Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Yesterday afternoon, Liz Thompson finished the 196-mile Doom Despair route, becoming the first woman finisher and second overall. A few hours later, Eric Hamann represented the singlespeeders with a first-place singlespeed finish on the same route. Learn more about how their rides went here…
Words and photos by Aaron Arnzen, additional photos by Kai Caddy
Day two of Doom cast a quintessential spring day over the Arkansas Ozarks as the sun greeted riders early this morning, quickly leaving the 30s behind with temperatures hanging around the mid 60s for the bulk of the day. While the full Doom distance continued to evolve with big pushes at the front, we welcomed in the Overall Men’s, Women’s, and Single Speed Despair winners here at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch.
Rolling in with a time of 26 hours and 11 minutes, Jack Peck of Palatine, Illinois, packed his foul-weather experience with an excited approach to the task at hand, claiming the overall Despair win. Alongside his experience riding in foul weather, Jack is no stranger to ultra-endurance cycling, being director of both the Mishigami Challenge and the Driftless Dagger events in the Upper Midwest.
Liz Thompson not only claimed this years women’s Despair title, but she was also the second overall rider in this year’s Despair race with a time of 32 hours and 38 minutes. Having wanted to experience Doom for quite some time, Liz came in from Los Ranchos, New Mexico, with a core interest in adventure and less of an interest in racing. As fate would have it, her simple intentions for an adventure in the backcountry allowed her to persevere through the harsh conditions, pushing her significantly up in the rankings after a multitude of DNFs from riders ahead who brought other intentions.
Eric Hamann carried heart, soul, and patience throughout his Despair experience, each supporting his bid at the first single speed finisher. Similar to the overall category, leading single speed rider Alex Kowalski was taken out of the running with injury to bike and body, putting Eric in first ahead of Luke Myers. There were decisions to make at the neutral aid cabin at mile 75 as Eric’s other riding partner had lost a rear brake, forcing him to re-route a more direct way back. After some food and rest, Eric was fired up, bound and determined to stay the course, and with high stoke and composure he successfully secured the single speed win.
Check out the Doom Tracker page to follow along on the live tracking map, watch for ongoing race updates, and tune in for more event coverage. Find it here.
Further Reading
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