Week 11: HAPPY FALL, Y’ALL!
THANK YOU!!!
Hi Driftless! Another great race weekend in the books. A huge thank you to all our coaches who helped facilitate the weekend for our riders. Without our coach volunteers none of this could happen. A second thank you to parents for bringing your student athlete(s) to have fun racing. A third thank you to everyone who brought or contributed supplies, tools, consumables, etc.! And finally, a truly epically sized thank you to each and every one of our riders for bringing great attitudes, good sportsmanship, and a willingness to give your all in your races. Basically, thank you for bringing your best selves.
Upcoming Event Weekend: Englewood Farm in Fall River (9/23-9/24)
First and foremost, please read the EVENT GUIDE from the league for our race at Englewood Farm. There are several venue-specific rules for this event, including a NO PETS policy for the entire weekend. The race takes place on a working cattle farm, so it is certainly a unique venue! Please read the rules and be prepared!
RIDERS! Please bring any supplies you need for racing. Plan your race day nutrition ahead of time. If you need a gel or a gummi block, then please plan to bring what you need. If you need Chargel, the team will have cases of it that you are welcome to use. Please also have a plan for lunch on pre-ride day, as food carts are typically not there on Saturdays.
CALLING ALL COACHES! Please sign up to help out when/where you can with our teams’ pre-rides, tent organization and warm-ups/staging. Everyone’s help on both Saturday and Sunday is very much appreciated!!
CALLING ALL DRIFTLESS FAMILIES! Driftless MTB are some of the teams hosting this weekend’s events! That means The WISCONSIN LEAGUE truly needs our help! Please sign up here! No bikes or experience needed! Click here to electronically sign a ONE TIME use waiver for Volunteers under the age of 18. Must be completed by Parent or Guardian. Click here to electronically sign a ONE TIME use waiver for Volunteers 18 and over (this is only if you are not a registered coach with NICA for 2023).
We are also in need of healthy snacks & supplies during event weekends; if you’re attending and able to contribute, please sign up here!
This venue is closer to home (no lodging needed!) It’s easily drivable and a super fun course! If you’re still on the fence and haven’t experienced an NICA event weekend, we absolutely encourage you to check out a Saturday pre-ride at minimum. Adventure games are planned for the late afternoon/early evening. Whether you race or not, check it out and support your teammates and all the riders! You’ll be thankful you did!
SCHEDULE for the weekend
The link to our team race-day schedule can be found here! Please note we will not have the athlete placement information available until Thursday — you’ll know this sheet has been updated once the names are no longer grayed-out. Please also note that sometimes minor changes are made even after Thursday. So, you’ll get the most up-to-date, accurate info from using the link as opposed to printing a day or two prior to the race. Also - make certain you’re on the tab for ENGLEWOOD FARM and not a previous race!
The Wisconsin League event guide is another good resource for venue-specific event info.
ADRENALINE ALONE WON’T DO THE TRICK
***Eat & hydrate well both Saturday & Sunday (& for practices too!)*** Eat…Get fluids…Be happy!
BEYOND ENGLEWOOD — UPCOMING NICA EVENT WEEKENDS:
Nordic Mountain (Wild Rose, WI) 10/7-10/8
This one is a bit farther from home, but what a gorgeous location and worth the drive! Camp! Find lodging! See some fall colors and join the fun!
If you plan to camp, remember the deadline to book your camping is by END OF THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY September 27.
Trek Trails (Waterloo, WI) 10/21-10/22
Located at Trek Headquarters in Waterloo, this venue is absolutely drivable! This is the Event Weekend of ALL Event Weekends! The trails are phenomenal, and there is SO much fun to be had, including a Saturday night Dance Party. Good Stuff. Check it out!
CYCLOCROSS (NON-NICA) FUN!
Our friends from the Trek Midwest Team are hosting a Cyclocross Try-it-Out event at Trek headquarters in Waterloo on Thursday, Sept. 28! This is an AWESOME opportunity to check out a different cycling discipline with some of the best riders in the state (and the country!) - you must PRE-REGISTER for this event, and spots are available on a first come, first-served basis. Click here to reserve a free spot in the clinic.
Experience a world cup event! October 13-15 Trek hosts a Cyclocross World Cup @ Waterloo. This event is free for spectators and welcomes many of the top professional races from around the world to WI for a UCI world cup event! It is super cool and fun. The Legends races are especially fun because many riders wear costumes. Adults not in the know; the Secret Bar is on-trail and is a bumpin’ party! Click here for more info!
OTHER NEWS & REMINDERS
BLACKHAWK TRAIL WORK
Blackhawk is holding their Fall Trail Work Day Saturday, Sept 30th, from 9am - 1pm. This is *not* a NICA event, but it sure would be awesome for us to give back by showing up to lend a helping hand. Grab some gloves, some tools, some bug spray & hydration…throw on some Driftless swag and let’s get to work in the dirt!
Gully Jumpline (also at Blackhawk) needs some TLC - we’re told it’s a bit rough these days. If we can put together a few volunteers willing to give 30 minutes/week, we can fix it up and keep it in good shape. Maybe a weekly pre-ride 30-minute trail work session?? Please reach out to Coach Chris if you’re able to help! (612) 419-3222 (Thanks for organizing, Coach Chris!)
END-OF-YEAR PARTY
Save the date! Thursday, November 2!
RAFFLE TICKETS
Get yours before it’s too late!
TEAM DIRECTORS & HEAD COACHES: 2024
We are looking for some awesome folks to step up for the 2024 season! We are in need of a Team Director for Middleton MTB and also for Mt. Horeb MTB. We are also looking for a Head Coach for Mt. Horeb. These positions can be solo or a duo team effort. The Team Director spot does NOT require any biking ability, as this is more of an organizational position. Please let your current Team Director/Head Coach know if you’re interested in learning what each position entails. Thank you for considering!
