“...they must have sensed a record was possible.”

Ultracycling Cup co-chair Bill Schwarz

The ninth QuadZilla since 1995 was held on July 14 – 15, 2007, starting in Ithaca, NY. QuadZilla is a 400-mile circumnavigation of all 11 of the shimmering, crystal clear Finger Lakes of upstate New York. The riders are challenged with steep climbs and wild descents as they pedal their way along the route. Riders must make a series of checkpoints (including secret controls) in specified times and finish in 40 to 45 hours. Twenty-nine riders from 10 states and Canada participated. Two records were broken and a fixed gear record was set.

Bryan Johnson and Dennis DeLong stop briefly en route to a course record.

From the first climb just outside Ithaca four men, Dennis DeLong of Greece, NY (RAAM '90-'93), Bryan Johnson of Windham, NH (QuadZilla record holder), Bryce Walsh of Chicago, IL (fifth in RAAM '06) and Brad Tanner of Henniker, NH, worked together and pounded out the miles over countless tough climbs. Moving smoothly through the Naples and Springwater checkpoints to the turnaround in Letchworth State Park they must have sensed a record was possible. More hills awaited them between Geneseo and Canandaigua as they made their way to the motel control in Auburn . With only a brief stop for a midnight breakfast, all pressed on into the night moving toward the grueling climbs between Skaneateles, Tully, and Moravia . Sunday just before noon the four were back in Ithaca setting a new record of 30 hours and 45 minutes, beating Johnson's 2003 record by 10 minutes.

Michelle Dulieu set the women's record with help from Paul Danhaus and Rich Becker (not shown).

Stung by a late finish in last year's QuadZilla, Michelle Dulieu of Rochester , NY , trained hard all winter, slimmed down and picked up Mac 5 Bikes as sponsor of a super light Scott carbon bike. She also enlisted the help of Paul Danhaus of Wassau , WI (Team RAAM '07), and Wisconsinite Rich Becker. Dulieu looked sleek and strong as she smoothly climbed to the high ridges along the route. By Auburn we knew there was a good chance she could beat the women's record if she didn't crack on the extremely steep grades around the eastern Finger Lakes . Dulieu was determined to ride flat out all the way to the finish and her perseverance paid off when she shattered the women's record by over two hours lowering the record to 34:33.

Shinya Yamada (L) & Thien Tran. Tran was the first person to ride QuadZilla on a fixed gear bike. His friend Shinya Yamada accompanied him.

Thien Tran, only 22 years old and a student at the University of Toronto, is the first person to even attempt riding QuadZilla on a fixed gear bike. Using only a single gear of 44x17 (69 gear inch) on a heavy steel bike, Tran rode, and sometimes walked, up the merciless hills but he still made all the checkpoint times. For some of the daredevil 45 mph descents he would unclip and let the pedals spin wildly below his out-stretched legs. His friend, Shinya Yamada, also from Toronto, rode with him and encouraged him the whole way around. The intrepid Tran has the will of a 100 men and finished the entire QuadZilla ride just under the wire in 39:31. I can't even imagine the suffering Tran endured but I do know he is an amazing athlete with a boundless future. Good Luck at Paris-Brest-Paris!

A huge thank you to the 16 dedicated volunteers staffing the checkpoints all along the 400-mile route and to our sponsor Hammer Nutrition whose energy and electrolyte products fueled all the riders to noteworthy finishes. And congratulations to all the ultra cyclists who even attempted this monster ride!

Coming soon — QuadZilla staged! Four days and four centuries following the QuadZilla route.

More information: QuadZilla website.

Results

QuadZilla
Rider / Hometown	Time
DeLong, Dennis, Greece, NY	30:45:00
Johnson, Bryan, Windham, NH	30:45:00
Tanner, Brad, Henniker, NH	30:45:00
Walsh, Bryce, Chicago, IL	30:45:00
Carroll, Tim, Cleveland Heights, OH	33:20:00
Gaughan, Chris, Dayton, OH	33:20:00
Martek, Craig, Dillsburg, PA	33:25:00
Becker, Richard, Madison, WI	34:33:00
Danhaus, Paul, Wassau, WI	34:33:00
Dulieu, Michelle, Webster, NY	34:33:00
Marion, Marcel, St-Michel Saints, QC	35:28:00
Schwenck, Gary, Webster, NY	36:29:00
Sheehan, Mark, Elmira, NY	37:55:00
Cernak, Wayne, Westhampton, MA	38:36:00
Loomis, Russ, Williamsburg, MA	38:36:00
Pruitt, Ralph, Holmes, NY	39:05:00
Tran, Thien, Toronto, Ontario	39:31:00
Yamada, Shinya, Toronto, Ontario	39:31:00
Howes, Chuck, Holliston, MA	39:55:00
Ammons, Glenn, Albany, NY	42:17:00
Creel, Phil, Columbia, SC	46:00:00
Finger Lakes 350
Donohue, Joan, Columbia, SC
Schwarz, Bill, Kinderhook, NY