Parsons, Muhlfeld win grueling 24-hour race

Whitefish pro cyclists Ben Parsons and Clint Muhlfeld teamed up earlier this month to regain the Stars-and-Stripes jersey at the USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championship in Colorado Springs, Colo.

After nearly a full day of taking turns riding a 13.5-mile loop, the duo finished an astonishing two laps up on the next best team. Parsons and Muhlfeld also won the two-person 24-hour national title in 2010.

The race was a smooth endeavor for the veteran cyclists. Only two mechanical issues slowed them down, and each lap took about an hour with their fastest lap of the race coming in at 58 minutes.

“We stayed real consistent, which is good,” Parsons said. “Both of us felt great.”

While one rider was out on the course, the other would relax and load up on calories at their base camp. At night they crawled into a tent and wrapped up in a down sleeping bag to stay warm.

During one rest break Parsons called his dad, his girlfriend, and in the wee hours he dialed up Travis Tveidt, a captain at the Whitefish Fire Department where he works.

“I knew he’d be up,” Parsons joked.

Muhlfeld’s friend John Cushman provided support by cooking meals and preparing energy fuels.

“He stayed up all night with us,” Parsons said.

The duo eventually got into the rhythm of one lap on and one lap off, although Parsons said it became more of struggle to get back on the bike as the hours passed.

“All things considered, it’s pretty miserable,” he said. “You don’t sleep at all. You just lay down to recover and get psyched to get back on the bike.”

“Once on the bike, for the first five minutes your legs feel like wood.”

But they loosen as the miles pass, “and by the end you’re feeling great,” he said.

Parsons said their veteran experience paid off.

“It got to be 10 a.m. (22 hours into the race) and we were already two laps up,” he said. “We were able to shut it down early and hang out and celebrate.”

“We were so pumped. Such a strong bond is created during these races. You depend so much on your teammate.”

Both Parsons and Muhlfeld agree that its nice to be rewarded with a national championship after training hard all summer.

“It’s fun to pursue something and know it’s within reach,” Parsons said.

Parsons plans to take the winter off from Randonee racing to spend time with friends and family.

“I’m excited to rest and be a regular individual before ramping it back up for next bike season,” he said.