Sam Noel is a Vermont cyclist that is talented across all terrain. As a youngster Sam started with cyclocross at Catamount Family Outdoor Center in Williston as he competed in the weekly race series on his mountain bike. Within a few years he added in road racing and then added mountain bike racing to the mix. As a recent graduate of the University of Vermont Sam has continued to pursue his passions on two wheels while also enjoying his surroundings while hiking, running, skiing and paddle boarding.
Sam Noel here tuning in with you all to share about my preparation and thoughts on Rooted, just a few weeks away!
I want to first start and say that we (Untapped and I) will be serving and flipping pancakes for a couple hours Saturday morning at Cochrans so come by before or after your shakeout ride to enjoy everyone’s favorite breakfast and the best syrup around.
Now, back to the program.
The best piece of prep I do for this race is to ride the course the weekend before. Even though this is my 3rd time at Rooted, it is very nice to refresh myself on the course and the techy class 4 sections to check out the lines. I would recommend this if you can, the riding up here is top notch so might as well ride it twice.
Leading up to the weekend I will also try to do some longer road races and some mountain bike races to prepare both the endurance engine and bike handling for any gnarly conditions the weather and roads could throw at us (thinking about last year). This is also the longest gravel race I do throughout the year so making sure I can go the distance without bonking is important.
Because of the length, eating and drinking is pretty important during the race. I always bring all my race food because it’s easy to slide some maple gels and waffles into the pockets, however there are food stops on course which are always good back up. My go-to untapped lineup for the race is 4-5 maple waffles, 1 banana, 2 maple gels and 2 coffee gels. I will throw maple aid in all of my bottles, the sodium helps with the cramps and keeps me hydrated.
As always, I’m looking forward to kicking back after the race and soaking in the post race scene. The Untapped Creemee stand will be firing and Lawson’s Finest will be pouring so be sure to have friends and family come along because it will be too good to miss. The town of Richmond, Cochrans and the crew at Rooted know how to put on a good show.
Also before I end this blog, know that I will bring some extra untapped waffles and gels so if anyone forgets anything or needs more last minute, come find me!
Photo Credit: Meg McMahon