#24hop

In between directing special projects for BikeFlights.com, Gordon Wadsworth fit in a trip to Tucson to team up with Sonya Looney for 24HOP. They not only took the top step in the duo co-ed category, but also turned in the most laps of any co-ed team. The feeling shouldn’t be unfamiliar to the pair, previously partnering to place second in The Pioneer stage race in New Zealand in February of 2017, and winning the Brasil Ride UCI stage race in the fall of 2017. Wadsworth attributed their success as a team to "a great race partnership and work[ing] very well together.” They both happen to be skilled, fast mountain bikers, too.

BikeFlights.com Special Projects Director Gordon Wadsworth out on a frigid night lap. “My computer read 21 degrees, and bottles and trail were frozen.”

Ambassadors Kyle Trudeau and Henry Nadell also graced the top step. As members of the CZ Racing team they took the four-person category with 24 laps. Although this was Trudeau’s fourth time racing 24HOP, this was Nadell’s first, and he was struck by the atmosphere, serving as a reminder of “how cool the mountain bike culture is.”

The four-person winning team of CZ Racing, including BikeFlights.com Ambassadors Henry Nadell (second from left) and Kyle Trudeau (fourth from left).

“Epic Rides is doing something pretty special by nurturing the culture of mountain biking and giving riders of all levels a place to enjoy the sport,” Nadell said. “At the end of the day, everyone is out there to enjoy the passion of riding trails, even if that means riding in 25 degrees at three in the morning!”

Trudeau added, “It is a huge event of over 5,000 total people. More than the magnitude of the event is the fact it is the most fun you can have on a bike in one weekend with a chamois on ... or off for a choice few [laps].”

BikeFlights.com Ambassador Kyle Trudeau