POWERING THROUGH: Palmer cyclists win Fireweed 400 races

PALMER — Adam Ferguson is no stranger to the Fireweed 400. Ferguson, of Palmer, has competed in the relays of Alaska’s toughest bicycle road race. But this year Ferguson received a special opportunity.

The chance to compete with Kristin Wolf.

And now Ferguson’s name sits alongside Wolf in the race series record books.

Wolf, also of Palmer, and Ferguson combined forces and set a new record in the 400-mile, two-person mixed relay class. The duo finished the 400-mile road race that leads riders from Sheep Mountain Lodge, located at Mile 113.5 of the Glenn Highway, to Valdez and back in 20 hours, 28 minutes and 57 seconds on July 8.

“It was fun to do it with her,” Ferguson said by phone earlier this week. “When she’s your teammate, you’ve got a shot. If it wasn’t for her that record would be still standing.”

Ferguson, active in both road and mountain bike racing, said he was thrilled with the chance to compete with Wolf, who has already put together a noted career in the race series.

“When she asks you to race, you say yes please,” Ferguson said.

In 2015, Wolf teamed with Julie Berberich and broke the Fireweed record in the 200-mile, two-women relay class. Wolf made her debut in the 400-mile solo race and finished first in the women’s class in 2011. The following year, Wolf finished first overall in the 400-mile solo race and broke the women’s record.

Breaking the two-person mixed relay record wasn’t necessarily part of conversation, Ferguson said, but it was on their minds.

“It kind of went without discussion, but we had our eyes on the record,” Ferguson said. “We knew (the record was 21 hours, 30 minutes) and that was kind of locked in our heads.”

While competitors in the 400-mile solo race got rocked with bad weather, Ferguson said they managed to avoid most of it.

“It was great. We got so lucky,” Ferguson said. “We were kind of in front of the weather the whole time.”

Ferguson said they were hit with some weather around Willow Lake near Copper Center on the Richardson Highway, and there were the headwinds around Glennallen that took them a while to recover from, but that was about it, he said.

The Fireweed 400 race series features a variety of classes at distances of 50, 100, 200 and 400 miles. There are two-person classes at 200 miles, and two- and four-person classes at 400 miles. The main event is the 400-mile solo race.

“No solo for me,” Ferguson said. “They’re beyond tough.”

Ferguson and Wolf competed in the relay as a team representing Backcountry Bike and Ski. Ferguson left the 400-mile race for Tony Berberich, co-owner of Backcountry, a popular Palmer bike shop. Berberich finished first in the 400-mile solo class, with a time of 24 hours, 20 minutes, 24 seconds.

“The first goal for anybody is just to finish it,” Berberich said.

It’s the second time Berberich competed in the 400-mile solo, and the first since 2010. It’s long been the goal to return to the race, he said, but there’s been obstacles along the way. Berbeich said he trained hard for the race a couple of times, but was unable to compete. He also had to overcome injuries along the way.

“Three years ago, I had a really bad crash in a 24-hour race in Arizona. I hurt by back and hips,” Berberich said. “The last three years I’ve been kind of out of it, trying to ride, but not able to do that much.”

But Berberich steadily kept at it. In January, he competed in the Baja Divide, a bike race from San Diego, California, to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. That helped spark the desire to jump back into the Fireweed.

Berberich said he set an initial goal of breaking the 24-hour mark. But despite falling about 20 minutes shy, he did cut two hours off his time from 2010. Berberich said he shares he success with those around him. He praised his coach, noted Alaska road racer Janice Tower; his support crew, which includes his wife, Julie; and the bicycle mechanics at Backcountry. Tower and his crew provided the inspiration, he said, and with the Backcountry mechanics, Berberich said he had absolutely no mechanical issues along the route.

Berberich said Tower’s insight was key.

“She knows the course really well. She knows when to do all the right stuff,” Berberich said.

His wife and crew provided the inspiration, Berberich said. Berberich never intended to tap out, but even if he thought about quitting, Berberich said his crew wouldn’t let him.

Unlike Wolf and Ferguson, Berberich did hit nasty weather on the way back to Sheep Mountain. After getting through Glennallen, Berberich said, about 50 miles from the finish, he hit a 30 to 40 mph headwind and was told rain fell at about an inch per hour.

“Basically Mother Nature just unleashed on us,” Berberich said. “It was excruciating.”

Berberich said he just powered through.

“Ya, it sucks out. But keep peddling,” Berberich said. “I knew I wasn’t going to quit.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.