In its third year Rolling Thunder is becoming one of the best cyclocross races in the region.  The course is outstandi ng and the competition is top notch but the real winners are the crowds that come out to cheer on their favorite racers.  Rolling Thunder has something for everyone, great music, lots of kid and adult refreshments, a barbecue full of beer soaked bratwursts and about four hundred of your closest friends cheering for some of the best cyclocross racing we have seen all year.

Missoula Bicycle Works had there cheering section staked out complete with a barbecue and full bar for any passer by that happened to be low on food or drink.  The whole M.B.W. cheering moved en masse when a couple of favorites came through the whoop-de-do section. Namely our own Dave Hartman - who was racing for KONA  

and Sarah Halvorson, who always seemed to come through with a smile on her face!

To cap off the night we had Sam Schultz another local favorite light up the crowd not only because he finished second in the elite field but because he let loose and aired it out for the hometown fans.

On Sunday morning many of the folks who watched and raced the night before came out to compete in one of Missoula favorite local races, The Hellgate Duathlon.  Held up in the hills around Kreiss pond this race always attracts a tight but super competitive field.  This year was no different and the weather was perfect once again.  I have heard stories of cold snowy conditions for the Hellgate duathlon but I have never experienced them.  The traditional shotgun blast started the race and as has become ritual over the ast couple of years a frightened rabbit opened a gap on the field for the first half mile of the run.  Phil Grove managed to lose his crocs a couple of time - go figure - on the run.  The true multisporters dominated the race.  I am  not sure what folks drank for a recovery drink following the cross race but lots of the cross racers were looking a little beat down.  Once again local triathlon king and course record holder Matt Seeley bested all of his compatriots and protoges.  On the women's side Joy Adams left no doubt that she was the top competitor on the day with a time that was several minutes faster than the next finisher