Hagerty Cycling held an impromptu Aqua Bike World Championship that was dominated by those with buoyant spirits and sea legs. 

Held on picturesque High Like, the sprint for glory was kicked off with a Prolougue event for seeding. Lars Welton and Brooks Kelley set the early marks of 2:14 and 2:15, only to be put to shame by new Junior Road Race State Champion Heidi Schwaub. Schwaub put six seconds on the field, and when all was said and done, the entire Hagerty Cycling team had been soundly beaten by a fifteen year old girl, Yours Truly worse than most.

With seeding completed, it was an entirely different race. The four rider heats were as much a battle of skill as of legs, with more races settled by the cornering and wind. Laura Webb put on a display in the women’s race, while Lauri Brockmiller and Heidi Schaub also looked solid. Sandra Dunn quietly took care of business, while Rachel Decker took a narrow first heat win to move on.

On the Men’s side, Lars Welton looked the most consistent, with Dave Bucholtz also looking solid against the likes of Ian Durand and the rest. The Junior category was the first to hit the Championship race, with Ryan “Rujano” rolling away ahead of Griffin and Gabe.

The Women’s race ended dramatically, with all four finalists electing first to swap bikes halfway through the race (fair is fair) and then doing a swan pose across the line. Sandra Dunn took home top honors ahead of  Laura Webb in second and Rachel Decker in third.

The Men’s Race was a Froome-like beating from Jens Schwaub, with Lars Welton second and Dave Bucholtz taking third in a photo finish ahead of Ian Durand.

Whispers in the crowd show interest in a doping control presence at the race in the future, with an outcry for power numbers and more transparent training techniques, especially from Junior winner Ryan Durand.