January 29, 2012 (Lake Elmo, Minnesota) – The final day of Tour De Twin Cities SuperTour competition played out as expected: Matt Liebsch (Team Strongheart/Team Birkie) and Caitlin Gregg (CXC) skied away from their respective fields, and Liebsch and Jennie Bender (CXC) held on to win the overall titles.

The race at Green Acres was a skate pursuit with starts determined based on Saturday’s classic event. The race loop was slightly extended from the prior day with the addition of a generally flat lap around a field. This made the loop 3.1 kilometers, so women raced five laps for their 15-kilometer event, while the men completed seven for 20 kilometers. Once again, the course proved surprisingly hard. Tour winner Bender called the course, “…repeated abuse. You hit a wall and then you still have to work the flats after.”

What Bender so aptly described was the fact that Green Acres is essentially several farm fields connected by one significant ridge. Racers start on flat fields, climb the ridge the tubing hill is built on, and then ski a flat plateau some distance before descending the ridge. The ridge is not very long, but is extremely steep, requiring high tempo V1 skiing up, and providing little rest on the way down.

Gregg found the course to her advantage. “My plan was to play to my strengths. There was a lot of steep V1 climbing, which is one of my strengths. I tried to be smooth and relaxed on the flats and then really work the climbs.”

Starting third, 23 seconds behind Bender and 15 behind Rosie Brennan (APUNSC/Rossignol), Gregg had some time to make up. She made up that time and more, passing Bender and Brennan early in lap 2, and taking off on her own. Knowing that she aimed to catch and pass the two, Gregg planned to complete a “very deliberate” fast pass, which she did successfully. Neither Brennan nor Bender caught even a momentary ride from Gregg as she went by. Gregg went on to win the pursuit and post the fastest women’s skate time by almost two minutes.

In the race for second, Brennan made up her 8-second starting deficit on Bender and passed her on lap 2. Bender, with her mind set on the overall classification, was able to grab Brennan’s draft and hang on for the entire race. “It was a survival race for me,” explained Bender. Brennan outsprinted Bender at the line, posting the second fastest skate time. Bender’s skate time was good for third.

Gregg said she “felt much better today, than yesterday.” With a win in the Seeley Hills Classic marathon the weekend before the Tour, Gregg says she feels like she’s in marathon shape. “Today, I just felt like I could keep going all day.” She’ll be testing that form at next week’s Boulder Mountain Tour and then the City of Lakes Loppet.

Men’s Race
For a while, the men’s race looked like it was going to be large pack affair. A lead pack of five formed on lap one, grew to six for lap two, and then eight on lap three. On lap 4, knowing the pack was continuing to expand, Liebsch attacked and only Bryan Cook (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) could respond. Then Cook dropped off the pace on the lap’s biggest climb, and Liebsch put 10 seconds on him over the next lap.

Laps 6 and 7 saw Liebsch well off the front and gaining, while the battle for second came down to Cook and Brenton Knight (APUNSC). Knight had made up a lot of ground to contend for the podium; he started the pursuit in 10th, 36 seconds behind.

Liebsch crossed the line 42 seconds up on Knight. With energy to spare, Liebsch celebrated by skidding a 360 after the line, and then stayed in the pen congratulating other finishers. For his part, Knight skied the fastest time of the day, bettering Liebsch’s time by 3 seconds.

Cook held on for third in the pursuit, 46 seconds off the pace. Samuel Naney (Methow Olympic Development), who started ninth, moved up to fourth by skiing the third fastest time of the day.

With the race over, the top-6 in the overall classification got a “payday.” Bender and Liebsch took home $3,000 each for their wins.

Bender expressed her appreciation for the big payout. “With all the travel I do in the winter, I can’t have a regular job. This is the job. I know this is the biggest payday I have ever had!”

Liebsch is grateful for the money, which “gives me some breathing room.” Liebsch made sure to point out the sacrifices that his family has made to keep him skiing. With a degree in engineering, Liebsch could take home a good paycheck in the professional world, and “I wouldn’t have to be the best engineer to earn that paycheck.”

Matt credits his community for making it “financially feasible to continue training and racing.” This fall, Liebsch and community members revived Team Birkie, the Twin Cities based development program Steve Gaskill founded in the 90s. Today’s Team Birkie provides masters access to elite-level support and coaching by Liebsch. In turn, these masters give some financial and logistical support for Liebsch. He says, “They are a huge part of why I am skiing so well.” Matt explains their support, as well payouts at events like the Tour, “take the financial burden off my shoulders.”

Women’s 15km results HERE.
Men’s 20km results HERE.