No official results to report from Sunday’s The Tarheel, the second in TORC’s five-race summer XC MTB series. “I’ll probably get to them Tuesday or Wednesday,” race director Sean Callihan said as the race wound down. “I have to do my expense report for work tonight.

On June 12, Chapel Hill’s Matthew Lee set off on a bike ride in Banff, Alberta. On Tuesday at 9:45 a.m., 17 days, 23 hours and 45 minutes later, he ended his ride in the dusty border town of Antelope Wells, N.M., the first of 42 riders to complete this year’s 2,745-mile Tour Divide mountain bike race. It was Lee’s second straight Tour victory and  and his fourth overall.

I heard the shriek first, then the “What the — ?” I did a 180 to see what the commotion was about some 20 yards behind me in the forest. “Uh oh ... .”

Races like Sunday’s Huck-A-Buck at Lake Crabtree County Park wouldn’t happen without volunteers. Sunday’s race was run by all volunteers (with the exception of the electronic timing crew from Off ‘n Running Sports). As race MC Pat Lundergan noted over the PA throughout the event, the Huck-A-Buck is the lone source of revenue for his Happy Fun Racing club. Some of the volunteers — Pat, Chris Pappas, Mike Crocker — are more seasoned, having been a part of the 8-year-old race, in some cases, since the beginning. Other volunteers, however ... .

Yesterday’s Race at the Reactor, the fourth race in the Triangle Off-Road Cyclists’ five-part Summer XC Series drew 130 riders. I say “riders” even though it’s a race, because honesty occasionally surfaces among the participants.

“You racing in that?” I asked Chris Pappas (right) of Happy Fun Racing fame during early morning registration. By that, I meant the kilt he was wearing.
“I’m not racing in this,” he replied with a coquettish smile. “I’m racing ... well, I’m riding. I paid $20, so I’m riding.” (But, alas, only for a lap and a half in the Single Speed Men’s race; His crank bolts broke midway through Lap 2.)

Other scenes from the Reactor: