WINONA LAKE - The 7th annual Northern Indiana Fat & Skinny Tire Festival has come and gone.
Despite rain and clouds throughout the weekend, event organizer Alan Alderfer acknowledged that record numbers came out for Saturday's mountain bike and road races."We couldn't have had a better weekend," Alderfer said. "You just can't control the weather."
The rain may not have slowed down the turn out for Saturday's races, but Sunday's Criterium races around Winona's island did see smaller numbers.
Local product Matt Light, who races for Alderfer Bergen, did compete in the Category 1-2 race, placing ninth.
"You have to adjust the tire pressure, the tread you're running and just hope for good luck," Light said about racing on the wet surface.
The half-mile road around the island may have been slick Sunday, but the trails for the mountain bike races were down right muddy Saturday.
Competing in the Category 1 race, local resident Chad Salla, also of Alderfer Bergen, finished fourth, but had hoped for a better showing.
"I came out to win that race, but after the first lap, I knew I was not going to," Salla said.
Salla finished the 30-mile race in 2:08.21, while the winner, Andy Messer, came in at 2:06.01.
"The conditions were very muddy," Salla said. "I pre-rode the course and I really thought it was going to be relatively fast. But, the first lap ended up way muddier than I thought it was going to be."
Even though he didn't get the finish he wanted, racing in the event is definitely a plus for Salla.
"It's unbelievable," Salla said about racing in the Fat & Skinny. "It's awesome, because a lot of fast racers show up. The midwest is a huge spot for fast racers. It's awesome to have it here, where I can go home and come back to race."
Light is also a fan of being able to sleep in his own bed before competing.
"It's great," Light said. "I don't have to get a hotel or anything. I can just relax and focus on the race."
Along with Salla's and Light's performances, other highlights from the weekend were Nicole Borem's first-place finish in the women's Category 1 race (1:40.08), Isaac Neff placing fifth in the Category 1 mountain bike race (2:09.32), the Alderfer Bergen women taking first through fourth place in the criterium, while Borem placed fifth and Alderfer Bergen's Robin Bauer, Katie Weber and Bri Kovac went one, two, three, respectively, in the road race.
Alderfer estimated over 5,000 people were on hand to watch the races over the weekend, battling the rain.
The rain may have turned some racers away on Sunday, but Alderfer had his guys out there.
"Our team races no matter what," he said.
And those that raced were easy to identify.
"They all cross the finish line with grit and grind on their faces," Alderfer said. "But everybody had a great time."
With the roads closed off for the races, residents around the island were also having a good time with cook outs and cow bells to support the racers.
"People that live on the island have adopted the race," Alderfer said.
As the racers would ride past the various parties, they would all get encouragement, particularly the locals.
"It's 100 percent support," Salla said. "So, you don't only have to do well for yourself, but also for everyone out there. It makes you want to work harder."
A listing of the top three, and local results, are listed below.
CRITERIUM: Men's Category 1/2 - 1. John Puffer (Texas Roadhouse), 2. Mike Sherer (Verizon), 3. John Eisinger (Legacy Energy), 9. Matt Light (Alderfer Bergen); Men's 3/4 - 1. Cody Harley (Sustainable), 2. Blake Voges (Sustainable), 3. Andrew Kramer (The Hub), 24. John Ryan (Alderfer Bergen), 28. Dave Wagoner (Alderfer Bergen), 30. Baxter Burnworth (Alderfer Bergen), 37. Matthew Johnson (Alderfer Bergen); Women 1/2/3 - 1. Robin Bauer (Alderfer Bergen), 2. Niki Dallaire (Alderfer Bergen), 3. Bri Kovac (Alderfer Bergen), 4. Lauren Half (Alderfer Bergen), 5. Nicole Borem (DRT); Master 40+ - 1. Curtis Tolson (Texas Roadhouse), 2. Tom Cox (Alderfer Bergen), 3. Mike McShane (Papa Johns), 12. Troy Turley (Alderfer Bergen); Junior 13/14 - 5. Josh Wogoman (Alderfer Bergen), 7. Alexi Demopoulos (Alderfer Bergen)
MOUNTAIN BIKE: Women's Category 1 - 1. Nicole Borem (DRT) 1:40.08; Men's Category 1 - 1. Andy Messer (DRT) 2:06.01, 2. Matt Battin (Bicycle Station) 2:06.15, 3. Don Galligher (DRT/Revolution) 2:08.21, 4. Chad Salla (Alderfer Bergen) 2:08.41, 5. Isaac Neff (Alderfer Bergen) 2:09.32, 18. David Wagoner (Aldefer Bergen) 2:19.24, 19. Matt Johnson (Alderfer Bergen) 2:20.09, 21. Matt Light (Alderfer Bergen) 2:21.17; Men's Category 2 - 1. Steve Harpster (Matthews Bicycles) 1:31:46, 2. Jason Owen (Joes Cycles) 1:31:51, 3. Rick Doornbos (Voodoo Cycles/Billys Bike Shop) 1:32:35, 9. Shane Nalley (Alderfer Bergen) 1:36:46, 19. Greg Kitchens 1:40:12, 22. John Bakehorn 1:41:12, 33. Tracy Bartow 1:43:17, 50. Kyle Bohnenkamper (Hammerhead) 1:51:40, 63. Alexi Demopoulos (KCV/Alderfer Bergen) 2:00:50; Men's Category 3 - 1. Dustin Sitterding 48:56, 2. Tim Metzger 49:01, 3. David Logsdon 49:10, 24. Randy Groves (Team Chart Toppers) 55:48, 26. Micah Metzger (Metzger Trucking) 55:58, 49. Rod Wildman (Bavaro Projects) 1:02:12; Intro - 10. Josh Wogoman 1:17.34; Category 3 Junior - 1. Haley Gavin (Red Zone) 49:58, 2. Zac Erba 52:40, 3. Christian Ramsey (Schellers) 54:56, 12. Matt Wildman (Bavaro) 1:08.06; Clydesdale - 1. Drew Ott (Matthews) 55:53, 2. Dennis Hall (Team Chart Toppers) 58:42, 3. Joe Wood 59:08
ROAD RACE: Women 1/2/3 - 1. Robin Bauer (Alderfer Bergen), 2. Katie Weber (Alderfer Bergen), 3. Bri Kovac (Alderfer Bergen); Junior 10-12 - 1. Isaac Running; Men's Category 1/2 - 1. Chris Uberti (Panther/Competitve), 2. Will Nowak (Verizon), 3. Erik Hamilton (Nuvo Cultural Trail); Men's Categroy 3 - 1. Scott Rosenfield (ISCorp), 2. Baxter Burnworth (Alderfer Bergen), 3. Ansel Douglas (Pro Form), 13. Cliff Kugler (Hammer Head), 24. Jeffrey Noffsinger (Teton Orthopaedics); Master 40+ - 1. Gary Painter (Ft. Wayne Outfitters), 2. Todd Andersen (Men of Steel), 3. Bill Plunkett (Pro-Form), 8. Troy Turley (Alderfer Bergen)
KIDS RACES: 4-6 - 1. Eli Demopoulos, 2. Paul Haley, 3. Wil Huskins; 7-9 - 1. Nate Little, 2. Bazil Furry, 3. (tie) Seth Snyder, Megan Metzger; 10-12 - 1. Luke Johnson, 2. Matt Wildman, 3. Dan Furry
