Mountain bike race By Josh Meltzer

The sound of the Zoo Choo Train whistle echoes through the woods of Mill Mountain and birds chirp on a warm quiet Saturday morning. In an instant, the sound of heavy breathing nears on a Mill Mountain trail once declared illegal for mountain bikers. Fifty-year-old Doug Clary is pumping his legs up the grueling 11 percent grade towards the historic Mill Mountain Star, and he feels good. A recent week spent cycling in Colorado has prepared his legs for the uphill assault.
The race, which is part of the Coventry Commonwealth Games of Virginia, is a time trial. Each of the 38 riders is timed for his or her individual performance, and because the advantage of drafting or group riding isn't allowed, it has been nicknamed the "race of truth."
It's a lonely ride against the clock. The competitors won't see their first supporter until near the end of the nearly three-mile climb at a picnic shelter where race director Ron Glowczynski has warm Texas Tavern hotdogs and chili waiting for the post-race meal.
Clary finishes with a very respectable 23:38, but says he hasn't made up his mind about whether or not to race the following day in the cross country mountain bike race at Carvins Cove. His only disappointment?
"I was looking out for Oops [the missing monkey from the Mill Mountain Zoo] but never saw her," Clary says while trying to catch his breath after the race. Don't lose any sleep over the missing primate, Clary. She was recovered in a nearby backyard on Sunday.

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