PRESS RELEASE – The first XC mountain bike race of 2022 saw 70 riders toe the start line at yesterday’s Blackjack MTB Rally. With the beginning of the dry season upon us, the conditions looked to be perfect for this mixed terrain event. This fun, but un-marked race, directs riders to find the shortest route on this counter-clockwise loop that starts at Agueda Johnston Middle School, winds its way up Charlie Corn Road, then Turner Road at Nimitz Hill, up to Ch. 10, before heading back down to the finish while passing through the red dirt trails of Leo Palace.
The only requirement is for all riders to hit two check points where they are issued a playing card. At the end of the race, prizes were given to those holding a blackjack hand.
Continuing his winning ways, ECT Pro – ED OINGERANG took the top spot with a time of 53:27. Rounding out the podium was young upstart, BLAYDE BLAS finishing in 56:16, and BRIAN CABACCANG crossing the line at 57:34 to take the third spot. JENNIFER CAMACHO nearly cracked the Top 10 overall finishers as the top female in a blistering time of 1:11:47. JANELA VALENCIA was the only other female to take on the challenge, finishing in 1:41:00. In the E-Bike category it was “Real” JOE CRUZ in first, followed by JOE “J.I.” CRUZ and DAVID BRANTLEY, respectively.
Many thanks to checkpoint volunteers, Lani Chargualaf, Rachel Kinsella, Angela Brantley, and Derek and Monessa Horton, as well as prize donors Triple J Motors, Voltsportswear, and BikeFix Guam. Event photos courtesy of Bruno Sablan, Jay Jones, and Christian Ong.
Complete results are at guamcycling.com/results
