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82 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, August 3, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 25, 2004 Brad Earl is the points leader in the 40-49-year-old Expert Division going into the final of the seven-race series today in Falls City. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Earl looks to stay ahead of pack He tries to secure a championship in final race of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association mountain bike series By FRANK SILOW Mail Tribune Brad Earl isn’t the prototypical mountain biker. At 5-foot-10, 173 pounds, Earl’s build defies the more slender physiques of other successful riders. But just as Lance Armstrong is closing in on a Tour de France victory, Earl will also try to secure a championship today — that of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association mountain bike series. Earl, coming off a victory at the state championship race last week in Oakridge, is the points leader in the 40-49-year-old Expert Division going into the final of the seven-race series. Advertisement Today’s race of 17½ miles at Falls City, west of Corvallis, is one of the shorter distances on the circuit, but the challenge will be biking about 4,000-feet in total elevation over five laps. "I’m going up there to take it," says Earl. "The biggest thing to worry me is mechanical problems. If I broke down it could cost me the title. I’ve got to at least get third." Earl’s closest competitor is David Hill of Dallas. "I’ve had pretty good luck to stay ahead of (Hill) this year," says Earl. "So I have to do it one more time." Competing on mountain bikes is a new experience for Earl. The 40-year-old credit and finance director at Bear Creek Corporation took up cycling in his mid-teens and participated in road races for about 15 years. He stopped riding in his early 30’s to begin trail running. But an injury halted that. "One day I rolled an ankle and tore a bunch of ligaments," says Earl. "I was told it would be a chronic problem if I continued running." He started back by using his bike on a stationary trainer. This rekindled his desire to ride. In 2000, he entered the Mount Ashland Hill Climb, but was discouraged with his performance. He attempted the hill climb again in 2003 with better results. That year he stayed with the lead pack until near the end, finishing sixth. This winter, Earl trained locally with English rider Ian Patterson, who raced mountain bikes in France. "I realized I could hang with him, so I thought I could ride the mountain bikes for kicks," says Earl, who’s married and has a 12-year-old daughter. "So out of the blue I decided to do the Oregon mountain bike series. I still consider myself more of a roadie than mountain biker. It’s been fun to blend both." Earl began a 10-12-hour-a-week practice regimen back in the fall. Some of his training partners include Cycle Analysis team members Glenn Gann, Richard Hogan and Craig Lyle. He varies his weekly training from group rides to tempo riding to climbing to dirt rides. He participates in the Southern Oregon Thursday Night series at the dragstrip in White City. Earl finished second overall in the first series this summer and presently leads the second. "He’s actually pretty gifted," says Ed Garfield, promoter of the Thursday Night series who has known Earl since grade school. "He’s taken to mountain biking more as therapy." Garfield adds: "He does not look like a typical mountain biker. He’s a bigger guy. He’s just so powerful and strong. Sometimes raw power and enthusiasm can carry you. He has that competitive edge to him." Gann, one of the top local sprinters, is impressed with Earl’s success at mountain riding. Gann can attest to Earl’s stringent training, which he attributes to helping with the positive results. "He has a thicker body build than a climber," says Gann. "It’s not all uphill, so when he’s going down on the flats his strength-weight ratio swings the other way. Sometimes when you’re hurting, it comes down to mental determination. He’s a hard one to leave behind." Earl wasn’t sure how successful he would be when he decided to enter the series, since most of his experience had been in road racing. "It’s a different sport for me," explains Earl. "The biggest thing is trying to stay upright. You’re pushing it to the limit, dealing with rough terrain and steep downhill descents. "In road riding you can draft and work together as a team," adds Earl. "In mountain biking you’re hanging out yourself." The first event of the series gave him a good indication he belonged. He led much of the race, but tired on the last lap to finish second. He continued to finish up in the pack in subsequent races but could not breakthrough with a victory until the state championship. "After the state championship, the reality set in I could win it all," says the 1981 Medford High graduate. "At first I was the one doing the chasing. Now I’m the one being chased." Hogan, 35, who’s the leading OBRA best all-around rider in the masters division, says Earl set his goals and was well organized. "He planned out his year and stuck to his training," says Hogan. "He had dedication and the ability to take the pain. You wouldn’t think for his size he could climb that well." Earl admits he never really envisioned himself as a pure mountain racer: "Mountain biking has always been something to get me through the winter or give me some variety." Now it might give him a championship. Reach reporter Frank Silow at 776-4480, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times