Extra, Extra read all about it! Brandon Manske breaks Charly Tri's stranglehold on the Ragnarok and wins in a three person sprint! Tim Ek took a strong 2nd place, with Joe Meiser grabbing the remaining podium spot. All three finished with the same time of 6 hours and 40 minutes. That's an average speed of 16.7 mph over the 111 miles!
In the King of the Mountain competition Tim Ek, by virtue of being in the top 2 on every climb and winning 3 sprints to the "peak" wins with a total of 30 points (out of a possible 36). Joe Meiser was right behind with 25 points of his own. The always punchy Larry Sauber finished in a solid third place with 11 points.
Mara Larson took home another top Women's trophy with a time of 9 hours and 22 minutes on her trusty singlespeed. Kelly MacWilliams just over ten hours to take home second. Leah Gruhn came in just as we were about to call it an event to grab 3rd place.
Brad and Kelly Skillicorn grabbed the top tandem prize after being in the saddles for 8 hours and 17 minutes.
Thanks to our sponsors for providing support and some swag:
Wheelhouse Cycles - Andrew is a solid guy and has provided us with support while we are out on recon trips, helps with organizational things, hosted Friday night registration, and has a few real fancy road and cross machines at his shop. When you're in town stop by to grab a Gu or tube or one of his 10,000 pairs of biking gloves. Tell him the Ragnarok sent ya....
Cars-R-Coffins - Great people, strong riders, great fun. Thanks for another year of bringing down some awesome swag to be enjoyed by some weary racers.
Banjo Brothers - Makers of handy, dandy, reliable bags for your bike (and life). They stepped up with a nice selection of saddle bags and roll-up messenger bags. Don't get caught out in the hinterlands without one!
Salsa Cycles - Makers, designers, and riders of awesome bikes. Many a rider was on a Salsa this year as it seems that they just keep dialing in to what a long day in the saddle on rough roads requires.
Hed Wheels - Another year and another AMAZING wheelset given away. I think next year I am going to race just to see if I can somehow win these things! A big thanks to Hed! If you are looking for a light, fast-rolling, durable wheelset, you can't do much better than a Hed!
Also, thanks to Mississippi National Golf Course for hosting the start and finish. We went in not knowing what to expect, and while the bathrooms were locked in the morning, the course apologizes and it sounds like they want us to be back. The location can't be beat for access to the gravel, and they are some good people. Huge thanks to all for keeping the parking lot clean. I did a walk through when everyone was gone and I think it was cleaner after the race than before.
Most of all - Thanks to all the riders. You guys and gals are truly why we keep on coming back for another year. Hopefully we can find a few more hidden gem roads like the Zumbro Bottoms and "Heath's Hill"....
Preliminary calendars say that Ragnarok 5.0 will be on April 14th (Saturday after Easter). Details will follow as we know more.
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