As soigneurs finished applying embrocation to their riders, an ominous silence spread over the assembled crowd at the sign-in ceremony as race director and Chocolay-Ace Cycling Directeur Sportif Tom Mahaney took the microphone and read the race rules: “First, there are no rules.” With that, the tone was set for the day. Over the course of more than four hours of racing, anarchy and team tactics would play a decisive role and no weapon would go unused in a battle contested on the windswept plains in the hinterlands of Marquette county and on the undulating terrain that would test the racers as they neared the finish. 

Under light showers, more than 20 cyclists, many shrouded in rain jackets, lined up at the start. The Red Jacket – BlueSky Health Cycling team was represented by five racers: Bob Carpenter, John Gershenson, Mark Klein, Chris Schmidt, and Caleb Wendel. Though they realized the task would be difficult, the team hoped to forge alliances with other teams, including Marquette’s new SISU Cycles Cycling Team, KMK Cycling and NMU Cycling, to work against the Goliath of U.P. cycling: Chocolay-Ace Cycling.

Two miles into the 15-mile neutral start, the peloton came to a halt as Race Director Mahaney provided racers with details on the finish: a dangerous descent over rough dirt roads followed by a crushing uphill. Then, to the calls of onlooking seagulls, galloping horses and hovering ravens, the motley group of racers rolled into the countryside, past sullen pastures of brown and white; the golden sunflowers of the Tour de France nowhere in sight.

With anything still possible for any of the racers, spirits were high throughout the rollout. Though temperatures had yet to break the forty degree mark, the rain had largely subsided, and racers optimistically peeled off their plastic jackets. In the final miles of easy riding, the peloton refueled, rehydrated and prepared for the suffering that was about to commence.

By the time lead motorcycles pulled away and officially opened the race, cyclists were chomping at the bit for the honor of launching the first of what were sure to be many attacks. It was none other than Ace-Chocolay D.S. Tom Mahaney who would take that honor. Slowly, he slipped past the sleeping field and quickly built up a lead of several seconds. There was chatter in the field of a foolish move. So early! Alone! The carefully planned move served its purpose however, as SISU Cycles rider Jesse Bell took the bait and bridged up to the solo Ace cyclist. Together, the paired rolled away from the peloton.

Ensuring that the field wouldn’t be able to give chase, Ace teammate Derek Anderson launched a powerful solo move and joined the duo in short order. Mahaney, his work accomplished, returned to the field and left the Bell – Anderson pair to their own devices, confident that Anderson would be able to control the situation. With many miles still to race and a full quiver of teammates still in the field, Anderson was wary to work together with Bell who, with just one teammate in the field, would be forced to push the pace on his own. A short time later, fellow Ace rider Andy Langlois joined the pair, placing Bell under further stress.

The Red Jacket – BlueSky Health riders, sensing the danger posed by the leaders, worked hard to organize a chase in the peloton. Despite their best efforts, interfering team tactics on the part of Chocolay-Ace succeeded in bringing their pursuit to a halt. In an act of desperation, Red Jacket rider Chris Schmidt took a flyer off of the rear and set off for the trio on his own. A pair of Chocolay-Ace riders, Jeff Juntti and Wes Pernsteiner, countered and quickly devoured his meager lead before returning him, crushed, to the confines of the peloton.

The main field, now riding gruppo compatto, crested the first climb of the day intact. At the summit, pursuit efforts were again organized, with NMU (Garret Gauthier), SISU Cycles (Tom Carpenter) and Red Jacket – BlueSky Health riders (John Gershenson, Caleb Wendel, Mark Klein) riders working in vain to close the increasing gap. The speed intensified again on the second climb, a torturous stretch of sandy, washboard dirt road, cratered with water-filled potholes of unknown depth. A trio of riders managed to separate themselves from the field: Chocolay Ace riders Matt Colligan and David Grant and Red Jacket rider Chris Schmidt. With a couple of sharp accelerations, the Ace riders left Schmidt in their wake.

At the front, it was getting ugly. Anderson and Langlois took turns in breaking Bell’s will. Eventually, Anderson rode away from the pair, leaving it up to Bell to follow in pursuit. Colligan and Grant continued their chase for the leaders. Behind them, Schmidt floundered in no-man’s land between the pair and the field, knowing it was only a matter of time before he was again pulled in.

Receiving word of the Colligan/Grant break over radio, Ace teammate Langlois slowed the pace and allowed the pair to bridge the gap. Now a trio, the Ace riders leveraged their power further, repeatedly attacking and taunting the solo SISU Cycles rider until all that remained was a cindered soul on a carbon frame. Legs depleted, Bell fell from the leading group and began to slowly drop back to the main field.

Behind them, the action was picking up in the peloton. Having brought Schmidt back into sight, a pair of Ace riders, Juntti and Pernsteiner, launched another attack. The duo flew past the tiring Red Jacket on an incline and continued in pursuit of the leaders. Ace D.S. Mahaney had also managed to separate himself from the main field over a series of hills and fought the wind on his own as he worked to join his teammates up the road. His attempt would prove futile, however, as the peloton would gradually pull him, too, back into its clutches.

Between the leaders and the main field, the Juntti/Pernsteiner tandem had, unfortunately, missed a turn and would loose precious minutes as the race rolled on. The helicopter television crew eventually spotted the pair and assisted blew them back on course, keeping the time loss to a minimum. Like a finely tuned machine, the pair wiped minutes off of their deficit, catching and overtaking the peloton at a pace none of the riders could hope to match.

Unaware of what was transpiring before them, the main peloton resigned itself to an uneventful remainder of the race. Red Jacket riders Gershenson, Klein and Schmidt, KMK rider Glen Lerlie, SISU riders Bell and Carpenter and the infamous Maheney brothers rode a smooth paceline over rough country roads, all with thoughts of the hot soup and cold Belgian ales that waited at the finish.

Head down, soloing towards certain victory, Anderson tragically missed a turn and would realize his mistake only too late. A quintet of Ace riders (Pernsteiner, Langlois, Colligan, Grant and Juntti) eventually moved into the lead. A victory for Ace-Chocolay nearly certain, they rode on, careful not to let down their guard..

Like the Koppenburg of Flanders, the Mur de Huy of Flèche Wallonne, and the Côte de la Redoute of Liege, the Mur de Sporley is a climb of epic proportions and one of the Ronde de Skandia’s defining features. While the race may not be won here, it can most certainly be lost. Its steep, unforgiving gradient and narrow, dirt surface that winds through the stand of hardwoods would, alone, put fear in the hearts of most. The fact that the dirt was largely covered by snow and visible only through two muddy, nearly unridable ruts in this year’s running of the Ronde will further entrench the climb’s place in cycling lore. Flag-waving and cowbell-ringing crowds lined the Mur de Sporely several deep as the racers suffered towards the summit. For many, the hopes of glory were shattered here. For one rider, cresting the peak brought him one step closer towards a place in U.P. cycling history.

Their lead now untouchable, the leaders rode out the last few miles of dirt road towards the finish with the confidence of knowing Ace-Chocolay would yet again own the podium of the Ronde. The hotly contested final sprint was taken by Wes Pernsteiner, who later marked his second Ronde victory on the wall of fame in the Bike Haus. First year Ace rider Matt Colligan and David Grant rounded out the top three. 

Racers, friends and family celebrated the day’s race with fine food and Belgian treats under what had become warm and sunny skies. Podium girl “Dee” Grant crowned the champion with a petite wreath of pine boughs, an obligatory kiss, and champaign to the approving cheers of friend and foe alike.

Congratulations to all who dared take on the Ronde, and thank you to race organizer Tom Mahaney for continuing the tradition, to his wife Mary for her hospitality in hosting the race, and Dom for providing technical and aerodynamic support during the race.