The 2008 Superior Bike Fest is in the books. We want to thank everyone for joining us for three days of great racing. Results are posted, the equipment is put away and now it's time to begin thinking about next year.
Be sure and mark June 26, 27 and 28, 2009 on your calendar for next year's SBF.
To see pictures from the 2008 race, click here.
Click on the links below to hear audio clips from this year's race!
Welcome to the official Superior Bike Fest website. Make sure to mark your calendars for June 20-22 for this years festival. If you haven't registered yet, you can do so by clicking here to save time and money. Please take your time and view the many different areas of our site. You can view racing events and our schedule, as well as racer accommodations, results, and even download race maps. Also available is our new photo gallery filled with pictures, past and present. Please visit our sponsor page and support those that help make our race possible.
Check out the latest race UPDATES Updated 6/17/08 including info regarding the new Junior rider discount!
Listen to what everyone's been saying about the Superior Bike Fest and submit your own comments on our Blog page.
We're offering both USAC and citizen's racing.
$9,100 total cash purse will be awarded. Check out the events link for cash payouts, etc. Overall Road Race awards will use an Omnium points format.
Health Net coming to the 2008 SBF!
SUPERIOR BIKE FEST WELCOMES PRO RACER FRANK PIPP
June 12, 2008 (Marquette)--The 2008 Superior Bike Fest is attracting nationally-recognized names this year. Race enthusiasts will not want to miss Iron Mountain native Frank Pipp competing in Pro1-2 action for the Health Net Pro Cycling Team presented by Maxxis. 2008 will be Pipp’s first entry in the SBF and the Friday night crit under the lights is sure to please the past Elite National Criterium Champion.
"It will be my first race in the U.P. and I am really excited to be doing it," says Pipp. "I have heard it a spectacular event with great crowds and courses."
Over his three years of racing professionally, Pipp has transformed from performing as strictly a sprinter into an all-around “hard man” of the sport. Race fans can look for Pipp to be in the mix in a mass sprint to the finish line or in a break-away pulling away from the field. Pipp prefers a tough competition in any case. “The longer, the harder, the better,” says Pipp. A true athlete of the north, he proclaims, “My perfect race is long in distance, all up and down terrain, and rain and windy weather.”
Despite 2008 being Pipp’s first visit to SBF, he has a long, decorated resume. Career highlights include 13th overall in 2007 NRC Individual Ranking as well as the 1st place finish in the Elite National Criterium Championships in 2004. Pipp took home four individual wins in 2007 including the Presbyterian Healthcare National, Coppenberg Road Race, Stage four of the Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race and Stage 6 of the Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minnesota.
Pipp’s team, The Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis is the winner of four consecutive NRC team titles. "Frank was our go-to guy on a number of occasions [in 2007] and delivered for us," Health Net Team Director Mike Tamayo notes. "He's also been a key component of our lead-out train, and a good tactical strategist. We know we can rely on Frank to be a consummate teammate."
Professional cycling is an extremely grueling and disciplined career both on and off the bike. Excellent riding form and strength is a given as well as careful diet and care for the bike’s engine: the rider’s body. Proper motivation is key. Pipp finds his extra fuel in his need for competition. “I think if you ask most anyone that’s still involved in sport after they’ve ‘grown up,’ they will tell you that it’s the competition that drives them.” Pipp explains. “I have always been ultra-competitive no matter what I have been doing (this can be a drawback when you’re just trying to enjoy a nice game of scrabble with friends...) I look for perfection so unless I am winning every race, which I am not, there is always a need to continue so that I can get it right in the next race.”
Even those who do not follow professional cycling are aware of its large presence in Europe, and the hallmark race, the Tour de France. However, Pipp has found satisfaction with his career right here in the States and the comfortable lifestyle suited to his goals. When asked about the perception of the glamourous life of a professional cyclist, Pipp chides “Oh, I think you basically hit it dead-on; we get to travel the country wearing shiny lycra with beautiful women carrying our bags for us...” Perhaps that isn’t the necessarily the case, but the hard work is rewarded.
Pipp credit’s his brother, Darren, as his only mentor in this sport. He introduced him and taught him the foundation of cycling. Pipp has his own advice now for young riders who would like to get involved with cycling. “Work hard but make sure you are having fun doing it,” is his first rule. “Having a strong support system around you, family and friends, is a huge advantage. When things get tough—and they will—you need those people to get you through.”
Pipp is currently competing at the 2008 Nature Valley Grand Prix and hopes for good results there as it’s one of his favorite races and suits him well. He’s also looking forward to the USPRO Championships in South Carolina. “I have fared well in the past [at the USRPO Championships] and expect to step it up a notch this year. For the future, I just want to keep winning races. Crossing the finish line first, no matter how big or small the event is, always gives you a great feeling.”
Pipp is looking for wins in the Pro 1-2 criterium, road race and circuit races as well as the win in the overall classification at SBF. No matter what the result, Pipp is going to have a good time in front of a crowd closer to home than usual. “Marquette is a great place to be and I am going to have some fun up there.”
For more information about the Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis, please visit www.teamhealthnet.com. For more information about Superior Bike Fest and a complete schedule of events, please visit www.superiorbikefest.com.
Why Do Roadies Shave Their Legs? New Book Celebrates the Roadie Lifestyle and Explains the Sport of Cycling
Roadie: The Misunderstood World of a Bike Racer Entertains Roadies and Educates the Non-Racer
Veteran race announcer and long-time roadie Jamie Smith sets out to explain the sport he loves and the roadies who live for it in his new book from VeloPress, Roadie: The Misunderstood World of a Bike Racer.
