RACE 4 TARA 3 IS A HUGE SUCCESS!!
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;setCaption(document.image_thumb); "Tara Llanes signs an autograph for a young fan at the Race 4 Tara 3 at Northstar-at-Tahoe. Photo by Leslie Pitts, courtesy decline magazine")
;setCaption(document.image_extra_one_thumb); "Brian Sarfino crosses the finish line and places 2nd in the 30-39 Expert category in the Race 4 Tara 3.")
;setCaption(document.image_extra_two_thumb); "Pro men winner Adam Craig accepts his first place medal from Tara and gives his former Giant teammate a hug. 2nd place (left) is Evan Turpen. 3rd place (right) is Mark Weir. Adam and several of the pro winners donated their prize winnings to the Tara Llanes Road to Recovery Fund and the Reeve-Irvine Research Center.")
;setCaption(document.image_extra_three_thumb); "Bruce Moore of Pleasanton, CA, won a 2010 Giant Glory 0 in a raffle drawing held the night before the Race 4 Tara 3. Giant was among the many sponsors of the event that donated dozens of raffle prizes")
;setCaption(document.image_extra_four_thumb); "Tara Llanes thanks the crowd at the end of the Race 4 Tara 3.")
;setCaption(document.image_extra_five_thumb); "A fellow racer hands an energy drink to Tara before she starts her downhill run at the Race 4 Tara 3.")
The third annual Race 4 Tara was held at Northstar-at-Tahoe resort over the October 10-11 weekend with 115 Mega DH competitors dropping off the start-line in perfect conditions. The caliber of riders competing and the world-class location of Northstar-at-Tahoe has solidified the Race 4 Tara as a world-class event.
Through entry fees, raffle give-aways, and donations by friends and colleagues of Tara Llanes, more than $15,000 dollars was raised to benefit the Tara Llanes Road to Recovery fund and the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the University of California-Irvine.
Over 40 pro and semi-pro men and women were among the racers; 1st place among the pro men was Adam Craig, Giant MTB team pro and US National Short Track Champion. Lizzy English claimed 1st place in the pro women’s race, riding a 2010 Giant Glory 0. A list of the all the winners is available at: http://www.northstarattahoe.com/nsassets/files/bike-summer/r4t3_results.pdf
The Race 4 Tara 3 was made possible with the sponsorship of the following: Northstar-at-Tahoe, Giant Bicycles, Giant for Women, Leatt Brace, Fox Clothing, The Bicycle Trip in Santa Cruz, Nutcase Helmets, Tomac Bikes, Thule, CCN (Cycle Component Network), Shimano, Troy Lee Designs, Dakine, Pearl Izumi, Kali Protectives, X-Fusion, Specialized, Smith Optics, CyclePath MTB, Marin Bikes, RideSFO, and Matt at SF Dirtlab. Numerous other bike shops and companies contributed time, money, and product for a terrific event.
The first Race 4 Tara was held in October 2007, just a few weeks after Tara Llanes was paralyzed below the waist as the result of a crash during a race in Colorado. The Race 4 Tara was the brainchild of Thayne and Brian Bolin, who organized it to help defray the mounting medical bills related to Tara’s care.
During the first “R4T,” Tara spoke to everyone via speakerphone from her hospital bed. She thanked the competitors and vowed to join them in future races.
The next year, she was on hand to congratulate the winners and draw tickets for the raffle.
At this year’s race in a moment that had everyone cheering, Tara raced down the course at Northstar riding a 4-Wheel rig.
Below is an account of the Race 4 Tara 3 from Leslie Pitts, writing for decline magazine. Read Leslie’s complete account at: http://declinemagazine.com/
RACE 4 TARA 3 – NORTHSTAR AT TAHOE, OCT. 10-11
Posted 10/12/09 by Leslie Pitts
This was no ordinary race, folks! But then Tara Llanes is no ordinary racer! In fact, there was NOTHING ordinary about this event. It attracted some of the nation’s top XC and DH riders - an unusual mix to be racing in the same event. Adam Craig (09 Downieville All-mountain Champ, many Worlds and USA National Champs), Jared Rando (Australian WC Pro), Mark Weir (7X Downieville DH Champ), Mitch Ropelato (09 Jr. Ex DH Champ and Pro MTX Nat Champ, 09 MTX Pro Worlds and Jr. Worlds DH), JD Swanguen (07 Jr. Ex Nat Champ, 07 Jr. Worlds #2), Mikey Haderer (08 MTX Worlds Team Member), Graeme Pitts (08 Jr. Worlds), Sven Martin, Tyler McCaul (07 Jr. Worlds) and Kirt Voreis (the legend) were just a few of the racing celebrities showing up to race a 4-mile course in a 1,800-foot descent. Where else can you see Jared Rando race against Adam Craig?
At the top of the run was a wide open fire road where riders could attain peak velocity, going into some flowing singletrack with an uphill section for about 50 yards, then back into flowing singletrack – all of which served to fatigue riders and get them ready for a flat rock garden which went into some technical woods sections that included rock drops into corners, the waterfall section and awkward moves to keep momentum through the trees. The Daytona Berms were the final section before the jump at the finish line. (Editor's Note: Course description by Graeme Pitts)
Northstar at Tahoe Mountain Bike Park came alive for the two-day event, complete with attendance by many manufacturers and teams. Giant Bicycles, one of the title sponsors of the event, had a huge presence both in the pits and at the raffle, donating their new 2010 Glory 0 DH bike, which isn’t even available yet! Fox, Thule, Dakine, Kali, Troy Lee Designs and Shimano also had their tents pitched with lots of swag donated for the raffle as well.
In terms of the raffle, this event is by far the biggest raffle I've ever witnessed on the planet! The complete list of sponsors/donors can be viewed at Race4Tara.com. The Tara Llanes "Heart of a Champion" Road to Recovery Fund and The Reeve-Irvine Spinal Cord Research Center received so many donations for the raffle that Race 4 Tara organizers Thayne and Brian Bolin had several people manning the activity for over 5 hours, non-stop. Not the usual format of raffle – he kept a running list of tickets pulled and what item corresponded with that number. This drew a huge crowd, resembling an auction, with lots of good cheer, happy faces and many war stories from long race runs.
This is the third Race 4 Tara. The first two were held at Sand Hill in Brentwood, CA. In October of 2007, during the raffle, everyone present heard from Tara as she spoke from her hospital room via speaker phone. Only one month had passed since her accident at the Jeep King of the Mountain finale in Beaver Creek, CO. Last year, Tara was able to be present at the race, back in the community she loves and that loves her in return. The best Race 4 Tara, though, has to be this year – it has turned into a major event starring Tara Llanes, and the energy epitomizes what we all love about the mountain biking community. According to Andy Buckley, Director for Northstar, plans are already in the works for next year’s race and if history repeats itself, it promises to be even better – something hard to imagine.
When the dust had settled, Adam Craig had captured 1st place in the Pro Men’s class. After his Downieville All-Mountain win this year, he is emerging as a force to be reckoned with in the land of All-Mountain enduros. Right behind him were Evan Turpen in 2nd and Mark Weir in 3rd. In the Pro Women’s class, Lizzy English stood in 1st place, Joanna Peterson 2nd, and Anka Martin 3rd.
But the biggest winner of the day was Tara Llanes, racing on her quad bike. Spectators saw a long dust cloud as she shredded the trail at warp speed. Always a crowd pleaser, she treated them to a huge slide-out that turned into a 360 dust cloud as she crossed the finish line, a huge smile on her face.
For more info, visit Race4Tara.com.