2007 Salton Sea Wrap up Email

Thank you for joining us for the first annual Salton Sea Century. The communities of Borrego Springs and Salton City welcomed our event with open arms and we thank them for their support. As with any first year event, we learned many lessons and will improve the ride for next year. We extend our sincere thanks to the volunteers who donated their weekend to help you have a safe and enjoyable ride.

Breezy conditions made for a challenging cycling day in the desert. On Saturday, winds gusted to 18 MPH. Little did we know one day later Santa Ana winds would rage to over 70 MPH and spread brush fires throughout So. Cal. hitting San Diego especially hard. Here in So. Cal. we are routinely reminded by Mother Nature who is really in charge...

Fortunately, after three days of evacuation, the Shadow Tour staff is back up and running with no losses. Our hearts go out to all affected by the fires. We are very proud of the level-headed reaction by our citizens and communities to the many evacuation orders. Over 500,000 citizens made an orderly retreat to designated shelters, friends and family homes and to area hotels. Our brave firefighters, police and first responders kept injury and loss of life and property as low as possible--it could have been much worse!

Below is a recap of the inaugural 2007 Salton Sea Century. As always, we welcome your constructive comments and suggestions.

1. Rider Demographics: The total registered rider count was 354 on Saturday, with 68% male and 32 % female. The average age was just over 51 years.

2. Preferred Routes: Of those who began the ride, most opted for the 72 mile route. Considering the heat, wind, and unfamiliar course, completing 72 miles was, indeed, a worthy acheivement on Saturday, Oct 20, 2007. The next most popular choice was the 52 miler. Once again, riders expended substantial effort given the conditions and should be justifiably proud of their accomplishment. Regardless of distance ridden, all riders were tested in different ways. At Shadow Tour, we believe the nature wildcard should play a role in the overall ride experience. It's what helps make the ride both memorable and worthwhile. It's our hope that sharing this tough ride with family and friends, other riders and even our event volunteers and support staff, helped create a positive experience.

3. Century: Our official count of 42 determined cyclists perservered onward to complete the full century despite the higher heat and windy conditions of the late afternoon. Here is our list of riders who finished the full century. 

Bib #    Name, City, State                               Notes                                                                      

2053    Karen Finkelstein, Carlsbad, CA            5th Consecutive Shadow Tour Full Century Finish     
2054    Courtney Krehbiel, Carlsbad, CA           5th Consecutive Shadow Tour Full Century Finish
261      Andreas Eleftheriou, Ramona, CA         2nd overall to top of Yaqui Summit (way to rock Andreas!)
216     Tim Thornton, Riverside, CA                 5th overall finisher 
162     Robert McKenzie, Riverside, CA             6th overall finisher
219     Kevin McNulty, Ramona, CA
270     Len Shaw, Ramona, CA                     
285     Ken Rogers, Ramona, CA
171     Bruce Hatten, Ramona, CA
182      Nancy Lindler, Las Vegas, NV
281      Dan Mazzella, San Diego, CA
27       Peter Weintraub, Alpine CA
177     Daniel Weintraub, Sacramento, CA
160     Bruce Smith, Alpine, CA
28       Paul Hogan, Chula Vista CA
32       Thomas Monro, La Jolla CA
33       Kathryn Munro, La Jolla CA
54       Beth Reynosa, San Diego CA
60       Stephen Lis, Sunland, CA
67       Matthew Laurence, Escondido, CA
80       Jennifer Evans-Wong, Cardiff, CA
103     David Moser, Valley Center, CA
125     Michael Worthen, Spring Valley, CA
131     Eric Rehberg, San Diego, CA
175     Daneil Eggleston, Apple Valley, CA
192     Sergio Maduena, Indio, CA
252     Gerardo Toledo, La Jolla, CA
170     Ellen Mendoza, San Diego, CA
149     Petra Pagen, Chula Vista, CA
2043   Lorenzo Cervantes, Del Mar, CA
35      Robert Brown, San Marcos, CA
2061   Loraine Wilder-Powell, La Mesa, CA
2060   Chad Newby, Escondido, CA
138     David Colliflower, Costa Mesa, CA
181     Anthony Purnell, Fullerton, CA
187     Randy Pumel, Cathedral City, CA
2052   Karl Bond, Phoenix, AZ
58      Ronald Hattie, Phoenix, AZ
238    Gary Tingley, San Diego, CA
239    Butch Richardson, San Diego, CA
169    Brian Amende, Costa Mesa, CA
77     Paul Stoddard, Palm Desert, CA

4. Team Time Trial: The Timing Marshal, our good friend Tony DiLorenzo, validated one official finishing team consisting of: Peter and Daniel Weintraub, Paul Hogan, and Bruce Smith. Their time of 7 hrs 45 min now stands as the official Open 4-Man, 50+ Division Record for the Salton Sea Century Team Time Trial. They have the added distinction of holding the World Record for the Salton Sea Team Time Trial...Bravo !!

5. Photographs: Brightroom Photography was out on the course snapping your images all day. They are currently in the process of sorting them and will post photos online for your review and purchase in the near future. Here is the direct link (click here).

6. Next Up: The Shadow Tour marquee event, the 2008 Winter Stagecoach Century, is now open to registration (click here). You're invited to join us on Saturday, Jan 12, 08 for another great ride on roads less traveled. Please use promotional code "Stagecoach" for an additional $5 savings off the Super Saver rates, starting at just $55.

Thanks again for joining us. We hope you had a safe, enjoyable and memorable ride.

Best Wishes,
Jim and Larry