Tour of Socorro is an early-season suffer fest
race report by James E. Rickman
(April 18-19, 2009) SOCORRO, N.M.—The Tour of Socorro Omnium—a diabolical duo that combines a hellish hill climb one day with a fast cross-country contest the next—is early enough in New Mexico’s spring riding season that it’s the first race of the year for many. But that didn’t stop some racers from riding like they’d never taken a break through the winter.
Two names keep popping up among the pro ranks in the Land of Enchantment racing scene, particularly when it comes to feats of endurance. And once again Damian Calvert and Jennifer Tribe-Wilson took top honors in the Pro Men and Women categories for both events.
The first installment, Saturday’s South Baldy Hill Climb, attracted 127 intrepid participants. The race is a grueling grind up a narrow dirt road starting from the plains west of Socorro to the 10,700-foot summit of South Baldy peak, a high point in New Mexico’s Magdalena Range and home to the Magdalena Ridge Observatory. Riders climb nearly 4,000 feet over eight steep miles during this suffer fest.
The icy tendrils of a spring snowstorm wove far enough south to leave the summit buried beneath a cold crust of white stuff on race day, forcing riders to track through snow during the last mile of climbing.
Nevertheless, the 36-year-old Calvert went sub-hour this year in the South Baldy Hill Climb, reaching the summit in just 54 minutes, 42 seconds. Calvert’s course-record time was a full four-minutes faster than the previous record set last year by Michael McCalla, who didn’t participate in the hill climb this year.
Tribe-Wilson, hailing from El Paso, Texas, reached the top in 1:12:54, finishing four minutes ahead of her nearest competitor.
Equally impressive, Albuquerque’s Joe Prinzivalli, riding among Category 1 Men age 40-49, smoked the course—finishing in just 1:03:06, a time good enough to best third-place Pro Men finisher Jens Nielsen by more than a minute.
Despite the snow the day before, conditions on Saturday and Sunday were stellar for racing. Warm air and blue skies greeted riders both days.
Sunday’s race on the Cerrillos del Coyote course in the desert scrub east of Socorro in the Quebradas backcountry attracted 197 riders. The nine-mile loop course was particularly challenging this year, breaking 13 bikes or their riders this year. Fortunately no one was seriously injured as a result.
In a repeat of the previous day’s performance, Calvert and Tribe-Wilson took top honors, completing their three laps in two hours and in two hours, twenty-five minutes, respectively.
The Tour of Socorro Omnium comprises the second and third races in the New Mexico Off-Road Series. Participation this year broke previous attendance records. It’s easy to see why. Race organizers presented a well-run event and both race venues were in terrific shape on race day.
Full race results can be found at:
www.socorro.com/ssr/tour
More photos of the South Baldy Hill Climb by James Rickman Photography can be found at: http://web.mac.com/jamesrickman
Category 1 rider Jeff Blagg’s face tells the tale of the South Baldy Hill Climb; Blagg finished second among Cat 1 Men 50+.
Singlespeed rider Evan Kias, right, gets some encouragement from Category 1 rider Charles Van Drunen near the halfway point of the Tour of Socorro hill climb.
Pro rider Orpinel Parmenides, left, seems to be having a good time climbing South Baldy peak as Category 2 Rider Todd Resch seems inspired.
Albuquerque’s Damian Calvert shows his winning form halfway through the long climb.
Jennifer Tribe-Wilson (Bib 194) makes the climb look easy.
Kathy Lemke of Silver City, N.M., enjoys her ride to first place among Category 3 Women 30-39, as Category 3 rider Rick Letscher shows a little less enthusiasm.
One of the last riders in the South Baldy Hill Climb nears the halfway point.
Riders make their way up South Baldy.
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