Jake and Nye Yackle have accomplished a lot in mountain bike racing as youths.
The Cortez brothers are only a combined 20 years old. Jake, 11, has won a 2010 USA Cycling Cross Country Mountain Bike National Championship, is a 2011 USA Cycling Bronze Medalist and a 2011 New Mexico Off Road Series Champion. Nye, 9, is a 2011 USA Cycling Silver Medalist. The Yackles often race against kids much older than them. Now, theyre racing against adult endurance mountain bike cyclists.
Racing began early this year in January at the El Paso (Texas) Puzzler mountain bike race. Normally the boys begin in March. But the early start was for something big. Really big.
A total of 14 races in 2012 led to the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, Calif., on April 19-22. Tens of thousands of racers across the world compete in what is billed as the largest consumer bike exposition in North America. The Yackles went up against professional and amateur racers of all ages, and were classified in boys 13-14 Category 3. Jake placed fifth at 1:13:04, why Nye was seventh at 1:17:57.
I thought it was a little harder than (USA Cycling) Nationals (in Sun Valley, Idaho), said Jake Yackle about the Sea Otter Classic.
The Yackles were in Prescott, Ariz., the next week for the 29-mile, Whiskey Off Road, cross-country endurance mountain bike race April 28. Nearly 700 racers brought their bikes to the red rocks. Jake and Nye again competed in the Cat 3, 13-14 boys class. Again, the brothers took fifth and seventh. Jake earned a spot on the podium, While Nye just missed. But his finish at just 9 years of age, was pretty impressive.
Nyes race was amazing, said trainer and father, Kevin Yackle. (At) 9 years old, come in second, in the a group of guys, was great.
Nye Yackle was one minute away from breaking last years winning time in the extremely competitive 2012 race.
The six boys before him all bettered last years time. Thats how tough it was out there, Kevin Yackle said.
After months of practicing endurance road racing, the boys feel they were ready for the road races in Monterey and Prescott.
We were probably pretty prepared. We were training a lot, Nye Yackle said. Pretty much everyday, we trained.
Training was all trough the winter, which included desert endurance riding on their new 22-pound, Jamis mountain bikes. Some riding days were up to 54 miles of biking.
The Yackles have now started to incorporate strength training into their regimen. Jake and Nye have been working out their lower bodies with Lindsay Fresquez, trainer and co-owner of Body by Design in Cortez.
The new relationship is also a business one, as Body by Design has become a new sponsor of Yackle Brothers Racing.
In New Mexico, the last two races have been their accustomed cross-country class races. Jake placed first on April 29, in Santa Fe at the La Tierra Torture in the junior Cat 2, 18-year-old class. He followed that with a runner-up finish in Aztec on May 6 in the Alien MTB Race (juniors Cat 2, 14-18).
Nye Yackle was right behind his older brother in second at Santa Fe. In Aztec, the playing field was more level. Nye dominated the juniors Cat 2, 13 year olds class with his first win of the year.
The Yackles will compete today in the Duke City at Albuquerques Oak Flats cross-country race. Theyll then get back to endurance road racing in the annual Iron Horse Classic in Durango the weekend of May 26-27.
Fans can follow Jake and Nye at www.yacklebrothersracing.wordpress.com, or on Facebook at Yackle Brothers Racing.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.