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The 2008 Planet Ultra King of the Mountains Century Challenge was awesome! 3 days, 323 miles. And 30,800 ft. of climbing; what more could any cyclist ask for? From the beautiful Malibu hillsides, to the highest paved road in SoCal, and all the way to the frigid cold of the Los Padres National Forest, this series certainly pushed every rider who entered to their limit. I’m only 16 years old. Most of the other competitors were far older. I wanted to enter this series and set the record for being the youngest rider to complete it. Did I reach my goal? Read on and find out! The “challenge” consisted of three tough centuries: Mulholland Challenge, Breathless Agony, and the Heartbreak Hundred. Each had extreme amounts of climbing in areas that made it tough because of climate, altitude, and road conditions. I had been training since November with La Granger Tom Hill for this series. Tom really helped me prepare for all three events as he completed them two years ago while training for the L’Etape du Tour, which he also finished. The Mulholland Challenge was held right here in our own backyard on Saturday, April 12, 2008. Starting in Calabasas, La Granger’s Tom Hill, Bill Birrell, and myself headed down Malibu Canyon on what would be one of the hottest days of the year. Climbs included Topanga, Old Topanga, Rock Store, Little Sycamore, Cotharin, Decker, half of Encinal, and did I mention Stunt at mile 90 in 100+ degree weather? Bill Birrell had to cut his ride short due to a family emergency, however Tom Hill and I both completed the course within the 12 hour time limit. Tom finished in 7:57, placing him 7th in the 45-50 age group and 25th overall. I came in at 9:57. 109 miles, 12,500 ft. of climbing; what a day that was! Special thanks goes out to La Granger Joy Aoki, who although injured, volunteered her time at one of the rest stops to make sure every rider was well taken care of. Thanks!

The next event, Breathless Agony, was held on May 3 in Redlands. The course included 4 tough passes including Jack Rabbit Trail, Oak Glen, which is part of the Redlands Bicycle Classic, Damnation Alley, and the final climb up to Onyx Summit. What is unique about this century is that the clock stops at mile 70 once the climbing is done. From there on you can enjoy the wonderful 40 mile descent back to Redlands. Temps were in the mid-70’s, which was perfect riding weather! Michael Banley, a member of the La Grange Cat 4/5 team did this century along with Bill Birrell and myself. I rode with Michael for most of the ride and he managed to beat me by a few minutes in the end. Michael came in at 7:03, followed by me at 7:12. Bill Birrell hammered the course in 6:12! Way to go! By the end of the day we had climbed nearly 13,000 ft. in 70 miles.

The final stage of the King of the Mountains, the Heartbreak Hundred, was held in Lebec, CA. This small town right off I-5 (right before it dips down into the grapevine) was very pleasant. It was a freezing 30 degrees out when I started the ride and it did not get past 50 for the rest of the day. The ride started out with a long 20 mile climb that was painful because there was no warm up from the start line. However after the climb riders were rewarded with one of the most awe-inspiring descents in all of California. Throughout the day we rode mainly through the Los Padres National Forest, which was an extremely wonderful experience. Aside from the headwinds during the flat sections of the ride, it was a great day. I was the only La Granger who did this stage and I completed it in 7:43. The day ended up being 100 miles with just under 9,000 ft. of climbing. It may not seem like a lot of climbing compared to the other events, but after all the training I had put in and knowing that this was the last stage, my legs sure felt tired!

Overall, I came in 41st place out of the 85 men who completed all three events. I am satisfied with my position, as this is my first major climbing endeavor. I set a new record for being the youngest person to ever complete the entire challenge. La Granger Skip Nevell holds the record for being the oldest finisher. He was 72 when he did the KOM!
If you are into climbing, pushing yourself, and most of all suffering, then you definitely need to come out and do the King of the Mountains Challenge next year. For more information go to www.planetultra.com. For information specific to the Breathless Agony century, visit www.breathlessagony.org. Registration for the three events opens in January and they do sell out quick! The Breathless Agony sold out in two days! See you out on the road- Sam