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This 40 mile, mass start, point-to-point off-road bicycle event travels from downtown Hayward, WI, over the famed American Birkebeiner Ski Trail, forest roads, snowmobile trails and other wooded lanes to the finish line in Cable, WI. This year 1700 participants took part in this legendary fat tire marathon.
Winning the Chequamegon 40 is no easy task. But winning it on a single speed bicycle is unthinkable. That is until Jesse Lalonde powered his way up the last hard climbs in the closing miles and descended down into Telemark Resort alone in the lead, holding off former champions Brian Matter and Steve Tilford.
Lalonde rode a 36/16 gear on a rigid 29er, becoming the first rider to win the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival on a single speed. "It was only a matter of time," Lalonde said about his single speed win. Marko Lalonde, Jesse's younger brother and teammate, finished fourth, also on a single speed. Their extraordinary rides in the 25th annual Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival demonstrate just how competitive a rider can be with just one gear.
In the women's race, Susan Haywood looked set to win her second Chequamegon 40 when she pulled away on the Seeley Firetower Hill, building a gap of 30 seconds. She faded in the closing miles, however, getting caught and passed by Jenna Zander. Lea Davison also tagged onto the pair with about 1500 feet to go in the race, but ended up in third.
A hard and fast course kept the field bunched together the entire race. "It was a super strategic race," said Travis Brown who rode a cyclocross bike. "It would string out, then regroup, like a road race."
According to Matter, who won the race in 2004, the course was "really fast", which allowed a group of a dozen riders to stick together until Lalonde made his decisive move. "I should have been sitting on Jesse's wheel. He was the guy to beat."
The women's race was also close, with the top three finishing within 15 seconds of each other.
CHEQUAMEGON RESULTS
1. Jesse Lalonde...Gary Fisher 29-BKB...2:11:49.7
2. Brian Matter...PCW Cycling...2:11:57.0
3. Steve Tilford...HRRC-Trek...2:12:02.7
4. Marko Lalonde...Gary Fisher 29-BKB...2:12:04.2
5. Jeff Hall...Salsa...2:12:06.6
6. Travis Brown...Trek-VW...2:12:22.3
7. Cole House...Endeavor Cycles...2:12:27.7
8. Ian Stanford...A&F Pro Development...2:12:33.5
9. Mike Phillips...Alterra-Specialized...2:12:39.0
10. Chris Peariso...2:12:42.9
WOMEN
1. Jenna Zander...Bear Naked-Cannondale...2:26:01.5
2. Susan Haywood...Trek-VW...2:26:09.6
3. Lea Davison...Trek-VW...2:26:13.9
4. Kyia Malenkovich...Headmethod-Cannondale...2:28:03.0
5. Sara Kylander-Johnson...Trek-VW...2:29:00.6