Moab’s Red Devil Mountain Biking is a small team of 33 riders, but it’s gaining new members from the city’s middle and high schools. At the first race of the season on Aug. 24, the team emerged at number 1 on points in Division Three.
The six-mile single-track loop at Eagle Mountain had enough dusty action to resemble a moto-cross race. The big attention-getter was a multi-rider pile-up at the start of the Boys Junior Varsity Division One race. No Red Devils were involved that crash, but team Moab had thrills too.
Boy’s Junior Varsity rider River Martucci completed his race with a snapped-off crank shaft dangling off his shoe – and still finished 10th in his division. Perseverance credits go to Eli Taylor, also Junior Varsity, for running his bike to the finish with a shredded tire. Eighth grader Aiden Gordon toughed it out on his first competitive race ever with a broken brake lever flopping from his handle bars.
Also in that group of young riders, London Niesen gave an outstanding first-race performance, winning third place in Girls Intermediate. Aiden Baird also stood on the podium, taking third place in his JV division, and Jackson Sorensen won fifth place in his JV division.
Also pushing the team into first place in our South Region were high-point scoring finishes by Elijah Topper in Boys Varsity and Ariann Child, Girls JV.
The next race for the Red Devil Mountain Biking team will be Sept. 7 in Richfield.
