Bicycle Café did a great job.”
Ryan Cardiner finished third in the men’s solo category, clocking 17 laps.
Top female soloist Nadine Mueller struggled to stand at the end of her 17-lap, 24 Hours odyssey, but she crossed the line with the satisfaction of defeating her previous best record of 16 laps to capture her fourth title in a row. The multi-sport athlete has competed at world championships for Xterra triathlon, and 24 Hours of Adrenalin, and will travel to Germany in August to compete at the world trail running championships. Despite her athletic pedigree, she suffered on the Canmore 24 Hours course, where she pushed herself immensely.
“This was probably the hardest one because on my two bikes, I don’t have many small gears. I didn’t have a granny gear, but I still did my extra lap,” Mueller said.
The 35-year-old legal assistant has a rigourous training schedule which powers her success. She gets up at 3:30 a.m. to train every morning before work and is in bed by 8 p.m. The solitude allows her to thrive in endurance sports
“With these events, it’s just yourself. It’s just me. I’ve come a long way developing my mental strength,” Mueller said.
Rain nearly stopped her record-beating attempt, as she was worried the slick rocks and roots would hinder her progress. However, Mueller only had to contend with wet weather for two laps before the course dried out under warm sun.
The petite athlete moved to Canmore with her husband last July, and rode the course 12 times the weekend before the race to familiarize herself with the terrain, memorizing every inch of the “Long Road to Ruin” stretch of track.
Molding herself into a world class athlete has been a long process, but one that’s led to self improvement.
“When I first started 24 Hours races, I was sleeping for seven hours and you didn’t want to be around me. I learned you’ve got to dig deep. Part of me just wanted to go slow, but I can’t live with myself like that,” Mueller said.
She was well supported on her ride with swim coach Don Tremblay as her pit manager, friends Tyler and Craig offering assistance and her husband motivating her along the way.
“My crew pushed me. You get some dark moments out there,” Mueller said.
She’s unsure if she’ll defend her title yet again, as the jump from 17 to 18 laps will be a big challenge.
“Every time, I have to beat it by one. That’s my deal,” Mueller said.
Liza Shatula finished second in the women’s solo race with 12 laps, while Ashley Rynlak was third with 10.
