Beyond Racing Takes on the Tour of the White Mountains
Beyond Rider Olivia prepares to compete in the 35 mile event. Olivia goes on to place on the podium.
Last weekend, Beyond Racing headed north to Pinetop-Lakeside for the Tour of the White Mountains, an Epic Rides event that offers everything from a 9-mile singletrack ride to challenging 35- and 50-mile courses.
But for Beyond, the weekend was about much more than distance, times or podium finishes. It was an opportunity for our young riders to challenge themselves, experience something different from a typical race weekend, and learn a little more about what they are capable of.
The Tour is a unique challenge. Unlike a traditional cross-country mountain bike race, riders can't pre-ride the entire course, and there are stretches where they may find themselves riding alone and navigating unfamiliar territory. That means there comes a point when riders have to rely on themselves to make decisions, manage the challenges in front of them and keep moving forward.
Head Coach Ignacio summed it up well:
“At some point in the race you are in unknown territory and sometimes even alone. This forces you to have to rely on yourself in a special way.”
That self-reliance is exactly the kind of growth Beyond Racing wants to encourage.
This year's event added another challenge: significant rain in the area forced changes to the course, turning what was expected to be primarily singletrack into a course with considerably more gravel roads and a faster overall pace. Rather than dwelling on what had changed, the Beyond crew embraced the adjustment and made the most of the weekend.
And there was plenty to celebrate.
Beyond riders Eliette, Jasper, Lucas, Jack, Leo, Asher, Sofiya, Olivia, Nathan, Aiden, Louis, Sterling, and Chase all took on different versions of the event, with Chase completing the 9-mile singletrack ride. Coaches Kimberly and Aidan also raced, volunteer coaches Kent and Steve, as well as parents Claudia and Rick also joined in the fun.
Several Beyond riders also earned podium finishes, adding some well-deserved hardware to an already successful weekend. But the results only tell part of the story. Every rider who lined up, adapted to the conditions, pushed through the hard parts and crossed the finish line accomplished something worth celebrating.
And perhaps one of the best parts of the weekend was seeing coaches and parents out there challenging themselves, too. When young riders see the adults who coach, support and encourage them putting themselves outside their comfort zones and working hard alongside them, it sends a powerful message: this is something we do together.
As Ignacio said, “the only way is forward.”
That's what weekends like this are really about. Showing up. Having a good attitude. Being willing to learn. Discovering that you can handle something that might have seemed intimidating before and then carrying that confidence into whatever comes next.
We're proud of every Beyond rider who showed up and took on the Tour of the White Mountains. And we're grateful to the coaches, parents and supporters who make weekends like this possible.
