Tres Denk

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(March 29, 2018) Organizer Tres Denk said the first “Algonquest” event in Pocomoke City and Ocean City last weekend was a success.

The bicycling experience included a Friday night ride and Saturday daytime race along the Algonquin Trail in the Pocomoke Forest, and a Sunday morning event on the Ocean City Boardwalk.

“We ended up with 13 riders starting the race [Saturday] and two disqualifications,” said Denk, a member of the Eastern Shore chapter of the International Mountain Bicycling Association. “Only one person made it halfway and he was under 18, so that was extremely impressive. He vowed to complete it next year.”

Denk said the top finisher was Dave McCloy of Wooden Wheels Service Repair in Newark, Delaware. McCloy completed the trek in 1:49:07.

Additional competitors in the expert class included Chris Davis (2:01:29), Josh King (3:24:06) and Ryder Ridout (did not finish).

Don Daquila had the best time in the 19-35 division (3:24:06), Alex McRae won among 36-50 year olds (2:12:41), and Michael Morris won among those 51 and older (1:54:08).

Denk said all the competitors enjoyed the race.

“Every volunteer brought their ‘A’ game,” Denk said. “No one got lost and sometimes, with really long races, that’s a complaint of the racers. My biggest goal was that they were well looked after.”

He said “a huge turnout of volunteers” boosted the event on the Boardwalk. The Sunday happening included demonstrations by Beach 2 Bay Bicycling and geocaching lessons provided by volunteers from the Boy Scouts.

“We also do a bicycle scholarship program where we let people use our bikes until they grow out of them, so a young lady got her first mountain bike,” Denk said. “Even though we didn’t have any women start in the women’s classes, we had a young lady start riding her first mountain bike.”

Because the first event went well, Denk said he wants to make it an annual occurrence.

“Everybody got a trophy to take back and share with their club, so if each one of those guys brings one guy [next year] I’ll have close to 30 racers, which is sufficient for me to want to do it again,” he said. “And all my volunteers want to do it again.”

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