Jeff Kerkove Stagecoach 400 - Day 1 Recap & Bike Check
As the 2020 Stagecoach 400 rolled out of Idyllwild, CA this morning the rain had subsided for the 50 or so riders starting the Southern California bikepacking race. But while the air may have been dry at 8AM on Friday, March 13, the trails had little time to recover from the storm that came through for a few days before. The race organizers were told just hours earlier that some dirt sections were off-limits, forcing them to ask riders to ignore the previously supplied GPS route in some sections.
Watching the race unfold via SPOT Tracker, Jeff Kerkove of Topeak-Ergon Racing Team took an early lead. I caught up with the endurance rider from Eagle, CO at a gas station in Escondido at mile 110 to check in on the course, his bike and plans to push on through the night. He described the course as mostly good, but “greasy” and “pointy” at times. Most likely referring to slicker mud sections and some steeper ascents. Kerkove described the need to edit his GPS course due to trail closures, but with little guidance. Riders were required to determine their own reroute strategy, while still completing all course sections that remained open. Race organizer Meg Knobel told us, “We had no choice but to reroute. We were told the day before that we absolutely could not ride huge sections of singletrack. This year is definitely not for purists, and if they’d like to ‘race’ they can choose the fastest route to the coast.”
Jeff’s Bike
Canyon Exceed hardtail with Topeak bags, Shimano XTR 32T / 11-51 12 speed, DT Swiss XR391 wheelset, Fox 34SC fork, Ergon SM Men Pro saddle, Ergon GS3 grips, Maxxis Recon Race 29 x 2.35” tires, etc.
When asked about his overnight camping plans he answered, “The plan is to not.”