ETV News stock photo by Jeff Barrett
The Carbon mountain bike team continues to grow as the sport increases in popularity. The Dinos bring back 19 riders from last year and added nine new ones. Of the 28, five are girls, which is the normal ratio of girls to guys around the state.
“Our team is pretty tight knit. They all seem to get along really well with each other,” said head coach Mark Jespersen.
Carbon also brings back some experience with five seniors, including Boyd Bradford, who has been putting in the miles for a massive season. His training regiment included 300+ miles on his mountain bike per week. He will be the only Dino to ride varsity, but according to Jespersen “it’s a totally different field.” Varsity riders race four laps while JV ride three and freshman ride two. Each lap is about a 20-minute sprint, so the additional lap makes a huge difference.
The state decided to take away the classifications this year and base the races solely on skill level. In other words, Carbon will compete against teams that have 300 riders on them in the same skill level. Although Jespersen admits it will be different, he believes his riders have every opportunity to succeed. “You can put in the work, ride our trials and compete with anyone in the state,” he said.
“We’re growing, which is positive. The skill level of these younger ones is pretty impressive,” concluded Jespersen. “As they come through the ranks, every year they get stronger and stronger.”