Michael Van Den Ham - Fuego XL Race Recap

I headed to Sea Otter this year not with racing as my main focus, but to connect with the partners, sponsors, and friends who make my season possible. After a packed winter of coaching cyclocross in Europe, I wasn’t feeling quite dialed in for the kind of high-level prep that the Lifetime Grand Prix gravel race demands. Instead, I chose to line up for the Fuego XL MTB race — a race I was excited about, a little more within reach for where I was at in my training this time of year and that fits well with my objectives in the second half of the year.

Even with the shift in focus and a lot of my bigger race objectives still to come later this summer, I still felt like I had something to prove and came in with the goals of cracking the top-five and besting my time from last year. After trying to go with the eventual winner, Alex Wild, when he attacked at the end of the first lap, I started to crack a little and settled in for a rather uncomfortable second lap with a fellow Canadian, Carter Nieuwesteeg and Aussie, Brent Rees. I'm not going to lie, there were more than a few moments when I thought I was going to get blown out of the group I was racing and end up somewhere way back there, so I'm pretty proud of keeping it together and (just! see that sprint?) holding off the chase for 3rd, and still finishing 9 minutes faster then I did last year.

It’s easy to get caught up in performance, but this trip reminded me how valuable the people behind the scenes are. The ones who support, encourage, and believe in what I’m doing both on and off the bike. That podium? Just a bonus on top of a weekend full of good conversations, shared love for all things bikes, and community.