Colorado Super-Kick 8K
Kickbike State Championships


Mountainview Motorsports Park
Mead, CO

September 12, 1999


Nielsen Wins
Colorado Kickbike State Championships

September 12, 1999 - Mead, CO - Under cloudy skies, seven athletes competed in the first Kickbike competition ever staged in North America. The historic event was contested at Mountain View Motorsports Park, in Mead, Colorado just north of Denver.

This spectator friendly format saw racers take on 4 laps of the mile-and-a-quarter loop, for a total distance of eight kilometers. The loop also featured a challenging climb followed by a steep descent on the backside of the course.

Almost from the gun, there was a three-man breakaway that included all of the favorites for the overall State Championship crown. Multi-sport athlete Mike Moher of Vail, Boulder's Keith Harper, and Dan Nielsen of Avon.

The three formed a paceline at the front, with each Kickbiker taking a short pull, then dropping back to take advantage of the drafting effect. Passing through the first lap in 4:50, the three had already put a substantial gap on the rest of the field.

Slowing slightly on lap-2, the three continued to expand upon their lead. Meanwhile, in the masters race, Herb Seres of Littleton was seeing his lead over masters favorite Pablo Vigil shrinking by the minute. Vigil, 47, was one of the world's top mountain runners in the 70's and 80's. Surprisingly, Vigil did not take the lead from the start and gave up a hundred meters to Seres in the opening lap.

As lap three began, Nielsen made a bold breakaway from his two companions, recording ta lap time of just over 4:30. Nielsen gained statewide recognition in early May when he made a solo 500 mile crossing of Colorado, fighting wind and severe snowstorms. He looked very strong starting the final lap of the race, and most certainly would hold off his two pursuers.

Vigil also used the third lap to take the lead from Seres, then expanded upon it enroute to a 21:14 masters victory. Seres maintained his form to take second in 22:06

Nielsen powered to the fastest lap of the day, recording 4:18 over the final 2K to take the overall state championship title in a new American Record of 18:38 for the 8K distance.

The battle for second continued, with Moher pulling hard, and Harper sitting on his wheel hoping to use the slipstream to vault to victory. With only 50 meters to go, Harper blew up, and Moher took second in 19:07 to Harper's 19:11.

Photo of Lead Pack courtesy Leigh Behmer

PLACE NAME CITY AGE TIME
1 Dan Nielsen Avon, CO 37 18:38
2 Mike Moher Vail, CO 38 19:07
3 Keith Harper Boulder, CO 30 19:11
4 Pablo Vigil Loveland, CO 47 21:14
5 Peter Bryant Loveland, CO 46 21:34
6 Herb Seres Littleton, CO 58 22:06
7 Michael Hagen Greeley, CO 37 22:36